@ Etienne:

I think it works on its own, though Perdido Street Station is probably a better introduction to Bas Lag universe. The Iron Council does a little bit less exposition up front.

So… Can it be read without having read the others first, does it work as-is?

Well crap, man- you’re no help at all. I guess I’ll read em both.

@ Gothmog:

They are very different. Embassytown is a high concept SF with a female protagonist and a really cool, non-humanoid aliens that do not think or perceive the world the same way we do. I really, really liked it because it was full on musings about linguistics, communication, the theory of mind and also colonialism and how distinct cultures and mindsets influence each other. The bit about how the human presence on the planet allowed the aliens to “enhance” their language in a way they could not previously was especially interesting.

Perdido is more of a solid Steam-Fantasy that introduces you to this off-beat town full of strange people with strange cultures, customs and beliefs. It is really filled to the brim with all kinds of strangeness. There are the weird catterpilar things Issaac is studdying in his lab. There’s Yaghrek and his strange crime and punishment story. There are the steam and clockwork powered constructs malfunctioning in very specific ways leading to some unsettling revelations.

So it’s hard to compare them. Personally I liked Embassytown, but maybe it’s because it was SF and had a cool idea.

What do you think, Luke? Should I read Embassytown first or should I tackle Perdido Street Station?

Well, shit- I’m sold. Gonna drop all three of these on my iPad tonight and get started with Perdido street station. I need to keep my goodreads up to date.