[SirRob]

Yeah, I agree with you. Perdido had to be one of the most inventive books I've read and on that side of things is brilliant, but the writing can be extremely rough in places and there are some boring patches. That sort of flips over in some places - where the writing creates a wonderful atmosphere and flows perfectly.

I was surprised when I looked at the quotes at the very front of the book - the Times, Guardian and Times Literary Supplement have all reviewed it and liked it. Newspapers usually avoid reviewing any fantasy so it seems to have got a very literary reputation.

As for Perdido being SF. Where did you get that idea:confused: . Its completly steampunk.

[Dystran Hart]

hehe I always finish these books after everyone else so I am left to echo much that has already been mentioned :)

Just wanted to say 'aye' to the inventiveness. China has such a huge following already it seems. I am very interested to see what will be coming out of his mind next. He has made it a difficult act to follow himself now :)

The writing style was excellent - China oozes quality. The book was for me 'steady' - the descriptive aspect of the locations, and the time spent for me trying to picture these descriptions in my mind is what held my interest the most. I know some people felt that this made the novel a slower read, and some have mentioned how this may have taken the edge of the climb towards the action sequences - but personally I loved this book in particular for the descriptive content and inhabitants over and above the excitement of the upcoming battle with the slakemoths and other encounters. A great book I cannot deny - but I would have to be in the right frame of mind to read this. This is a book that I could read in conjuction with another novel so that I could select it of the other dependant upon my mood at that time.

Can someone describe steampunk to me? I know it kind of speaks for itself I suppose - the word to me conjure up a dark, miserable realism - perhaps an industrial type of town, with atleast a few heavy action sequences? (cyberpunk without the technology perhaps?). Has anyone got a better translation of steampunk? as i've only heard that terminology used recently hehe and prior to that i just called everything 'surreal'!

[Kamakhya]

Sir Rob said:
As for Perdido being SF. Where did you get that idea . Its completly steampunk.
Steampunk is a subgenre of SF.

Dystran asks:
Can someone describe steampunk to me?
From the Encylcopedia of Science Fiction (Clute and Nichols, 1995):

"STEAMPUNK Item of sf terminology coined in the late 1980's, on the analogy of Cyberpunk, to describe the modern subgenre whose sf events take place against a 19th-century background. It is a subgenre to which some distinguished work attaches, though in no great quantity."

"It is as if, for a handful of sf writers, Victorian London has come to stand for one of those turning points in history where things can go one way or the other, a turning point peculiarly relevant to sf itself. It was a city of industry, science and technology where a modern world was being born, and a claustrophobic city of nightmare where the cost of this growth was registered in filth and squalor."

Kamakhya

P.S.: I loved PSS, but missed this discussion. :(

[Dystran Hart]

Hey! Thanks very much for that reply re: steampunk :)

[Mamb]

OK, it's a long time since this discussion started, but having only just finished the book, I'll just add a little.

First, it is now the best book I have ever read, seriously. Absolutely incredible. Has all the aspects that I felt were missing in most other books I have read - ie politics, radicalism, race, original science/magic. It has left so great an impression that I now want to start writing some "steampunk" of my own.

The Weaver was a near perfeclty crafted fictional character. Totally unfathomable, insane, stubborn, strong, dangerous, elusive, yet affectionate, loving, artistic, benevolent - the list of its qualities could go on for so long. I was won over by its peculiar affection for Isaac.

The Construct council was fantastic as well. Nothing like cliched AI Terminator type machines. The thing may not have had feelings, but it had an ego .

Yagharek's opening account was beautifully written. Does anyone else think New Crozubon bears some striking resemblance to industrial revolution London? But infinitely more frightening. Mieville lives in London does he not? The metropolis is so real, so crawling with life.

I too was confused about where the SMs originally came from but if that is mentioned in the Scar, then I'll read it and find out.

[Iskaral Pust]

Well I'm quite a bit out on the disscussion but i'll still write a bit anyway. First some people have asked in Bas-Lag future earth? This doesn't seem likely to me, as, in some ways, they are less advanced than us - they have no means of long distance communication ie telephone. The creatures such as Slake-moths, Weavers and Avancs(from the Scar) seem to come to an alternate reality.

[Yobmod]

It was a good book, very inventive with some cool creatures. Dragged slightly in places, and had superfluous characters that stopped it being great. Considering how inventive it was i was suprised that the 'sentient' inhabitants were humanoid. Why would an intelligent cactus be anything like a man. This could argue for a far-future Earth, lots of genetic engineering has gone on, but with a large humans are best bias?
And i wasn't impressed by the socialists - why didn't they have jobs? In fact there seemed very few ordinary people around for such a large city. London may be dirty, but has huge numbers of street cleaners etc. Bas Lag's government didn't seem to do anything.

I'll read the sequels, so he definately did something right :D

[Brys]

: where the hell did the slake-moths come from? They show up in the mail from where?
Much more that I like and will get to that later.

They originally came from another continent. Then they were bred by drug dealers, so they could create dreamshit. So what probably happened is that they sent small expeditions to capture slake-moths - there are lots of hints for this kind of thing, especially the specially trained soldiers and their protective armour with mirrors etc.

I thought Perdido Street Station was amazing. Not quite the best book I've ever read, but not far off either. It was hugely inventive - unlike anything I've ever seen before. The language was amazing, adding to the story at every point, making it seem more real and Mieville actually gave us language that was not simplistic and targeted at a younger audience, which few enough authors do in fantasy, and for that I admire him (as well as for everything else about the book). The only problem I had with it was the plot was a little predictable, but it wasn't very predictable and only a very minor flaw.

"Yagharek's opening account was beautifully written" - couldn't agree more. That was some of the best prose I've ever read.

[Fuxxy Elf]

I'm not going to read this whole thread till I've finished the book. But I just wanted to say that I only picked up PSS this morning and am already 200 pages into it. Admittedly I haven't seen a lot of Sunday over the pages of my book but I haven't found at all hard or complicated to get into. It is actually one of the easiest stories to pick up, I mean sure there are wierd names and concepts but as long as you grasp the basics the sheer beauty of the language really carries you along.

Two moments that have had my jaw almost on the floor...

When Isaac goes to see the Garuda in the fair only to be faced with a human thats been Remade. That was truly horrifying and haunting, plus the conversation afterwards when Derkhan tells the story of the woman who had her babies arms grafted to her head as punishment. :eek: :(

Also the scene when the delivery guy takes the grub from the crate to deliver to Isaac and the book then following the crate all the way to that sign "Biohazard. Danger." If they ever make a film, that scene is the most cinematic moment I have read so far. Plus I have avoided any spoilers, no idea whats going to happen but that scene has given me a pretty good idea. Bloody brilliant!!

Here's to the next 200 pages tonight. :D

[Shayna]

I have to say, when I read this book awhile ago, I was awstruck! I had never involved myself so much with a story! It took me to see different characters interacting in so many wondrous and dark places. I loved it! Everyone I see or meet, I end up asking them if they have ever read this book!! If not...Read it!!

It has taken me to a whole new place in reading! :eek: