The Midwich Cuckoos, Paperback/John Wyndham

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? John Wyndham (1903-1969) is considered a pioneer of science fiction and horror, though he preferred to think of himself as a "logical fantasist." He began writing science fiction and detective stories in the 1920s, but shifted to science fiction post-WWII, focusing on themes of disaster, invasion, and first contact. His best known works include The Day of the Triffids (1951) and The Midwich Cuckoos (1957). A pacifist and socialist, Wyndham--unlike a lot of mid-century genre fiction authors--was alive to the impact of sexism, classism, and prejudice and his novels reflect his liberal politics. Book specifications: Dimensions: 201 x 130 Author: John Wyndham Cover type: Paperback Publishing Year: 2022 Publishing Month: 4 Pages: 240 Language: English Publisher: Modern Library Weight: 159 g