The Tain (novella)
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- This is about The Tain, a novella by China Mieville. For the Táin Bó Cúailnge (of the Ulster Cycle), see Táin Bó Cúailnge. For The Tain album by the Decemberists, see The Tain.
The Tain was first published by PS Publications in 2002 It has been featured in an anthology, Cities (2004), as well as Looking for Jake (2005).
The Tain follows Sholl, a man living in London soon after a convulsive onslaught by unearthly beings. Through introspective monologue on both sides of the fight, we learn of the history of the attacking imagos and 'vampires,' and the reasons behind the invasion. Beyond the surface of Mieville's customary belligerent prose lies an open parallel to human action—a reflection of modern society also visible throughout the Bas-Lag novels.
