I love China Mieville but I haven't had much success yet in lending out Perdido Street Station. The prose is dense and full of words that never existed before. "I tried getting into it, and it was cool the parts I read but . . . I'm sure the movie will be amazing!" and so forth. Trust me, you're missing out. And even with all the crazy words and thaumaturgy and politics and creatures, it's just a bug hunt in the end. Everyone loves bug hunts!
I just finished his new book, The City and the City. China Mieville's main characters are always cities, whether London, Un Lon Dun, New Crobuzon, Armada . . . and now two new cities all grosstopically entwined. What? Never mind, it's funner if you see for yourself. And don't be scared, it's basically a murder mystery kind of like Michael Chabon's The Yiddish Policemen's Union.
And don't wait for the movie, I'm not so sure this one would translate very well. Though it would be interesting to see them try.