This is a site for discussing roleplaying games. Have fun doing so, but there is one major rule: do not discuss political issues that aren't directly and uniquely related to the subject of the thread and about gaming. While this site is dedicated to free speech, the following will not be tolerated: devolving a thread into unrelated political discussion, sockpuppeting (using multiple and/or bogus accounts), disrupting topics without contributing to them, and posting images that could get someone fired in the workplace (an external link is OK, but clearly mark it as Not Safe For Work, or NSFW). If you receive a warning, please take it seriously and either move on to another topic or steer the discussion back to its original RPG-related theme.

Recommend me something by China Miéville

Started by The Butcher, January 15, 2013, 09:41:42 PM

Previous topic - Next topic
Print
Go Down Pages1
User actions

The Butcher

January 15, 2013, 09:41:42 PM
Never read anything by him. Is he any good? What do you suggest? Particularly interested in stuff that can be used as inspiration for games.

James Gillen

#1
January 16, 2013, 04:33:23 AM
Perdido Street Station:



QuoteIsaac Dan der Grimnebulin is an eccentric scientist living in the city of New Crobuzon with girlfriend Lin. While Lin, an artist, is commissioned to create a sculpture of mob boss Mr. Motley, Isaac is offered a unique challenge. Yagharek is a member of a flying species, whose wings have been cut off, and who asks Isaac to restore them. Isaac is sparked by the seemingly impossible nature of the task, and gathers various flying animals to study in his lab – including a multicolored, unidentifiable caterpillar. Once Isaac learns that the caterpillar only eats a hallucinogenic drug called "dreamshit", he begins to feed it, unwittingly stimulating its metamorphosis into a giant and incredibly dangerous butterfly-like creature which feeds off the subconscious of sentient beings, leaving them as catatonic vegetables. It is revealed that dreamshit is in fact secreted by such creatures, of which four have been sold to Mr. Motley, and "milked" to produce the drug. When these other larvae transform and escape they plague the citizens of New Crobuzon until Isaac can find a way to stop them.

Well, there's something.

JG
-My own opinion is enough for me, and I claim the right to have it defended against any consensus, any majority, anywhere, any place, any time. And anyone who disagrees with this can pick a number, get in line and kiss my ass.
 -Christopher Hitchens
-Be very very careful with any argument that calls for hurting specific people right now in order to theoretically help abstract people later.
-Daztur

jeff37923

#2
January 16, 2013, 06:18:38 AM
Quote from: The Butcher;618517Never read anything by him. Is he any good? What do you suggest? Particularly interested in stuff that can be used as inspiration for games.

I read a collection of his short stories and was unimpressed by the writing. Nothing really useful for gaming that I could see.
"Meh."

Ghost Whistler

#3
January 20, 2013, 12:59:20 PM
He can clearly write, but he can be very verbose. The jury's out as far as I'm concerned. I couldn't finish The City and The City.
"Ghost Whistler" is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Parental death, alien battles and annihilated worlds.

danbuter

#4
January 20, 2013, 07:26:38 PM
He likes human-bug sex. Not my cup of tea.
Sword and Board - My blog about BFRPG, S&W, Hi/Lo Heroes, and other games.
Sword & Board: BFRPG Supplement Free pdf. Cheap print version.
Bushi D6  Samurai and D6!
Bushi setting map

jeff37923

#5
January 21, 2013, 12:01:25 AM
Quote from: danbuter;620239He likes human-bug sex. Not my cup of tea.

I never read that bit in his works, and I am very glad.
"Meh."

James Gillen

#6
January 21, 2013, 03:35:33 AM
Quote from: danbuter;620239He likes human-bug sex. Not my cup of tea.

Reminds me of William S. Burroughs.

JG
-My own opinion is enough for me, and I claim the right to have it defended against any consensus, any majority, anywhere, any place, any time. And anyone who disagrees with this can pick a number, get in line and kiss my ass.
 -Christopher Hitchens
-Be very very careful with any argument that calls for hurting specific people right now in order to theoretically help abstract people later.
-Daztur

Ghost Whistler

#7
January 21, 2013, 08:13:13 AM
Quote from: danbuter;620239He likes human-bug sex. Not my cup of tea.

Perdido is deliberately grotesque from that much of it I've read. Again it's intensely verbose. Not really sure the plot excites me.

If it's any consolation she's only a bug...upstairs. From the neck down, it's sexytimes! HTH!
"Ghost Whistler" is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Parental death, alien battles and annihilated worlds.

kraz007

#8
January 21, 2013, 09:28:15 AM
Not Kraken! I find it ridiculous and I couldn't get past page 100.

The Butcher

#9
January 21, 2013, 03:52:36 PM
Quote from: danbuter;620239He likes human-bug sex. Not my cup of tea.

But is that just alluded to, or very clearly described? Because Clark Ashton Smith sometimes eliptically suggests that a protagonist has gone on to entertain romantic liasions with really, really inhuman things, which I'm... tolerant of (can't in all honesty say "fine with") because I'm spared the graphics.

But if it's any more explicit than this... ew.

kraz007

#10
January 22, 2013, 06:46:43 AM
It's probably been discussed already but if you want a fantasy universe that's well suited to gaming why not start with Steven Eriksson's Malazan books?

The Butcher

#11
January 22, 2013, 08:17:25 AM
Quote from: kraz007;620645It's probably been discussed already but if you want a fantasy universe that's well suited to gaming why not start with Steven Eriksson's Malazan books?

I've heard good things about it but I'm not really crazy about multi-book-spanning sagas. I also want to awe and surprise my players at the game table with new and weird vistas; do you feel the Malazan books a good source of inspiration for this sort of thing?

Aos

#12
January 25, 2013, 11:54:43 AM
Read The Scar it is far and away his best book. Kraken is okay, Perdido was kind of boring, but its got some great setting detail, and some cool freaky stuff that makes it worth the time, I think, and no the bug sex is not graphic, at least not to my memory. Iron Council is boring and preachy, as well as being not terribly well constructed or structureed. I never got past the first few pages of The City.

But The Scar is really great. I recommend it without reservation, even to people who dislike his other work.
You are posting in a troll thread.

Metal Earth

Cosmic Tales- Webcomic
Print
Go Up Pages1
User actions