Perdido Street Station

World

The novel is primarily set in the city-state of New Crobuzon, the most powerful political and economic entity in the world of Bas-Lag. The city's development roughly corresponds to early capitalism during the Industrial Revolution, using steam engines, gas lamps, airships, railways, and steam-powered computer technology called constructs. Magic, known as thaumaturgy, supplements steam power. New Crobuzon is an ancient city built amid the bones of a gigantic ancient animal, with a history spanning nearly two thousand years but in decline. Fragmentary information suggests science and technology were once more advanced; a cloud tower that controlled the weather cannot be restored. The vast, densely populated metropolis is prone to decay, pollution, crime, and disease.

Plot

Isaac Dan der Grimnebulin, a scientist in New Crobuzon, is approached by Yagharek, a garuda whose wings were removed as punishment. Isaac agrees to help him fly again and collects flying creatures with the aid of Lemuel Pigeon. One creature, a large caterpillar stolen from a government lab, feeds on a hallucinogenic drug, pupates, and emerges as a slakemoth that can paralyze victims with hypnotic wing patterns. It escapes after eating the mind of Isaac's colleague.

Isaac, Yagharek, and Lemuel resolve to recapture or destroy it. Meanwhile, Isaac's girlfriend Lin, a khepri artist, is commissioned by mob boss Mr. Motley to sculpt him. Mr. Motley has four more slakemoths and harvests their milk for drugs. After Isaac's slakemoth frees its siblings, Mr. Motley imprisons Lin, demanding the creatures' return.

The slakemoths terrorize New Crobuzon. With journalist Derkhan's help, Isaac learns Mr. Motley bought the slakemoths from the government. The government suppresses rebellious elements and tries to enlist demons and the Weaver, a spider-like creature, to recapture the slakemoths. The demons refuse, and the Weaver aids Isaac.

Critic reviews

The novel received positive reviews, with critics noting its complexity, scope, detail, and the credibility of its world. Michael Moorcock, reviewing for The Spectator, called it a massive and gorgeously detailed parallel-world fantasy with exotic creatures, praising Miéville's descriptive gift and eye for physical detail. However, Moorcock suggested the author's determination to deliver a page-turner led to genre borrowings that set misleading expectations and caused characters to behave out of character.

Brian Stableford called the book stunning and the most compelling in British fantasy since Robert Irwin's The Arabian Nightmare. He noted the central conflict involves outsiders who combine animal and divine traits, and that the heroes realize victory is only the lesser evil. Stableford described the ending as affirming moral and intellectual responsibility, with hope for a distant human utopia. He depicted New Crobuzon as a productive phantasmagoria, depressing like Bosch and Bruegel paintings, but more a Garden of Earthly Delights than purgatory, as the city in the throes of progress can lead to a better world.