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When London is lost beneath the rising tides, unconscious desires rush to the surface in this apocalyptic tale from the author of Crash and Cocaine Nights. Fluctuations in solar radiation have melted the ice caps, sending the planet into a new Triassic Age of unendurable heat. London is a swamp; lush tropical vegetation grows up the walls of the Ritz and primeval reptiles are sighted, swimming through the newly-formed lagoons.
A prophetic and experimental masterpiece by J. G. Ballard, the acclaimed author of ‘Crash’ and ‘Super-Cannes’. This edition features explanatory notes from the author. The irrational, all-pervading violence of the modern world is the subject of this extraordinary tour de force. The central character’s dreams are haunted by images of John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe, dead astronauts and car-crash victims as he traverses the screaming wastes of nervous breakdown.
A chilling novel about our modern world, from the author of Empire of the Sun and Crash. An architect is driving home from his London offices when a blow-out sends his speeding Jaguar hurtling out of control. Smashing through a temporary barrier he finds himself, dazed and disorientated, on a traffic island below three converging motorways. But when he tries to climb the embankment or flag-down a passing car for help it proves impossible - and he finds himself marooned on the concrete island.
When a light aircraft crashes into the Thames at Shepperton, the young pilot who struggles to the surface minutes later seems to have come back from the dead. Within hours everything in the dormitory suburb is surreally transformed into a reality more akin to a dreamscape. Vultures invade the rooftops, luxuriant tropical vegetation overruns the quiet avenues, and the local inhabitants are propelled by the young man’s urgent visions through ecstatic sexual celebrations towards an apocalyptic climax.
From the author of the Sunday Times best seller Cocaine Nights comes an unnerving tale of life in a modern tower block running out of control. Within the concealing walls of an elegant forty-storey tower block, the affluent tenants are hell-bent on an orgy of destruction. Cocktail parties degenerate into marauding attacks on "enemy" floors and the once-luxurious amenities become an arena for riots and technological mayhem.
The definitive cult, post-modern novel - a shocking blend of violence, transgression and eroticism. When our narrator smashes his car into another and watches a man die in front of him, his sense of sexual possibilities in the world around him becomes detached. As he begins an affair with the dead man's wife, he finds himself drawn, with increasing intensity, to the mangled impacts of car crashes.
When London is lost beneath the rising tides, unconscious desires rush to the surface in this apocalyptic tale from the author of Crash and Cocaine Nights. Fluctuations in solar radiation have melted the ice caps, sending the planet into a new Triassic Age of unendurable heat. London is a swamp; lush tropical vegetation grows up the walls of the Ritz and primeval reptiles are sighted, swimming through the newly-formed lagoons.
A prophetic and experimental masterpiece by J. G. Ballard, the acclaimed author of ‘Crash’ and ‘Super-Cannes’. This edition features explanatory notes from the author. The irrational, all-pervading violence of the modern world is the subject of this extraordinary tour de force. The central character’s dreams are haunted by images of John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe, dead astronauts and car-crash victims as he traverses the screaming wastes of nervous breakdown.
A chilling novel about our modern world, from the author of Empire of the Sun and Crash. An architect is driving home from his London offices when a blow-out sends his speeding Jaguar hurtling out of control. Smashing through a temporary barrier he finds himself, dazed and disorientated, on a traffic island below three converging motorways. But when he tries to climb the embankment or flag-down a passing car for help it proves impossible - and he finds himself marooned on the concrete island.
When a light aircraft crashes into the Thames at Shepperton, the young pilot who struggles to the surface minutes later seems to have come back from the dead. Within hours everything in the dormitory suburb is surreally transformed into a reality more akin to a dreamscape. Vultures invade the rooftops, luxuriant tropical vegetation overruns the quiet avenues, and the local inhabitants are propelled by the young man’s urgent visions through ecstatic sexual celebrations towards an apocalyptic climax.
From the author of the Sunday Times best seller Cocaine Nights comes an unnerving tale of life in a modern tower block running out of control. Within the concealing walls of an elegant forty-storey tower block, the affluent tenants are hell-bent on an orgy of destruction. Cocktail parties degenerate into marauding attacks on "enemy" floors and the once-luxurious amenities become an arena for riots and technological mayhem.
The definitive cult, post-modern novel - a shocking blend of violence, transgression and eroticism. When our narrator smashes his car into another and watches a man die in front of him, his sense of sexual possibilities in the world around him becomes detached. As he begins an affair with the dead man's wife, he finds himself drawn, with increasing intensity, to the mangled impacts of car crashes.
Through a 'leaking' of time, the West African jungle starts to crystallize. Trees are metamorphosed into enormous jewels. Crocodiles encased in second glittering skins lurch down the river. Pythons with huge blind gemstone eyes rear in heraldic poses. Fearing this transformation as a herald of the apocalypse, most flee the area in terror, afraid to face a catastrophe they cannot understand. But some, dazzled and strangely entranced, remain to drift through this dreamworld forest.
This book contains 26 of the greatest science fiction stories ever written. They represent the considered verdict of the Science Fiction Writers of America, those who have shaped the genre and who know, more intimately than anyone else, what the criteria for excellence in the field should be. The authors chosen for the Science Fiction Hall Fame are the men and women who have shaped the body and heart of modern science fiction; their brilliantly imaginative creations continue to inspire and astound new generations of writers and fans.
From the master of dystopia, comes his heartrending story of a British boy’s four-year ordeal in a Japanese prison camp during the Second World War. Based on J. G. Ballard’s own childhood, this is the extraordinary account of a boy’s life in Japanese-occupied wartime Shanghai - a mesmerising, hypnotically compelling novel of war, of starvation and survival, of internment camps and death marches. It blends searing honesty with an almost hallucinatory vision of a world thrown utterly out of joint.
The Vampire Archives is the biggest, hungriest, undeadliest collection of vampire stories, as well as the most comprehensive bibliography of vampire fiction ever assembled. Dark, stormy, and delicious, once it sinks its teeth into you there’s no escape.
The new novel by the author of the best-selling The World Walker series. 'My name is Daniel Harbin, and I'm a child of The Deterrent.' What if a superhuman turned out not to be so super...or even human? Britain's superhero, The Deterrent, was unveiled to the world in 1979 and disappeared two years later. The truth about his origins has never been revealed. The rumours about his children - those that survived - and their mysterious abilities have never been confirmed. Until now....
Detective Jack Nightingale fights his battles in the shadows, in the grey areas where demons and monsters seek their prey. In this collection of nine short stories, Nightingale matches wits against demons from Hell, monsters created by humans, and Satanists who have done their own private deals with the devil.
Dan Starkey takes on the mantle of William Hope Hodgson's supernatural detective, Thomas Carnacki, in this collection of enhanced audiobook readings: 'The Gateway of the Monster', 'The House Among the Laurels', 'The Whistling Room', 'The Horse of the Invisible', 'The Searcher of the End House' and 'The Thing Invisible'. Directed by Scott Handcock.
Naked Lunch is one of the most important novels of the 20th century, a book that redefined not just literature but American culture. An unnerving tale of a narcotics addict unmoored in New York, Tangiers, and, ultimately, a nightmarish wasteland known as Interzone.
In the half a square mile of decay and demolition that was England's Saxon capital, eternity is loitering between the firetrap tower blocks. Embedded in the grubby amber of the district's narrative, among its saints, kings, prostitutes and derelicts, a different kind of human time is happening. Through the labyrinthine streets and minutes of Jerusalem tread ghosts that sing of wealth and poverty, of Africa, hymns and our threadbare millennium.
23 stories, all unabridged, from a diverse group of star writers and readers. A truly memorable collection with a wide appeal. Includes "The Years Midnight" by Helen Simpson, read by Harriet Walter; "On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful Morning" by Haruki Marukami, read by Walter Lewis; "Bablady" by A. S. Byatt, read by Roslaind Eyres; "Hotel des Vaoyaguerus" by William Boyd, read by Martin Jarvis; and "Who?" by Fay Weldon, read by Julie Christie.
Four short novels from the author of The Fireman and Horns. 'Rain' explores an escalating apocalyptic event, as downpours of nails spread out across the world. In 'Loaded', a mall security guard heroically stops a mass shooting, but his story begins to unravel, taking his sanity with it. 'Snapshot, 1988' tells of a kid in Silicon Valley who finds himself threatened. And in 'Aloft', a young man parachutes for the first time...and winds up a castaway on an impossibly solid cloud.
Twisted 50 is a deliciously dark slice of contemporary horror literature. Reading it is like attending a late night secret banquet where you know each course will serve up something unexpected, forbidden, and unforgettably chilling. Take your private seat now for 50 luscious courses of terror, from 50 of the strongest voices in modern horror.
A collection of 98 enthralling and pulse-quickening stories, spanning five decades, venerates the remarkable imagination of J. G. Ballard. With a body of work unparalleled in 20th-century literature, J. G. Ballard is recognized as one of the greatest and most prophetic writers in the world.
With the much-hailed release of The Complete Stories of J. G. Ballard, listeners now have a means to celebrate the unmatched range and mesmerizing cadences of a literary genius. Whether writing about musical orchids, human cannibalism, or the secret history of World War III, Ballard's Complete Stories evokes the hallucinations of Kafka and Borges in its ability to render modern paranoia and fantastical creations on the page.
A Washington Post Best Book of 2009, Boston Globe Best Book, Los Angeles Times Favourite Book, and San Francisco Chronicle Best Book.
Ballard was one the most distinctive voices in 20th century literature: weird, disturbing, poetic, provocative and prescient. This collection shows the range of his imagination, from mainstream SF stories to fables to audacious formal experimentation to witty social satires. Superbly read too: some of Ballard's stories present a narrator with considerable challenges which all of the narrators here meet with aplomb. A slight warning: some of Ballard's work does deal with challenging themes and the easily-offended might find material in here to offend them. (If you suspect this may include you I recommend Googling J. G Ballard and Ronald Reagan to find the title of one of his most notorious stories to test.)
For everyone but the most squeamish this represents a major chunk of the output of one of the most important writers of recent years performed impeccably. Unmissable
15 of 15 people found this review helpful
It's years since I read a JG Ballard, though I've probably read all the short stories at some time or other. This collection was just too good to resist, and the quality of reading does justice to the stories.
A word of caution though: I'd forgotten just how dark many of his stories could be, so I suggest that you don't listen to the whole collection without a break!
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
This is a truly magnificent collection of Ballard's short stories. It gives the listener a sense of his breathtaking scope, his recurring themes, his poignant insights into time, memory and human psychology. It also reminds those unfamiliar with Ballard that, despite the stories for which he is best known due to the film versions of Empire of the Sun and Crash, he was primarily a sci-fi / speculative fiction writer.
I enjoyed hearing variation in the reading voices for the stories, but I must admit I preferred some of them more than others. That being said, none of the narrators take away from the writing.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
Sixty five hours of masterfully read stories, by the master of the masterfully told story. This is s collection that is simply wonderful.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
Short stories that make you think, easy to listen to one and leave the book for a while and come back.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Trying to find an odd angle that J.G hasn't used is like trying to find a moral standpoint at a porn convention, it's just not going to happen...the joy comes in watching a master twist, subvert and surprise you with wonderfully crafted tales.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Where does The Complete Short Stories rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
it's right near the very top of the list.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Complete Short Stories?
it's difficult to say because there are so many stories that are very good. but if you don't like one of the stories, there are multiple others to choose from.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
because it's so long and such a huge multitude of stories, i find it more enjoyable,to listen to it in parts between other books
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
Average - it's good but not really cutting edge or classic. I know JG Ballard fans won't agree...
How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
There were a lot of recurring themes, such as sonics. A lot of it feels quite dated; really good sci fi can stand the test of time ('1984' for instance)
What about the narrators’s performance did you like?
I thought the narration was good, easy to listen to
Could you see The Complete Short Stories being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?
I think they'd have to do quite a bit of re-writing to bring it up to date enough for a movie
Any additional comments?
Might appeal to people who are already fans of JG Ballard
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
A distortion in time, the sound of metal infections, induced insomnia, space interminable space, extreme Synesthesia, dystopian societies, visions of a past that never was, cities that never ever end and a myriad permutations and possibilities described with eloquence and beauty this is a very large gift that is well worth the price. A treat to discover and enjoy.
For information on the content look in Wikipedia under the name of the collection.
22 of 35 people found this review helpful
Is there anything you would change about this book?
Nearly all the stories start brilliantly, with an intriguing premise that really stimulates the imagination. But it's as if the author does not have the stamina to get to the end and form any kind of conclusion. For the first several, I continued to listen in hope, but I have started to expect to be disappointed.
How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
A middle and an end
Who might you have cast as narrator instead of the narrators?
most of them are fine, but Ric Jerrom's random vocal modulation are infuriating, almost to the point of being unlistenable.
Was The Complete Short Stories worth the listening time?
I have not quite reached the end, and I'm starting to view them as a bit of chore. I now skip the ones read by Ric Jerrom.
7 of 11 people found this review helpful
This one actor, Jeff Harding, ruins the stories that he's read in this incredible collection. it's like listening to a badly trained news reporter rambling off the sentences with no concern for the story or for the gravity of Ballard's writing. In stark contrast, the rest of the performances are excellent. What a shame to have to skip over every story that Harding has flattened out.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
What would have made The Complete Short Stories better?
A less cynical author
Has The Complete Short Stories turned you off from other books in this genre?
No. Asimov's short stories were very good.
What aspect of the narrators’s performance would you have changed?
Their choice of subject matter.
What character would you cut from The Complete Short Stories?
All those suffering a depressing end, i.e., many characters.
1 of 14 people found this review helpful
Would you try another book from J. G. Ballard and/or the narrators?
This was a wasted credit. Hard to listen to. Made my ears bleed. 60 hours of every bad line this guy ever penned.
Narrator was good despite the content. Some of the stories were like poorly contrived twilight zone episodes. The remainder were just rot.
What do you think your next listen will be?
Something by a writer who isn't trying to be witty and turn a bad phrase every other sentence. One that is missing dated references and awful drivel that confounds instead of relaying a thought or idea.
What about the narrators’s performance did you like?
They took dirt and put it into a bucket. That's all I can say here because the content was poorly written. Dated.
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Complete Short Stories?
I would have sent the manuscript back for a burning and a burial at sea. Some things should not be published. The paper could have served a more useful purpose as toilet tissue.
Any additional comments?
I think that about says it all.
6 of 55 people found this review helpful