Review of 'Looking for Jake'
Looking for Jake by China Miéville
A series of short stories (largely based in London, it seems) that shows a bit of what Miéville is all about. Highlights for me were: “Jack” which picks up the story of “Jack Half-a-Prayer” most recently seen in Miéville's novel “Perdido Street Station” and puts a more sinister slant on things with a shock ending. “Details” that tells of a boy who regularly delivers meals to a rather odd shut-in…“The Tain” which is an odd tale finishing off the book where London is overrun by demons that exist in mirrors - Vampires and “imagos” - that I found started very sinister but had a slightly anti-climactic climax.
Some of the stories such as “On the Way to the Front” and “Entry Taken from a Medical Encyclopedia” were perhaps a bit too short, ending only when they barely got interesting.
Expect the unexpected in this collection. There are a few notable stories here but generally I was left nonplussed.
Rating: “Average, but who wants to be average?”
Review Date: 2013-03-09
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Del Rey
Publication Date: 2005