China Mieville

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King Rat

23 May 2009 in Novel | 1 comment

By China Miéville.
Begun 06 May 2009; finished 09 May.
For ‘10 Books From My Library’ reading challenge.

King Rat is a story about Saul Garamond, who, after being arrested for allegedly murdering his father, is visited by a mysterious figure who reveals to him his dark, otherworldly origins. Saul, having no choice or worldly attachments, leaves behind his known world of human beings and descends into the literal underground of London city to discover his heritage. At the sametime, several of Saul’s friends, including a drum ‘n bass DJ, are approached by a strange musician, who wants to collaborate with the DJ in her music-making. This collaboration takes a sinister turn, and it seems this stranger is seeking to destroy Saul and all that he represents…

King Rat is China Miéville’s first novel, and it shows. Many elements that are full-fledged and recognizably Miéville in Perdido Street Station and The Scar, are still being explored, developed and polished here. Read the rest of this entry »

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Iron Council

17 October 2007 in Novel | No comments

By China Miéville.
Begun 28 Jul 2007; finished 13 Aug.

I have a curious relationship with some of my much-enjoyed authors, especially if they are contemporary authors still producing texts. A part of me desires to devour the all their novels, as soon as they are published. Another part of me is almost reluctant to touch them, because of the weight of expectation. This apprehension is especially strong if I’ve read 2 or 3 texts (which tends to happen before an author comes into favour). Does this new text live up to the standards set by the previous ones, standards that I’ve set? If not, what would my response be? Of course, it all depends on how much the text falls short, but part of me doesn’t really want to read and find out, because it does hurt when my admiration and favour is let down because the author did not achieve my expectations.

It took me more than a year to finally read China Miéville’s third Bas-Lag novel, Iron Council — and alas, I was quite disappointed. Perdido Street Station and The Scar were well-written (if not actually outstanding), but Iron Council fell short of the benchmark they set.

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Looking For Jake

4 February 2006 in Collection, Short Story | No comments

By China Miéville.
Begun 20 Jan 2006; finished 04 Feb.

After reading Looking For Jake and other short stories, I’ve finally realized why I find China Miéville such a unique and compelling author, and the aspect of his writing that attracts me so much.

The Looking For Jake collection is a smorgasbord of short stories, articles/narrations about the weird, a comic strip, and the novella The Tain. One story is set in New Crobuzon, the rest are all urban, if not in London. The stories all have people in them, but they are not the main characters; the stars are inanimate, man-made objects.

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The Scar

11 September 2005 in Novel | No comments

By China Miéville.

The Scar is about as long as The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, but it took me a month to finish Heinlein’s novel, and less than a week for this one.

The scenario unfolds before my mind’s eyes right from the very first sentence. I can see it, I can see every detail as vividly as if it were truly right before my physical eyes. Each character springs into full view, fully formed and alive, their characters and personalities already etched upon their bodies and faces, the moment they are described on the pages. And as I read the story, the characters breathe, speak, live, move, and the world changes, reforms, progresses. It all happens right before my eyes, I don’t have to even try and imagine. It’s as if I’m watching a movie in my mind.

Oh, Miéville doesn’t describe the world in minutiae. He writes just enough to suit the purpose of the story. But it is enough: my mind constructs the rest automatically. And it is real. Real.

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Perdido Street Station

23 August 2004 in Novel | No comments

By China Miéville.

Perdido Street Station by China Miéville leaves me speechless, long before I’ve gotten to chapter 27 of 52. I don’t think I’ve read fantasy so incredibly inventive and fiercely real since C.S. Lewis. (I have my reasons of not comparing it to Tolkien, entirely a matter of personal taste. Even so, I can’t compare those; Perdido Street Station is in a totally different league.) It’s best defined as urban fantasy and steampunk, in a world so alike and simultaneously so alien from our own, set in a city called New Crobuzon. Read the rest of this entry »

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