Fantasy? Horror? Sci-Fi? Steampunk? What’s in a name anyways? China Mieville’s “Perdido Street Station” goes beyond genres in just the same way Rushdie did with “Midnight’s Children”.
The plot is set in the imaginary world of Bas Lag, with the main action taking place in New Crobuzon- a city-state inhabited by a plethora of hominid races (humans included) co-existing with strange flora and fauna all collectively called “xenians”. Our chief protagonist is Isaac Dan der Grimnebulin, a loud and corpulent scientist whose methods and ideas have made him something of pariah in academic circles. In the background is Isaac’s taboo love affair with a xenian, Lin, a Khepri woman. Both Isaac and Lin receive commissions that eventually cross paths with impressively disastrous results, which threaten not only themselves but the whole of New Crobuzon. A mutilated garuda- Yagharek, - comes to Isaac hoping his unusual ideas may find a way to restore him and Meanwhile, New Crobuzon’s most powerful gangster hires Lin to sculpt his likeness. The ensuing tale brings together characters from many species (humans, xenians and other even stranger beings) and from all strata of society changing their lives and the future of New Crobuzon. Bas Lag and New Crobuzon itself is the piece de resistance of this novel. New Crobuzon is a vast, and squalid city, filled with ghettos and teeming with life and death. It is a city where magic works, where Hell is an actual place and corrupt politicians make deals with Satan. A city of unimaginable beasts and alien species, of government oppressed social groups and perilous danger from the underworld. Identities here are fluid and corruption infests the city and its underworld. Betrayal is commonplace, and trust is at a premium. Mieville has created a masterpiece and nothing short. The prose is wonderfully fluid and the pace of the book switches from languid and complex descriptions of the city’s decrepitude to impeccably paced moments of activity.
The characters are vivid and well rounded and the city itself seems alive and responsive to the events occurring within it, almost like a sentient entity. It is a credit to Mieville’s authorship that each individual we encounter is able to portray similar issues they deal with from different angles- essentially giving us a different take on almost every situation. The major characters themselves are not perfect hero-like individuals but flawed and not particularly self-confident but resilient, nevertheless. The tone of the book is dark and the plot is suitably complex to keep any reader enthralled throughout the duration of the book. All in all an outstanding read and a great workout for the imagination. 5 out of 5!