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“Miéville moves effortlessly into the first division of those who use the tools and weapons of the fantastic to define and create the fiction of the coming century.”—Neil Gaiman
What William Gibson did for science fiction, China Miéville has done for fantasy, shattering old paradigms with fiercely imaginative works of startling, often shocking, intensity. Now from this brilliant young writer comes a groundbreaking collection of stories, many of them previously unavailable in the United States, including four never-before-published tales—one set in Miéville’s signature fantasy world of New Crobuzon.
Among the fourteen superb fictions are:
“Jack”—Following the events of his acclaimed novel Perdido Street Station, this tale of twisted attachment and horrific revenge traces the rise and fall of the Remade Robin Hood known as Jack Half-a-Prayer.
“Familiar”—Spurned by its creator, a sorceress’s familiar embarks on a strange and unsettling odyssey of self-discovery in a coming-of-age story like no other.
“Reports of Certain Events in London”—In which a writer named China Miéville receives a package containing clues to a vast and ongoing—yet utterly secret—war . . . a war about to turn a most unexpected corner.
“The Tain”—In this major story, winner of the Locus Award for Best Novella, a postapocalyptic London is overrun by vampires and monsters, alien yet weirdly familiar—and one man holds the future of humanity in his hands.
Plus ten other tales—including “On the Way to the Front,” a graphic short story illustrated by Eisner Award–nominated Liam Sharp
BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from China Miéville’s Embassytown.
What William Gibson did for science fiction, China Miéville has done for fantasy, shattering old paradigms with fiercely imaginative works of startling, often shocking, intensity. Now from this brilliant young writer comes a groundbreaking collection of stories, many of them previously unavailable in the United States, including four never-before-published tales—one set in Miéville’s signature fantasy world of New Crobuzon.
Among the fourteen superb fictions are:
“Jack”—Following the events of his acclaimed novel Perdido Street Station, this tale of twisted attachment and horrific revenge traces the rise and fall of the Remade Robin Hood known as Jack Half-a-Prayer.
“Familiar”—Spurned by its creator, a sorceress’s familiar embarks on a strange and unsettling odyssey of self-discovery in a coming-of-age story like no other.
“Reports of Certain Events in London”—In which a writer named China Miéville receives a package containing clues to a vast and ongoing—yet utterly secret—war . . . a war about to turn a most unexpected corner.
“The Tain”—In this major story, winner of the Locus Award for Best Novella, a postapocalyptic London is overrun by vampires and monsters, alien yet weirdly familiar—and one man holds the future of humanity in his hands.
Plus ten other tales—including “On the Way to the Front,” a graphic short story illustrated by Eisner Award–nominated Liam Sharp
BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from China Miéville’s Embassytown.
21 Reviews
3.5
Ronnie
Created almost 3 years agoShare
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David Blaeser
Created over 3 years agoShare
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“This collection of stories varies widely in subject from an abandoned witch's familiar, to the ghost of an Ikea ball pit, to a secret organization that maps out streets of cities around the world that seemingly travel with a will of their own, to world where Christmas itself has been copywritten. They cover the weird and the fantastic all with a tone of suspense and intensity, vibrating with unexpected weirdness.
I enjoyed many of them. More than I usually do in a collection of stories.”
Victoria
Created over 3 years agoShare
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Alicia
Created almost 5 years agoShare
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“2.5 ⭐️
A collection of 13 short stories from the master of weird fiction, China Miéville. Of his few works that I’ve read this collection was not my favourite. There is something grandiose in his writing, where he builds scale and concept with ease, and I was really missing that in short fiction form.
I’ve said before where after I’ve just read a 900 page tome of his that “I wish it were longer!” Well that was absolutely the case with these as well. I felt there was no time for the stories to simmer, so I was often left unsatisfied or confused as if digesting something unfinished.
That being said, there was two absolutely fantastic stories here:
‘Familiar,’ following a newly created witches familiar that has been cast out, on mission of growth (literally) and self-discovery. This story is definitive China Miéville; it’s fucked up, emotional, weird, visceral, horrific and steam-punk-adjacent. I loved it.
‘Jack,’ drops us right back into Bas Lag and the world of Perdido Street Station to further develop a mysterious vigilante bit part character. Not to be missed by fans of the New Crobuzon series.
Also, a notable mention is the story ‘Foundation’ which is about a guy that can communicate with housing foundations via touch. Again weird, sinister and wildly original.
Overall not my fave, but I’ve not yet regretted reading something by this author.”
myrrh
Created over 6 years agoShare
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About China Miéville
China Miéville is the author of numerous books, including This Census-Taker, Three Moments of an Explosion, Railsea, Embassytown, Kraken, The City & The City, and Perdido Street Station. His works have won the World Fantasy Award, the Hugo Award, and the Arthur C. Clarke Award (three times). He lives and works in London.
Other books by China Miéville
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