China Mièville Scoops an Unprecedented Third Arthur C Clarke Award

It would seem like China Mièville’s foray into crime fiction has paid off. It was a risky departure, abandoning the much loved Bas Lag universe (after the astonishing trilogy of Perdido Street Station, The Scar and Iron Council) and inhabiting an apparently (initially anyway) more grounded one.

The result of this endeavor is ‘The City and the City’ which has just won Mièville his third Arthur C Clarke award. This award was established by Clarke himself to help promote Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature in Britain. It is fantastic that the system is acknowledging Mièville’s immense talent. There is something special about China Mièville, he is fiercely eloquent without being verbose or showy, he can weave together tales of startling intricacy, yet always leaves a few stones unturned. There is a depth and level of subtle detail to his work that not only satisfies, it rewards.

Being renowned for creating an entire universe to set your novels in and then abandoning it (possibly temporarily) to detour into alternative territory is a ballsy move, especially in the hyper obsessive, bed wetting, hair splitting world of Fantasy and Sci Fi. Some factions of which have decried this departure as sacrilege.

Mièville is jauntily dismissive of such pigeonholing, saying that “I think these debates are silly – genre is a moveable feast, but some people do ask these questions. What I don’t want to do is disavow the fantastic tradition I come from. This is a book from within the fantasy tradition, which hopefully can also be a perfectly faithful crime book – and a good book.”

With his upcoming novel ‘The Kracken’ being accompanied by several Forbidden Planet signings, this might be just the chance to familiarize yourself with one of the most exciting, innovate and fascinating authors in British Fiction.

Congratulations Mr Mièville, here’s to many more deserved awards.

For Details on the China Mièville signings click HERE

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