China Miéville/Bas-Lag megathread

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > The Book Barn > China Miéville/Bas-Lag megathread

Noricae: Nov 19, 2004; cheese?

Oasx posted:

Am i the only one who thinks that The Scar is his weakest Bad-Lag book? I just felt like the ending made the entire book invalid, it's still a great read but i enjoy the two other much more.

Yes and no. The story was sort of a wash, but he introduced a few neat characters and talked about places (the city full of dead) that weren't mentioned in the world so far, so I found the book to be overall worthwhile. I mostly care about his world and history though (so that Dragon magazine special sounds interesting, and I should track it down).

The City & the City sounds awesome and I'm really glad it's not fantasy, to be honest (I think the mention of 'magick' makes me wince these days). That's probably why The Scar's my favorite novel from him (although bits of Looking for Jake are better).

Noricae fucked around with this message at 09:10 on May 29, 2009

# ¿ May 29, 2009 09:03

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 5, 2024 19:38

Noricae: Nov 19, 2004; cheese?

nixar55 posted:

He's doing a five-city American tour this summer, too. Love to hear him read and he's just such a nice guy to chat with. Very excited to see him again.

Do you have any more info/a link for this? I'm curious as to which cities.

# ¿ Apr 3, 2011 17:10

Noricae: Nov 19, 2004; cheese?

Thanks for the info! Tempted to go back to my family in NY this summer now

Ticketed event? I didn't even know they did that for writers at signings. It sounds like they got mobbed with demand. I've been meaning to read Lev Grossman's Magicians sometime too.

Noricae fucked around with this message at 12:00 on Apr 4, 2011

# ¿ Apr 4, 2011 11:56

Noricae: Nov 19, 2004; cheese?

Hedrigall posted:

I just read Ted Chiang's short story "Story Of Your Life", and I strongly recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Embassytown. It's an utterly mindbending story about communicating with aliens. Brilliant and moving.

He's a great writer and it's funny how small his volume of work is (all short stories) - but how dense. I've never read a writer better at condensing a whole novel into twenty or so pages. I'd recommend reading him as well to everyone in the thread, although I think he has better short stories (the language and aliens in it are awesome, but the dribble about the family is tiresome). 'Exhalation' is my favorite work of his: http://www.nightshadebooks.com/Downloads/Exhalation%20-%20Ted%20Chiang.html. The only issue with his writing is that it sometimes reads like journalism (which can be cool in a pure sci-fi work) and sometimes as a technical manual (which makes sense, as that's what he does).

Noricae fucked around with this message at 13:28 on Oct 21, 2011

# ¿ Oct 21, 2011 13:10

Noricae: Nov 19, 2004; cheese?

Zorak posted:

The protagonist was kind of bland throughout

I think that's kind of true for all his novels - at best they're bland, at worst you actively hate them. I remember reading an interview with him where he was surprised at the hatred some of his main characters have gotten, because he identified with them (haha).

Thanks for the ARC magazine mention - hadn't even known this was being published, and that's an impressive lineup of short stories.

# ¿ Mar 19, 2012 22:57

Noricae: Nov 19, 2004; cheese?

Umph posted:

Kraken was fun to read for me. It started out as this normal crime drama and ended up like King Rat. Also I thinkthe Gaiman comparison isnt that fair as hes invoked legendary characters into novels before. I'm in the minority though as I think Gaiman is overrated.

Agreed, both on overrated and the comparison isn't apt. Kraken's his tribute to Lovecraft; it just happens to be in a kooky alternate London, which Gaiman hasn't exactly patented.

Also, he's done with Bas Lag? I haven't heard anything definitive; he's just writing what he's inspired to.

# ¿ May 2, 2012 05:31

Noricae: Nov 19, 2004; cheese?

Cardiac posted:

I read Wind-Up Girl, and thought it was good. However, his other books are not on the same level and are quite repetitive in their storyline.

Are any set in the same world? And that's disappointing. I've only read the Windup Girl and it was ok, not great, but had an interesting setting that I'd read more of. But not if the plots are worse, more repetitive, the characters duller.

I agree with continuing on with plans to read The Scar. I think it's his best work, even though nothing really happens.

Those Czech covers are fantastic. I'm going to have to find larger versions of them to add to my ebook reader's files.

# ¿ Jun 5, 2013 13:08

Noricae: Nov 19, 2004; cheese?

Ceebees posted:

There's only one story he can really seem to tell in his postdiluvian "post-contraction" world: the one where everything is poo poo, and everyone but the lead character(s) will stab each other in the back for a mouthful of ~~bread~~ genehacked rice (and even they might think about it sometimes).

Yeah, there's only so much repetition of the same idea you can do. Either the characters need to be more interesting (and develop) or the world has to. I was hoping his newer stuff would expand on the politics and world at large, but I guess not

No need to read Alchemist then until I really run out of books to read.

Seconding The Orphan's Tales. I liked Valente's Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland too. It's one of the few successful Alice in Wonderland inspired books that I can remember (Neverwhere's the other).

edit: V Oh, well then! Shows you how much I've followed him. Whoops.

Also, man I thought this was the scifi thread. Sorry to derail!

Noricae fucked around with this message at 00:40 on Jun 14, 2013

# ¿ Jun 13, 2013 21:52

Noricae: Nov 19, 2004; cheese?

Benson Cunningham posted:

The Scar is almost certainly my number one, but then my order is way different than yours.

Kraken
PSS
The City and the City
Embassytown
Iron Council
<everything else>

I think I rank Kraken higher than anyone else I know.

This is my order exactly, except Looking for Jake is in there right after Kraken, but The Scar is also much higher than the rest as well.

So how many of us rate The Scar that highly because we want to see more Uther Doul, past or present?

# ¿ Aug 10, 2013 12:34

Noricae: Nov 19, 2004; cheese?

Oasx posted:

Railsea came out a year ago so it is not like it has been a long time since we had a new book, i would of course love to have more Mieville, but i would hate for him to feel pressured to write a book a year, like some publishers are supposedly asking many authors.

Well he's been writing Dial H, so he hasn't exactly been slacking

(it's worth reading).

Definitely agreed though, British politics have probably accounted for the rest of the focus. I'm interested in more short stories from him though since I think some of his best stuff was in Looking for Jake (the story with the secret codes found in tins of food especially).

Cpt. Mahatma Gandhi posted:

Personally I would read a whole book of "Tanner Sack's adventures under the sea."

Ok, this needs to happen sometime... or else.

Noricae fucked around with this message at 10:07 on Sep 4, 2013

# ¿ Sep 4, 2013 10:03

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 5, 2024 19:38

Noricae: Nov 19, 2004; cheese?

Hedrigall posted:

Oh I forgot... For those of you who enjoyed Dial H (RIP ) remember to grab the coda issue out on the 18th of this month: http://www.dccomics.com/comics/justice-league-2011/justice-league-233-dial-e

Ugh, it looks like he had a ton more stuff planned.

I haven't read Railsea yet... I don't know why really (YA tag? seemed short?). I guess I'm doing that this weekend!

I want more Torque too. Most of all.

# ¿ Sep 12, 2013 21:15

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > The Book Barn > China Miéville/Bas-Lag megathread