![]() Those first intrepid adventurers across space encountered many species before the Ariekei, faced charging hulks as translator algorithms violently whirred through variations of a greeting. They must be spoken together moreover, they must be spoken by one such as them, unified mouths, tongues that speak as one. ![]() Ariekei do not understand recordings of their language, nor do they register non-Ariekei speaking half their words – neither "cut", nor "turn" will count apart. Particularly alien though this sounds, Miéville is not just interested in curious difference. Their words are uttered together, one making one noise, the second another, but only together making a meaningful "word". Collected together as a mass of wings and hooves, with bodies moving diligently, graceful despite the furious motions, the Ariekei are akin to the terror-inducing Cthulhu of Lovecraft in many ways – similarities abound – but two distinct differences are made rich by Miéville.Īriekei speak twice through two mouths, both at once and with different sounds. Three years later and the alien species of Embassytown are a language-impaired, bio-wonderful race called the Ariekei. On the concrete balcony of a third-floor industrial complex in London, China Miéville was speaking earnestly about his early experiences of reading H.P. ![]()
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