Perdido Street Station
It’s rare to come across an author whose ideas are completely original. China Mieville is such a rarity. Perdido Street Station exists in the same thoughtspace as Gibson and Sterling’s The Difference Engine, but has a take on the idea that is completely unique. The setting, New Corobuzon, combines technological advancement with fantasy grotesquery and victorian social mores. Isaac, the protagonist, is a poor scientist, trying to complete the theory that will make him rich, when a stranger arrives on his doorstep with a request that will change his life forever. Packed with incredible creatures, machine intelligence, intertwining plot threads, and a narrative twist halfway through that will take your breath away, Perdido Street Station is a masterpiece.