Looking for Jake: Stories

While most of the short stories here are far less complex than Mieville's stupendous Bas-Lag novels, they are still eminently readable and thought-provoking displays of Mieville's emerging literary talents. Granted, a few of the tales here are a bit too simplistic and merely offer limited development of quirky ideas, like "The Ball Room," "Entry Taken from a Medical Encyclopedia," and particularly "'tis the Season," which is a funny but totally typical slab of modern corporate satire. However, this collection is perfectly rewarding overall, thanks to Mieville's abilities in creating richly visual settings and subversive social philosophy, and to blend the elements of fantasy and horror. Also, there is a noticeable running theme of paranoia in many of the stories here, as freethinkers find themselves oppressed by society's strictures in "Looking for Jake," "Go Between," and "An End to Hunger." Mieville also utilizes fairly common horror archetypes in several tales, but extends them into new realms of creepiness that are far superior to the forbidden love obsessions of today's mainstream horror. Great examples here of Mieville's true skills with psychological dread include "Foundation," "Details," "Different Skies," and the intriguingly odd "Reports of Certain Events in London." This collection is most useful in proving that Mieville is capable of literature that is both more laidback and more stylistically expansive than his deservedly famous novels. [~doomsdayer520~]

Although I have not read "King Rat", I have read the 3 other novels of Mr. Mieville, all of which are quite different from the short stories contained within this collection (with the exception of one of the pieces ("Jack") which is set in the world of "Perdido Street Station", "The Scar", and "Iron Council"). There is a bit of variety here in the stories told. While Mr. Mieville does have his own style (especially in his novels), his short stories show many stylistic similarities to that of Thomas Ligotti. The pieces "Looking for Jake", "Different Skies", and "The Tain" are especially so. My favorite work is without a doubt "Reports of Certain Events in London", which is easily worth the price of the whole collection by itself. I don't think there is much that I can compare this particular piece to, but I would say that it has qualities similar parts of Danielewski's "House of Leaves" and Vandermeer's "The City of Saints and Madmen".

Looking For Jake is incredible. While China Mieville might be known provincially as a speculative fiction writer, the reader is well advised to remember no writer writes in a vacuum (a cursory read of Derrida would suffice to make this point), and no work of writing exists in a vacuum. China Mieville holds a doctorate degree in international law, and is a marxist. Thus, any review of his work which downplays his education and political leanings is mere proof that the reader is probably american and mid-western. Read this book. I read "An End to Hunger" in a park, on a grey Seattle day, and found myself suddenly full of that strange, forgotten sentiment the ancients (and everyone else in the world but us) refers to as passion. It made me want to tear off those "One Campaign" bracelets sported by neo-liberals and concerned idiots everywhere. Individual results may vary. "Different Skies" is truly frightening, and "Foundation" will remind you why the rest of the world justifiably hates us. "Details" turns childhood play into something truly sinister, while "Reports on Certain Events in London" will make you wonder why the choice between wandering the streets of your city and watching television at home ever really seemed any choice at all. If you think everything is right in the world, corporations can solve world hunger, and "1984" was just a year, this book isn't for you.

China Mieville at last releases more pieces of his talent in this collection of fourteen stories. Some have been previously released, and if you are a die-hard fan like myself you may already have them. 'Reports of Certain Events In London' was in McSweeney's Enchanted Chamber of Astonishing Stories, 'Entry From A Medical Encyclopedia' was published as 'Buscard's Murrain' in The Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide To Eccentric And Discredited Diseases, and 'The Tain' is from Cities. 'Looking For Jake' did leave me slightly disappointed in some areas, namely the political undertones of 'Tis The Season' (originally published in The Socialist Review) and 'An End To Hunger', neither of which contained any real fantasy or horror, and the oddly vapid 'On The Way To The Front', an amateurish graphic piece. There are, however, other stories in this collection that make the price worthwhile just for them. 'Familiar' is a gruesomely enchanting story of one male witch's creation run amok, 'Different Skies' takes a simple window replacement and shows us the kind of horror that can be reflected in oddness, and 'Foundation' will take you beneath the structures of everyday life and into a man's horrific ability to see the dead below them. 'Jack' is a nice addition to Mieville's 'Perdido Street Station', giving us a bit of background on his character Jack Half-A-Prayer, and 'The Tain' is a twisted tale of mirrors and what lies beyond. If you are a rabid Mieville fan, you simply must have this book. If you are introducing yourself to Mieville, I actually recommend starting with 'Perdido Street Station' to allow yourself to fully savor this talented writer's rich offerings. Reading Mieville is like eating chocolate cheesecake, rich and satisfying and fulfilling. Enjoy!

The award winning horror and fantasy novelist provides a powerful anthology that runs the gamut of speculative fiction. The collection consists of ten works previously published in the last few years in varying publications and five new tales. One story is a graphic short ("On the Way to the Front"), but that was not available for review. Another The Tain is more a short novella while the author breaks the wall as China Mieville is a key character in "Reports of Certain Events in London"; the title now feels eerie even unrelated to the latest horrifying terrorist ahole BS. Though most are set in London, fans who know Iron Council and Perdido Street Station will appreciate that "Jack" is set in that same realm of New Crobuzon. Each tale is well written, filled with suspense and grips the audience with a sense that nothing is quite the way it first seems, which turns out to be true. Though China Mieville imbues messages including an anti war theme in his submissions; that never slows or take away from the entertainment of a fine compilation. Harriet Klausner