Reply #53: Mieville is one of our most gifted young writers

[FloridaJudy]

His ability to create a believable alternate universe, and fill it with intriguing people - among other beings - is magical. Perdido Street Station blew me away.

If you like Mieville, I'd also recommend Neil Gaiman. Start with American Gods. I did, and then had to track down everything else he's ever written. He's mostly known for his graphic novels - he almost singlehandedly made the genre respectable - but he writes gorgeous traditional novels as well.

And if the OP liked The Mists of Avalon, I'd urge him/her to track down Bradley's Darkover novels as well. She's another author capable of creating a believable world to inhabit when this one gets a bit too stressful. It's no fairy tale utopia - some of it's quite grisly - but it's fascinating how her humans adapt and evolve in a hostile environment.