The Bonetown Skeleton

[UltraCulture]

couple of quick questions.

do/would you like like to know the origin of the huge skeletel remains and do you think CM is going to reveal all in some future novel?

they're stating to bug me(in a good way)

[Ursa major]

I would guess that a lot of us are waiting for China Miéville to reveal a great deal more about many aspects of Bas Lag; but as he's a novellist (and not a fantasy travel writer or historian), I would guess that some, if not all, of us have got a long wait ahead of us.

[kaelcarp]

I suspect that, while he knows the story himself, he has no plans to reveal it. He has said in many interviews that he only reveals what is needed for the story, so unless there is some story that relies on knowing the origin of the skeleton, I doubt he will give its origin.

I actually like this about his writing. Too many fantasy authors are overexcited about their creations and feel the need to reveal the details, stripping away the mystery that made them cool in the first place. I suspect that most citizens of New Crobuzon have no idea what the bones are but take them for granted, and that is kind of how they become for the reader.

[ravenus]

I like that. If it's not interesting, it's not worth telling.

[kaelcarp]

Originally Posted by ravenus

I like that. If it's not interesting, it's not worth telling.

Sometimes, even if it is interesting, it's not worth telling, because it's not part of the story being told.

I had a friend once who was known for spouting out non sequiturs. They were often very interesting bits of information, such as some obscure piece of history or some odd world fact, but they had nothing to do with the conversation going on (except in his mind).

For instance, we might be talking about a war in the Middle East, and he would make some sudden comment about Japanese cuisine. If you asked him, he could lead you through a long, convoluted path of how one thing led him to another, but it always came across as having nothing to do with anything, and it was somewhat annoying if you were in the middle of a good conversation.

While it's usually not nearly so extreme, fantasy and science fiction authors fall into a similar trap somewhat often. A typical author might give the whole story of how some ancient beast was brought down and the city of New Crobuzon was built in its decaying guts, and might even give the ancient tale of how this beast and another beast battled and all that.

But really, what would that have brought to Perdido Street Station? Nothing much, I think. While there are some very interesting bits in PSS and Mieville's other stories that are tangential to the plot, they are usually just hints at larger stories rather than fully given stories in themselves. It tells you that there is a much wider world out there without giving you the details of it, and I like that.

[Ursa major]

We must also recognise that no-one in New Crobuzon (or no-one we've met, so far) knows anything about the bones, so it is difficult to see how any of the POV characters could help us find out more than we already have.

[zabylin]

I agree with the rest of you. I also think that b/c there are so many random, but intriguing details in his stories that if he started simply trying to explain them or tie up loose ends he would soon get bogged down in a way that would detract from his style of writing.
Of course, in one way I would love know to know about the skeleton and other things, but sometimes on going mysteries are simply more interesting than the reveal.

[Coolhand]

Like everyone else, I'd LOVE to know what those bones are about, and I suspect that China Mieville probably has detailed notes on them, given the amount of detail that obviously goes into his world building, and also his background in D&D where that kind of backstory for the monsters and "odd stuff" was all part of the fun.

I think I remember him discussing the idea of publishing a Guide to Bas Lag, in the style of the D&D manuals, but I can't remember where it was or if he thought it was a good idea. But if he did I'd certainly be interested in reading it. He has his faults as a writer but shallow world building and a lack of imagination are not amongst them.

[kaelcarp]

Apparenlty we will find out how revelatory he's willing to be:

Adamant Entertainment & China Miéville Present: TALES OF NEW CROBUZON :: GamingReport.com :: Where Gamers get their News

[Coolhand]

Interesting....

[speedingslug]

It could just be a creature from another world that they know nothing about, in The Scar the Avanc was about 4 miles long and also you have creatures from others worlds altering the reality of Bas Lag. I love that he never tells us what the mystery's are that way he can just add to them, and it doesn't spoil the story.

[Ice fyre]

There are many mysteries of that world, yet he did give us a fair bit of detail on one or two other cultures in other continents. While I enjoyed that detail very much it added to the story, unless he wants to use the bones as a hook for a story itself, which from what I've read of his style this a distinct possibilty. Better off and read the article