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I didn't mean that to be a reply to you, but still Werthead Send a noteboard - 05/12/2009 03:15:36 AM
Sorry, posted that in the wrong place.

Mieville's place is down to writing talent, which he has in spades, storytelling abilities, worldbuilding, characters (although he is a little bit weaker in this area than some others) and the underrated ability to come up with good monsters.

His role in popularising the New Weird - which was merely a codifying of an existing subgenre consisting of THE DYING EARTH, Brian Aldiss' HOTHOUSE (an SF-rationalised version of the New Weird, anyway), THE BOOK OF THE NEW SUN, VIRICONIUM and the PLANESCAPE D&D setting - is also noteworthy but I think overrated. He didn't create it.

I don't find his politics too intrusive, although I point out that I have not read IRON COUNCIL, which is where they apparently go into overdrive (and is also reportedly his worst novel). Based on PERDIDO STREET STATION, UN LUN DUN, THE CITY AND THE CITY and his remarkable short fiction in LOOKING FOR JAKE, he is more than worthy of inclusion on such a list. UN LUN DUN was probably the best fantasy novel released in 2007 and THE CITY AND THE CITY is up there for this year.

I still need to read IRON COUNCIL, KING RAT and THE SCAR though.
This message last edited by Werthead on 05/12/2009 at 03:17:59 AM
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Six best fantasy novels? Larry - 04/12/2009 05:54:54 AM 1853 Views
Best fantasy authors Tavi - 04/12/2009 07:01:48 AM 1533 Views
Have you read Robin Hobb? *NM* Deadsy - 04/12/2009 04:01:23 PM 770 Views
I have, and wasn't really impressed Tavi - 04/12/2009 10:08:25 PM 1365 Views
You definitely read the wrong stuff first Deadsy - 05/12/2009 12:12:07 AM 1465 Views
Agreed. unr3stricted - 09/12/2009 09:55:12 PM 1367 Views
Only read two. Book of the New Sun definitely deserves that spot. Mieville, not so much. Ghavrel - 04/12/2009 08:06:45 AM 1539 Views
Interesting. Werthead - 04/12/2009 05:21:04 PM 1401 Views
Why Mieville, if I may ask? *NM* Ghavrel - 04/12/2009 08:33:43 PM 775 Views
I didn't mean that to be a reply to you, but still Werthead - 05/12/2009 03:15:36 AM 1528 Views
No worries. Ghavrel - 05/12/2009 03:52:11 AM 1414 Views
But the list was for favorite books, not favorite or most important authors A Deathwatch Guard - 05/12/2009 10:25:13 AM 1357 Views
It was for "best" books. I realize that has a lot of meanings, though. *NM* Ghavrel - 05/12/2009 08:37:01 PM 620 Views
Hm... good point A Deathwatch Guard - 06/12/2009 02:19:13 AM 1151 Views
Glen Cook is radically overrated. Werthead - 05/12/2009 04:09:07 PM 1494 Views
Well, he's at least part of the wave that humanized fantasy. Ghavrel - 05/12/2009 08:36:29 PM 1264 Views
In the US, yes. Elsewhere, no, because they didn't know about him. Werthead - 06/12/2009 04:36:31 PM 1356 Views
Interesting. Ghavrel - 07/12/2009 02:15:37 AM 1319 Views
Two years? It was published in 2000... *NM* Legolas - 05/12/2009 09:03:33 PM 526 Views
Nine years is like two. *NM* Ghavrel - 06/12/2009 12:25:49 AM 706 Views
I've yet to read a Gene Wolfe. rebelaessedai - 06/12/2009 02:26:54 AM 1289 Views
Yes, yes, yes. Ghavrel - 06/12/2009 02:35:45 AM 1246 Views
You know I directly added almost all of those Wolfe quotes there, right? Larry - 06/12/2009 05:26:40 AM 1389 Views
I just find Mieville's prose exceptionally standard. Ghavrel - 06/12/2009 07:25:05 AM 1390 Views
Isn't that almost a contradiction of terms there? Larry - 06/12/2009 07:45:47 AM 1317 Views
It's remarkable for its normalcy because so many people praise it? Ghavrel - 06/12/2009 09:11:18 AM 1237 Views
Who the heck are these people? *NM* ironclad - 04/12/2009 12:46:48 PM 752 Views
I've never heard of any of them either.... *NM* Fantasy - 05/12/2009 02:58:11 AM 1056 Views
Literati Larry - 06/12/2009 05:27:28 AM 1231 Views
Yeah you're so much better than us *NM* ironclad - 06/12/2009 12:00:27 PM 686 Views
Well, you can hardly expect a group to go around calling themselves "elitist snobs." *NM* Ghavrel - 07/12/2009 02:16:16 AM 662 Views
Is he trying to be cool by listing stuff that 90% of fantasy readers have never heard of? Deadsy - 04/12/2009 04:05:46 PM 1302 Views
Actually, several of those books have been bestsellers and/or won several genre awards Larry - 06/12/2009 05:28:18 AM 1298 Views
I'm very ambivalent about A Wizard of Earthsea AgentOrange - 04/12/2009 05:18:00 PM 1297 Views
Possibly has to do with the times in which it was written/read Larry - 06/12/2009 05:29:27 AM 1265 Views
My Best Six best fantasy novels Nolan - 04/12/2009 07:44:12 PM 1050 Views
Re: My Best Six best fantasy novels *NM* Nolan - 04/12/2009 07:45:25 PM 598 Views
oops! *NM* Nolan - 04/12/2009 07:46:34 PM 641 Views
Re: Six best fantasy novels? Aeryn - 04/12/2009 09:06:18 PM 1399 Views
I really need to get around to reading Mists of Avalon. Ghavrel - 04/12/2009 09:50:54 PM 1196 Views
Calenture Aeryn - 05/12/2009 12:44:14 AM 1161 Views
That... sounds so cool. I'm going to check it out as soon as I get home. Ghavrel - 05/12/2009 03:53:55 AM 1263 Views
Ooh, I need to get my hands on Calenture. *NM* rebelaessedai - 06/12/2009 02:27:34 AM 679 Views
And ha! I thought it might be you. *NM* rebelaessedai - 06/12/2009 02:29:13 AM 675 Views
I'll eventually get to those in the near future Larry - 06/12/2009 05:31:29 AM 1306 Views
I don't read or buy books anymore. Aeryn - 06/12/2009 11:45:33 PM 1300 Views
I understand that Larry - 07/12/2009 12:55:46 AM 1343 Views
Okay, I'll give it a shot Tom - 04/12/2009 10:12:47 PM 1388 Views
You might more mythopoeic material in your fantasies, don't you? *NM* Larry - 04/12/2009 11:22:33 PM 715 Views
Mythopoeic? Who...me? Tom - 05/12/2009 02:19:03 AM 1181 Views
Yes, you Larry - 05/12/2009 03:51:25 AM 1331 Views
The Blogger Seems to Agree With You. The Name With No Man - 05/12/2009 10:10:07 PM 1326 Views
Book of the New Sun is very early 80's and is almost inarguably a classic of the genre. Ghavrel - 06/12/2009 12:26:55 AM 1349 Views
Never Read It, But All Accounts Support That View. The Name With No Man - 06/12/2009 02:44:17 PM 1443 Views
Bending the terms a bit... Larry - 04/12/2009 11:21:33 PM 1417 Views
n/a *NM* Aeryn - 05/12/2009 12:46:45 AM 608 Views
I like Grossman's list a lot more than Henry's. *NM* Legolas - 04/12/2009 11:41:36 PM 666 Views
Here are mine, but I probably haven't really read enough fantasy to have a top 5 Deadsy - 05/12/2009 12:16:13 AM 1200 Views
Have you tried any standalones recently? Larry - 06/12/2009 05:33:41 AM 1292 Views
I always end up wanting more Deadsy - 06/12/2009 05:53:11 AM 1278 Views
What if there were 50 more standalones that you could read that likely would be quite good? Larry - 06/12/2009 06:12:53 AM 1372 Views
The only one on his list I would think about agreeing with is Meiville. MightyYT - 05/12/2009 03:11:25 AM 1348 Views
Have you tried Mark Danielewski's House of Leaves yet? Larry - 06/12/2009 05:34:48 AM 1213 Views
No list is complete without Goodkind *NM* Choss Hauler - 05/12/2009 07:59:22 AM 723 Views
Sorry, I can't help it- no *porn* list is complete without Goodkind... *NM* rebelaessedai - 06/12/2009 02:21:22 AM 567 Views
For me....: A Deathwatch Guard - 05/12/2009 10:36:42 AM 1382 Views
He certainly has a specific kind of taste. rebelaessedai - 06/12/2009 02:20:30 AM 1219 Views
Pfft! Larry - 06/12/2009 06:54:24 AM 1122 Views
Who are you asking?? rebelaessedai - 07/12/2009 08:09:25 PM 1239 Views
Might give this a go myself... rebelaessedai - 06/12/2009 02:24:52 AM 1283 Views
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