Evolutionary Changes

Hybridization, cross-pollination and mutancy appear everywhere in this book. The reader is confronted by insect-human hybrids, avian-human and inhuman-human creatures in a higgledy-piggeldy hodgepodge that seemingly upends the laws of evolution. Perhaps this is a sign of the author's own inner struggle to find an identity for himself as a product of several cultures, or at least a reflection of his fervid search for a consistent worldview and narrative voice. Communication between these odd creatures, and their motivation, can become obscure as they move, sometimes compulsively, sometimes morosely, through their lives and through the polysaturated thicket of the novel's dense texture. The endless complications of identity and motivation either enrich the action or, depending on the reader's viewpoint, betray an author who is prone to substitute outlandish, freakish imagery for real character development.

Unity from Diversity

Just like human society, New Crobuzon is a complex web of...