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Thread: The Collectible China Mieville

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    Default The Collectible China Mieville

    I have been a big fan of China's work since ~2009 when I read this fascinating new novel I was hearing about, The City and The City. Around the time my "peripheral book radar" (if you get my meaning about those books you keep hearing a little bit about here and there) for TC&TC finally reached its tipping point, I was conveniently in San Francisco and Mr. Miéville had just passed though Borderland Books and left a pile of signed first printings. Of course, the book later went on to win the Hugo, the A.C. Clarke, and the World Fantasy Award, but by then I was already in love and seeking out more of his work.

    While I by no means have a complete collection of China Miéville's work, I do have what I consider to be a fairly respectable one nonetheless. I've been hoping for years now to start a collectible thread for him, and have finally found a little time to do that today. As per usual, my posts will feature China's work in chronological order. I missing many items still, and if anyone else is a Miéville fan and wants to share some others, I'd love to see them. Hopefully this thread will also convince a few more readers to give him a try!

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    His first published novel is King Rat. On the left you will see a signed US first printing, the Tor hardcover. This was a year or so after the first UK edition (a trade sized paperback) that I have yet to collect. On the right is the 2005 Earthing limited edition with lovely pencil art by Richard Kirk, #46/400. I scored a great deal on this one, $20 during an Earthling clearance sale several years after publication. In the center, lying down, is the US proof.



    A bit of the interior art from the limited edition.


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    China's second, and realistically his best known novel, is up next. As Perdido Street Station is by far the most collectible of his works, I've only managed to track down the Subterranean Press S/L, in my matching #221 (same for all the SubPress Miéville).

    With several full color illustrations by Miller, this book is close, for me anyway, to the longest wait from pre-order to delivery. Back in 2005 or so, Night Shade Books began taking pre-orders for what they billed as their most deluxe limited to date. Advertised with bonus material, leather slipcase, fully illustrated, at $75 it seemed the deal of the lifetime. Especially considering I ordered it in 2008 for half off during an annual sale, not knowing the length of delays the book had already gone through. To make a long story short, in 2010 NSB finally abandoned the project amid much outcry and derision. At that point, SubPress picked up the book (they had already published other Miéville by this stage), raised the price to $125, dropped the limitation to 350 copies, lost the slipcase, and published the book in short order. While I dream of what Night Shade's edition would have looked like, I'm still glad I finally received the book in 2011.



    Single page art.



    Gate-fold art.


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    Up next is Mr. Miéville's first limited edition, done for the novellla The Tain, by PS Publishing in 2002. From a limitation of 400 hardcovers and 500 paperbacks, this is arguably one the more expensive editions for a completest to acquire. Jacket art by the ever-talented Ed Miller. The pics are stolen from my personal collection thread from a few years ago.




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    China's next novel, and second in the Bas-Lag universe (the same as Perdido) is The Scar. Here, I have a bit wider selection of editions. On the left is the Easton Press "Signed First Editions of Science Fiction." On the right you will see a UK first printing (with jacket art again provided by Ed Miller), also signed. In the center lying down is the UK numbered proof, #311/600.



    The Easton has a colorful frontispiece by Ed Cox.


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    Before heading into standalone novels, China again visited the Bas-Lag universe with Iron Council. Sadly for this book, the US and UK publishers chose to use the same art. To the left you'll see a signed first printing US hardcover, on the right the UK Macmillian limited edition (#299/1000) with their typical slipcase bearing the same art as the jacket, and the US advance reader copy in the center.


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    I'll finish up the collection tomorrow, I suspect.

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    Nice !!!
    A China Mieville thread. I only have 1-2 s/l books.


    China Mieville - Railsea s/l
    slipcased signed limited







    Something special in my collection. This was one of the first remarques
    i got from the German illustrator Reinhard Kleist and so far it is unique. Now I've known him for some years and I have many drawings, but SPIEGEL from China Miéville was one of my first.

    China Miéville - SPIEGEL - The Tain limited 250/10
    limited signed from China Miéville and remarqued from Reinhard Kleist
    Publisher: Edition Phantasia


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    I have a copy of The Tain for sale along with a UK s/l of Iron Council if anyone's interested. And maybe a Perdido Street Station UK ARC.

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    Stockerlone, I've seen that illustrated and remarqued Tain in your collection before! I love it. At the time you originally posted it, I spent a bit of time trying to track down a copy of the Phantasia edition myself. Hasn't happened yet, and probably never will at this point, but thanks for showing it off again!

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    Here are two of my three Mieville books. I also have the subpress numbered edition of Embassytown.





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    I've not actually read any of his work, but keep hearing good things so plan to read some one day. That being said, I actually own that same Rail Sea s/l posted above as I found a copy so cheap I couldn't say no and thought a s/l would be a nice copy to read for my first story.

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    Railsea would make for a good first Mieville book.

    I have two UK S/Ls, two lettered editions from SP and some signed trades. Nothing too crazy.








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    VERY NICE !!!
    Think both lettered are illustrated from Vincent Chong...

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    WeDeal: I love the lettered editions! Very nice and thanks for sharing!
    James: Personally, I'd start with Perdido if fantasy is more your thing, or The City & The City if mystery is what you are in the mood for. I wasn't all that impressed with RailSea. Sadly, for me anyway, it is probably his work I least engaged.

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    Continuing where I left off, up next is China's short story collection Looking for Jake. At the moment I only have this in the UK edition, a signed first printing. I've only seen the US edition as a trade paperback and according to the notoriously inaccurate (yet the most useful source I reference still) ISFDB, that's all that was issued. I'd love to be proved wrong on that one if any other Miéville fanatic has evidence otherwise.


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    His first YA book, Un Lun Dun follows next, and is a lovely novel that reminds me a lot of Gaiman's Neverwhere. It's illustrated with sketches by Miéville himself and in this case I have a bit wider representation of collectible items. On the left is the US hardcover, sadly signed only via bookplate (an eBay bid gone array), on the right, a UK first printing, and lying down - the US arc.


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    Quite probably China's most awarded work would be The City & The City. As I mentioned in the initial post, it was my first experience with his work and I lucked out on finding a signed first printing well before the awards started rolling in, driving the prices rather high for a while there. China once mentioned that he wants to write a book in each extant genre, this one is his mind-blowing take on the classic detective/mystery novel.

    On the left, my signed US first, on the right, the SubPress S/L (#221/500 as always). Lying down you will again see the US arc.


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    Kraken follows next, Miéville's twist on the horror novel. His villains in this book certainly are creepy motherf**kers! Here I only have a signed UK first and the SubPress S/L.


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    China penultimate novel to date, Embassytown, is his take on science fiction, and remains as of now, his only work that I have not read. This is particularly due to the linguistic style in which he wrote this book. I have resorted to primarily audiobooks since beginning grad school. They make good listening while doing work around the house or driving. Until I have a little more time to read something other than a textbook, I probably won't be reading this.. I can't imagine how the narrators would handle this:



    The book involves an alien race and the particular way they speak two words at once and the order of said words. This is something that I'll need spend some time with, not just the casual nighttime read. Anyway, for this one, I have a personalized US first printing on the right (via mail, sadly I never met the man), the SubPress S/L, and the US arc.


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    Before heading to the last novel, I'll highlight a bit of a rarity (I've only seen one signed copy pop up on eBay so far & I bought it), London's Overthrow. Mr. Miéville was educated as an anthropologist and in international relations, and is a Socialist/Marxist, politically. This little bit of non-fiction attacks the austerity programs instituted in London and throughout the UK in 2010, the effects they had on social welfare, and the subversive underground movement. All included photos were taken by China himself during the writing of the essay.


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    The last of the novels proper is 2012's Railsea. I'm not really sure what genre this one falls under (dystopic steampunk?), but it's another YA novel and seems to be China's take on Moby Dick. On the left is the SubPress S/L and an unsigned US first trade and arc, right and bottom respectively.



    What else is Miéville up to these days? Anyone know? For a while he was publishing a book a year, but I haven't head any news for a some time now.

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    Finally, for me anyway (I hope to see more from others), is a lovely little anthology, The Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric & Discredited Diseases. This one book by far contains more signatures than any other in my collection including Gaiman, Alan Moore, Michael Bishop, Gahan Wilson, Cory Doctorow, and of course, China Miéville. All told, 54 people signed the book. A sequel to the anthology was published (The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet Of Curiosities) with even a better lineup, but it sadly never made it into an S/L format.


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    Last I read he was to be publishing a short story collection but that was a while ago.

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    I'd love another short story collection! I feel like he would have enough material at this point.

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