About Embassytown
In the far future, humans have colonized a distant planet, home to the enigmatic Ariekei, sentient beings famed for a language unique in the universe, one that only a few altered human ambassadors can speak.
Avice Benner Cho, a human colonist, has returned to Embassytown after years of deep-space adventure. She cannot speak the Ariekei tongue, but she is an indelible part of it, having long ago been made a figure of speech, a living simile in their language.
When distant political machinations deliver a new ambassador to Arieka, the fragile equilibrium between humans and aliens is violently upset. Catastrophe looms, and Avice is torn between competing loyalties—to a husband she no longer loves, to a system she no longer trusts, and to her place in a language she cannot speak yet speaks through her.
Detail
Complete Title: Embassytown
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Number of Pages: 345
Publication Time: May 17, 2011
Publisher: Del Rey
ISBN: 0345524497
ISBN13: 9780345524492
About China Miéville
China Miéville
A British “fantastic fiction” writer. He is fond of describing his work as “weird fiction” (after early 20th century pulp and horror writers such as H. P. Lovecraft), and belongs to a loose group of writers sometimes called New Weird who consciously attempt to move fantasy away from commercial, genre clichés of Tolkien epigons. He is also active in left-wing politics as a member of the Socialist Workers Party. He has stood for the House of Commons for the Socialist Alliance, and published a book on Marxism and international law.
Excerpted from Wikipedia.
Reviews Embassytown
Sometimes words can shatter worlds. Especially when they are like this:
“”I don’t want to be a simile anymore,” I said. “I want to be a metaphor.”
This book lived up to all my expectations…
Nataliya
“Now the Ariekei were learning to speak, and to think, and it hurt.” I’m addicted to language; we all are. While reading this book, I thought about language. I haven’t really thought about it…
Jeffrey Keeten
BLARGH this guy. This guy needs to be stopped. He is using all the ideas. He is taking all the genres.(I was going to delete that but it got 10 votes, so it can stay. The sentiment still rings true. S…
Joel
In ninth grade, Mrs. Muench–who had an uncanny resemblance to Miss Marple’s friend Dolly Bantry–endeavored to teach us the difference between similes and metaphors. Similes use “like” and “as” to co…
carol.
I see I’m going to be a dissenting voice here, but I’m afraid I found Embassytown to be weak, poorly-plotted and fundamentally unconvincing.The book is concerned with a settlement on a planet at the e…
Warwick
How can a novel about language leave one speechless? In a good way, I hasten to add!This was the third Mieville I’ve read, and they are all very different in style, content and my liking (or not).Th…
Cecily
The girl who wanted to be a metaphor.There is a certain “What the hell??” quality about a China Mieville novel, especially in the first few pages. The City and the City continued on in this quizzi…
Lyn
June 2011Dear Steven Moffat:China Miéville. Doctor Who. Think about it.Love, JacobAvice Benner Cho is an Immerser. She’s a floaker. She’s a hoopy frood who knows where her towel is (Dear Jane Belson:…
Jacob
Aliens so alien they just alienate you with their alieness.That is what you have to look forward to. Embassytown is a brave move by China Miéville, it is not an easy read, it is full of neologism, an…