The Scar

Mieville is great at not just creating new worlds but in adding very real socio-political commentary to make these strange worlds believeable.

Ah yes, the sequal to Perdido Street Station. This second book was like brain drugs peppered with anarchist wet dreams. Mieville takes the whole concept of 'Temporary Autonomous Zone", engorges it and pumps it full of magical technism. The man has a serious urban fetish that he takes out to sea this time creating a floating pirate city with a soap opera of a politcal scene full of fucking,...more

Ah yes, the sequal to Perdido Street Station. This second book was like brain drugs peppered with anarchist wet dreams. Mieville takes the whole concept of 'Temporary Autonomous Zone", engorges it and pumps it full of magical technism. The man has a serious urban fetish that he takes out to sea this time creating a floating pirate city with a soap opera of a politcal scene full of fucking, scarification and blooding drinking. Surprisingly, the blood drinking borrough makes the most sense! Yeah, the book will bend your brain and your ethics, but it won't move you like the first one did. There's something about the main hero, the illustrious Ms Coldwine, that just doesn't make you want to go out and have a beer with her. In fact, you'd likely feel bad about it, but you still wouldn't call her on her birthday. So it's a fun ride and a great work of imaginative set building, but it won't make you cry or call you boss to feed him some yarn about being too sick to come in just so that you can stay home all day and read it. THAT'S Perdido Street Station that does that. This one will just pop out of your bag at every free moment and make you want to rent a dingy on your next vacation. But that's about it.    hide