Embassytown is the newest novel by China Miéville.
Plot:
Avice lives in Embassytown on the planet Arieka, on the very outskirts of the known universe. The humans on Arieka live together with the original inhabitants, the Ariekei, in an uneasy combination of tolerance and ignorance, due to the fundamental differences in communication: the Ariekei can’t lie – but that’s just the smallest difference. The only humans actually able to communicate with them are specially trained ambassadors. Avice is anxious to leave Arieka, so when she get’s to become an immerser, she leaves never meaning to return. But for the sake of her husband, a linguist fascinated with the Ariekei, she does make it back and witnesses the arrival of a new ambassador – with unexpected consequences.
I completely adored Embassytown. There’s really not much more to say except gushing: the Ariekei are fascinating creatures – and utterly alien. The world-building is amazing, and as usual in Miéville’s books there is enough fodder for thought to last for quite a while.
So often aliens aren’t really alien – they look like humans, they have about the same concepts of right and wrong, they have the same emotions etc. Miéville managed to create an entirely strange race. They are not only communicating differently, their entire thought processes are other.
At first this is a little difficult to process, I have to admit. It takes a bit to come to grips with it. But once you get over the otherness, this is just a brilliant way to show how language shapes thought shapes language. This makes the book basically a declaration of love to linguistics. It’s wonderful.
But maybe what I enjoyed even more than the linguistics part, is that the entire book is a manifesto for lying, for imagination, for fantasy. The ending made me want to airpunch and cry, “HELL YEAH!” Seriously, I felt absolutely elated by the ending. Miéville gets the politics of things just right for me to be excited about.
But apart from all the intellectual appreciation I have for this book, the story works very well, just as a story, too. Avice is a great character and I enjoyed her a lot. Also, Miéville doesn’t rely on the Ariekei on his own to make the book interesting (though that probably would have been enough) – there are many fascinating little details about the worls he’s created.
Summarising: why are you still reading this review and not the book yet?
kalafudra's Stuff 
That good, huh? Added to my wishlist, but I actually have a bunch of books to finish, first.
I know that feeling. The book piles in my apartment can tell you stories about it…
But you should definitely get around to reading this one. I swear it’s worth it. :)
*must read*
The first 15 seconds is what I say to that :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLb9jPuDS9Y&feature=related
I have finished the book and I’m in love with it.
I love how once you figure out how it works everything changes: The language, the society, the human power-structures…
The characters are great, Avice is cool, MagDa is cool, the Arieki are great. I greatly loved the ending without xenocide. Even with love and trust – and still believable and not kitschy.
<3
PS: C. hat den Namen vorgelesen, A. hat beschlossen: "China-Willie." :)
I’m so happy that you loved it! It’s always great when you can recommend a book you fell in love with and the other person falls in love with it, too.
<3 <3 <3
Maybe I'll read it again so we can discuss it in detail because, as usual, I only remember the gist of it. ;)
China-Willie gefällt mir. :)
Yes, it is very beautiful. And definitely worth re-reading (I will in a few weeks) :)
China.Willlie ist gut, gell.
Finished “Perdido Street Station”.
Please read PSS so that I can read your review.
It has a dazzing storyline and many scenes you can’t forget. And the characters are ingenious: Isaac (a fat scientist who is in love with Lin, an insect artist working for Motley, a mafiaboss); Derkham, a journalist of the underground newspaper (tolerated by the dictatorship under evil mayor Rudgutter because it is so unimportant), and the garuda who commited “choice theft in the second degree” which is why he lost his wings as a punishment.
Oh, and of course my faorite characer, the Weaver. A mad dream-like spider god.
This book was fun. And Mieville is such a great writer. And he has so many ideas, so many plot twists.
Omg, I must read all his books. <3 <3 <3
I will move the book up in my to read pile. Once it’s July, I can read again for fun and I will read all the books all the time. :)
But I’m really happy that you like Miéville so much. It’s good to have somebody to fangirl with.
Oooooh, “The Scar” (which I’m currently reading) is great.
Is China Mieville married yet?
… and perhaps you shouldn’t read “Wuthering Heights” when you allow yourself only one ficiton book. I tried WH and the foreword was more interesting than the book.
I don’t think he’s married. And I’m not entirely sure if he isn’t gay. But does it really matter? I just want to get my hands on him and/or have direct access to his brain. ;)
And I finally finished Wuthering Heights. Though I’m not exactly sure why I stuck with it in the first place.
I don’t care if China Mièville is gay.
I just hope he lives forever and keeps on writing books.
And once you have finished Perdido Street Station you must tell me:
1) Did you love Isaac’s decision about his project at the end of the book?
2) Isn’t Uther Doul an absolutely gorgeous, twisted person? (The Scar)
… and if he isn’t married he should (gay-)marry an Austrian I know.And live in Vienna.
I don’t think CM is gay, though. Tthere’s this Emma Lastnameunknown who makes his cover photos and he acknowledges/thanks her sometimes. Sounds like a girlfrien to me.
I am actually not sure why I thought he may be gay. Did I read something somewhere? Or was it just a “dammit, the man is pretty much perfect, there must be something that puts him in the not-datable-for-me category” thing? Dunno.
Not that it actually matters. You’re right, the best thing is if he just continues to write awesome books. :)
I don’t know, either. I even looked him up on wikipedia but there’s nothing about his sexual orientation.
He writes gay and bisexual characters with an actual personality (not “I’m going to add someone who is gay”, but a character who is gay… if this makes sense.) And he mentioned society’s an*al-p*en*tration-angst in an interview.
Maybe that, together with his piercings and tattoos and omg-if-he-is-not-gay-he-must-be-mine, was why you thought he was gay.
I assumed Emma Bircham is his girlfriend, but I don’t know if I’m right.
… if he ever comes to Austria to sign books, we will both be there. (To tell him he’s awesome, not to ask him personal questions. ) <3
If he ever comes to Austria, we’ll certainly be there. That I promise. What I can’t promise is that I won’t be asking personal questions. ;) [Nah, just kidding, a) I’d be too much of a coward, probably, and b) I don’t like those “a public figure’s personal life is public, too” arguments anyway.]
Oh goodness, how awesome would it be if he came to Austria?!
Anyway, gay or not or whatever else, he’s smart and hot and writes cool characters (gay or not or whatever else). So that’s amazing.
… why should he not come to Austria eventually?
Maybe to receive a cool prize or to see a nice opera or to lead the Austrian social democratic party or something. :)
Ah, I guess it would be just my luck that he never comes to Austria. Or he comes, only I happen to be in New Zealand at the time. Or something.
And since he was in the Communist Party, do you really think he’d be happy with the Austrian Social Democrats? ;)
Oh, never mind little differences in ideologies, he’ll be my minister. (I don’t know if this makes my mind a disturbing or a very cool place.)
… I don’t know, if he is a “travelling” writer like giving inerviews, signatures etc anyway. We should find out.
I think he does lectures at universities sometimes. But I have yet to hear about an extended signing tour… unfortunately.
I’d probably vote for him, too. :)
I guess he is (was born) rich. No one from a poor background would have this awesome combination of business major and writer and communist. You have to be quite rich to run for parliament (= a lot of time where you can not work but still need to eat) as an outsider-candidate.
… and if my assumption is correct and he is rich –> he doesn’t need to do signing tours.
Which is bad luck for us. But if he comes to a University nearby, we’ll be there, too. :P
Sounds very likely, but wikipedia says his mom was a translator, writer and teacher – doesn’t sound too rich, though certainly educated.
But no matter where he comes from, I think with his uni jobs and writing he’s rather rich now, so not dependent on signing tours. :)
I think he’s so awesome. His mind is like a magical castle or something.
… I’m off to read the wikipedia article. :)
Oh yes. You know, as soon as I’m done with my exams, I’m thinking I’ll dig into the Bas-Lag books.
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