A brief introduction to the work of China Miéville

A mind-bending tale of two cities which exist alongside each other in the same time and space, this book has won numerous awards and has been likened to that cornerstone of dystopian fiction 1984. China Miéville combines crime fiction with the metaphysical in this strange and gripping tale of murder and conspiracy.

Embassytown is a city perched on the limit of the known universe, a tiny outpost of humanity on the world of Arieka. The native Ariekei are, insectile aliens with two mouths and a deep, deep love of words (they call it ‘Language’). Because of this, communicating with them is tricky and humans have to employ specialised Ambassadors – twins who have been genetically tweaked to speak in unison. The result is a complex, and fragile, status quo. For a book ostensibly devoted to aliens, Embassytown is very much about what defines us as human, interrogating gender and sexuality, language and thought, identity and agency. 

Published in 2007, Miéville’s first foray into the young adult genre was ahead of its time with its revisionist approach. When Zanna is revealed as the ‘Shwazzy’ – the ‘chosen one’ of London’s fantasy counterpart, Un Lun Dun – she and her best friend Deeba answer the call to defend that city from the evil Smog. After Zanna gives up, Deeba takes the quest on herself. Un Lun Dun features a quirky, rebellious, ‘ordinary’ girl who tackles The Big Bad with smarts and perseverance. She’s the hero despite the Prophesy, not because of it. As well as the carnivorous giraffes, Un Lun Dun also features oddly adorable sentient rubbish – including a seriously cuddly milk carton. For fans of Patrick Ness’s The Rest of Us Just Live Here, Rainbow Rowell’s Carry On, or anyone who enjoys a great story that entertains the reader while upending tropes.

A disgruntled scientist and his allies – including a de-winged hawk person, rebellious steampunk cyborgs, a bug-headed artist, and a badger – all tackle one of the great mysteries of the universe. The cast of Perdido Street Station also includes robot mobsters, the Ambassador of Hell, mantis-armed bandits, shapeless horrors, and dream-eating moths. Set in the bizarre and ceaselessly tantalising metropolis of New Crobuzon, and described in Miéville’s characteristically lush prose; thematically, Perdido Street Station is just as ambitious as the rest of Mieville’s work, with discussions of free will and agency and the rule of law and rebellion and causality and governance.

If you like reading epic fantasy: something with a proper quest, huge monsters and magic swords – try The Scar. Of course, with Miéville, nothing is taken for granted, from its delightfully non-traditional protagonist (a really grumpy translator) to the high fantasy realpolitik. In The Scar, Mieville constructs yet another amazing city in the floating rebel stronghold of Armada, home to a host of horrifying beasts, an epic naval battle, and, easily the most incredible magic sword in all of fantasy. The Scar is set in the same world as Perdido Street Station, but is a standalone, and both can be read before or after one another.

In an alternate World War II, underground Surrealists summon sentient art to battle the Nazi occupiers. Who retaliate by summoning demons. Because of course. The Last Days of New Paris reads like a lengthy session of the greatest game you never played: full of action, spell-slinging, and, of course, monsters. Even as Miéville’s most overtly entertaining book to date, it is still laden with deeper meaning: hiding between the demons and the snipers is a heartfelt belief in the power of art – to liberate, to rebel, and to stand up against oppression. For those who dozed through their Art History classes, an intimate knowledge of art isn’t required, plus, there’s an enjoyable (in-world!) appendix at the end.