Remade

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Remade are re-constructed people in the series of books written by China Miéville that take place in the world of Bas-Lag. Bas-Lag itself is a strange mix of magic and technology, and the Remade are an example of this. They are usually criminals who are punished for their crimes by the addition or alteration of bodyparts, which may be either organic or mechanical, though the mechanical additions occur mostly in New Crobuzon. The Remade are extremely varied in nature, ranging from those who have had their legs or lower bodies replaced with steam powered engines, to others who have had animal and human body parts attached to them. The nature of the Remaking often reflects the nature of the crime: in Perdido Street Station, a man who stole a painting of a garuda (bird-man) was punished by grafts of feathers, non-functional wings, and a metal beak, to make him look like a grotesque parody of a garuda, while a man who would not give information on accomplices has his mouth 'erased.' There also tend to be "fads" for particular forms of remaking where such ironic punishments are not specified.

Because their new body parts sometimes grant them newfound abilities, Remade may serve specialized purposes in society, often as indentured servants/slaves. In Perdido Street Station, Remades with their heads twisted around and fitted with mirror helmets were used against the slake-moths, giant insects which could not safely be looked upon, while Remade prostitutes catered to every form of sexual perversion.

Remaking is not always a punishment: one particular individual known as Tanner Sack (from The Scar) was remade willfully into an amphibious human, though he was partially remade as a punishment prior to this. The Remade are treated as slaves in New Crobuzon, but in the floating city of Armada and aboard the Perpetual Train in The Iron Council they are considered equals to the non-Remade or "Whole".

Not all Remade fit willingly into their low position in society. fReemade are escaped Remade slaves who act either as brigands and bandits, or as terrorists and freedom-fighters. The most famous fReemade, Jack Half-a-Prayer, had a praying mantis's arm and was the leader of an urban terrorist group in New Crobuzon until he was Remade again before his public hanging and death.

[edit] Remade animals

Animals too are sometimes Remade in Bas Lag to suit human purposes. For example, the New Crobuzon Militia uses both Remade horses and rhinoceroses, the latter known as "nashorns" (a reference to the real Nashorn tanks), gigantic two-storey creatures with drilling horns and gunnery attached to their backs. In "Iron Council", A militia strike force is transported via a cathedral-sized remade fish.

This article about a fictional object, organization, species, or technology is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.