A Drive-by from Perdido Street Station: China Miéville

China Miéville continues to distinguish himself by writing stuff that is good …very good … come to think of it, that’s probably why he also continues to win awards. His short story collection, Looking for Jake, will blow your socks off (so carry spare socks) and The City & The City confounded expectations – something his books always do in a good way.

In return for my (spurious) promise of a tofu-based pastry item, he answers my random questions with random answers in between writing more genius stuff, hating raisins and using microwave ovens for nefarious and novel purposes.

1. If I wasn’t a writer I would be …

… a melancholy jurisprude. 

2. All novels could do with 32% more …

… or less.

3. I know a book/story is done when …

… the microwave pings.

4. The book(s) I wish I’d written is …

… about 20% finished.

5. Donuts (or doughnuts) or danishes?

Danishes, preferably cinnamon, and on condition that they don’t contain the abominations known as raisins.

For those of you not familiar with his work (and I cannot imagine who you might be), here is the brief guide to the œuvre. The Scar will infect you with a desire to swashbuckle. His latest work is Kraken and it should in no way be judged on the grounds of Liam Neeson’s heinous line in the recent version of Clash of the Titans. If for no other reason, Un Lun Dun should be read for the extreme librarians. And Iron Council = flesh gollum – what more do you need? For the more cerebral among ye, there is his PhD-thesis-made-book, Between Equal Rights. And lest we forget, the one that started it all, King Rat. I’ll stop talking now.