tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839422865061540962.post6576960429619363424..comments2024-02-13T01:50:46.013-10:00Comments on Seagull Rising: Cultural Processes and the Pulp RevolutionJonMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07705424889025942210noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839422865061540962.post-10342892350326742822016-12-01T02:26:26.433-10:002016-12-01T02:26:26.433-10:00Obviously, I disagree. Setting aside the heavines...Obviously, I disagree. Setting aside the heaviness of Mieville's writing, his world view is a sickness that that can't help but infect his writing. Even before I learned of the author's personal life, I could tell where he lay on the spectrum. Perdido Street Station - the first of his books I encountered - might be a decent steampulp detective story with some interesting characters, but all the little touches are there.<br /><br />Business men are bad. Coffee house hipsters are teh kewl. The hero doesn't save the girl from the torturous crime boss. The democratically elected mayor is literally in hock to the devil. Oh those poor misunderstood desert-dwelling minorities are just utterly noble if only their white guys could understand their culture...<br /><br />That leopard might try to hide his spots, but I know a big cat when I see one.JonMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07705424889025942210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839422865061540962.post-87243388561418867562016-12-01T01:33:19.284-10:002016-12-01T01:33:19.284-10:00I don't think this article paints an accurate ...I don't think this article paints an accurate picture of New Wave, and China Mieville in particular. Granted, "Kraken" goes off the rails into anti-religious screed towards the end, but in general I'd say that Mieville's work has a strong adventure based story esthetic. The Bas-Lag novels--"The Scar" in particular--present characters have a clear moral sense and are faced with choices between good and evil. <br /><br />The setting of Bas-Lag is clearly pulp inspired, owing much to Leiber's Lankhmar. <br /><br />"The City & The City" (which won a Hugo, I believe on pure merit) is a film noir style detective story set in an Eastern European city in which the scars of communism are all too evident. <br /><br />Mieville makes no secret of his far-Left politics, however he has also said explicitly that he believes that politics have no place in speculative fiction. Misha Burnetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16050644222308563279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839422865061540962.post-30078044539260455062016-11-30T10:15:58.784-10:002016-11-30T10:15:58.784-10:00Why doesn't the link to the interview work?Why doesn't the link to the interview work?Dan Wolfganghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06237654761150508467noreply@blogger.com