I see echoes with lots of books in all my books, some deliberate, some unconscious until later, and as long as that is respectful I think that's great - writing on the shoulders of other writers is a privilege.

China Mieville: "My job is not to try to give readers what they want...", theguardian.com, Thursday 20 September, 2012.

China Mieville: 'My job is not to try to give readers what they want but to try to make readers want what I give' – interview