‘One of those few authors whose compulsive readability is a compliment to the intelligence’ — Spectator In John Wyndham’s gripping science fiction classic The Chrysalids, nuclear war has left the world shattered and transformed. From the ruins has risen a bleak, primitive society in which any genetic deviation — however slight — is hunted down and destroyed without mercy. David knows the terror of living under such a regime firsthand: he belongs to a clandestine group of children gifted with the ability to share thoughts directly between their minds. As the children grow older, their sense of isolation deepens. When one of their number marries a ‘norm’, the consequences are devastating. This Penguin Modern Classics edition includes an introduction by M. John Harrison. Published in 1955, The Chrysalids stands as one of Wyndham’s most powerful works — a post-apocalyptic allegory of persecution and intolerance that loses none of its force today. John Wyndham (1903–1969), son of a barrister, explored numerous careers including farming, law, commercial art and advertising before turning to short fiction in 1925. After serving in both the Civil Service and the Army during the Second World War, he developed what he called ‘logical fantasy’, a modified form of science fiction. His celebrated novels include The Day of the Triffids (1951), The Kraken Wakes (1953), The Midwich Cuckoos (1957, filmed twice as Village of the Damned), Trouble with Lichen (1960), and Chocky (1968). Readers who enjoyed The Chrysalids may also wish to explore Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, also available in Penguin Modern Classics.
ISBN 13: 9780141181479
Author: John Wyndham
