Review: Un Lun Dun by China Miéville; Del Rey Books, 2007
China Miéville‘s fourth novel, Un Lun Dun, is his first for young adult audiences. Miéville’s previous 4 novels, winners of the Arthur C. Clarke and Bram Stoker awards, are often categorized into the sub-genre of ‘steam-punk’. Un Lun Dun on the other hand, reads as a fun fantasy novel in a richly imagined universe that mirrors our own – in a broken, warped fashion.
“Un Lun Dun” is China Miéville’s alternate version of London that exists in a parallel universe to our own; it is characterized by rubbish, unusual creatures (a tailor with a pin cushion for a head, fish contained inside an old-fashioned dive suit) and even more unusual buildings (made out of discarded materials, or in unexpected shapes – letters, hats, etc.). The story starts out in the London we know with two protagonists, twelve-year-old Zanna and Deeba. After experiencing a sequence of increasingly odd events, the girls eventually find themselves (a bit accidentally) in Un Lun Dun, and an integral part of a prophetic vision that reportedly will save this odd world from certain doom. Un Lun Dun is facing the growing threat of it’s enemy (the Smog), but Un Lun Dun-ers have hope; the world’s prophecy – contained in a talking book – tells that Zanna, their savior (know to them as “the Schwazzy”) will arrive and successfully fight the Smog, freeing Un Lun Dun from its deadly grip. But things shortly start going awry, and the girls soon have to leave Un Lun Dun without accomplishing the prophecy’s vision. To save her from the trauma she faced during her visit, the Un Lun Dun prophecy-keepers wipe Zanna’s memory of the trip – and of her role of savior.
It is clear that the girls must return for another try (with 2/3s of the novel left to go), but is it safe for Deeba to break Zanna from the safety of her erased memories? Eventually Deeba (viewed by the Un Lun Dun-ers she has recently left as the ‘side-kick’) returns alone after finding herself not only missing Un Lun Dun, but so worried about its future she can think of little else. The remainder of the novel concerns Deeba’s adventures of trying to fill the role of savior, which was never meant for her to begin with. Moments of bravery and heroism (shown by everyone from Deeba, to her ‘pet’ Curdle – a discarded milk carton) abound, and Un Lun Dun is saved from its grim fate. But not before Deeba and all of Un Lun Dun learn that the roles put upon you by others don’t have to define who you eventually become.
Un Lun Dun starts off by lulling you into the false belief that the story will follow a predictable path – the protagonists will enter the alternate world, take up their roles of savior and assistant, and save Un Lun Dun as the prophecy says they will (with much angst and difficulties, no doubt). But it doesn’t take long before the reader realizes that that is not the way it’s going to go at all. The most wonderful surprise of this book was that Un Lun Dun’s ‘savior’ (and true protagonist) is not Zana, as we are initially lead to believe. When Deeba takes up the mantle of saving Un Lun Dun, she has to go against the grain of accepted ‘prophecy’ to do so. It is a terrific tale of a girl finding out who she really is, and what’s ultimately important to her. Similar to Miéville’s previous novels, the characters, creatures and world he creates are a unique and fascinating vision. But unlike his other books, this is an easy read, made that much quicker by the fast pace and compelling story he weaves. While marketed to a young adult audience, fantasy fans of all ages will find this a rewarding and pleasurable novel.
