J.G. Ballard Fan

[ken1a]

Hi, I'm new here and I was hoping for a few recommendtions. I've been rereading all of Ballard's books(the drowned world, the crystal world ect...)and I was wondering if you've come across any authors of similar style? New or classic. Also, any recommendations for any new hard SF would be great-I'm on a real dry spell of late. Thanks

 

[j d worthington]

Have you read Pamela A. Zoline's story collection The Heat Death of the Universe and Other Stories?

As for other writers "like" Ballard -- that's a difficult thing to find, but if you've not read much from the British New Wave, there may be some of those you'd find particularly of interest. Look for a copy of The New SF, edited by Langdon Jones, for instance.

And, just in case you've not read much of the stuff, this should get you started:

New Wave (science fiction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

including a list of some of the major writers of the movement.

 

[iansales]

M John Harrison, possibly?

 

[HardScienceFan]

How do you mean Ken?Ballard's early work was disaster-SF so
Charles Eric Maine:the Tide Went out?
Kapp's Transfinite man,perhaps.
Charles Harness?

 

[Marky Lazer]

I only read "Crash," but I enjoyed it a lot.

 

[j d worthington]

Crash is part of a trilogy; the other parts being Concrete Island and High-Rise, just as his early disaster set began with The Wind from Nowhere (of which he's not particularly fond, I understand, and I can see why, given the ending), The Drowned World, The Drought, and The Crystal World, Marky. If you liked Crash, you might like some of his other works, like Vermilion Sands, or The Atrocity Exhibition....

 

[ken1a]

How do you mean Ken?Ballard's early work was disaster-SF so
Charles Eric Maine:the Tide Went out?
Kapp's Transfinite man,perhaps.
Charles Harness?

I primarily enjoyed Ballards's earlier works-his surreal imagery,bizarre landscapes,and complex characters. But yes,I'm also just looking for a good disaster-SF novel. Thanks for the recommendations.

 

[BAYLOR]

I read Crash a long time ago.

 

[Laughingbuddha]

I'm a big fan of Ballard, but mostly of his early works. His disaster-SF, as well as the short stories, that are pretty surrealistic (and mostly - deeply psychological) and at the same time just brilliant exemplars of English literature. In fact, I even translated several of them into Russian, and couple of those, The Garden of Time and The Watchtowers I consider as some of the best short stories I have ever read. It's really hard for me to compare any author, no matter how good he is, because of the Ballard's uniqueness. Maybe Thomas Disch, but he wrote so few... Possibly the early short stories of Philip K. Dick, though he certainly never possessed as rich language as Ballard did.

 

[Rodders]

I've never read any Ballard, but it's a name I hear often I should really pick up one or two of his to read, (Especially as I want to read more classic authors this year.) Where would you recommend I start?

Wasn't Crash (which I haven't seen) and High Rise based on his work?

 

[Vince W]

The 1996 Crash film was and the recent High-Rise film, yes.

High-Rise was a book that I found quite disturbing and stuck with me for quite a while. I haven't actually been able to bring myself to watch the film because of this.

 

[hitmouse]

I've never read any Ballard, but it's a name I hear often I should really pick up one or two of his to read, (Especially as I want to read more classic authors this year.) Where would you recommend I start?

Wasn't Crash (which I haven't seen) and High Rise based on his work?

Start with The Drowned World, The Crystal World, The Drought, or Vermillion Sands. Some of his later stuff such as Cocaine Nights, or Super Cannes, is very good, and thematically descends from his earlier work. I would suggest saving Crash until you have read a enough Ballard to have decided that you want to try a rather tricky novel.

 

[tegeus-Cromis]

If, on the other hand, you're particularly interested, as I am, in the more experimental aspects of Ballard's work, start with The Atrocity Exhibition.

 

[Finch]

Ballard is one of my favourite writers . He lived in the same semi-detached house in Shepperton for over fifty years . He said he could find inspiration from living in a repressed middle class suburbia. Most of his quoted influences are writers like Kafka and surrealist painters . It is hard to suggest a writer that is like Ballard, but I also like Michael Moorcock . He has the same influences of living in London, in the sixties . Moorcook was very prolific , but you could try the Jerry Cornelius books.

 

[Astro Pen]

I think he was unique, once described as having "a ferocious intelligence". Certainly the early novels Drowned World , Crystal World etc' and the Shorts like The Terminal Beach were magical. They actually changed the way I perceived the world around me. Very few books have done that.
But something went wrong later. With Millennium People he seemed to be slipping into some strange hybrid of John Wyndham and Martin Amis though still enjoyable.
After the Hollywood success of Empire of the Sun. and Crash I felt the combination of adulation and market expectation made the writing more cynical and less surreal You could feel the shift. and by the perfunctory Kingdom Come all the magic was gone.
Just my opinion of course

 

[BAYLOR]

I think he was unique, once described as having "a ferocious intelligence". Certainly the early novels Drowned World , Crystal World etc' and the Shorts like The Terminal Beach were magical. They actually changed the way I perceived the world around me. Very few books have done that.
But something went wrong later. With Millennium People he seemed to be slipping into some strange hybrid of John Wyndham and Martin Amis though still enjoyable.
After the Hollywood success of Empire of the Sun. and Crash I felt the combination of adulation and market expectation made the writing more cynical and less surreal You could feel the shift. and by the perfunctory Kingdom Come all the magic was gone.
Just my opinion of course

Sever al book I would Would recommend On a Planet Alien by Barry Malzberg
The Reefs of Earth by R A Lafferty
Past Master R A Lafferty
The Veils of Azlaroc by Fred Saberhagen
Donovans Brain by Curt Siodmak

 

[Astro Pen]

To the OP and anyone else looking for similar.

"Midsummer Century" James Blish

 

[Bick]

I think if you like Ballard, you'd probably like Greybeard, by Aldiss.

 

[dask]

He wrote a story called "The Lost Leonardo" which is edge of the seat cool. If he had wanted to he could have written mainstream thrillers with the best of them.

 

[Astro Pen]

Tarkovsky's movie "Stalker" also has a quite Ballardian feel to it.