He stood unsuccessfully for the British House of Commons in the 2001 General Election as a candidate for the Socialist Alliance. He is a member of the British Socialist Workers' Party.
His first novel, King Rat, was nominated for both an International Horror Guild and Bram Stoker awards. Perdido Street Station won the Arthur C. Clarke Award and was nominated for the Hugo, Nebula and World Fantasy awards. His third, The Scar, has been nominated for the 2003 Arthur C. Clarke and World Fantasy awards.