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Un Lun Dun

a book by by China Mieville

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So thick a haze o'erspreads the sky

Feb 8, 2009

by arichards

Rating:

"So thick a haze o'erspreads the sky,
They cannot see the sun on high"
(from The Inchcape Rock - Robert Southey)

This is a brilliant fantasy novel which will appeal to fans of Piers Anthony, Neil Gaiman and Lewis Carroll. It is set in a parallel world of London (Un-London - get it?) where discarded items take on new life, garbage binjas carry nun-chucks, and unbrellas (broken brollies) still serve their purpose.

Short Attention Span Summary (SASS):

1. It is written in Un Lun Dun that there will be a terrible smog upon the land, and that the Shwazzy (from the French "Choisi" or Chosen) will come from London to save the day.
2. Unfortunately, the written word seems a bit "off", except for the smog, which was created in London by weatherwitches and brought to its foggy knees by a weapon called the Klinneract.
3. Smog, by its very nature, is a bad thing and when it develops a mind of its own and threatens to take over Un Lun Dun, it's time for desperate measures.
4. The Shwazzy turns out to be a bit of a fizz
5. The failure of the Shwazzy brings about the activation of the UnChosen, who with her new found allies sets about to put a stopper on the smog.
6. Colorful, fantastical characters abound, and the lines between friend and foe get very blurry
7. The only hope for the good guys lies in the completion of a set of tasks leading to the location of the mighty UnGun - but time is running out.

Imaginative, funny and extremely entertaining, this one is recommended for anyone from about the age of nine and up. In my opinion it would make one heck of a good (but extremely high-budget) movie

Just can't resist an awful pun?
Try China Miéville's "Un Lun Dun"

Amanda Richards

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More Un Lun Dun reviews

review by Schtinky. November 02, 2008

Make sure you're in the mood for the fantastical when you pick this book up!

There's London, and there's UnLondon (Un Lun Dun). Deeba and her friend Zanna accidentally find their way across the ethereal barrier. Zanna has been declared the "Shwazzy", the chosen one who will save UnLondon. But the "book", a living entity in UnLondon, soon discovers its wrong when it's Deeba who finds herself back in UnLondon to fight the evil Smog. The Smog is threatening to take over both UnLondon and London, an evil presence that wants to conquer all at any cost, using Stink-Junkies, Smogbies, … more

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About the reviewer

Amanda Richards (arichards)
Ranked #38

I write reviews for a hobby. Most of my reviews are short and to the point, on account of my short attention span. I try to make my reviews both informative and entertaining, and sometimes I succeed. … more