First Lines of "Railsea"

"This is the story of a bloodstained boy.

There he stands, swaying as utterly as any wind-blown sapling. he is quite, quite red. If only this were paint! Around each of his feet the red puddles; his clothes, whatever colour they once were, are now a thickening scarlet; his hair is stiff & drenched.

Only his eyes stand out. The white of each almost gleams against the gore, lightbulbs in a dark room. He stares with great fervour at nothing."

China Miéville, from his novel Railsea. To me, this novel started out slowly, but has really picked up steam as it enters Part II. The man really knows how to build a world!