Perdido Street Station

China Mieville’s first novel in the Bas-Lag series is a novel detailing the sprawling exploration of the squalid city of New Crobuzon, a place filled with arcane races, brutal government militia, and mysterious creatures who lurk in every alley. Perdido Street Station centers around Isaac, a brilliant scientist specializing in Crisis Theory, who has devoted his whole life to his unusual practice. It’s not long before he’s sought out by a wingless half-bird humanoid named Yagharek, who hires Isaac to build him a new means to fly. Isaac becomes obsessed with this daunting challenge and a terrifying metamorphosis that follows will shake New Crobuzon to its core.

Perdido Street Station has won multiple awards and accolades, including the British Fantasy Society's August Derleth Award in 2000, the Arthur C. Clarke Award in 2001, the Premio Ignotus Award in 2002, and the Kurd Laßwitz Award in 2003.

My Review
China Mieville’s books can be classified as a love-it-or-hate-it type of reading experience. He has many fans, likely because of his incredible way with words and vivid descriptions of setting and character. But the subject matter is often dark, and at times the descriptions become grotesque, and this can really distance readers from his story. But once you get past these moments of necessary unpleasantness the entire experience is so rewarding, everything comes together so perfectly that it was absolutely worth the moments of “Oh my gosh, what is that!?”

If there is one thing you can say about his books, it’s that you have never read anything like it before.

Other Novels in the Bas-Lag Series
So far there have been three novels set in Bas-Lag. They are: Additionally, the short story "Jack", featured in the 2005 collection Looking for Jake, is a Bas-Lag story.
 * Perdido Street Station
 * The Scar
 * Iron Council