as a stand alone The Prefect, it is set in the Revelation Space Glitter Band era, and is a good introduction to it but absolutely apart from the R.space books. He has written a second book and since changed the name, but I have the sneaking suspicion he wrote the Prefect with the intention of it being stand alone and since has shoehorned in a second and is writing a third book. I would also recommend his short story collections: diamond dogs turquoise days, and galactic north.