The quote from Iain M. Banks' "Excession" illustrates the concept of confronting something fundamentally incompatible with oneself. It suggests that attempting to engage with a perilous and alien force requires an equal measure of precision and appropriateness, akin to a finely tuned technological mechanism. Ordinary methods or materials would be disastrously inadequate against a profoundly chaotic or destructive entity.

This analogy draws comparisons between advanced space technology and older forms of transportation to highlight the dangers of mismatch in approaches. Just as a fragile rocket ship cannot survive the heat of a sun, or a wooden ship cannot withstand a nuclear explosion, human attempts to handle powerful, otherworldly phenomena must be executed with the utmost care and sophistication.