China Miéville 197233 226165664 2008-07-17T03:09:46Z 65.101.86.24 /* Novels */ There's no evidence of Kraken as an upcoming novel. {{Infobox Writer <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox Writer/doc]] --> | name = China Miéville | image = China Miéville side.jpg | caption = China Miéville at Piccadilly Waterstones, [[April 26]], [[2006]] | birthdate = {{Birth date and age|1972|9|6|mf=y}} | birthplace = [[Norwich]], [[England]] | deathdate = | deathplace = | occupation = Novelist | genre = [[Weird fiction]], [[New Weird]] | movement = | notableworks = | influences = [[J.G. Ballard]], [[Michael de Larrabeiti]], [[Thomas Disch]], [[M. John Harrison]], [[H. P. Lovecraft]], [[Michael Moorcock]], [[Mervyn Peake]], [[Gene Wolfe]] | influenced = | website = }} '''China Tom Miéville''' ({{IPAEng|ˈtʃɑinɑ ˈmieɪˌvɪl}}) (born [[September 6]], [[1972]] in [[Norwich]]) is an award-winning [[England|English]] "fantastic fiction" writer. He is fond of describing his work as "[[weird fiction]]" (after early 20th century [[pulp magazine|pulp]] and [[horror fiction|horror]] writers such as [[H. P. Lovecraft]]), and belongs to a loose group of writers sometimes called [[New Weird]] who consciously attempt to move [[fantasy]] away from commercial, genre clichés of [[Tolkien]] epigons. He is also active in [[left-wing politics]] as a member of the [[Socialist Workers Party (Britain)|Socialist Workers Party]]. He has stood for the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] for the [[Socialist Alliance (England)|Socialist Alliance]], and published a book on [[Marxism]] and [[international law]]. == Early life and education == Miéville was born in Norwich and brought up in Willesden, a neighbourhood in northwest [[London]], and has lived in the city since early childhood. He grew up with his sister and his mother, a teacher; his parents separated soon after his birth, and he has said that he "never really knew" his father. He is an alumnus of the [[public school]] [[Oakham School]]. When he was eighteen, in 1990, he lived in [[Egypt]] teaching [[English language|English]] for a year, where he developed an interest in Arab culture and Middle Eastern politics. Miéville acquired a B.A. in [[social anthropology]] from [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]] in 1994, and a Master's with distinction and PhD in [[International Relations]] from the [[London School of Economics]], the latter in 2001. Miéville has also held a [[Frank Knox Memorial Fellowships|Frank Knox fellowship]] at [[Harvard]].<ref>[http://www.depauw.edu/sfs/interviews/mievilleinterview.htm Joan Gordon - Reveling in Genre: An Interview with China Miéville<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> A book version of his PhD thesis, titled ''Between Equal Rights: A Marxist Theory of International Law'', was published in the UK in 2005 by [[Brill Publishers| Brill]] in their "Historical Materialism" series, and in the U.S. in 2006 by [[Haymarket Books]]. == Politics == Miéville is a member of the British Socialist Workers Party, a [[Trotskyist]] organization, and stood unsuccessfully for the [[British House of Commons]] in the [[United Kingdom general election, 2001|2001 General Election]] as a candidate for the Socialist Alliance, gaining 459 votes, i. e. 1.2%,<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote2001/results_constituencies/constituencies/474.stm BBC NEWS | VOTE 2001 | RESULTS & CONSTITUENCIES | Regent's Park & Kensington North<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> in [[Regent's Park and Kensington North]], a Labour constituency.<ref>[http://news.ansible.co.uk/a168.html ''Ansible'' 168], July 2001.</ref> He became a Marxist at university, after becoming unsatisfied with the ability of postmodern and feminist theories to explain history and political events. In ''Between Equal Rights'', his only major political writing, Miéville advocates a revised version of the legal theory of the Russian Marxist [[Evgeny Pashukanis]], as applied to international law and synthesized with ideas drawn from the [[Critical Legal Studies]] movement, particularly [[Martti Koskenniemi]], as well as U.S. international legal theorist [[Myres McDougal]]. Miéville argues that the form taken by the law, a process of deciding disputes between abstract, formally equal subjects, can only be explained as essentially related to [[capitalism]]'s system of generalized [[commodity]] exchange, which requires participants with equal rights to property. However, he argues, just as the symmetry of commodity exchange conceals [[social class|class division]] and [[exploitation]], the symmetry of law conceals violent power relations. Law is structurally indeterminate as applied to particular cases, and so the interpretation which becomes official is always a matter of force; the stronger of the contesting parties in each legal dispute will ultimately obtain the sanction of law. International law, therefore, is not only genuine law despite the lack of an overarching sovereign, but is a more basic type than domestic law, with states taking the role of individuals, with "property rights" in their territory. This analysis leads Miéville to be skeptical that international law can ever live up to its promises; rather, he concludes, "The attempt to replace war and inequality with law is not merely utopian but is precisely self-defeating. A world structured around international law cannot but be one of imperialist violence. The chaotic and bloody world around us ''is the rule of law.''"<ref>{{cite book | last = Miéville | first = China | title = ''Between Equal Rights'' | publisher = Haymarket Books | date = 2006 | id = ISBN 1931859337}} Pg. 319.</ref> == Literary influences == Miéville's style is influenced by pulp science fiction, ranging from early 20th century serials to modern television shows and movies, as well as by a number of writers of fantasy and horror. He has listed [[M. John Harrison]], [[Michael de Larrabeiti]], [[Michael Moorcock]], [[Thomas Disch]], [[Charles Williams (UK writer)|Charles Williams]], [[Tim Powers]], and [[J.G. Ballard]] as "heroes"; he has also frequently discussed as influences [[H. P. Lovecraft]], [[Mervyn Peake]], and [[Gene Wolfe]]. He has said that he would like his novels "to read for [his imagined city] New Crobuzon as [[Iain Sinclair]] does for London." Miéville played a great deal of [[Dungeons & Dragons]] and similar roleplaying games in his youth, and includes a specific nod to characters interested "only in gold and experience" in ''Perdido Street Station'' as well as a general tendency to systematization of magic and technology which he traces to this influence. In fact, in the February 2007 issue of ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon Magazine]]'', the world presented in his books was interpreted into [[Dungeons & Dragons]] rules and on February 19, 2008 it was announced that Adamant Entertainment will be developing an RPG based on the Bas-Lag universe <ref>[http://www.gamingreport.com/article.php?sid=24840&mode=thread&order=0 "Adamant Entertainment & China Miéville Present: TALES OF NEW CROBUZON"], ''gamingreport.com''</ref> Miéville has explicitly attempted to move fantasy away from [[J.R.R. Tolkien|JRR Tolkien's]] influence, which he has criticized as stultifying and reactionary (he once described Tolkien as "the wen on the arse of fantasy literature"<ref> [http://www.boingboing.net/2003/11/02/mieville_on_tolkien.html "Mieville on Tolkien"], ''boing boing'' Website.</ref>). This project is perhaps indebted to [[Michael de Larrabeiti|Michael de Larrabeiti's]] ''[[Borrible Trilogy]]'', which Miéville has cited as one of his biggest influences and for which Miéville wrote an introduction for the trilogy's 2002 reissue. The introduction was eventually left out of the book, but is now available on de Larrabeiti's website.<ref>China Miéville, [http://www.michaeldelarrabeiti.com/multimedia/articles/The%20Borribles%20Introduction,%20China.pdf "'The Borribles'. An Introduction"].</ref> Miéville's position on the genre is also indebted to Moorcock, whose essay "[[Epic Pooh]]" Miéville has cited as the source off of which he is "riffing" or even simply "cheerleading" in his critique of Tolkien-imitative fantasy. Miéville's [[left-wing]] politics are evident in his writing (particularly in ''[[Iron Council]]'', his third [[Bas-Lag]] novel) as well as his theoretical ideas about literature; several panel discussions at [[Convention (meeting)|convention]]s about the relationship of politics and writing which set him against [[right-wing politics|right-wingers]] ended up in heated arguments. He has, however, stated that: <blockquote>"I’m not a leftist trying to smuggle in my evil message by the nefarious means of fantasy novels. I’m a science fiction and fantasy geek. I love this stuff. And when I write my novels, I’m not writing them to make political points. I’m writing them because I passionately love monsters and the weird and horror stories and strange situations and surrealism, and what I want to do is communicate that. But, because I come at this with a political perspective, the world that I’m creating is embedded with many of the concerns that I have... I’m trying to say I’ve invented this world that I think is really cool and I have these really big stories to tell in it and one of the ways that I find to make that interesting is to think about it politically. If you want to do that too, that’s fantastic. But if not, isn’t this a cool monster?"<ref>[http://www.believermag.com/issues/200504/?read=interview_mieville The Believer - Interview with China Miéville<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref></blockquote> == Awards == *His first novel, ''[[King Rat (1998 novel)|King Rat]]'', was nominated for both an [[International Horror Guild Award|International Horror Guild]] and a [[Bram Stoker Award|Bram Stoker]] award. *His second novel, ''[[Perdido Street Station]]'', won the 2001 [[Arthur C. Clarke Award]] and was nominated for the [[Hugo Award|Hugo]], [[Nebula Award|Nebula]] and [[World Fantasy Award for Best Novel|World Fantasy]] awards. *His third novel, ''[[The Scar]]'', won the 2003 [[British Fantasy Award]] and was nominated for the Hugo, Arthur C. Clarke and World Fantasy awards. *His fourth novel, ''[[Iron Council]]'', won the 2005 Arthur C. Clarke Award and was nominated for the Hugo and World Fantasy awards. *His short story "Reports of Certain Events in London" (featured in the [[anthology]] ''McSweeney's Enchanted Chamber of Astonishing Stories'') was nominated for a 2005 [[World Fantasy Award for Best Short Fiction|World Fantasy Award]]. *His fifth novel, ''[[Un Lun Dun]]'', won the 2008 Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book. *He will be or has been a Guest of Honour at multiple science fiction conventions, including Orbital 2008 the British National Science Fiction convention ([[Eastercon]]) in London in March 2008 and [[Readercon]] 2006. ==Bibliography== ===Novels=== * ''[[King Rat (1998 novel)|King Rat]]'' (1998) * ''[[Perdido Street Station]]'' (2000)† * ''[[The Scar]]'' (2002)† * ''[[Iron Council]]'' (2004)† * ''[[Un Lun Dun]]'' (2007) ''† denotes novels set in the [[Bas-Lag]] universe.'' ===Short fiction=== * "Highway Sixty One Revisited" (in ''Young Words'', 1986) * "[[Looking for Jake]]" (in ''Neonlit Vol. 1'', edited by [[Nicholas Royle]], 1999) * "[[Looking for Jake|Different Skies]]" (in ''Brit-pulp!'', edited by [[Tony White]], 1999) * "[[Looking for Jake|An End to Hunger]]" (in ''Book of Internet Stories'', edited by [[Maxim Jakubowski]], 2000) * "[[Looking for Jake|Details]]" (in ''The Children of Cthulhu'', edited by [[John Pelan]] and [[Benjamin Adams]], 2002) * "[[Looking for Jake|Familiar]]" (in ''Conjunctions: 39, The New Wave Fabulists'', edited by [[Peter Straub]], 2002) * "[[Looking for Jake|Buscard's Murrain]]" (in ''[[The Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric & Discredited Diseases]]'', edited by [[Jeff VanderMeer]] and Mark Roberts, [[2003]]) * "[[Looking for Jake|Reports of Certain Events in London]]" (in ''[[McSweeney's]] Enchanted Chamber of Astonishing Stories'', edited by [[Michael Chabon]], 2004) ===Collections=== * ''[[Looking for Jake]]'' (collection, 2005) ===Nonfiction=== * "M.R. James and the Quantum Vampire: Weird; Hauntological: Versus and/or and and/or or?", ''Collapse'', 2008<ref>Collapse: Journal of Philosophical Research and Development vol. iv, Falmouth: Urbanomic, 2008, ISBN 978-0-9553087-3-4, pp.105-128</ref> * ''Between Equal Rights: A Marxist Theory of International Law'', 2005 * "''At the Mountains of Madness'': An Introduction", 2005 * "''The Borribles'': An Introduction", 2001<ref>[http://www.michaeldelarrabeiti.com/multimedia/articles/The%20Borribles%20Introduction,%20China.pdf|''The Borribles'': An Introduction]</ref> ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.bas-lag.com BAS-LAG German Website about China Miéville] * [http://www.depauw.edu/sfs/interviews/mievilleinterview.htm A long and literate China Miéville Interview.] * [http://www.3ammagazine.com/litarchives/2003/feb/interview_china_mieville.html 3:AM interview] * [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtHUMQMVXj4 Part 1 of video interview with China Miéville] * [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4QH4QHSuV0 Part 2 of video interview with China Miéville] * {{isfdb name|id=China_Mieville|name=China Miéville}} * [http://www.nplusonemag.com/mieville.html "Fantasy Remade"] a Review of China Mieville’s New Crobuzon novels in ''[[n+1]]'' magazine, (March 2006). * [http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=20568 Author page] at Random House--also out of date. * [http://www.panmacmillan.com/authors%20illustrators/displayPage.asp?PageTitle=Individual%20Contributor&ContributorID=69950 Author page] at Macmillan - his UK publisher * [http://www.leninology.blogspot.com/ Lenin's Tomb], where Mieville is an infrequent contributor. ** As an example of Miéville's postings there: [http://leninology.blogspot.com/2005/08/politics-of-weather.html politics of Weather part I], [http://leninology.blogspot.com/2005/09/politics-of-weather-redux.html part II] and [http://leninology.blogspot.com/2005/09/politics-of-weather-3-shyness-of.html part III]. * [http://oat.tao.ca/node/view/218 "Fifty Fantasy & Science Fiction Works That Socialists Should Read"], an annotated book list originally compiled by China Miéville for ''Fantastic Metropolis'' * [http://crookedtimber.org/category/mieville-seminar "Debating ''Iron Council''"] at ''[[Crooked Timber]]'' * [http://www.revolutionsf.com/article.html?id=2391 RevolutionSF Interview] {{ChinaMieville}} <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] --> {{Persondata |NAME=Miéville, China |ALTERNATIVE NAMES= |SHORT DESCRIPTION=English writer |DATE OF BIRTH=[[September 6]], [[1972]] |PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Norwich]], [[England]] |DATE OF DEATH= |PLACE OF DEATH= }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Mieville, China}} [[Category:1972 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Alumni of the London School of Economics]] [[Category:Alumni of Clare College, Cambridge]] [[Category:English fantasy writers]] [[Category:Socialist Workers Party members (UK)]] [[Category:English horror writers]] [[Category:Science fiction critics]] [[Category:English atheists]] [[Category:Old Oakhamians]] [[Category:English people of French descent]] [[Category:British anti-war activists]] [[bn:চায়না মিয়েভিল্‌]] [[cs:China Miéville]] [[de:China Miéville]] [[et:China Miéville]] [[es:China Miéville]] [[fr:China Miéville]] [[ko:차이나 미에빌]] [[it:China Miéville]] [[hu:China Miéville]] [[nl:China Miéville]] [[pl:China Miéville]] [[ru:Мьевиль, Чайна Том]] [[fi:China Miéville]] [[sv:China Miéville]]