What do the Hosts (Ariekei) from Embassytown look like?

The Hosts (also known as the Ariekei), the aliens featured in the novel Embassytown, are one of China Miéville’s most bizarre creations. The book only gives hints as to how they look, never definitively describing them.

Collected here are, in my opinion, some of the best renditions of the Hosts by various artists. The artists are acknowledged, and linked to, under each piece. They are presented below purely for the enjoyment of Miéville fans like me.

By Liz Coshow

By Vladimir Verano

By Valle Rogers

By Vincent Chong (for the Subterranean Press limited edition)

By Janet Bruesselbach

By Esktasy