The Etched City in The Lucid Garden

Aug 27, 2010 Zach rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

You know, I just read another story of Bishop's in THE WEIRD and it struck me that I am dying for her to release another book and I'm not sure why I gave this one four stars instead of five so I am retroactively bumping it up.

------

It took M. John Harrison years and a good number of novels and stories to create a secondary fantasy world and then get disgusted with the idea of a secondary fantasy world and subvert and deconstruct the whole thing by reducing the characters to ghosts and surreal p ...more

41 likes · Like · see review

May 10, 2012 Nicky rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I don't remember exactly what I heard about The Etched City before I bought it. I may have just bought it on a recommendation, because I don't remember reading about it being New Weird, or in any way akin to China Miéville; I had heard that it was gorgeous, which is true in many ways. It is a weird story, displaced in time -- is it the Wild West? Medieval times? Or the nineteenth century? to me, it seemed to slip between them all, inhabiting none of them but taking something from each -- and hov ...more

8 likes · Like · see review

Aug 14, 2007 Peggy rated it really liked it

Wow. No, really. Just…Wow. I had heard good things about Bishop’s book, but nothing I had heard or read prepared me for the book itself. Rich detail, fabulous characters, and a very compelling story come together in just the right way to create a dark and subtle magic.

6 likes · Like · see review

Jan 01, 2008 Shane rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, read-in-2008

I have to say I'm disappointed in this. Many people said it reminded them of Perdido Street Station, and I can see some of that and some of City of Saints and Madmen, but overall those promises fail to deliver. I like the world Mrs. Bishop creates but the plot was lacking. The first 100 pages is all out action ala wild west style then the entire tone changes to a more laid back, atmospheric, surreal mystery.

Unfortunately the story didn't really seem to go anywhere from there and the two main c ...more

Like · see review

Dec 31, 2012 Winter rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, new-weird

Loved it. Unsettling, disorienting, and disturbingly familiar. Like one of those weird awesome fever dreams you try to hang on to. Only written better.

Like · see review

Aug 05, 2007 Lane rated it it was ok

Shelves: fromfantastictoweirdtosci-fietc

Just didn't work for me. The setting was mildly interesting, but not memorable enough to justify the book. And I'm not one to say characters have to necessarily be likable, but these just kind of got on my nerves. And as far as the plot, well, it didn't really stick with me upon a week or less after having read the book, so what's that say about it? Oh wait, there was some sex magic I think.

Usually I'm a sucker for weird cities like New Crobuzun or Ambergris or the City Imperishable, but the Et ...more

Like · see review