'We are the Gay Men's Radical Singing Caucus!' the lead singer yelled in his exquisite tenor.

December 23, 2004 7:56 AM

Tis the Season -- a new short story from China Mieville, just in time for the Holidays™ ... Don't get me wrong. I haven't got shares in YuleCo™, and I can't afford a one-day end-user licence, so I couldn't have a legal party. I'd briefly considered buying from one of the budget competitors like XmasTym, or a spinoff from a non-specialist like Coca-Crissmas, but the idea of doing it on the cheap was just depressing...
posted by amberglow (14 comments total)

and shades of MeTa too: 'Marwan's handfulofflowers, Dad,' she was saying to me. 'Off the internet.' : >
posted by amberglow at 8:03 AM on December 23, 2004

Someone has a pretty serious persecution complex.
posted by 4easypayments at 8:16 AM on December 23, 2004

Agreed, 4easypayments...cute concept, stretched into atrocious propaganda.
posted by u.n. owen at 8:45 AM on December 23, 2004

Starts off decent enough but it aint Perdido Street Station by a long chalk now is it. That being said China is still my favourite author.
posted by zeoslap at 8:55 AM on December 23, 2004

I like the ending.
posted by wobh at 8:59 AM on December 23, 2004

read this the other day, excellent
posted by kamylyon at 9:08 AM on December 23, 2004

Atrocious propaganda my arse. The political side's so overt as to be self-parody, and it's wrapped up in a genuinely sweet little story. I liked.

And more generalised Miéville-lovin' over here, too.
posted by terpsichoria at 10:29 AM on December 23, 2004

Hey, here's a Christmas story by Nalo Hopkinson.

(Also with the Mieville-love.)
posted by Tomatillo at 12:42 AM on December 24, 2004

And here's an old one by Martin Millar.

(Urban fantastical holiday cheer all round!)
posted by Tomatillo at 12:47 AM on December 24, 2004

Couldn't get the Millar link to work, but the other two (by a couple of my favourite authors) are a wonderful present! Thanks, ffolks , Happy Holidays, Merry Xmas, So Long and Thanks For All the Fish...
posted by MadOwl at 2:48 AM on December 24, 2004

love that Hopkinson!
and the Millar too! thanks! (there was an extra .com in the url above, i think)
posted by amberglow at 8:21 AM on December 24, 2004

Sorry. I'm still new-ish at this posting thing.
posted by Tomatillo at 5:48 PM on December 24, 2004

no prob--it's a good story : >
posted by amberglow at 10:10 PM on December 24, 2004

For the rest of you fans, there's been an ongoing symposium online at Crooked Timber with China's responses about Iron Council--a wonderful, meaty book.
posted by amberglow at 4:07 PM on January 15, 2005