RJHuneke.com | Official Site of Author R.J. Huneke
  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Tour
    • Press
    • Full Stack Marketer
    • Publications
  • Future Works
  • News
  • Publications
    • Cyberwar
    • Publications Listing
    • Impulsive Reviews
    • Short Fiction
    • Publications In Detail

REVIEW of China Mieville's Novel EMBASSYTOWN

7/6/2011

0 Comments

 
By R.J. Huneke

The language is key.  And with language, China Mieville’s venture into the science-fiction genre is nothing short of spectacular. 

As the master storyteller’s past works often utilize unique, flowing and intricate vocabulary, in general (just read The City & the City), the future described in Embassytown imbues.  The world-society on Arieka is based around the very use of language and is dependent on word-craft to survive.

China Mieville depicts Arieka as an alien world in which the native populous, the Ariekei, only harbor the human enclave within a city that was co-constructed, alongside the Ariekei’s own, to be an Embassytown.  The human city is a colony for the humans on the edge of the most unknown portion of space, the Immer, where few (Avice, the Immerser, is one of these) have traveled.  And it is also a colony, of sorts, for the Ariekei, though the humans are largely ignorant to this fact…

There is nothing like this.  The Ariekei, also referred to as the Host, are horse, maybe-fly or bird hybrid – well aliens – with two sets of wings and two mouths; they feel and seem utterly strange, lucid and imaginative (while still leaving plenty to the readers’ mind to discern).  The Ariekei can only speak truth, from their two completely separate mouths, which is quite a contrast to humanity’s use of language in the book and out of it.  The humans of Embassytown have learned how to genetically create and/or manipulate biotechnology and people to form their own Ambassadors who are linguists able to speak and negotiate with the Ariekes.

The main character that Mieville utilizes is Avice Benner Cho, the former native-born Embassytowner and successful Immerser, and she is as contemplative, stubborn, smart and kick-ass a female protagonist as you will ever see.  Her life is forever intertwined to her homeland when the Ariekei choose her to become a simile, which allows them to stretch the truth in just such a manner that their minds evolve, a little.

For the Ariekei language is power, life and starkly intoxicating.  Their dependence proves to be treacherous, as evolution and language-as-drug-use threatens the entire foundation of Embassytown.

“We speak now or I do, and others do. You've never spoken before. You will. You'll be able to say how the city is a pit and a hill and a standard and an animal that hunts and a vessel on the sea and the sea and how we are fish in it, not like the man who swims weekly with fish but the fish with which he swims, the water, the pool. I love you, you light me, warm me, you are suns. You have never spoken before” (Mieville, Embassytown).

The way of the planet and the space surrounding it is constantly explored and revealed to us, the reader, in a compellingly emotional and explorative narrative that unfolds steadily and brilliantly.  What needs to be stressed is how the invented languages (and there are multiple of these in the work), terms and use of characters and story techniques are extremely experimental and courageously innovative, while maintaining a streamlined, philosophical, understandable and absolutely addictive reading experience.

Rarely are there newly constructed future-worlds in fiction that have such depth and originality as this one does.  Frank Herbert’s Dune is the only book I can bring to mind that does so similarly, and that comparison is, in itself, of the highest praise.

If you do not know by now, China Mieville strives to bring his monsters to every genre of fiction, and to do so in an enthralling and utterly innovative fashion.

See the rest of the article in the IMPULSIVE REVIEWS Section.
0 Comments

    Author

    I have turned the tide and started on my journey.  Words and Worlds hang in the balance and I am writing it all down before the RJ Tower! Read about my newest novel on CyberwarSeries.com

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    February 2021
    October 2020
    August 2019
    April 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    June 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    September 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    May 2010
    March 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009
    December 2008
    November 2008
    October 2008
    September 2008
    August 2008
    July 2008
    June 2008
    May 2008
    April 2008
    March 2008
    February 2008
    January 2008
    December 2007
    November 2007

    Categories

    All
    007
    11.22.63
    151000
    1962
    1964
    2010
    2011
    2012
    2013
    2016
    2d
    30
    3/15
    3d
    90.1
    9/11
    Abandoned Towers
    Addiction
    Ai
    Akira
    Alice In Wonderland
    Alice Wonderland
    Alien
    Al Qaeda
    Amanda Palmer
    Amazon
    Amazon.com
    Amazon.com
    Amazon Kindle
    Amendment
    Americana
    American Gods
    American Gods Anniversary
    American Political Asylum
    Anarchy
    Angelina
    Angelina Jolie
    Anime
    Anne Rice
    Apple
    Archive
    Arizona
    Art
    Artist
    Asimov
    Assassinated
    Author
    Battle
    Bbc
    Bea
    Bea Panel
    Beatles
    Beck
    Best Buy
    Bieber
    Bill Moyers
    Binary
    Birth
    Black
    Blackwood State
    Bnl
    Bob Dylan
    Body Hackers
    Bond
    Book
    Book Expo America
    Book Release
    Book Review
    Book Revue
    Books
    Book Signing May 5 2015 Cyberwar
    Bookstores
    Boston
    Bowker
    Burning
    Burton
    Camaro
    Campbell
    Capcom
    Capitol
    Capitol Movement
    Catherynne M. Valente
    Ccc
    Central Park
    Chapbook
    China
    China Mieville
    Christian
    Cinco
    Cinco De Mayo
    Cinco De Mayo Cyberwar
    City
    Classic Car Club Manhattan
    Coffee
    Columbia
    Comedy
    Comic
    Comic Con
    Con
    Concert
    Contest Finalist
    Corvette
    Cost
    Couldtheybeatupchinamieville
    Crazy Beans
    Cyber
    Cyber Apple
    Cyberpunk
    Cyber Security
    Cyberwar
    Cyberwar Apple
    Cyberwar Book Launch Tour
    Cyberwar Book Revue
    Cyberwar Book Tour
    Cyberwarfare
    Cyberwar Huneke
    Cyberwar Is Coming
    Cyberwar Itunes
    Cyberwar Kindle
    Cyberwar Launch Event
    Cyberwar May 5 2015
    Cyberwar Prequel
    Cyberwar Preview
    Cyberwar Radio
    Cyberwar Reading
    Cyberwar Release
    Cyber Warrior
    Cyberwar Series
    CYBERWAR SERIES Update
    Cyberwar Signed
    Cyberwar Signing
    Daniel Craig
    Dark
    Dark Shadows
    Dark Tower
    David Bowie
    David Mack
    Deathly Hallows
    Demos
    Depp
    Digits
    Dinner. Words
    Disney
    Ditto
    Dreams
    Dt
    Duke Nukem
    Duke Nukemm Duke Nukem Forever
    Dune
    Dune 50
    Dylan
    Dystopia
    Dystopian
    Ebola
    Ebooks
    Edit
    Editor
    Edit Style Seminar
    Ed Steer
    Ed Stever
    Embassytown
    Ender
    Ender Movie
    Ender's Game
    England
    Epic
    Espionage
    Eternal Con
    Eternal Con 2015
    Examiner
    Excerpt
    Facebook
    Family Guy
    Fantastic
    Fantasy
    Fantasy Matters
    Fawkes
    Fcc
    Fear And Loathing
    Fear And Loathing Las Vegas
    Fiction
    Film
    Fincher
    Fine Art
    Folk
    Fourth July
    Free
    Freedom
    Free Speech
    Full Metal Adrenaline Novel Progression
    Gadizmo
    Gaga
    Gaiman
    Game
    Game Of Thrones
    Games
    Gaming
    Gandhi
    Garth Nix
    Genre
    George Rr Martin
    Giffords
    Girl
    Girl Dragon Tattoo
    Glenn Beck
    Gm
    Goodreads
    Good Reads
    Goodreads Giveaway
    Goodreads Giveaway Of Cyberwar
    Goodreads Huneke
    Google
    Got
    Got Epic
    Graphic
    Graphic Novel
    Grinders
    Guillermo Del Toro
    Guins
    Gunpowder
    Guy
    Guy Fawkes
    Hacked
    HACKED: Check Your Voter Registry If You Are A Party Member
    Halloween
    Happy
    Happy New Year
    Hardcover
    Harry
    Harry Potter
    Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1
    Hbo
    Help Out After Hurricanes Harvey-Irma I’ll Send You A Poem
    Hero
    Heroic
    Highlights
    Higinbotham
    History
    Hitchcock
    Hobbit
    Hodor
    Holy
    Holy War
    Horror
    Hugo
    Hulu
    Huneke
    Huneke Cyberwar
    Huneke Cyberwar Kindle
    Hungry
    Huntington
    Hurricane Harvey
    Hurricane Irma
    Ian Fleming
    Ibooks
    Ideas
    Imagine
    Imax
    Immigration
    Impulsive
    Impulsive Review
    Indepandance Day
    Ink
    Interview
    Into Darkness
    I/O
    Ios
    Ios 6
    Iphone
    Irobot
    Iron Man
    #ironman3
    Iron Man 3
    Islam
    Italy
    Itunes
    James Bond
    James McCrone
    Javits
    J.J. Abrams
    Jk Rowling
    John
    John Lennon
    Johnny Depp
    Jolie
    Josepth Campbell
    Juicy
    Keyhole
    Keynote
    Khan
    Kickstarter
    Kindle
    Kinect
    King
    Kirk
    Laden
    Larsson
    Leeds
    Lennon
    Leonard Nimoy
    Leonard Nimoy Tribute
    Leslie
    Leslie Ditto
    Liberty
    Lion
    Literary
    Literary Magazine
    Literature
    Live
    Live And Let Die
    Lloyd
    Local Author Fair
    Local Gems Press
    Long Island
    Look Up For Adam
    Lord Of The Rings
    Lost
    Lucky
    Macbook
    Mad
    Magazine
    Magic
    Mara
    Martin Freeman
    Marvel
    Matters
    May 14 2016 Second Annual Local Author Fair
    Mayo
    Menke
    Mexico
    Microsoft
    Mieville
    Mit
    Moore
    Moriarty
    Mountain Lion
    Movement
    Movie
    Movies
    Music
    Muslim
    Myth
    NaPoWriMo Poetry
    Nebula
    Neil Gaiman
    Net Neutrality
    New England
    New Years
    New York
    New York Banks Hacked Iran
    New York City
    New York Comic Con
    New York Comic Con 2015
    New York Comic Con 2016
    New York Comic Con Breaks Record
    New York Dam Hacked
    Nintendo
    Nix
    Nook
    Novel
    November 5
    Npr
    Nsa
    Nsa Panel
    Ny
    Ny Auto Show
    Nyc
    Nycc
    Nycc 2014
    Ny Comic Con
    Oakdale
    Obama
    Ocean Lane
    O'neill
    Ono
    On Writing
    Orson Scott Card
    Osama Bin Laden
    Os X
    Otomo
    Palimpsest
    Palin
    Paperback
    Parliament
    Parrilla
    Peace
    Pentian
    Persist
    Peter Jackson
    Philip K Dick
    Phish
    Photographs
    Platon
    Podcast
    Poem
    Poems
    Poetry
    Poets
    Political
    Port Jefferson
    Port Jefferson Author Fair
    Port Jefferson Library
    Potter
    Power Of Myth
    Premiere
    Presidential Primary
    Prince
    Prince Passed Away
    Prizes
    Production
    Prose
    Psycho
    Publications
    Publishing
    Pulp Fiction
    Quote
    Quotes
    Quran
    Ray Bradbury
    Reading
    Reedpop
    Release
    Religion
    Religious
    Remembering
    Review
    Revival
    Revue
    RIP Prince
    Riverhead Free Library
    Rj Hnuneke
    R.J. Huneke
    R.j. Huneke
    Rj Huneke
    R.j. Huneke Cyberwar
    Rj Huneke Kindle
    Rj Huneke Nsa Panel
    Robby The Robot
    Robert Jordan
    Robot
    Robot Chicken
    Robots
    Role
    Romantic
    Rooney Mara
    Rowling
    Rune
    Rune Works
    Rune Works New York Comic Con
    Rune Works New York Comic Con 2016
    Russ Colchamiro
    Russ's Rockin' Rollercoaster
    Sabriel
    Sarah Palin
    Sbu
    Science Fiction
    Sci-fi
    Scott Weiland
    Seth Green
    Sex
    Shadow
    Shadows
    Sheetrock
    Sherlock
    Short Story. Exclusive Cyberwar
    Sleep
    Snowden
    Special Edition Nyc
    Speculative
    Spies
    Spock
    Spock Tribute
    Spoke The Thunder
    Spy
    Spy Woman Spy
    Star Trek
    Star Trek Beyond
    Star Trek Beyond Leonard Nimoy
    Star Trek Beyond Tribute Spock
    Steampunk
    Stephen King
    Stephen King Revival
    Stephen King’s 11.22.63
    Stony Brook
    Stony Brook Press
    Stony Brook Radio
    Stony Brook University
    Stp
    Studies
    Subliminal
    Subliminal Game
    Subliminal Messaging
    Subliminal Religion
    Sublimina Religion
    Suffolk County
    Suffolk County Poetry Review
    Suffolk County Poetry Review 2016
    Surreal
    Tale
    Tarantino
    Tattoos
    Tea Party
    Terrorism
    The Book Revue
    The City & The City
    The Press
    The Writers Confidential
    The Writers Corner
    Thirty
    Thriller
    Tim Burton
    Tolkien
    Tony Stark
    Tourist
    Union Square
    University
    Upublishu
    V
    Valente
    Variant Issues
    Venice
    Verizon
    V For Vendetta
    Video Games
    Vmx
    Voice
    Voter Records
    Voter Registry
    War
    Warrior
    White
    Wind
    Wind Through The Keyhole
    Wired
    Witmark
    Witmark Demos
    World
    Write
    Write Edit Style
    Write Edit Style Seminar
    Writer's Corner
    Writing
    Writing Seminar
    Written
    Wusb
    Wusb Stony Brook
    Xera Cyberwar
    Years
    Yoko
    Yoko Ono
    Yoo

Join EFF!
>HOME >ABOUT >THE NOVEL CYBERWAR >LIST OF PUBLICATIONS >NEWS >PUBLICATIONS HOME
Copyright © 2007-2021 R.J. Huneke, RJHuneke.com.  All Rights Reserved. This web site is powered by CMO Sync.
  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Tour
    • Press
    • Full Stack Marketer
    • Publications
  • Future Works
  • News
  • Publications
    • Cyberwar
    • Publications Listing
    • Impulsive Reviews
    • Short Fiction
    • Publications In Detail