I don't get why people are down on Iron Council, I thought it was the best of the 3 Bas-Lag books. Iron Council is probably my favourite book ever, and totally convinced me that fantasy was a genre that wasnt a waste of time for 20-something year olds to read. I read the series in reverse order starting with Iron Council, and I do think its the best. The Scar was also a great book but didnt have nearly the sweeping scope or interesting politics of Iron Council. Perdido Street Station had its moments but seemed a lot more unfocused.
Anyhoo yay China Mieville, i'd probably say overall he's my favourite authour, I finished reading Railsea a couple weeks ago. I found Railsea kind of brings together a lot of the ideas China had in The Scar and Iron Council (aside from the obvious "oceans + trains" thing). It was weird reading a book where all his characters weren't dead at the end but i guess that's because it was supposed to be more for younger readers.
Hm. I'm definitely gonna have to give Railsea a look then!
Someone somewhere said that most people prefer the first book that they read, but I read the novels in order of publication, and The Scar was actually my favourite.
... Mostly because it's on a pirate nation with vampirates, probability blades, mosquito people and stuff. And jeeze, at the end when the grindylow show up and reveal that they dgaf about anything else and just wanted to protect their home... I had tears in my eyes from the awesome. I want a novel set in High Cromlech. I want a novel about Bered Nev Kai before/during The Ravening. I want a novel about the Cymek garuda. I want a novel about Tesh. I was so happy for a brand new and awesome setting. There are just so many cool things to be explored and I feel like I've only gotten a tiny taste of them.
Okay, I just went to wikipedia and checked out the article they have on Railsea:
"Railsea is set on a dystopic, dying world whose oceans, the "railsea", are deserts colonized by ravenous speed-tunneling giant naked mole rats[...]"
FUCK YEAH! I didn't even read the rest of the summary because I honestly don't need any more convincing at this point. Going to pick it up on Monday. X)
edited 28th Sep '12 4:52:01 PM by Sessalisk
Caaan anybody find me... Somebody to ♠Hell to the yes! China is a damn incredible author. Just finished Krakan and my mind was blown, again. It's schizophrenic, awesome, chock full of Nightmare Fuel as usual, and actually had a pretty happy ending by Mieville standards. Most of the main characters made it out alive, the world's going to end, but not today, and it's one of his most creative novels. Though Perdedo Street Station is my favorite. We need more Bas-Lag! He says in intervieews he plans to go back to the setting some day as Mieville claims there's still stories to tel and hints that some of the characters from Perdedo and Iron Council might make a return.
I've read Perdido Street Station and loved some of it, hated some of it. I've been meaning to read a second book by Miéville for a while now but I've been unable to decide between Iron Council and The Scar. I usually read stuff in publication order, but from the previews I've read with one eye closed since I don't want to spoil anything I'm more drawn towards the Iron Council.
The point of all that? I just wanted to ask here if there are any direct connections/references/shared characters in the books so that the reading order actually matters? I've already hit a few spoilers in googling this out so I'm hesitant to do more.
There are almost no connections between the scar and iron council so i don't think you spoil anything by reading them out of order. As for which one to read next, the scar is definitely more accessible. Iron Council puts China's politics and sexuality front and centre in a way that his other books do not, and i think thats why people get uncomfortable with it. But if that's the kind of thing you read Mieville's books for (and why wouldn't it be?) then totally go with Iron Council since it is his magnum opus.

This, being a finished series and whatnot, as well as being not all that mainstream, is probably not going to get a lot of replies.
At the same time, China Miéville's Bas-LagCycle has got to be my favourite series of books ever and if there is even one other person out there who wants to discuss it, then woo!
Discuss your favourite books here, your least favourite ones, parts that you really enjoyed or speculation on other stuff!
(Does anyone remember how in Iron Council the elementalists were going to summon fegkarion's, but Judah's light golem and Drogon's crew stopped them before they could show up? Eee... Even though they aren't really mentioned before that point, I can't help but feel that it was a Missed Moment of Awesome. I wonder exactly what sorts of powers they had and why they were so legendary. And if they're worse than the frickin' proasmae flesh elemental things, then hoo!)
Caaan anybody find me... Somebody to ♠