UN LUN DUN

Known previously for his fantastic adult science fiction (I highlyrecommend Perdido Street Station), China Miéville has branchedinto young adult fantasy with his imaginative Un Lun Dun. It startsoff seeming a bit familiar and derivative -- a young girl in Londonkeeps being approached by strange people who look at her reverentlyand say things like "It's very exciting to meet you." Then sheand her friend find themselves in an alternate London deep underground(UnLondon -- get it? -- Un Lun Dun) where they are picked up byan old fashioned double-decker bus that gets around unconventionally.Add in a prophecy that the chosen one will defeat the forces ofwhatever, and you've got the young adult fantasy formula familiarto readers of the Harry Potter books.Except, Miéville has always been a bit iconoclastic in his writing.Therefore, having firmly established the genre and its forms,he proceeds to demolish them. Maybe the chosen one isn't reallythe one after all. Maybe the prophecy is entirely wrong. And youknow how prophecies in fantasy novels always have a chain of tasks-- the hero must first get the Key of Indica, then the Beer Coasterof Gambrinius, and then the Sword of Whocares, and then they candefeat the Whatsit -- well, Miéville dares ask, "Why not justgo get the sword?"The world of UnLondon is delightfully rich, filled with imaginativeelements. The city is largely formed from trash that comes downfrom London, but once it crosses over it becomes semi-sentient.Buildings form from pieces of stereo equipment, bits of trashcan become pets, and unbrellas -- that is, broken umbrellas --can flit about on their own. This trash is called moil, shortfor Mostly Obsolete In London. An old enemy, The Smog, has gainednew strength from sources unknown, so people begin anticipatingthe arrival of the Shwazzy -- the girl who will carry out theprophecy and defeat The Smog. Enter Zanna and her friend Deeba.Strange people have started reverently whispering the word Shwazzyaround Zanna, and a wild fox even bows to her. But when Zannaand Deeba accidentally arrive in UnLondon, the prophecies immediatelybegin going awry. It is left to Deeba to pick up and try to saveUnLondon, accompanied by her self-adopted milk carton pet Curdleand a half-ghost boy named Hemi. Periodically she is defendedby some garbage cans with martial arts skills (the Binja). Great twisted fun