Best Selling 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.” “[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.

The apocalyptic Cold War era science fiction classic of a young boy’s quest for freedom in a post-nuclear religious extremist society The Chrysalids is set in the future after a devastating global nuclear war. David, the young hero of the novel, lives in a tight-knit community of religious and genetic fundamentalists, who exist in a state of constant alert for any deviation from what they perceive as the norm of God’s creation, deviations broadly classified as “offenses” and “blasphemies.” Offenses consist of plants and animals that are in any way unusual, and these are publicly burned to the accompaniment of the singing of hymns. Blasphemies are human beings—ones who show any sign of abnormality, however trivial. They are banished from human society, cast out to live in the wild country where, as the authorities say, nothing is reliable and the devil does his work. David grows up surrounded by admonitions: KEEP PURE THE STOCK OF THE LORD; WATCH THOU FOR THE MUTANT. At first he hardly questions them, though he is shocked when his sternly pious father and rigidly compliant mother force his aunt to forsake her baby. It is a while before he realizes that he too is out of the ordinary, in possession of a power that could doom him to death or introduce him to a new, hitherto-unimagined world of freedom. The Chrysalids is a perfectly conceived and constructed work from the classic era of science fiction. It is a Voltairean philosophical tale that has as much resonance in our own day, when genetic and religious fundamentalism are both on the march, as when it was written during the Cold War.

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. . . .

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 genre-defining tale of first contact 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.” “In my opinion, [John] Wyndham’s chef d’oeuvre . . . a graphic metaphor for the fear of unwanted pregnancies . . . I myself had a dream about a highly intelligent nonhuman baby after reading this book.”—Margaret Atwood, Slate What if the women of a sleepy English village all became simultaneously pregnant, and the children, once born, possessed supernatural—and possibly alien—powers? A mysterious silver object appears in quiet, picture-perfect Midwich. A day later, the object is gone—and all the women in the village, they will come to learn, are now pregnant. The resultant children of Midwich are shockingly, frighteningly other. Faced with these unfathomable and potentially unstoppable children, the question arises: What will humanity do when faced with the threat of the unknown?

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.

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.

Featuring an afterword by Margaret Atwood This quirky alien-meets-boy story “remains fresh and disturbing in an entirely unexpected way”—for fans of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (The Guardian). A pioneering science-fiction master confronts an enigma as strange as anything found in his classic works, The Day of the Triffids or The Chrysalids: the mind of a child. It’s not terribly unusual for a boy to have an imaginary friend, but Matthew’s parents have to agree that his—nicknamed Chocky—is anything but ordinary. Why, Chocky demands to know, are there twenty-four hours in a day? Why are there two sexes? Why can’t Matthew solve his math homework using a logical system like binary code? When the questions Chocky asks become too advanced and, frankly, too odd for teachers to answer, Matthew’s parents start to wonder if Chocky might be something far stranger than a figment of their son’s imagination. Chocky, the last novel Wyndham published during his life, is a playful investigation of what being human is all about, delving into such matters as child-rearing, marriage, learning, artistic inspiration—and ending with a surprising and impassioned plea for better human stewardship of the earth.

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.

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.

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

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

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

Will humanity always be the dominant species on Earth? Or will our kind disappear entirely, allowing another form of life to reign supreme? Will there be a desperate struggle, or will there be a mass extinction of all life—except bacteria? John Wyndham has some very definite ideas on this subject, and in this story he takes us into the future some thousands of years to show us the end of all of our hopes, our ambitions, and our scientific and technocratic planning.

Warfare is becoming increasingly a matter of scientific cleverness and power. A nation of 100,000,000 people, who had no arms other than shotguns would be at the mercy of an enemy many times smaller who was armed with the latest of killing devices. Scientific ingenuity for warfare has been turning lately to the development of little known biological devices. In this field there is almost no limit to the fiendish contraptions to make warfare a hell on earth. This tale is a case in point, with a startling and surprising climax. 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 magazine in 1933. Includes an introduction by Karl Wurf.

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.

"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

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.

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!

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.

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