7 ms·

If you want more reading along this line, I cannot recommend JG Ballard highly enough.

gojomo 12y ago
Also, Greg Egan. Much of his stuff is far-out hard SF, but many of the short stories are near-future stuff that could easily be a Black Mirror episode. The 'cookie' in White Christmas is very similar to the 'ndoli jewel' of several of Egan's stories.
alx 12y ago
which of his books would you recommend ?
- ris 12y ago
  My favourites are his short stories. There's a "complete collection" available.
- DanBC 12y ago
  "High Rise" is accessible. It was written in 1975 so might be a bit dated. http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/underappreciated-masterpieces-jg-ballards-high-rise-1975 http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/underappreciated-masterpieces...
  - dbcooper 12y ago
    Ben Wheatley's film adaptation is in post-production now, and is getting a lot of hype from people I know in the UK film/TV industry. Really looking forward to seeing Jeremy Irons in it!
    - RobertKerans 12y ago
      Ah wow, that's fantastic news; I didn't know that was coming. Ben Wheatley's great as well.
- dbcooper 12y ago
  From the short stories, you might start with the following: The Thousand Dreams of Stellavista, The 60 Minute Zoom, The Secret History of World War 3, The Intensive Care Unit, The Gioconda of the Twilight Noon The novella, Running Wild, might be a good place to start. With his novels, I would read the big three from the 70's (Crash!, Concrete Island, High Rise), and then maybe the two best of his latter period (Cocaine Nights, Super-Cannes).
- RobertKerans 12y ago
  High Rise is possibly his most readable. The Elements series (The Drowned World, The Crystal World, The Drought and The Wind From Nowhere) is very good, Drowned World being the best, IMO. Unlimited Dream Company is well worth reading, as is Crash. His short stories are generally excellent, and maybe the best intro: Vermilion Sands is brilliant, but the best value is the (two volume) Complete Short Stories collection. Empire of the Sun is pretty much essential if you want to understand why he wrote the way he did; why his characters are drawn and act the way they do. There's also a short essay he did for the Guardian a few years before he died, on modernism and death, which is informative (http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2006/mar/20/architecture.communities http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2006/mar/20/architec...). Also, this site is good: http://www.ballardian.com/ http://www.ballardian.com/
- davidgerard 12y ago
  Short stories, then Crash, then the Atrocity Exhibition. The last is almost incomprehensible until you're familiar with his themes (and you'll still need the annotations), but Crash and AE are his crowning glories.
davidgerard 12y ago
As Neil Gaiman put it, "The only person out of all the science fiction writers who was completely right was Ballard." http://thequietus.com/articles/01631-neil-gaiman-interviewed http://thequietus.com/articles/01631-neil-gaiman-interviewed
- glogla 12y ago
  Don't forget Huxley and Orwell.

Also, Greg Egan. Much of his stuff is far-out hard SF, but many of the short stories are near-future stuff that could easily be a Black Mirror episode. The 'cookie' in White Christmas is very similar to the 'ndoli jewel' of several of Egan's stories.

alx 12y ago

which of his books would you recommend ?

ris 12y ago
My favourites are his short stories. There's a "complete collection" available.
DanBC 12y ago
"High Rise" is accessible. It was written in 1975 so might be a bit dated. http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/underappreciated-masterpieces-jg-ballards-high-rise-1975 http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/underappreciated-masterpieces...
- dbcooper 12y ago
  Ben Wheatley's film adaptation is in post-production now, and is getting a lot of hype from people I know in the UK film/TV industry. Really looking forward to seeing Jeremy Irons in it!
  - RobertKerans 12y ago
    Ah wow, that's fantastic news; I didn't know that was coming. Ben Wheatley's great as well.
dbcooper 12y ago
From the short stories, you might start with the following: The Thousand Dreams of Stellavista, The 60 Minute Zoom, The Secret History of World War 3, The Intensive Care Unit, The Gioconda of the Twilight Noon The novella, Running Wild, might be a good place to start. With his novels, I would read the big three from the 70's (Crash!, Concrete Island, High Rise), and then maybe the two best of his latter period (Cocaine Nights, Super-Cannes).
RobertKerans 12y ago
High Rise is possibly his most readable. The Elements series (The Drowned World, The Crystal World, The Drought and The Wind From Nowhere) is very good, Drowned World being the best, IMO. Unlimited Dream Company is well worth reading, as is Crash. His short stories are generally excellent, and maybe the best intro: Vermilion Sands is brilliant, but the best value is the (two volume) Complete Short Stories collection. Empire of the Sun is pretty much essential if you want to understand why he wrote the way he did; why his characters are drawn and act the way they do. There's also a short essay he did for the Guardian a few years before he died, on modernism and death, which is informative (http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2006/mar/20/architecture.communities http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2006/mar/20/architec...). Also, this site is good: http://www.ballardian.com/ http://www.ballardian.com/
davidgerard 12y ago
Short stories, then Crash, then the Atrocity Exhibition. The last is almost incomprehensible until you're familiar with his themes (and you'll still need the annotations), but Crash and AE are his crowning glories.

davidgerard 12y ago

As Neil Gaiman put it, "The only person out of all the science fiction writers who was completely right was Ballard." http://thequietus.com/articles/01631-neil-gaiman-interviewed http://thequietus.com/articles/01631-neil-gaiman-interviewed

glogla 12y ago
Don't forget Huxley and Orwell.