Not much is known about the novel, beyond the title. On The Wertzone, Adam Whitehead suggest that Railsea might be Mieville’s second YA novel (after Un Lun Dun), which seems like an appropriate guess based on this cover. It’s all reminiscent of Paolo Bacigalupi’s Ship Breaker, his highly regarded YA novel. I’ll be sure to let you know when I find out more about the novel.
Might have to yoink this. Would agree with the YA sentiment.
I do like the cover otherwise though.
’tis a very nice cover. I think I need more Mieville in my reading life …
[…] Cover art for China Mieville’s Railsea revealed (you can preorder it here) […]
Any new material from the inventive China Miéville is always cause for literature celebration. From “King Rat” thru Bas-lag via “The City & the city” and “Embassytown” as well as his YA & graphic novels ventures. The many tentacled genres of Miéville’s work is always complete, composed & complex. From estranged warrens to the bent geography of rooftop worlds; the most fantastic armada-islands, mirror-cities where you must adjust to unseeing familiar places you unsee everyday… human creatures w/ insectile heads, an enigmatic riddling spider, mad scientists, mad rats, mad laneways. My only disappointment is the fact we may never see his DC-Vertigo Swamp Thing series he was penciling up! Five issues, if I am to understand correctly. However, now, the 2nd Wave of the DC New 52 is launching Miéville’s reinvention of “Dial H” (what used to be “…for Hero”)!!! I am always anticipating new works from this British genius of literature, as much as I enjoy re-reading his already classics. It may be another (his second) YA, but I’m sure I’ll enjoy “Railsea”; on the surface it doesn’t feel as YA as “Un Lun Dun”. And anything w/ gritty steam-driven trains (i. e. The Iron Council) works for me. Possibly reminiscent of Paolo Bacigalupi’s “Ship Breaker”, “Railsea” seems that it may have a bit of the steampunk element to it. But it could be about slake moth eel-lions living in electric streetlamp Leviathans, for all I know, as of yet.
And, right, of course… Miéville’s most brilliant novella “The Tain” which can now be found in his short story collection “Looking For Jake” (found as “Different Skies” in German). From the The Cthulhu mythos of “Details” to the title story which is beautifully realised & written. LFJ contains gems of quiet, understated horror. A most exhilarating exercise in meta-fiction w/ “Reports of Certain Events in London”; a revisit to Bas-Lag w/ Jack Half-a-Prayer in a story simply called “Jack”. There is even a graphic short-story titled “Foundation” (a haunting of wartime atrocities). It expertly ends w/ one of the most riveting novellas you will ever read. Like William Gibson’s “Burning Chrome” this collection is like a favourite album where you listen to songs over and over, you can read these stories several times over, and yes, they rock!
Time to get Kraken!