The new novel by China Mieville, Embassytown, is just great.
As an old science fiction fan, running low on new input for several years, I would never have expected this. Here is a true science fiction novel that shows the superiority of the whole genre, over the money-pushing fantasy bullshit that has polluted our shelves.
Having read some of his former novels, if I had not known, I would never have expected Mieville as the author of this. Since his former novels are good, this is great praise indeed.
Ursula K. LeGuin writes on the cover of my copy, that this is “a fully realised work of art”. On many levels, when reading, I am reminded of her masterwork, The left hand of darkness.
Mievelle’s novel continues the best traditions of science fiction, as well as doing an utterly astonishing “concretization” of postmodernist language theory.
I am still in the middle of it – but this is very much recommended.
