China Mieville (1972 – )

China Tom Mieville (born September 6, 1972) is a British writer of fantastic fiction.

He is fond of describing his work as "weird fiction" (after early 20th century pulp and horror writers such as H.P. Lovecraft), and belongs to a loose group of writers who consciously attempt to move the fantasy genre away from the realms of Tolkienesque clich�.

Mieville was born in London, England, where he currently lives. When he was eighteen, he lived and taught English in Egypt, where he developed an interest in Arab culture and Middle Eastern politics. Mieville has a B.A. in social anthropology from Cambridge and a master's with distinction and PhD from the London School of Economics.

He stood unsuccessfully for the British House of Commons in the 2001 General Election as a candidate for the Socialist Alliance. He is a member of the British Socialist Workers Party, and his left-wing politics colour his writing (they are particularly evident in Iron Council, his fourth novel).

His first novel, The Scar, has been nominated for the 2003 Arthur C. Clarke and World Fantasy awards.

Books by China Mieville