The idea behind Verse Chapter Verse, The Stranger's reading series, is simple: A local band plays a few songs, an author reads and takes questions from the audience and The Stranger's asshole books editor, and the band plays a few more songs while the author signs your books. The spring edition of Verse Chapter Verse will explode your brain and your pants: China Miéville writes brilliant, multicultural, sexually fluid urban sci-fi/fantasy that somehow looks exactly like the world outside your window, and sexy, sexy Tomten is the up-and-comingest band in Seattle right now. (Chop Suey, 1325 E Madison St, 324-8005, 7 pm, $5, 21+)