First published 2000
In the polluted, crime-ridden city of New Crobuzon, brilliant scientist Isaac takes on a strange request from the half-bird Garuda. As Isaac's experiments grow increasingly unhinged, a monstrous caterpillar specimen undergoes a terrifying transformation, unleashing a malevolent force that threatens to engulf the entire city. Amidst the ensuing chaos, Isaac must confront the dangerous consequences of his work and the malignant threat that could annihilate New Crobuzon.
Genres: science-fiction, literary-fiction, fantasy, horror
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, thought-provoking
Tropes: morally-ambiguous-protagonist, world-building
Setting: New Crobuzon
Period: 20th-century
710 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Ballantine Del Rey
Content warnings: body-horror, graphic-violence