Embassytown

If reading a book can be compared to eating a meal, then this book is a gourmet dinner. Desserts, treats, fast food and snacks all have their place, but Embassytown is a complete meal. Rich, complex, and satisfying; food for the mind.

This is the story of a city on a far-off planet, Embassytown, where an uneasy alliance exists between humans and “Hosts”. These beings are among the most “alien” I’ve ever seen depicted, in physical appearance as well as in thought. The story is told through the eyes of Avice Benner Cho, who grows up in Embassytown, “escapes” into the universe, and comes back. She is important both to the humans and to the aliens. Despite a supposed aspiration to just drift along, she finds herself drawn to the center of events. When an unprecedented crisis occurs, she may hold the key to the survival of both races.

Embassytown is in the best tradition of science fiction. It takes you to a place that is completely and unmistakably alien, with themes and concepts and moral dilemmas that are truly universal. China Mieville does a remarkable job of creating fully realized and sympathetic characters while still conveying a sense of “alienness” to them. The importance of language and communication is a central theme. It is a theme wrapped up in an extraordinary and extraordinarily well-told story.

Even though this was my first time reading China Mieville, I was very much looking forward to this novel and had high expectations going in. They were surpassed. The story is absorbing and thought-provoking. It moves along briskly and each page is rich with meaning. There is nothing more exciting than being taken somewhere you’ve never been before, and that is exactly where Mieville takes you. Science fiction is supposed to be about ideas, and that’s what you’ll find here. It is an exciting and rare treat to have your mind engaged to the degree this book does while also being thoroughly entertained.

I was extremely fortunate to receive this book through an early reader program. It was already on my wishlist and I couldn’t recommend it more highly. I have a feeling that this book will be read, discussed and reread for years to come.

I also have to add that the cover design is absolutely brilliant and becomes even more meaningful once you’ve finished reading.