I'm not going to lie and say that Railsea is a book I will be recommending to all readers, but I will, with certainty, be recommending it to anyone and everyone I think would enjoy it. Railsea isn't what anyone expects to see under the `YA' label. Many have argued that it isn't really YA at all, but when a book is pitched as `a novel for readers of all ages', I don't think it's really trying to be. Given its content, I think that `a novel for readers of all ages' is the perfect description for Railsea. It will appeal to Miéville's adult fanbase, as well as make him more accessible to younger readers. The teens who will fall in love with Railsea will be those who probably read a lot of adult sci-fi or fantasy already; they will be smart, appreciate a wry sense of humor, and have a wonderful sense of adventure. Readers must be patient getting into this one, as it will take you a while to feel entirely at ease with the language and story, and to understand the world that Miéville has built, but I assure you that it will be worth the effort.
As China Miéville has said himself: "Part of the appeal of the fantastic is taking ridiculous ideas very seriously and pretending they're not absurd." I couldn't possibly describe Railsea in a more accurate sentence. Railsea is ridiculous, but the respect and authority that Miéville gives to his characters in the story therein left me completely enraptured, enamored, and on the edge of my seat wanting more. To me, Railsea was hilarious. I was constantly laughing out loud in the way that you laughs at someone who you are never quite sure recognizes how clever they are. I was initially worried that I would be bogged down in the language, but instead I found myself languishing in it, making Railsea one of the more literary works I have read for some time.
However, the best part of Railsea is the story that is found within all of this. Railsea is a sort of Moby Dick retelling, but readers shouldn't go in thinking this will be all about a captain balancing on the edge of sanity pulling all the stops to bring down the big one. That's only part of the tale. In fact, our focus isn't the captain at all, it is Sham ap Soorap, who dreams of a life more exciting than that of a doctor's assistant aboard a moler, and gets it. It's the story of a sort of treasure map, a high seas adventure, and an escapade to the very ends of the earth.
Now, those readers who love a focus on excellent world building and plot--Railsea is for you, but for those of you who are all about character development, you may not approve. It's not that the characters are shallow, but Railsea is not a book where we get strong images of the characters' emotions. And personally, I didn't feel like anything was missing despite this. The world of Railsea, with scavengers, pirates, and hunters riding the railsea on trains rather than ships made me think of a futuristic old west, kind of like a more localized take on Joss Whedon's Firefly. Add to that giant vermin such as fanged meerkats or predatory chipmunk packs living under the land of the rails, and you have some pretty terrifying imagery going for you. In addition, Railsea contains a number of illustrations of the creatures described, drawn by the author himself. I loved seeing them in detail, though I'll admit I craved to see some of the drawings that Sham himself had done, or others depicting the railsea.
I'm always impressed when an author writes a book so utterly un-sexist, that traditional gender divisions aren't even a thought. As was the case with Railsea. Gender roles are never even alluded to, it is just a part of the world that women do the exact same jobs as men, and nothing whatsoever is thought about this. Our captain, Naphi, is a woman whose life philosophy has become killing Mocker-Jack, the Mole of Many Meanings. And she's not the only strong woman about, there's scrappers, molers, and Caldera Shroake making Railsea a book that spreads the crazy, savvy, and skill all over.
I realize I haven't talked overly much about the plot, but the reality is, you don't want me to. You want to dive into the unknown of the Railsea with as few preconceived notions of the plot as possible. This is one of those books I loved, but about which I still have a hard time adequately formulating my thoughts into words. While I have tried to express that this is not for everyone, I have to stress that those that click with Railsea will really click. This will certainly be one of my top reads of 2012.
