Most definitely agree on China Mieville, very good writer, great storylines and his city/state of New Crobazon, a rather dirty and corrupt city that could be London's alter-ego, introduced in his second book,"Perdido Street Station", is another timeline where some technology exists, like lighter than air dirigibles, but no airplanes and steam transport but no internal combustion engines.
The aftermath of an alien presence long ago appears to the present inhabitants to be magical but is actually very dangerous route to yet another world with some very scary residents that are trying to find a new home.
Very interesting world he has come up with, and his third and latest book, "Scar", which is also set in the world of New Crobazon, expands out into the seas and lands beyond New Crobazon's sphere of influence. Defintely not fantasy, no swords, magic jewels, wizards or elves, but there are some walking dead men, a vampire colony, a whole city composed entirely of ships, boats and rafts tied together to form a huge community that is peopled by exiles, renegades and criminals hiding from the law of New Crobazon, and is the base for a large pirate fleet that supplies the city and keeps it independent from land. It floats on the sea and serves as the base for societies outcasts. When some new arrivals try to use some of the alien tecnology to propel the city they get a lot more than just motive power. The creature they capture and use to tow the city is an alien construct that can tear open an entrance into the world it came from, possibly destroying New Crobazon's world.Very refreshing, nice to see a new SF wrter with real talent.
There is a new writer from the UK, Richard Morgan, who's first novel "Altered Carbon" is a really interesting concept of storing human conciousness in stacks of carbon implants inserted into every baby at about 6 months old. Enables people to buy, rent , sell bodies, especially convicts, and this is called 'sleeving".
Story is set in future with interstellar travel, and a black market in bodies that gives immortality. Story is quite violent, but a great new concept from a new author. Published in UK 2-2002, due out in PB in US 3-2003. Already a collectable title.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle- form/026-3693076-8845216
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Most definitely agree on China Mieville, very good writer, great storylines and his city/state of New Crobazon, a rather dirty and corrupt city that could be London's alter-ego, introduced in his second book,"Perdido Street Station", is another timeline where some technology exists, like lighter than air dirigibles, but no airplanes and steam transport but no internal combustion engines.
The aftermath of an alien presence long ago appears to the present inhabitants to be magical but is actually very dangerous route to yet another world with some very scary residents that are trying to find a new home.
Very interesting world he has come up with, and his third and latest book, "Scar", which is also set in the world of New Crobazon, expands out into the seas and lands beyond New Crobazon's sphere of influence. Defintely not fantasy, no swords, magic jewels, wizards or elves, but there are some walking dead men, a vampire colony, a whole city composed entirely of ships, boats and rafts tied together to form a huge community that is peopled by exiles, renegades and criminals hiding from the law of New Crobazon, and is the base for a large pirate fleet that supplies the city and keeps it independent from land. It floats on the sea and serves as the base for societies outcasts. When some new arrivals try to use some of the alien tecnology to propel the city they get a lot more than just motive power. The creature they capture and use to tow the city is an alien construct that can tear open an entrance into the world it came from, possibly destroying New Crobazon's world.Very refreshing, nice to see a new SF wrter with real talent.
There is a new writer from the UK, Richard Morgan, who's first novel "Altered Carbon" is a really interesting concept of storing human conciousness in stacks of carbon implants inserted into every baby at about 6 months old. Enables people to buy, rent , sell bodies, especially convicts, and this is called 'sleeving". Story is set in future with interstellar travel, and a black market in bodies that gives immortality. Story is quite violent, but a great new concept from a new author. Published in UK 2-2002, due out in PB in US 3-2003. Already a collectable title. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle- form/026-3693076-8845216