adelaide_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
ipb1's review
3.0
3.5* Another fun apocalypse from the pen of one of my childhood faves, which makes me a completely unreliable nostalgia-skewed reviewer. Not of the calibre of his better known works, but thoroughly enjoyable SF worthy of his pulp 'John Beynon' and 'Lucas Parkes' personas, and every credit to the man for still knocking them out 10 years after his death.
djali84's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
norwegianforestreader's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Deportation, Murder, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, and Suicide
bloomsburybaker's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
A Johnny Wyndham classic but not quite as gripping as day of the triffids. Slightly reminiscent of Hitchcock’s “The Birds” as well. And enjoyable read but not my favourite of Wyndhams.
nichola's review
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is just somehow convincing me that Wyndham is more and more liberal than I thought. Don't mistake me, he was still a man of his time, but there are these tiny little moments and incidents that make you entirely review the world he is portraying. The man spend an entire chapter (a good chunk of this little novella) displaying the truly messy and problematic views around colonialisation. I am not even sure he knew he was doing it.
There is as always, the ideas that the whiteman knows best but that isn't a clear cut rule. The whitemen are stupid caricatures of the explorers and diplomats. Maybe I am giving this book too much credit but I do maintain that these books still have something about them that makes then infinitely readable.
There is as always, the ideas that the whiteman knows best but that isn't a clear cut rule. The whitemen are stupid caricatures of the explorers and diplomats. Maybe I am giving this book too much credit but I do maintain that these books still have something about them that makes then infinitely readable.
greenmind's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
There’s so much going on in this book… finding out it released ten years after the author’s death by his estate does make sense though. There’s something odd about the story, something vaguely “unfinished” or not commercially viable compared to his other works.
However, it’s weirdly ahead of it’s time. Themes of ecological destruction and human life on earth, colonialism, the bureaucracy and hypocrisy of government and the upper classes and also an old-fashioned adventure meets horror story. It’s charming and weird. I liked it.
However, it’s weirdly ahead of it’s time. Themes of ecological destruction and human life on earth, colonialism, the bureaucracy and hypocrisy of government and the upper classes and also an old-fashioned adventure meets horror story. It’s charming and weird. I liked it.
myreading_nook's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0