Most Popular Books by John Wyndham

The influential masterpiece of one of the twentieth century’s most brilliant—and neglected—science fiction and horror writers, whom Stephen King called “the best writer of science fiction that England has ever produced.”—now in development as a miniseries directed by Johan Renck. “[Wyndham] avoids easy allegories and instead questions the relative values of the civilisation that has been lost, the literally blind terror of humanity in the face of dominant nature. . . . Frightening and powerful, Wyndham’s vision remains an important allegory and a gripping story.”—The Guardian What if a meteor shower left most of the world blind—and humanity at the mercy of mysterious carnivorous plants? Bill Masen undergoes eye surgery and awakes the next morning in his hospital bed to find civilization collapsing. Wandering the city, he quickly realizes that surviving in this strange new world requires evading strangers and the seven-foot-tall plants known as triffids—plants that can walk and can kill a man with one quick lash of their poisonous stingers.

A remarkable anti-colonialist novel by one of the twentieth century’s most brilliant—and neglected—science fiction and horror writers, whom Stephen King called “the best writer of science fiction that England has ever produced.” What if spiders evolved and gained the ability to co-operate? A group of British citizens buy the South Pacific island of Tanakuatua from the British government in the hopes of building the world’s first utopian society. Tanakuatua is small, beautiful, and apparently uninhabited. Perhaps too uninhabited: there are no birds, no insects, no life of any kind—other than millions and millions of spiders. . . .

The classic science fiction horror novel of possessed children that inspired the terrifying Village of the Damned films. In John Wyndham’s classically elegant, calm style, this novel explores the arrival of a collective intelligence on earth that threatens to eliminate mankind. The quiet, eerie changes that befall Midwich manifest in strange ways: On the surface, everything seems normal, but scratch a little deeper and there is a clear sense of dread. After the night of September 26, every woman of childbearing age is pregnant, all to give birth at the same time, to children who are all alike—their eyes mesmerizing, void of emotion. These children are innately possessed with unimaginable mental powers and a formidable intelligence. It is these children who develop into an unstoppable force, capable of anything and far out-reaching other humans in cunning. Whatever dwells in Midwich is sowing the seeds for a master race of ruthless and inhumane creatures who are bent on nothing less than absolute and total domination. The London Evening Standard called The Midwich Cuckoos “humane and urbane with a lightly sophisticated wit putting the ideas into shape.” Wyndham skillfully heightens the terror by making his narrative so rational and matter-of-fact. In such a nuclear and technological age, this story is rich in irony in that it is set in the picturesque, bucolic English Village and the “enemy,” or, the threat is seeming cherubim. “Exciting, unsettling and technically brilliant.” —The Spectator

Sixteen classic stories that are bound to get under your skin, perfect for fans of cozy horror—from the brilliant mind of John Wyndham, whom Stephen King called “the best writer of science fiction that England has ever produced.” (Previously published as Jizzle, and now featuring a bonus novella) John Wyndham was one of the twentieth century’s most talented—and neglected—science fiction and horror writers. He was a master of marrying the extraordinary with the banal. His thought-provoking and eerily prescient writing took everyday situations and added a touch of the bizarre to challenge the way readers saw the world around them. In these stories, a man on his deathbed is given the opportunity to relive his life; a Welsh couple receives a mysterious egg from their son who is traveling abroad; a woman writes a novel based on her vivid dreams and discovers she isn’t the only one experiencing them; a scientist seeks to create “the perfect creature”; a London commuter train becomes more and more packed, seemingly headed straight to hell . . . and more! For the first time, this collection now includes Wyndham’s classic murder mystery novella, The Curse of the Burdens, showcasing his mastery of multiple genres.

Was he a reality, a dream or a nightmare?

A space opera set on Mars by one of the twentieth century’s most brilliant—and neglected—science fiction and horror writers, whom Stephen King called “the best writer of science fiction that England has ever produced.” What if alien life-forms included autonomous, conscious machines? An international prize is offered to the first man to complete an interplanetary journey. For British pilot Dale Curtance, it is the ultimate challenge; he must build a ship, assemble a top-notch crew, and beat the Russians and the Americans, too. Soon the Gloria Mundi heads for Mars. There’s only one problem: a stowaway named Joan Shirning. At first, the men resent Joan’s presence. But they come to realize that she is the only one who has firsthand knowledge of the Martians—or at least the intelligent beings that will one day replace them. . . .

A “sharp, amusing story” (The Guardian) about the fountain of youth and its implications for women’s rights, by one of the twentieth century’s most brilliant—and neglected—science fiction and horror writers, whom Stephen King called “the best writer of science fiction that England has ever produced.” “It was a genius move for John Wyndham to center an age-slowing narrative on women, who are still today pressured to remain youthful-looking forever, or succumb to social invisibility. . . . Wyndham was uniquely gifted at skewering humankind’s foibles while maintaining a shred of hope that our better angels would prevail.”—Kate Folk, from the introduction What if humans discovered the secret to prolonged life? Francis Saxover and Diana Brackley, two biochemists investigating a rare lichen, separately discover that it has a remarkable property: It slows the aging process almost to a halt. Francis, realizing the horrifying implications of an ever-youthful wealthy elite, decides to keep his findings a secret. But the younger and more daring Diana sees an opportunity to overturn the male status quo and free women from the career-versus-children binary—in short, a chance to remake the world.

A wild ride from one of the twentieth century’s most brilliant—and neglected—science fiction and horror writers, whom Stephen King called “the best writer of science fiction that England has ever produced.” What if the defeated Nazis had a plan to clone their master race and cause nuclear war? Johnny Farthing is your average photojournalist until his fiancée goes missing and women who look suspiciously, uncannily similar to her start turning up dead. As Johnny descends a rabbit hole of doppelgängers, mysterious American senators, and eerie bureaucracies, it becomes clear that these peculiar similarities are part of far bigger and deadlier plans—and that the fate of the world just might be at stake.

DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "The Chrysalids" by John Wyndham. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

A hard science fiction masterpiece, perfect for fans of Kim Stanley Robinson, by one of the twentieth century’s most brilliant—and neglected—writers, whom Stephen King called “the best writer of science fiction that England has ever produced.” What does the future hold for a species torn between exploration—the outward urge—and apparent self-destruction? First published in 1959, The Outward Urge follows members of the Troon family as humanity extends its reach into space. The first vignette follows a Troon to a British space station in 1994; the next to the Moon bases as Earth experiences nuclear war; then to Mars and Venus landings, when Brazil is the only world power; and finally to the asteroids.

John Wyndham created some of the most intriguing and intelligent science fiction of the 20th century. Some of his works were set in post-apocalyptic landscapes. His best known works include The Day of the Triffids (1951), filmed in 1962, and The Midwich Cuckoos (1957), which was filmed in 1960 as Village of the Damned, in 1995 under the same title, and again in 2022 in Sky Max under its original title. But some readers consider that The Chrysalids was really his best. The ideas in The Chrysalids are echoed in The Handmaid''s Tale, whose author, Margaret Atwood, has acknowledged Wyndham''s work as an influence. Wyndham also wrote several short stories, ranging from hard science fiction to whimsical fantasy. The Day of the Triffids The Kraken Wakes The Chrysalids The Midwich Cuckoos The Outward Urge Trouble with Lichen Chocky

The sci-fi writer John Wyndham produced innovative works examining the human struggle for survival when catastrophic natural phenomena suddenly invade a comfortable English setting. Wyndham’s post-apocalyptic masterpieces established his name as a leading figure of science-fiction literature. He was also a master of the short story, penning engaging tales of science fiction, satire, detective mysteries and whimsical fantasy. His work went on to inspire numerous writers throughout the late twentieth century, including Margaret Atwood, Stephen King and Alex Garland. This eBook presents Wyndham’s collected works, with numerous illustrations, rare tales, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1) Please note: no known copies of Wyndham’s first novel ‘The Curse of the Burdens’ are available at the time of publication. Four novels cannot appear due to US copyright law: ‘The Day of the Triffids’; ‘The Chrysalids’; ‘The Midwich Cuckoos’; and ‘Trouble with Lichen’. When new works enter the public domain, they will be added to the collection as a free update. * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Wyndham’s life and works * Concise introductions to the novels and other texts * All available novels in the US public domain, with individual contents tables * Includes the masterpiece ‘The Kraken Wakes’ * Rare story collections available in no other collection * Almost the complete short stories * Uncollected short stories appearing for the first time in digital publishing, including scarce tales from pulp magazines * Includes the original short story of ‘Chocky’ * Images of how the books were first published, giving your eReader a taste of the original texts * Excellent formatting of the texts * Special chronological and alphabetical contents tables for the stories * Easily locate the short stories you want to read * Ordering of texts into chronological order and genres CONTENTS: The Novels The Secret People (1935) Foul Play Suspected (1935) Planet Plane (1936) The Kraken Wakes (1953) The Outward Urge (1959) Chocky (1968) Web (1979) The Short Story Collections Jizzle (1954) The Seeds of Time (1956) Consider Her Ways and Others (1961) The Infinite Moment (1961) Sleepers of Mars (1973) Wanderers of Time (1973) The Best of John Wyndham (1975) Exiles on Asperus (1979) Uncollected Stories The Short Stories List of Short Stories in Chronological Order List of Short Stories in Alphabetical Order

He found an old chest while prowling the beach. He hoped to find gold coins or jewelry inside. What he found was completely unexpected...and far, far from welcome.

An “ingenious, horrifying” (The Guardian) first contact story by one of the twentieth century’s most brilliant—and neglected—science fiction and horror writers, whom Stephen King called “the best writer of science fiction that England has ever produced.” “Few books capture the obscure, elliptical way that threats move from the background to the foreground of reality like The Kraken Wakes. . . . Feels all too familiar in today’s age of anti-vaxxer disinformation and QAnon conspiracists.” —Alexandra Kleeman, from the Introduction What if aliens invaded and colonized Earth’s oceans rather than its land? Britain, 1953: It begins with red dots appearing across the sky and crashing to the oceans’ deeps. At first, many people believe that these aliens are interested in only what’s down below. But when the polar ice-caps begin to melt, it becomes clear that these beings are not interested in sharing the Earth and that humankind might just be on the brink of extinction. . . .

They were a small band of Mutants, searching for a new salvation as outlaws in the darkness of a shattered world.

A powerful post-apocalyptic allegory of persecution and intolerance, the Penguin Modern Classics edition of John Wyndham''s science fiction masterpiece The Day of the Triffids contains an introduction by M. John Harrison. Nuclear war has devastated the world, bringing with it a host of genetic mutations. In the bleak, primitive society that has emerged from its ruins, any sign of deviation, no matter how small, is ruthlessly rooted out and destroyed. David lives in fear of discovery, for he is part of a secret group of children who are able to communicate with each other by transferring thought-shapes into each other''s minds. As they grow older, they feel increasingly isolated. Then one of them marries a ''norm'', with terrifying consequences. John Wyndham (1903-1969) the son of a barrister, tried a number of careers including farming, law, commercial art and advertising before writing short stories, intended for sale, in 1925. After serving in the Civil Service and the Army during the Second World War, he decided to try writing a modified form of Science Fiction, which he called ''logical fantasy''. Among his most famous books are The Day of the Triffids (1951), The Kraken Wakes (1953), The Chrysalids (1955), The Midwich Cuckoos (1957, filmed twice as Village of the Damned), Trouble with Lichen (1960), and Chocky (1968). If you enjoyed The Chrysalids, you might like Arthur Miller''s The Crucible, also available in Penguin Modern Classics. ''One of those few authors whose compulsive readability is a compliment to the intelligence'' Spectator

A rediscovered, outstandingly prescient crime novel written in the lead-up to World War II, by one of the twentieth century’s most brilliant—and neglected—science fiction and horror writers, whom Stephen King called “the best writer of science fiction that England has ever produced.” “Wyndham was a true English visionary, a William Blake with a science doctorate.”—David Mitchell England, 1935: Phyllida Shiffer’s marriage has just ended in divorce. She heads home, expecting to be welcomed with open arms by her father, a brilliant (if slightly distracted) scientist. But her father’s house is locked up; he is nowhere to be found; and there are suspicious men who seem to think that Phyllida herself might hold the key to her father’s latest scientific discovery. . . .

The six stories in Consider Her Ways: And Others, the second collecton of John Wyndham''s short tales, continue his exploration of the science fiction staple - what if? In the title story we are introduced to a world where all the men have been killed by a virus and women continue to survive in a strict caste system - bottom of the heap are the mothers. In others we meet the man who accidentally summons a devil and then has to find a way of getting rid of him without losing his immortal soul, as well as the woman who, thanks to an experiment in time, discovers why her lover abandoned her. ''Wyndham writes strongly and has a gift for bizarre plots'' Guardian ''One of the few authors whose compulsive readability is a compliment to the intelligence'' Spectator John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Benyon Harris was born in 1903, the son of a barrister. He tried a number of careers including farming, law, commercial art and advertising, and started writing short stories, intended for sale, in 1925. From 1930 to 1939 he wrote short stories of various kinds under different names, almost exclusively for American publications, while also writing detective novels. During the war he was in the Civil Service and then the Army. In 1946 he went back to writing stories for publication in the USA and decided to try a modified form of science fiction, a form he called ''logical fantasy''. As John Wyndham he wrote The Day of the Triffids, The Kraken Wakes, The Chrysalids, The Midwich Cuckoos (filmed as Village of the Damned), The Seeds of Time, Trouble with Lichen, The Outward Urge, Consider Her Ways and Others, Web and Chocky. John Wyndham died in March 1969.

In this thrilling collection of stories, John Wyndham, author of the acclaimed classics The Day of the Triffids and The Midwich Cuckoos, conducts ten experiments along the theme of ''I wonder what might happen if . . .'' There''s the story of the meteor, which holds much more than meets the eye. In Chronoclasm a man is pursued by his own future. We meet a robot with an overactive compassion circuit. And what happens when the citizens of the future turn the past into a giant theme park? ''One of the few authors whose compulsive readability is a compliment to the intelligence'' Spectator

One of the fascinations of the time traveling story lies in the endless source of speculation concerning its manifold possibilities. So many elements of time traveling stories seem to be contrary to reason and lead the thinking reader into all sort of absurd situations. Readers may find some of these apparent contradictions in the present story. Even the scientists of the 22nd century found themselves unable to follow the mysterious program of the owners of the silver vehicles who wanted to transfer a whole race through time. But this story is thrilling from beginning to end. It leaves one with a sense that there was much that our hero could have told us, if he were able. It leaves us with a haunting sense of mystery, of unnamable fear and of desolation. This classic short story, by the author of The Day of the Triffids and The Midwich Cookoos (filmed as Village of the Damned) originally appeared in Wonder Stories in 1931. Includes an introduction by Karl Wurf.

"The novel describes escalating phases of what appears to be an invasion of Earth by aliens, as told through the eyes of Mike Watson, who works for the English Broadcasting Company (EBC) with his wife and co-reporter Phyllis"--Wikipedia

Thousands of travelers visit Tuscany and Umbria each year to follow the Piero della Francesca Trail. John Pope-Hennessy examines each work of Piero della Francesca. Included is Aldous Huxley''s essay "The Best Picture, " which inspired Pope-Hennessy to seek out these paintings and frescoes. 56 photos.

The moon has been dead for billions of years. But in the time before life evolved on Earth, the moon held an advanced civilization that foresaw its doom. It saved its race through suspended animation, waiting for a new era...and a new world to claim. A world like—Earth!

In the English village of Midwich, a mysterious silver object appears and all the inhabitants fall unconscious. A day later the object is gone and everyone awakens unharmed--except for all the women in the village are discovered to be pregnant.

Inhoud: Michelangelo: vroege werken, Medici-kapel, Juliusgraf, standbeelden; graven en reliëfs in de hoogrenaissance; Florentijnse fonteinen; Venetiaanse en Lombardische beeldhouwkunst in de hoogrenaissance; portretten in de hoogrenaissance; bronzen beeldjes; ruiterstandbeelden, Bernini: standbeelden, pausgraven, fonteinen, bustes.

Vědeckofantastický román anglického autora (nar. 1903) považovaného za klasika žánru science fiction. Román uváděný skvělou expozicí o přeletu záhadné komety nad Londýnem, jejíž světlo způsobí všeobecné oslepnutí, je veskutečnosti napínavým příběhem o střetnutí člověka se zajímavou rostlinou - trifidem, rostlinou, která přináší člověku bohaté zdroje obživy, má určitou inteligenci a proti člověku útočí jedovatým smrtonosným žihadlem. Románvznikl v padesátých letech a byl přeložen do více než čtyřiceti jazyků.