Books where cities play a large part in the story ?

[Eclipse]

Go on name them 

I know you love lists 

[Magnus Hedén]

N.K. Jemisin's new book The City We Became comes to mind.

I'm currently reading China Miéville's Kraken also revolves a lot around London and it's magical underground. Which brings Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman to mind.

[Rostum]

too easy

Ben Aaronovitch Peter Grant series London
Emma Newman Split Worlds Bath
Neil Gaiman Neverwhere London     
Andrew Caldicot Rotherweird (which I bought Today)
Terry Pratchett Lots Ankh-Morepork

I have another 8 without thinking too hard but i will let someone else play

Edit: Magnus pipped me at the post!

[Eclipse]

Bonus points for not listing urban fantasy set on earth. No London or Chicago hehe

[Rostum]

Yeah move the goalposts why don't you! 

[Yora]

Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and Gray Mouser series, which could also be called the Lankhmar series. Which I prefer because it's easier to write. 

The Shadow over Innsmouth by Lovecraft.

And of course, The City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers, which is all about an entire city that consists entirely of anything related to book nerdery. 

[ScarletBea]

I'm currently reading China Miéville's Kraken a

His The city and the city also qualifies (disclaimer: I only watched the tv series, didn't read the book).

Robert Jackson Bennet's Divine cities trilogy, of course

Hmm would Aliette de Bodard's Dominion of the fallen be a good one? The destroyed Paris plays an important role/setting.

[Magnus Hedén]

The City and the City is also a lot better than Kraken, how could I forget that!

There's also The Lies of Locke Lamora which takes place in Camorr, whose strange ruins end up playing an important part.

I feel like I'm forgetting a ton of others, too.

[cupiscent]

I think there's room to reference urban fantasy, but the city needs to be actively important. Like, not even Peter-Grant-levels of involved, but more like Kate Griffin's Matthew Swift books, where London imbues every word of every line in all its gritty, glorious detail.

But also:
M John Harrison's Viriconium stories
KJ Bishop's The Etched City
Robert Jackson Bennet, like ScarletBea said
If we're talking Mieville, then Perdido Street Station, surely - it was so about place that I got bored

[NedMarcus]

Tanelorn, the eternal city in Michael Moorcock's The Quest for Tanelorn, the third of the Count Brass series.

[Bender]

Mortal Engines 

[Elfy]

The Lies of Locke Lamora, said this before, but the city of Camorr is like an extra character in that book.

[cupiscent]

The Lies of Locke Lamora, said this before, but the city of Camorr is like an extra character in that book.

I've been looking at this sentiment and thinking that I slightly disagree, and trying to put a finger on why. I think it's less a disagree on the sentiment, and more a difference in definitions. I feel in TLoLL, the people of Camorr (as a whole) are vitally important to the book - what makes a Camorri, how they live and interact and the systems they build and support... all of that is hugely important. I feel like the place of Camorr is much less vital - there are settings, obviously, and those settings are unique and well-drawn and bring together a great sense of place, but I don't feel that the story was deeply steeped in that place. People yes, place no.

So that's just making me thing: is a city a place or the people? (The answer, I think, is: yes. But hitherto on this thread I'd been thinking of city as place.)

[Elfy]

The Lies of Locke Lamora, said this before, but the city of Camorr is like an extra character in that book.

I've been looking at this sentiment and thinking that I slightly disagree, and trying to put a finger on why. I think it's less a disagree on the sentiment, and more a difference in definitions. I feel in TLoLL, the people of Camorr (as a whole) are vitally important to the book - what makes a Camorri, how they live and interact and the systems they build and support... all of that is hugely important. I feel like the place of Camorr is much less vital - there are settings, obviously, and those settings are unique and well-drawn and bring together a great sense of place, but I don't feel that the story was deeply steeped in that place. People yes, place no.

So that's just making me thing: is a city a place or the people? (The answer, I think, is: yes. But hitherto on this thread I'd been thinking of city as place.)

It’s kind of both in TLoLL. Camorr is a part of them and it has that reputation outside of the city itself.

Spoiler for Hiden:

theres that bit in Red Seas Under Red Skies where the pirate captain is reluctant to take Locke and Jean into the pirate city until Jean mentions that they’re from Camorr, and she immediately acquiesces

. I like all of the books, but I like the first one even more because of Camorr. I doubt the circumstances that created Locke and the Gentleman Bastards could have happened in any other city in that world, because Camorr is kind of unique in its setup.