The Complete Short Stories

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

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!

Sixty five hours of masterfully read stories, by the master of the masterfully told story. This is s collection that is simply wonderful.

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.

Short stories that make you think, easy to listen to one and leave the book for a while and come back.

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.

it's right near the very top of the list.

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.

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

Average - it's good but not really cutting edge or classic. I know JG Ballard fans won't agree...

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)

I thought the narration was good, easy to listen to

I think they'd have to do quite a bit of re-writing to bring it up to date enough for a movie

Might appeal to people who are already fans of JG Ballard

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.

A middle and an end

most of them are fine, but Ric Jerrom's random vocal modulation are infuriating, almost to the point of being unlistenable.

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.

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.