The City and The City

I don't think there is any living author who is both as imaginative as China Mieville and as good a writer. Once again, he takes an absurd premise--there are two cities that share the same geography, but maintain strict, sovereign borders and require citizens of each to 'unsee' every aspect of the other--and makes it not just believable, but real. Beyond the fantastic, he excels at the fundamentals. The characters are textured and compelling; the plot drives forward with the momentum of the best murder mystery. A joy to read, though not quite as tidy an ending as I hoped.