How NY Times Bestselling Author China Miéville Writes

New York Times bestselling author China Miéville spoke with us about his career origins, philosophy on genre, practical writing advice, and the grueling evolution of his latest novel, THE ROUSE. 

China Miéville is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of fiction and nonfiction. His novels include The City & The City, Embassytown, and Perdido Street Station. A recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship for fiction, he has won the World Fantasy, Hugo, and Arthur C. Clarke awards, among others.

China’s latest novel, The Rouse, is a decade-spanning epic about a secret military unit trying to channel supernatural forces. The 1,200+ page novel 20 years in the making, has been described by peers as his magnum opus — a label he accepts with humility but did not coin himself.

China Miéville has a PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics and

his nonfiction includes a study of international law and a history of the Russian Revolution.

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In this file China Miéville, Milena, and I discussed:

How he finally completed his 20-year labor of love

Why the writing process made him ill at points

On genre jumping, and literary fiction vs. "other stuff” snobbery

Why he believes that revealing that a book has a twist is "violence" against the reader's experience