Feersum Endjin

[johnnyrod]

Anyone read the book Feersum Endjin by Iain Banks? I usually get his scientific references, but this one went right over my head. What is the Encroachment, and what is the feersum endjin that does the biz? Forgive me if this overlaps into geek territory, call it curiosity.

[Draken]

I think the Encroachment is an approaching cloud of interstellar gas/dust that will probably end all life when it arrives - probably by blocking much of the light of the sun.

I read the endjin as being some device that shifts the entire solar system out of its way...which would make it feersum indeed!