China Mieville

[El Spurioso]

Folks-

Off topic *ish*...   I've just been killing some time by browsing around for details on the author China Mieville (okay, okay... I finished re-reading a book of his and enviously wanted to double check that he's at least 10 years older than me) and found various references to the fact that he dabbles as a comics artist.  Particularly fond of buildings and monsters, by all accounts. ;)

Given that he's a British writer at the forefront of Weird-Fi (and yes, I am a fan, and yes, you should pick up and read his work, and no, I'm not going to gush any more), with an interest in comics, it seems impossible to me that he hasn't at least *heard* of 2000AD...  I wonder whether anyone amongst us has seen any of his artwork?  He's been printed in 'several fanzines and semi-prozines'...  No other details, I'm afraid, but my interest is piqued.

Anyone any the wiser?

Oh, and he is.  Ten years older than me, I mean. ;)

[SmallBlueThing]

No wiser, but it's nice to see Mr Mieville mentioned here. He really is tops and I can't reccommend Perdido Street Station enough. A heady book of almost hallucinogenic texture. Wonderful.

Though Sam The Eagle from The Muppets does rather stick in the mind after reading it.

Steev

[El Spurioso]

Ha!

Now read 'the Scar' and tell me you don't get a mental image of Arseface from 'Preacher' every time Kruach Aum turns up.

[Art]

Found this quote online:

"The idea of consolatory fantasy makes me want to puke. It's not that you can't have comfort, or even a happy ending of sorts, but to me the idea that the purpose of a book should be to console intrinsically means the purpose is therefore not to challenge or to subvert or to question; it is absolutely status quo oriented - completely, rigidly, aesthetically - and I hate that idea. I think the best fantasy is about the rejection of consolation... using the fantastic aesthetic to do the opposite of Consolation."

A sound philosophy, if you ask me.

Link: http://www.alattimore.com/bin/geeklog/article.php?story=20030627005434298" target="_blank">http://www.alattimore.com/bin/geeklog/article.php?

[crill]

I'm still unsure about mieville, myself. I read Perdido, and thought it was... OK. I like the grittiness he brings to his descriptions, and the feeling that the world has been there for a long time, but I just feel the books are a bit too long. Some of it seems like padding to me.

I'll probably get shouted down by this, because he does seem to be a very popular writer. Don't get me wrong, I like his style of writing. And I'm pissed off because I have a floating city of barge clans out in the ocean in my WIP and I recently found out that is sort of what he does in his new book and he will do it a hundred times better than I ever could,the bastard,(don't you hate it when that happens?)but I just don't know. I see his book in the shop and think, should I? shouldn't I? and I haven't yet.

I'm still not sure. Is it worth it? I buy about two books a month, so I have to pick carefully.

Paul Crilley

[SmallBlueThing]

Is it worth it? Books are always worth it, even if they are rubbish. But Mieville isn't rubbish.

I haven't read The Scar yet- it's on top me bookcase as I type waiting to be started- but I can reccommend 'King Rat' if you haven't read it. It's pretty short too. Grubby as hell, stinking of garbage and set to a garage throb- it's rather wonderful.

Steev

[Quirkafleeg]

Just the other day I was wondering if anyone else knew anything about the man's comics...

The Scar is brilliant in that it is written to totally confound all your expectations as you read it...

Currently rereading King Rat and finding somewhat lightweight to his later books... but still better than the majority of stuff out there.

Here's a pix by the man himself... linked to a bigger one. And have a surf around the site, some good stuff there.

Link: http://runagate-rampant.netfirms.com/art/illustrations/china_2.shtml" target="_blank">Stick that pig!

http://runagate-rampant.netfirms.com/img/art/china_2_small.gif">

[Art]

After Si mentioning China Meville bloody ages ago I just picked up The Scar, which is great. Very Weird-Fictionesquer and not a Tolkeinism in sight.

[Floyd-the-k]

interesting, thanks for the reference Si. I`ll check him out.
 I like his philosophy but I think most fantasy is comfy consolatory stuff. I may be wrong here.http://www.tautoz.com/ghiblimuseum/images/ticketoffice.jpg">

[CapKlep]

Hey, i spy a Totoro.

Cheers,
Adam

[Quirkafleeg]

China's stuff is deliberatly non-comfy non-consolatory...

Actually I recently re-read Predido Street Station and found it 'not as good as the first time'... some bits in it still rock but at times for me he over-eggs the pudding and I lost interest before the end  

[Tanky]

Ooh! Love the guy! Just found out that the new offering, The Iron Council has been put back til september now. Grr!

King Rat's ok, i guess. If you like the 'adaptation' sorta thing like Nigel Kitching's just done with AHAB. Bit obvious though, i thought. Still, it's bloody good for a first book. The Scar's my favorite. As a Final Fantasy nut, (which i reckon Mieville is too -cactus people? Eidolon island? Garuda?etc) Bellis reminds me of Lulu. She's a brilliant character.

Picture wise, i do actually have a couple somewhere, just single panel things. Unfortunately, i still don't have a scanner. I'm off to look round the web, see if i can find anything...

[Art]

The Scar uses a bit of trickery to prevent the ending being an anticlimax that i'm not 100% sure works...

[The Enigmatic Dr X]

POTENTIAL SPOLIERS FOR 2K AND PERDIDO ST STATION









Bringing this on-topic, surely the Simping Detective storyline is just a rip of Perdido Street Station? After all:-

1. a mysterious new drug is on the streets, just like the book.

2. evil baddies have alien monsters trapped in a dark room, just like the book.

3. said evil baddies are in league with elements in the government, just like the book.

4. said new drug is produced by "milking" said aliens, just like the book.

Or am I mis-reading the reference to the milking of the Raptaurs?

[The Enigmatic Dr X]

I hope I haven;t offended Mr Spurioso, that wasn't the idea.