Reflecting on collecting the complete works of John Wyndham

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Wyndham was my first love as it were, but I still revere him now. 'Midwich' and 'Chrysalids' remain two of the finest SF novels ever.

[@vintagesf]

I think 'Triffid' and 'Midwich' are my two favourites.

[@JulesBurt]

Great stuff Richard, the Peter Lord covers are my original Wyndham's. My favourite author.

[@vintagesf]

Through KZbin I've discovered that Wyndham has been very influential in many fans' early SF experiences. Thanks Jules.

[@ohyeahthatjason]

Another Southern Ontario resident here! I was also introduced to Wyndham in grade 9, although I forget if it was Day of the Triffids or The Chrysalids. Wyndham was my first favourite author. I tried to find as many of his works as I could. I've recently decided to revisit his books and have The Chrysalids and Day of the Triffids and plan to acquire all I can. Excellent video, thank you!

[@vintagesf]

I think you’ll find Wyndham’s work even more enjoyable the second time. Thanks for watching!

[@GutenbergsSon]

Fellow Canadian here. The Chyrsalids was our introduction to Wyndham in grade nine, around 1985, Southern Ontario. I somehow managed to miss reading it that year, and only got around to it a few years ago. Started with the Triffids, then on to the cuckoos (after watching the George Saunders headlined movie-excellent, btw), and when I finally got around to the Chrysalids, I was blown away. One of my favourites.

[@vintagesf]

@@GutenbergsSon It is so great that Wyndham was included in curriculum. Another one that I’ve seen in curriculum is ‘Flowers for Algernon’ and more recently ‘The Hunger Games’.

[@SciFiFinds]

Have only read Triffids and Cuckoos so far and loved them both. I'd say Triffids takes the cake so far but looking forward to reading the others. Great video as always

[@OmnivorousReader]

I love how good the condition your Wyndham books are in! Mine are battered from reading over and over as he is one of my first SF authors and one of my log term favourites and re-reads. Thanks for talking about Plan For Chaos, that is one I have never seen or read, though I had heard rumours that it existed and I agree that the cover is hideous. Foul Play Suspected is one I have read but don't own anymore. I suspect that the copy I had still had the pseudonym of John Beynon and I did not realise it was by Wyndham. I did really enjoy the protagonist, Phyllida though. Great video - I enjoyed John's ranking too. Yay booktube!

[@vintagesf]

Thank you. My collected books aren't the original ones I read circa 1980. Those were beat up and eventually went to charity shops.

[@CliveSnowden-fx8fp]

Nice one, Richard. We were read the first few pages of The Day Of The Triffids at my school in England in the early 70s. It really left an impression of me. I've returned to this book often over the years.

[@vintagesf]

Thank you. It's been almost 50 years since I first read 'The Day of the Triffids' and on a recent reread it more than held its own. I can't say that for a lot of the things I liked in the early 1970s.

[@SciFiScavenger]

Hi Richard, thanks for the mention, I've really enjoyed catching up on my Wyndham this year, I think I read Triffids and Chrysalids at about the same age you did. The Peter Lords are my favourite covers too, I'm missing a couple though, I'm jealous of your full set! i think your theory on Chocky having been cut down is a good leading hypothesis. Chocky is one that I'm missing so I can't confirm either way. I like those Modern Classics (?) editions. There's a really nice Subterranean Press collection of some (but I think not all) his short stories. Tall ✅ Awkward ✅ Glasses ✅ Likes sci fi ✅ I think we'd have been friends at school!

[@vintagesf]

No doubt! The other set I was showing are the current Modern Library print run. Live long and prosper!

[@lordhaku]

I’ve only encountered Wyndham comparatively later in life. I read Triffids a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it - I could see its influence in more contemporary British end-of-the-world stories, like 28 Days Later (and, in turn, felt something of Wells’ influence in the contrast between everyday English life and the end of the world).

[@vintagesf]

There are a number of post WWII novels that are certainly influential in the literature and movies that followed. It is an interesting topic.

[@daveac]

Thanks! There was a great TV Series adaption of 'The Day of the Triffids; on BBC in 1981 staring actor John Duttine as Bill Masen & Emma Relph as Jo - this is a 6 episode series and I think the best adaption of the story so far. It also has one of the best TV opening titles and music - ( just search The Day of the Triffids (1981) opening credits ) Enjoy!

[@vintagesf]

Thank you for the recommendation. Just watched an extended version with footage of the triffids. Wonderful. For anyone interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4GQaGuYf9uqqZIsi=LfdU2kf21d0l4C9S

[@paulcooper3611]

For me, my introduction was when I was browsing in the library, which was a few shelves along the walls of the stage, at Birkenstock Elementary School and discovered 'Lucky Star and the Rings of Saturn' by Isaac Asimov. The librarian saw how much I enjoyed the book and told me that there were other books in the Lucky Star series in the libraries at the other four elementary schools in town and ordered them for me. I had read 'The Spaceship Under the Apple Tree' and the Voyage to the Mushroom Planet books, but this was when I discovered that there was such a thing as Science Fiction. Robert E. Heinlein had been so successful with his juveniles, that another publisher had offered Asimov a contract to do a competing series for young people. The other SF author that was in the school libraries was Andre Norton. It wasn't until we moved into town and I could ride my bike down to the public library, that I discovered Heinlein, so Asimov and Norton will always be my gateway into SF. I completely missed John Wyndham, growing up. Looking back, I went through a phase when I loved SF, and all it stood for. SF was considered déclassé, so I rejected mainstream literature in all its forms. Wyndham's stories were being touted as SF "lit-rah-chah" so I didn't even bother with him. I guess I should put my my sixty year-old prejudices aside and give him a try. Fortunately, some of his books are available in the Santa Fe Public Library.

[@vintagesf]

I've definitely read some Heinlein juveniles but completely missed the 'Lucky Star' series. Wyndham isn't a difficult read. I'd recommend it for all ages.

[@picturepainter]

The first two John Wyndham books I read were "The Day of the Triffids" and "Chocky". I have two copies of each - the Peter Lord covers which I got in 1987, and the Mark Salwowski covers a few years after that. Anthony Read made a good TV adaptation of "Chocky" in 1984. Apparently John Wyndham's relatives thought it was the best adaptation they had seen of one of his books. Come to think of it, the small screen was how I discovered John Wyndham in the first place, with the 80s adaptation of "The Day of the Triffids".

[@vintagesf]

I haven't seen either TV adaptations of 'Chocky' and 'The Day of the Triffids'. Something I want to rectify. Thanks for your comment!

[@picturepainter]

@@vintagesf Someone uploaded "Chocky" onto KZbin. Six twenty-five minute episodes. Hard to believe the series is forty years old. Doesn't seem that long since I first saw it as a schoolkid.

[@joebrooks4448]

Always cool to hear about someone's intro to SF! I would surmise most "first contacts" were thru the tube, now known as the flat screen?

[@vintagesf]

My "first contact" was TV's original 'Star Trek' series, 'The Wild, Wild West', 'The Twilight Zone', 'UFO' and 'Space 1999'. The first books I purchased were novelizations of 'Star Trek' and 'Space 1999' episodes. First movies were late night TV with monster movies, 'The War of the Worlds' and 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers'.

[@joebrooks4448]

@vintagesf Virtually the damecas me, but I was 10 years earlier. The Wild, Wild West hasxan amazing number of SF episodes. The first season in Black and White, had a lot of unique SF. Produced by Gene Coon, no less!

[@danieldelvalle5004]

I'd like to add to my previous comment that Ray Bradbury was another author who got me to read feverishly. I often compare Wyndham and Bradbury since they were contemporaries, both were stylists in their own way. Bradbury wrote more fantasy, but many got their first SF fix from them. So I started to collect Ray Bradbury editions. I have at least four different editions of The Martian Chronicles.

[@vintagesf]

Definitely read some Bradbury stories in middle school and high school. Plan to get into Bradbury sometime.

[@forenichtreader]

The Day of the Triffids was the first SF book I can remember reading as a kid that wasn't a Dr Who novelisation. I didn't read more by Wyndham until years later though, following a Triffids re-read - maybe my local library when I was a kid just didn't have many books by him. I didn't go full completionist with an SF author until I read PKD around age 20.

[@vintagesf]

@@forenichtreader PKD is an author I’m preparing to binge in the future. Binge might not be the right word, savour at regular intervals. I do this with Ursula K. Le Guin.

[@adrianmcmahon5731]

It was Arthur C. Clark and Isaac Asimov that I remember picking up first but I was already a SF fan through Doctor Who and the original Star Trek as well as Blake's 7 and Space 1999. Even though I'm English I didn't get into Wyndham until my teens after the BBC serialised Day of the Triffids in 1981 which I loved. It's never too late to discover John Wyndham.

[@vintagesf]

"Never too late to discover John Wyndham." Quote of the day!

[@CasperHulshof]

Very interesting overview, thanks. I haven't read Triffids yet, I collected a white-spined SF Masterworks edition of it a few weeks ago (these editions are pretty rare but also pretty), and will read it soon.

[@vintagesf]

@@CasperHulshof Those white spined hardbacks are my holy grail in collecting Gollancz SF Masterworks. Enjoy!

[@danieldelvalle5004]

There is a new collection of Wyndham stories by Modern Library, Technical Slip. Actually it is a reprint of the story collection, Jizzle, but it has an additional mystery story, The Curse of the Burdens. The livery of Plan For Chaos is dreadful, as are the other covers in that Penguin series. I came to Wyndham late, although he was on my radar since seeing the movie of The Day of The Triffids. I've become a completest since first reading that novel. He has slowly become my favorite SF author.

[@vintagesf]

Didn't realize 'Technical Slip' was published. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. Ordered. Would it be okay if I referenced your comment when I review?

[@danieldelvalle5004]

@vintagesf , yes, no problem.

[@vintagesf]

@@danieldelvalle5004 Thank you!

[@danieldelvalle5004]

@@vintagesf , also I think that the story, The Curse of the Burdens was Wyndham's first ever short story.

[@LiminalSpaces03]

I really want to read the Midwich Cuckoos! I'll have to go to my local Barnes and Nobles and see if they have a copy. Unfortunately, my John Wyndham section is not great.

[@vintagesf]

Lots of Wyndham available online. Brick and mortar stores seem to be limited to what publishers dictate. It always surprises me how a bookstore in Winnipeg can have the exact stock of a bookstore in Boston or Phoenix or Toronto, etc.

[@chocolatemonk]

Vonnegut was the first author whom I sought to read thier complete work. I think it began in 1991 and I was 12. I read SH5 followed by Breakfast of Champ and was hooked more by the former.

[@vintagesf]

@@chocolatemonk If you don’t already subscribe to BookJack you might like him. He loves Vonnegut.

[@chocolatemonk]

@@vintagesf thanks I'll check him out. 👍👊🏽💥

[@niriop]

I myself have the Penguin Modern Classics edition of Day of the Triffids with that over-colourised microscopic image of something vaguely biological.