The Weaver and the Slake Moth...

[Jhaelen]

I wasn't able to really like the other books I tried from Miéville, which I read after being blown away by Perdido Street Station, but I devoured that one.

I enjoyed Perdido Street Station a lot, but my favorite novel by him is 'Embassytown'. It's about the power of language and very thought-provoking. It's a completely different kind of novel, though, and doesn't necessarily appeal to fans of his Scar stories.

Perdido was a bit too gloomy for my taste, but it's chock-full with intriguing ideas. It reminded me favourably of Iain Banks' Culture novels which share this quality. Lesser authors don't put that many ideas in a dozen novels.

 

[le grand fromage]

Funny you should mention Iain Banks, sadly missed, he once signed Use of Weapons, I think it was, for me in a Charing Cross book shop... I also agree completely that EmbassyTown is full of great ideas but Perdido Street Station remains, for me, one of his most "accessible" books and perhaps the best (or at least most adaptable) for "gaming fodder" though I want to re-read some of his short stories for more ideas on a dystopian future campaign background...

 

[pemerton]

Also, you really should treat yourself to this book [Perdido Street Station] - it's pretty awesome.

I liked the other 2 books that he's set in that milieu (maybe there's more, I read a bit sporadically these days). They were less gripping, but had interesting stuff in them.

I enjoyed Perdido Street Station a lot, but my favorite novel by him is 'Embassytown'.

I also agree completely that EmbassyTown is full of great ideas but Perdido Street Station remains, for me, one of his most "accessible" books and perhaps the best (or at least most adaptable) for "gaming fodder" though I want to re-read some of his short stories for more ideas on a dystopian future campaign background...

I've not read any China Mieville. How prominent is his Marxism in his fiction? I generally think of fantasy as a more conservative (eg JRRT) and/or right-wing (eg REH, HPL) genre.

 

[pathfinderq1]

Word on the street is that he isn't a very nice person, errr, in person, as it were. But a lot of other writers aren't very nice people either, so it doesn't shape enjoyment of his writing much. I still read his work (Kraken, for instance, was a good bit of urban fantasy)- but I only get it from the library now, instead of buying.

More to the point, he apparently used to be a gamer, and some of that DOES show through, especially in Perdido (the adventurers, just hungry for gold and experience, who show up for a bit, particularly). At one point, back in the day, there was a Dragon magazine centered around Bas-Lag, with write-ups of some of the creatures/races- I think for either 3e or 3.5. I used to have a copy, but it didn't follow me through the epic moves of the last few years.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Word on the street is that he isn't a very nice person, errr, in person, as it were. But a lot of other writers aren't very nice people either, so it doesn't shape enjoyment of his writing much. I still read his work (Kraken, for instance, was a good bit of urban fantasy)- but I only get it from the library now, instead of buying.

More to the point, he apparently used to be a gamer, and some of that DOES show through, especially in Perdido (the adventurers, just hungry for gold and experience, who show up for a bit, particularly). At one point, back in the day, there was a Dragon magazine centered around Bas-Lag, with write-ups of some of the creatures/races- I think for either 3e or 3.5. I used to have a copy, but it didn't follow me through the epic moves of the last few years.

Yeah, its well-known that his whole urban environment is some sort of campaign in origin. As you say, it is actually fairly obvious in his descriptions and some of the characters.

I liked the Kraken too, that was amusing. The floating pirate town was also rather interesting, again it definitely evoked the 'this is an RPG setting' thing.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

I've not read any China Mieville. How prominent is his Marxism in his fiction? I generally think of fantasy as a more conservative (eg JRRT) and/or right-wing (eg REH, HPL) genre.

I don't recall there being really OVERT Marxism, the bad guys aren't specifically called out for being capitalists for instance, nor are the good guys particularly NOT.

 

[Jhaelen]

I've not read any China Mieville. How prominent is his Marxism in his fiction?

I had no idea he's connected in any way with Marxism, and to be frank I don't care. So far it wouldn't have occured to me from reading his novels, but that doesn't necessarily say much:

I'm also a fan of Orson Scott Card's novels, even though some of his novels are rather plainly influenced by him being of the Mormon faith. I don't share his views about politics and I especially don't endorse his views about homosexuality, but so far, neither has been a reason for me to avoid his novels. I simply enjoy his extremely well-developed characters too much. Especially his portrayal of believable villains with a rich background and complex motivations is imho, without par.

My all-time favorite author is probably Philip K. Dick. Some of his output is extremely weird, especially his later work, but it doesn't influence my overall opinion much. I don't know how much his novels have been influenced by his political views, but for me this is clearly secondary compared to his thought-provoking reflections on the nature of reality itself.

 

[MoutonRustique]

I've not read any China Mieville. How prominent is his Marxism in his fiction? I generally think of fantasy as a more conservative (eg JRRT) and/or right-wing (eg REH, HPL) genre.

I read the book a good while ago - so I may have missed it - but nothing political really stuck with me from that book. A crap-ton of weird, confusing, beautiful images and scenery - yes!

On the other hand, the "Train" book (Iron Council) felt a bit more "agenda'ed" - but I didn't finish it, so could really say which camp was pulling ahead as ultimate victor.

I was very strongly into PlaneScape at the time, and Perdido hit that note very strongly - there were harmonics involved in my response to this novel. (I'm not 100% sure what I mean by this - but I pretty sure I'm saying what I mean... I think.)

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

I read the book a good while ago - so I may have missed it - but nothing political really stuck with me from that book. A crap-ton of weird, confusing, beautiful images and scenery - yes!

Well, there's DEFINITELY politics IN it. The government, and a rather nasty one it is, pervades the novel and helps drive the action forward. Though really the government isn't exactly an antagonist, more of a 'force of nature' which kind of touches off the whole story and keeps pressing the action forward at certain points. The antagonist is clearly the Slake Moth itself, though I guess you could read various things into it like that's just a manifestation of greed for power, etc. Even so, its also the govt's Weaver that ends up being the tool to end the problem, so its rather ambiguous. The heroes are genuinely heroes, the bad guys are a little less clear cut.

 

[Tony Vargas]

I generally think of fantasy as a more conservative (eg JRRT) and/or right-wing (eg REH, HPL) genre.

Those aren't conservative or right-wing, just old.