Best Books by China Miéville: Perdido Street Station and More
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China Miéville is a British author and academic, best known for his works of science fiction and fantasy. Born in 1972, Miéville studied at Cambridge University and received a PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics.
Miéville made his literary debut in 2000 with the publication of King Rat, a fantasy novel set in London. He gained widespread recognition for his next book, Perdido Street Station, which won the Arthur C. Clarke Award and the British Fantasy Award.
Since then, Miéville has published numerous other novels, including The Scar, Iron Council, The City & The City, and Embassy Town. His work is known for its complex world-building, fully-realised characters, and vivid and evocative writing style.
Miéville is widely respected within the sci-fi and fantasy community and is considered one of the foremost writers in the genre, pushing the boundaries of science fiction and fantasy.
I will say, that Miéville's books can be hard to work. His ideas are complex and it often seems that language is insufficient to convey them. This can be a bit off-putting for some. However, if you stick to it you’ll find his work incredibly rewarding. My favourites, and the ones we’re going to be looking at in this article, are Perdido Street Station, The Scar, and Embassy Town.
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Perdido Street Station by China Miéville
Perdido Street Station is a sprawling, complex and imaginative novel by China Miéville set in the fictional city of New Crobuzon. The city is a melting pot of different cultures and species, and the story follows the lives of several characters as they navigate the city's dark underworld and politics.
At the centre of the story is Isaac Dan der Grimnebulin, a scientist who is working on a project to resurrect a long-extinct species. His work brings him into contact with a host of strange and dangerous creatures, including the flying insects known as garuda and the shape-shifting Remade.
As Isaac delves deeper into his research, he becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue and betrayal that threatens not only his own life but the lives of those he holds dear. Along the way, he encounters a colourful cast of characters, including a powerful politician, a seductive spy, and a group of rebels fighting against the tyrannical government of New Crobuzon.
Perdido Street Station is a thrilling and immersive read, with a richly-detailed world and complex characters. In Perdido Street Station Mieville skillfully weaves together multiple plot threads into a cohesive and satisfying whole.
The Scar by China Miéville
The Scar is the second book in China Miéville's Bas-Lag series, set in the same world as Perdido Street Station. The novel follows the journey of a sailor named Bellis Coldwine, who is unwillingly swept up in a daring plan to sail to the mysterious city of Armada.
Armada is a city unlike any other, built from the remains of countless ships and home to a diverse and eclectic population. As Bellis struggles to adjust to life in Armada, she becomes embroiled in a power struggle between rival factions vying for control of the city.
One of the standout aspects of The Scar is the world-building, which is rich and detailed. Mieville has created a unique and fully-realised world, filled with strange and wonderful creatures and a host of intriguing cultures and societies.
Embassy Town by China Miéville
Embassy Town is a science fiction novel by China Miéville, set in a distant future in which humanity has spread out across the stars. The story follows Avice Benner Cho, a native of Embassy Town, a city located on a distant planet and home to a unique and mysterious alien species known as the Hosts.
The Host language has no symbols, it is truth itself, and it cannot be spoken by a single individual. It is only the genetically modified and augmented humans, the Ambassadors, that can communicate directly. In order for them to conceptualise an intangible idea they need to physically create the idea itself. Avice is one of these realised ideas known as a simile. And her simile is one of the more contentious ones as it can have an almost paradoxical meaning. Because of this complexity of language, a true understanding of the aliens, their language and their culture has never been realised.
However, unexpected tensions between the humans and the Hosts are sparked when a new Ambassador arrives in Embassy Town, an Ambassador that should have been impossible. It quickly becomes clear that there are unseen political forces at play, and the outcome could mean the end for Embassy Town.
As Avice becomes caught up in the conflict, she begins questioning everything she thought she knew about her city and its inhabitants.
Embassy Town is a thought-provoking and imaginative novel, with a richly-detailed world and complex, fully-realised characters, exploring themes of language, identity, and colonialism.
Rated 4.2 Stars. Buy on Amazon.
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More Books by China Miéville
Below we’ve listed all the books currently written and published by China Miéville along with their publication dates in case you want to explore the rest of his works. In addition to these, he’s also published several short story collections and been involved in comic books and written non-fiction books and essays on everything from equal rights to Marxism.
China Miéville’s Bas-Lag series
Perdido Street Station (2000)
The Scar (2002)
Iron Council (2004)
Stand-alone novels by China Miéville
King Rat (1998)
Un Lun Dun (2007)
The City & the City (2009)
Kraken (2010)
Embassytown (2011)
Railsea (2012)
Novellas by China Miéville
The Tain (2002)
This Census-Taker (2016)
The Last Days of New Paris (2016)
The Best Books by China Miéville: Final Words
China Miéville is one of my favourite authors, creating captivating and complex worlds that stretch the reader's imagination. His writing is skilful and often downright beautiful, evoking a strong emotional response and helping readers form close attachments to the main characters.
For first-timers, his best-known work, Perdido Street Station, is a great place to start. However, I will say that his style and stories aren’t for everyone. They’re weird and the language that at times can be so powerful can also be a barrier to immersion.