In Iain M. Banks's "Culture" novels, the Culture's most powerful and sophisticated weapons are [*effectors*][1], electromagnetic manipulation devices capable of remotely reading and controlling computers and biological minds.

In Alastair Reynolds's most recent novel, *Revenger*, there is a brief reference to a device called an effector:

> "I met a robot who could get through locks. Why can't you?"
> 
> "There is a lot that I cannot do, Fura. The robot you met may have had
> an effector module. Mine was deinstalled when they put in my
> blockades. Besides, there are other considerations."

Prior to this, I've never heard of effectors outside of Banks's Culture novels, and Google seems to agree. Is there some precursor that both Banks and Reynolds are drawing on? Or is the use of an effector in *Revenger* a reference to the The Culture?

  [1]: http://theculture.wikia.com/wiki/Effector