[Back cover blurb]

A novella and thirteen short stories from the master of literary fantasy.

Step into a London ravaged by unearthly creatures at once utterly alien and chillingly familiar. In China Mieville's award-winning novella 'The Tain', we learn the reason for the invaders' terrible revenge. In addition, this superb collection contains thirteen short stories of visionary cityscapes and urban paranoia, ghosts, monsters and impossible disease. Several of these are published here for the first time, including one in comic-strip form illustrated by Liam Sharp.

I read this book back in April. I was intending it to be a RABCK for someone taking part in the Bordeaux BookCrossing Convention .. but she received the book from somebody else by the time I was done, and I was left with this book that was for me shattering, but that wouldn't surely fit anybody's taste.

This is what I thought back then:

First book I read by Mieville. Very intense and very well written. I found Foundation shocking to the point where it physically gave me nausea - I felt like losing all hope in humanity. Some other stories are thought provoking in a Black Mirror way. I was surprised also by the different styles and genres of storytelling - police reports, comics, and even my first encounter with the Bas-Lag universe.

This is my choice for the Annual Clearance Sweeps.
It is a wonderful book, yet not to everybody's taste.
I saw you had a lot of Mieville's books already on your shelf - here's hoping this one is a nice addition :)
Congrats and enjoy!

This was such a fun surprise to receive today - thank you, lamelemon! I love seeing old friends (in more than one respect). This one is an epecially beautiful edition. I might just swap it out for my old one. <3