# China Mieville: questions & SPOILERS **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 30, 2003, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-mieville-questions-spoilers/221712 "2003-12-30T05:20:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ratty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ccd318/32.png) [@ratty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratty)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-mieville-questions-spoilers/221712/1 "2003-12-30T05:20:39Z")
I got both _Perdido Street Station_ and _The Scar_ for Christmas, and I’ve already devoured both of them. I liked the _The Scar_ best, but both books were wonderful. Mieville creates an oddly familiar world and I love the characters he brings to life. Has anyone else read these books and want to discuss? I have a few thoughts/questions about them both: _Perdido Street Station_ Where did the slake-moths really come from? And what exactly is the Fractured Land? Is it somehow related to the Scar caused by the Ghosthead Empire? What is/was Motley? Is he some unknown species, or is he the most remade Remade ever? What do you think eventually happened to Isaac, Lin, and Derkhan? Did they successfully escape? Will Lin ever get better? Who is Jack Half-A-Prayer? We know Rudgutter has eye problems and needs new eyes constantly- is the militia getting him new eyes and pretending the crimes were committed by the Eyespy killer? Is Isaac’s betrayal of Yagharek justified? _The Scar_ What happened to the female Lover? Did she make it to the Scar, or perish in the attempt? What was Uther Doul’s ultimate plan? If he didn’t want the Lovers to go to the Scar, why did he tell them about possibility mining in the first place? Did Hadrigall really ‘return’? Or was the whole thing a set-up from the first? And if it was, who was behind it? Who were the Ghosthead? What was the Malarial Queendom? What were the Pirate Wars? ---
**Author:** ![kalex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dfb087/32.png) [@kalex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kalex)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-mieville-questions-spoilers/221712/2 "2003-12-31T02:44:25Z")
Oh man, I love these books, and I don’t know anyone else who’s read them. I also liked The Scar a bit better, and I had many of the same questions you did. I was desperate to know more about Uther’s birthplace, and I also wondered about the female Lover (I like to think she made it.) I don’t think poor Lin recovered. I just hope China Mieville has another book set in this world, along with some answers, although I’d settle for more questions. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-mieville-questions-spoilers/221712/3 "2003-12-31T03:47:18Z")
You’ve read both of these since Christmas?!?! Did you get the “Harry Potter headache” from staying up too late? I found _Perdido Street Station_ interesting but his “throw in everything including the kitchen sink” technique finally did me in. The flaws outweighed the pluses in the end. That’s why when I started _The Scar_ and it seemed to be more of the same I never finished it. Sorry I can’t be much help on the questions. Both books made the shortlist for just about every major award in the field of science fiction so they certainly have lots of readers and lots of champions. If you do some searching on the fan sites I’m sure you’ll find discussion of the books and their mysteries. ---
**Author:** ![ratty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ccd318/32.png) [@ratty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratty)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-mieville-questions-spoilers/221712/4 "2003-12-31T05:11:32Z")
I’m actually a really fast reader, which sucks because I go through books like water. (Yes, I’m familiar with the ‘Harry Potter Headache’)😃 **Exapno** , you could try _The Scar_ again if you wanted to, it really is a much better book in terms of tighter plotline than _Perdido Street Station_. I agree with you on the kitchen sink effect. I think Mieville was just so concerned with bringing his fictional city of New Crobuzon to life that he ended up going way overboard with certain details. The entire plotline revolving around the Construct Council could have been edited and the book would only have been better for it. **kalex** , thanks for your input. I’m hoping Mieville comes out with another book in this world, too. He’s got another book due out in 2005 called _Iron Council_, but I don’t know what it’s about. I’m trying to get my hands on a copy of _The Tain_, which is a limited edition novella of his, but it’s not in publication outside the UK.