[Gary Wassner]

I am not a big fan of Mieville, I must say. Though I find him interesting, I also find him a bit sloppy. I have only read Perdido St to date, so I really shouldn't make such definitive statements, and I am also not in the habit of criticizing other authors. Usually, I just say that the book was not my taste. But since he is so high profile these days, and he is also not one to mince his own words when it comes to his opinions, I feel its fair to comment honestly. I had to skip over large swaths of text in Perdido St. It seemed repetitive and at times boring to me. He appeared to be very taken with himself throughout. Though it was clear that there is a very creative person behind the keyboard, I was not impressed philosophically. The level of thought and contemplation seemed quite ordinary. That's just my take.

Bakker, on the other hand, I read non-stop, madly and voraciously. I am still disappointed that I am now done with both of his books. They affected me like nothing has in many many years. For me, his books were extraordinary.


I am going to take a look at that article and I'll reply to the rest of your post later.