Reading

I finished reading China Meiville's Iron Council for the second time. I don't often read books more than once anymore. I used to have a few favorite books that I would read over and over again but as I have gotten older I started to realize that there are too many great books in the world and too little time to read them. But some books really benefit from a second reading and this is one of them.

I don't know how to adequately describe Iron Council. It is a fantasy with a steampunk feeling. It is dark, violent, often grotesque, but also strangely beautiful. The Iron Council in the story is a moving city, on and following a steam train. The "Iron Councillors" lay track in front of the train and remove it from behind as they go. Along the way there are bizarre creatures, weird phenomena, and magic. Part of the action takes place in the more conventional city of New Crobuzon, where the Iron Council has become legend.

I feel that doesn't give a very good idea of what the book is about or like but it's the best I can do so I recommend that you go read the introduction on Google Books. Isn't it cool that we can do that?