THE LAST DAYS OF NEW PARIS

By China Mieville

This is one title that, although it may seem “out there” at times, you will not soon forget. It’s all about presenting an alternate history. That said, we delve into World War II, and are immediately hit with as much oddity as one could possibly imagine.

A group of refugee artists come together at a house in Marseille. Here they find a scientist/occultist named Jack Parsons who wants to somehow “capture” the artists’ creative power. What he does is create a device that sets off an “S-Blast,” releasing an explosion of surrealistic energy in Paris.

Jump to 1950. Germany still occupies France, but the Nazis are not the only bad guys in town. There are new “citizens” of the city that came from the S-Blast. Called “manifs” (AKA: manifestations) these are surrealist works of art that have literally come to life on the streets of Paris. For example, there is a bicycle minus a rider. There is a giant plant bearing fruit that not only looks surreal, but it also comes up from the ground to catch passing aircraft. There is also a tall knight who walks around on a pair of women’s high-heeled feet.

Now the Nazis, who certainly had egos bigger than all outdoors, don’t exactly have an easy time with these manifs. So, being Nazis, they do what they do best. Since they can’t defeat these things, they seal off the city of Paris from the rest of the world. No one gets out; no one gets in. In addition, they try to create their very own super-manif. Hiring a renegade priest, the man succeeds in summoning demons that will help aid the Nazi cause.

This book has the weirdest twists and turns a reader could ever find in a story, from an author who is one of the most renowned writers of contemporary sci-fi and fantasy. Although you may get “lost” every once in a while, the imagery is well worth it.