Perdido Street Station

Year: 2000

Abstract:
A rogue scientist is contracted to help a garuda shorn of his wings to fly again. Along the way, he unwittingly unleashes a threat far greater than anything he could have imagined.

Advanced Mind
Exploration/Quest
Military/Fighting
Horror
Magic
Advanced Technology
Time Travel/Alternate History
Science
Aliens/Beasties
Contemporality

Other books in this series: New Crobuzon
The Scar [2002]

tyranist's Review
You've undoubtedly noted the odd mixture of rockets and wizards I awarded this one. That wasn't a mistake, this is simply very difficult to classify. It defies our petty attempts to ghettoize fiction with every turn of the page while constructing one of the most fantastic worlds put to paper.
I'm finding it difficult to sum up the book. It is set in a world where magic and technology exist side by side, in a city where bizarre races are as common as the normal ones, featuring characters that are as memorable for their looks as much as for their actions. The weave of the book is tremendous.
I found the plot engaging and propelling so much so that I bought a copy when my lease from the library expired. But it is sometimes dense. Pushing through some chapters felt like a real accomplishment even though they were thoroughly enjoyable. This isn't your daddy's science fiction, friends and it ain't your mother's fantasy. This is something bourn of the two and all its own.
I'd recommend this to a lot of people, but I wonder how many of them would enjoy it. It isn't your typical novel and I don't think anyone should be ashamed of putting it down because they couldn't enjoy it. But I also think that it should be given a fair chance by everyone.

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