Three Moments of an Explosion: Stories - Hardcover

Praise for China MiEville
"The City & The City"
"Dark and thought-provoking . . . [This novel has] the gritty, grainy feel of many a murder mystery shot in black-and-white, with some of the foreboding, elusive narrowness-of-frame that a Cold War spy flick possesses."--"The San Diego Union-Tribune"
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"Embassytown"
"Richly conceived . . . "Embassytown" has the feel of a word-puzzle, and much of the pleasure of figuring out the logic of the world and the story comes from gradually catching the full resonance of its invented and imported words.""--The New York Times Book Review"
"Railsea"
"Other names besides Melville's will surely come to mind as you read this thrilling tale: "Dune"'s Frank Herbert, for example, & even Robert Louis Stevenson. But in this, as in all of his works, MiEville has that special knack for evoking other writers even while making the story wholly his own."--"Los Angeles Times"
"Perdido Street Station"
"Compulsively readable . . . impossible to expunge from memory."--"The Washington Post Book World"

Praise for China Mieville
"The City & The City"
Dark and thought-provoking . . . [This novel has] the gritty, grainy feel of many a murder mystery shot in black-and-white, with some of the foreboding, elusive narrowness-of-frame that a Cold War spy flick possesses. "The San Diego Union-Tribune"
""
"Embassytown"
Richly conceived . . . "Embassytown" has the feel of a word-puzzle, and much of the pleasure of figuring out the logic of the world and the story comes from gradually catching the full resonance of its invented and imported words. " The New York Times Book Review"
"Railsea"
Other names besides Melville s will surely come to mind as you read this thrilling tale: "Dune" s Frank Herbert, for example, & even Robert Louis Stevenson. But in this, as in all of his works, Mieville has that special knack for evoking other writers even while making the story wholly his own. "Los Angeles Times"
"Perdido Street Station"
Compulsively readable . . . impossible to expunge from memory. "The Washington Post Book World""

Advance praise for "Three Moments of an Explosion"
Horror, noir, fantasy, politics, and poetry swirl into combinations as satisfying intellectually as they are emotionally. . . . Bradbury meets Borges, with Lovecraft gibbering tumultuously just out of hearing. "Kirkus Reviews "(starred review)
Mieville moves effortlessly among realism, fantasy, and surrealism in this dark, sometimes horrific short story collection. . . . His characters, whether ordinary witnesses to extraordinary events or lunatics operating out of inexplicable compulsions, are invariably well drawn and compelling. Above all, what the stories have in common is a sense that the world is not just strange, but stranger than we can ever really comprehend. "Publishers Weekly" (starred review)"

Even when he is orbiting somewhere in a galaxy too far away for normal human comprehension, the genre-subverting English novelist China Mieville is dazzling. His latest collection of short stories, Three Moments of an Explosion, crowds virtuosity into every sentence. . . . There are things to admire in every story, even the ones you can t quite grasp. The book left me feeling unsettled, uneasy, nervous, and I think that is Mr. Mieville s point. He wants to draw attention to the scratching under the floorboards, the panic in our heads, the rebellion of nature and inanimate objects. As he says, These days there are so many odd and troubling noises in the city. Sarah Lyall, The New York Times
You can t talk about Mieville without using the word brilliant. . . . His wit dazzles, his humour is lively, and the pure vitality of his imagination is astonishing. . . . My favourite of all these tales is The Rules, two and a half pages long. Read it. You won t regret it, or forget it. Ursula K. Le Guin, The Guardian
[A] gripping collection . . . Mieville expertly mixes science fiction, fantasy and surrealism. . . . Amid the longer stories are more cerebral, poetic flash pieces that will haunt the reader beyond the pages of this exceptional book. The Washington Post

The stories shine . . . with a winking brilliance. The Seattle Times
Horror, noir, fantasy, politics, and poetry swirl into combinations as satisfying intellectually as they are emotionally. . . . Bradbury meets Borges, with Lovecraft gibbering tumultuously just out of hearing. Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Three Moments of an Explosion is a book filled with fabulous oddities. Entertainment Weekly
Mieville moves effortlessly among realism, fantasy, and surrealism in this dark, sometimes horrific short story collection. . . . His characters, whether ordinary witnesses to extraordinary events or lunatics operating out of inexplicable compulsions, are invariably well drawn and compelling. Above all, what the stories have in common is a sense that the world is not just strange, but stranger than we can ever really comprehend. Publishers Weekly (starred review)"

A highly anticipated collection of short fiction from one of the most exciting and original authors writing today.