Political Life
Rankin also spoke to The Today programme about Iain Banks's political life. He told of how his protest against the Iraq war did not go quite as planned.
"He was anti some of the stuff that Tony Blair did to such an extent that he cut up his passport and sent it to Downing Street in protest to the Iraq war - havingforgotten he was supposed to be going on a tour of Australia a few weeks later," he said.
If you've never read any of his books,read one of his books. Then read another
Neil Gaiman
The literary world has paid tribute to Iain Banks who died on Sunday aged 59, two months after revealing he had terminal gall bladder cancer.
Friend and fellow Scottish author Ian Rankin took to Twitter to toast his friend with a whisky, with others following suit.
"Even the ones that didn't drink were putting a wee bottle of water or a soft drink in their pictures," he said.
It was a lovely sort of communal thing todo to celebrate his life."
Another friend, crime writer Val McDermid, was one of the authors who also tweeted a toast to Iain Banks "for all the hours of delight and provoked thought".
She she was "grateful for what he left us, angry for what he'll miss and we'll miss."
Rankin told the BBC he believed Banks's best work could still have been ahead of him.
"The writing still excited him, the ideas still excited him, there was no shortage of ideas, he wasn't coming to the end of his time as a writer," he said.
He told BBC Radio Scotland of his shock at how suddenly his death came.
He said Banks's wife Adele had emailed friends saying he had been told on Tuesday he had a few months left and then on Wednesday there was "a deterioration"
Cannot play media. You do not have the correct version of the flash player. Download the correct version David Cameron and Vladimir Putin disagree on Syria but aim to build on "common ground" Continue reading the main story Syria conflict Behind the battle lines The city that died Who is arming whom? Guide to conflict The leaders of the G8 nations are to begin a summit in Northern Ireland, with Syria's conflict set to dominate. UK PM David Cameron met Russian leader Vladimir Putin - Syria's key ally - on Sunday. They will each hold separate talks with President Barack Obama, who has indicated he will arm the rebels. Mr Cameron, the host, is also keen to focus on global economic issues. He hopes to oversee the launch of talks for an EU-US free trade deal and achieve ...