An interview with China Mieville
Mieville speaks on his novel, Perdido Street Station

"I wanted to write an antifantasy, an unheroic, unepic fantasy. So structurally, yes, I very much did not want the kind of hero who can stamp their will on fate and history. But it wasn't a question of creating the character thinking about that--it was saying this is the kind of book I want, and this is the kind of character that fulfills that for the narrative. I had a lot of fun with Isaac. It was about trying to create a realistic character."

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And if you haven't read it yet, I strongely suggest that you give Perdido Street Station and the followup book, the Scar a read. It's the most imaginative, compelling and smart books that I've read in a long time.