The ending of consider phlebas - Caution! Spoilers!

[radu123]

i haven't read it for quite some time, but what exactly happened at the end, horza somehow infused his mind into the ship's AI? or the mind transferred it there?

and if you'd be so kind to remind me again why it was called consider phlebas, i remember no reference at all to anything or anyone named phlebas

 

[Pyan]

It's a quote from T. S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land.

An article discussing the reasons for the title:

Poetic Licence – Iain M. Banks' Consider Phlebas and T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land Fearful Symmetry

 

[Rodders]

I always thought that the mind may have suffered from some sort of Stockholm syndrome. That it was so affected by the senselessness of the whole episode it sort of saw Bora Horza's point of view.

 

[zaltys13]

I always assumed that the mind had just taken Horza's name. As a sign of respect or because of an eccentric sense of humour.

 

[clovis-man]

I obviously need to re-read this book.

 

[Vertigo]

Definite spoilers below with quotes from the end of the book, highlight to view.

Horza definitely died. There was strange line towards the end where the mind began talking in a language unknown to Balveda:

The drone supporting the floating stretcher babbled briefly in a tongue Balveda couldn't recognise, its voice echoing down the tunnel; then it fell silent

I suppose that might suggest something.

I would tend to go with Zaltys. In the Epiloge:

'I'm Foug. What are you called?'
'I am the Bora Horza Gobuchul,' the ship said, through the drone.
'That's a weird name. How did you end up calling yourself that?'
The remote drone dipped one front corner slightly, its equivalent of a shrug. 'It's a long story . . .'

 

[Tillane]

I'd agree with Zaltys, too. The whole book is written in Horza's POV right to the end, and then we learn that the mind has taken his name. As this is more or less the only Culture novel written from the point of view of someone actively opposing the Culture, I've got to assume that this is a nod to the fact that the Mind thinks that Horza has a point - and, by definition, so does Banks.

 

[Andrew Short]

The ships mind simply took the name as far as I know. Out of respect for Horzas sacrifice