The Guardian has an interview of China Mieville by a 12 year old reader, mostly about his new book Railsea. I didn’t like UnLunDun, but I do like Mieville’s work (not unequivocally) and I think he’s got interesting things to say. The interview isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s nice to see authors take their younger readers seriously, and it’s nice to see that a 12 year old can notice the similarities between UnLunDun and Neverwhere. I like the headline quote that the Guardian has chosen, too – it says a lot about Mieville’s attitude to his work because although he’s avowedly communist, in my opinion he doesn’t push his politics blatantly in his work, and everything I’ve read him saying about his work is first and foremost that it needs to be entertaining and escapist, and secondarily political. Consider this, for example, from the interview:

I know some people think it is the role of SF to be prophetic: I don’t. I think the role of science fiction is not at all to prophecy. I think it is to tell interesting, vivid, strange stories that at their best are dreamlike intense versions and visions of today.

which is a nice approach to sci fi, I think.

Also, the interview finishes with the suggestion of an UnLunDun Olympics, and a film. Excellent ideas!!!