James Graham Ballard Libri

Un elegante condominio in una zona residenziale, costruito secondo le più avanzate tecnologie, è in grado di garantire l'isolamento ai suoi residenti ma si dimostrerà incapace di difenderli. Il grattacielo londinese di vetro e cemento, alto quaranta piani e dotato di mille appartamenti, diventa teatro della generale ricaduta nella barbarie dei suoi coinquilini. L'occasione è fornita da una serie di black-out elettrici: è la fine di ogni forma di convivialità e civiltà, e darà il la alla nascita di bande rivali e il via libera a massacri di inaspettata ferocia. Il condominio, con i piani inferiori destinati alle classi inferiori, e dove via via che si sale in altezza si ascende anche nella gerarchia sociale, si trasforma così in una prigione per i condomini che, costretti a lottare per sopravvivere, danno libero sfogo a un'incontenibile e primordiale ferocia. Un romanzo "terribile", una metafora neanche troppo velata di quanto cova nell'animo umano, ma anche una straordinaria lettura del malessere psichico che alberga appena sotto la crosta superficiale della nostra modernità.

“Questa foresta illuminata riflette un periodo precedente delle nostre vite, forse un ricordo arcaico” Il dottor Edward Sanders si reca in Africa alla ricerca di due suoi amici scomparsi, Suzanne e Max Clair. Arriva a Port Matarre, in Camerun, dove si sta verificando uno strano fenomeno: dall’oscurità della foresta e del fiume si sprigiona infatti una luce che fa risplendere lo spazio circostante. A produrla sono agglomerati di cristallo che crescono sui corpi vegetali e animali, trasformandoli in autentiche opere d’arte, che vengono poi vendute di nascosto sulle bancarelle. Sanders si avventura nel cuore della giungla, dove già sono all’opera militari e ricercatori scientifici, per cercare di venire a capo di questa misteriosa mutazione. Ogni tipo di materia, vivente e non, si cristallizza, tutto si trasforma in cosa inanimata, anche il tempo si paralizza. Il fenomeno potrebbe riguardare presto l’intero pianeta. A questa catastrofe esteriore, che comporta anche una metamorfosi interiore e psichica, c’è chi reagisce lottando e c’è chi invece si rassegna a sacrificare la propria vita fisica e mortale a questa minerale forma di immortalità. La fine di un mondo in fondo può essere l’inizio di un altro che sorge dalle macerie del primo. L’ultima fantascientifica catastrofe della quadrilogia degli elementi di J.G. Ballard: la cristallizzazione della terra.

On a day in April, just after three o'clock in the afternoon, Robert Maitland's car crashes over the concrete parapet of a high-speed highway onto the island below, where he is injured and, finally, trapped. What begins as an almost ludicrous predicament in Concrete Island soon turns into horror as Maitland - a wickedly modern Robinson Crusoe - realizes that, despite evidence of other inhabitants, this doomed terrain has become a mirror of his own mind. Seeking the dark outer rim of the everyday, Ballard weaves private catastrophe into an intensely specular allegory.

Bobby Crawford è un tennista vivace in un club nautico sulla Costa del Sol, frequentato da inglesi benestanti. Qui, tra tennis, spettacoli e festini, la vita è tutt'altro che monotona, con un mix di droghe, pornografia e vandalismo. Dall'altra parte c'è Frank Prentice, che, pur essendo innocente, ha confessato un incendio doloso che ha causato cinque morti. Suo fratello Charles arriva a Estrella de Mar, dove Frank è in carcere, per scagionarlo e indagare sui sospetti, incluso Bobby. Quello che inizia come un giallo si trasforma in un'analisi inquietante della classe media degli anni novanta. Sotto l'apparenza di un paradiso di ricchezza, si cela una società segnata dal crimine. In un contesto freddo e materialista, dove il possesso ha soppiantato le relazioni autentiche, emergono domande inquietanti: a cosa serve isolarsi dalla delinquenza con sistemi di sicurezza? È meglio vivere nella noia della solitudine? Non sarebbe preferibile un po' di violenza per creare comunità e stabilità sociale? La creatività e il crimine non sono sempre stati interconnessi? Pubblicato per la prima volta nel 1997, il libro offre una riflessione profonda e disturbante sulla condizione umana.

Nel 1988, nell’esclusiva e nuovissima residenza del villaggio di Pangbourne, pochi chilometri fuori Londra, si verifica un massacro: trentadue adulti vengono trovati morti. Sono stati brutalmente uccisi nonostante i dispositivi di sicurezza e i loro tredici figli adolescenti sono scomparsi. Il delitto pare perfetto come il luogo in cui si è consumato, ed è durato solo pochi minuti. Nessuno sa come sia stato possibile e ne riesce a immaginare il motivo. Ma forse la risposta si trova nel fatto che in una società totalmente sana, in un contesto di ricchezza e abbondanza, dove tutto è predefinito e organizzato per ottenere il massimo della felicità, l’unica via di scampo è la follia. E forse sotto l’apparente perfezione si cela una realtà ben diversa. Per risolvere lo sconcertante caso, la polizia chiede l’aiuto di un consulente psichiatrico, il dottor Richard Greville. E saranno le sue indagini a svelare uno scenario inquietante cui nessun vuol credere dal momento che si ipotizza la colpevolezza dei ragazzi. Un gioco da bambini è stato pubblicato da Anabasi nel 1992 e da Baldini&Castoldi nel 1999.

La dottoressa Barbara Rafferty è un medico radiato dall'Ordine che si ricicla come battagliera ecologista alla guida di una crociata per salvare l'albatro a rischio di estinzione nell'isolotto di Saint-Esprit, nell'Oceano Pacifico, dove il governo francese sta conducendo esperimenti nucleari. Subisce il suo fascino e si unisce a lei anche Neil Dempsey, un sedicenne dal cui punto di vista è narrata la storia. Ben presto, a colpi di manipolazione delle informazioni e di servizi mediatici, il gruppetto di seguaci si ingrossa, conquista sostenitori alla causa e obbliga i francesi a fare un passo indietro. Intanto l'isola occupata dagli ambientalisti si riempie di visitatori, entusiasti ecologisti, difensori dei diritti animali, nonché di animali da salvare. La dottoressa Barbara appare come la sacerdotessa di un santuario consacrato a tutte le specie in pericolo – ma la realtà si rivelerà ben altra e la specie più a rischio risulterà quella umana… Questo romanzo ferocemente satirico, in cui gli ambientalisti che avrebbero dovuto essere la componente sana di una società malata danno segni di totale follia e il loro sogno utopistico si trasforma in un incubo, pone una questione inquietante: come potrà mai il nostro pianeta essere salvato da uomini, e donne, affetti da tali fanatismi, estremismi, radicalismi, buone intenzioni dai funesti effetti?

A startling and at times unsettlingly prescient collection of J. G. Ballard's greatest interviews.

For the first time, the complete collected short stories of the author of 'Empire of the Sun', 'Cocaine Nights' and 'Super-Cannes' -- regarded by many as Britain's No. 1 living fiction writer.

Collects all ninety-two of the late author's stories--including "Prima Belladonna," "Dead Time," and "The Index"--Which span five decades and explore everything from musical orchids to human cannibalism to the secret history of World War III

Originally published in 1 vol.: London: Flamingo, 2001.

Originally published in 1 vol.: London: Flamingo, 2001.

Exploring the profound psychological impact of war, the narrative follows Vietnam War medic Andy Parks as he grapples with survivor's guilt and haunting memories of the napalmed children he could not save. Struggling to reconcile his traumatic experiences with his desire for a meaningful life, Andy faces the challenge of overcoming the deep scars left by combat. This intimate portrayal delves into his quest for healing and understanding, revealing the complexities of living with the aftermath of war and the search for inner peace.

An enthralling journey into the shadowy republic of Haiti. In the land of Vodou, zombies and the Tontons Macoute. In this classic account, history jostles with adventure, high comedy is touched with danger; and Haiti glows like a magic charm. Now updated and with a new foreword by the author for the post-earthquake edition.

A war-ravaged Beirut is the setting for the title story of this visionary collection, a tale in which a young street fighter inadvertently discovers how to bring an to the bloodshed only to find that his solution is all too effective as far as some supposedly neutral observers are concerned. Other stories feature an assassination plot against an American astronaut, the leader of an authoritarian religious movement; a man who is destroyed by a car crash and resolves never to leave his apartment again; and the survivor of a toxic-waste ship wrecked on a deserted Caribbean island. Contents: - War Fever (1989) - The Secret History of World War 3 (1988) - Dream Cargoes (1990) - The Object of the Attack (1984) - Love in a Colder Climate (1989) - The Largest Theme Park in the World (1989) - Answers to a Questionnaire (1985) - The Air Disaster (1975) - Report on an Unidentified Space Station (1982) - The Man Who Walked on the Moon (1985) - The Enormous Space (1989) - Memories of the Space Age (1982) - Notes Towards a Mental Breakdown (1976) - The Index (1977)

A special limited edition of J. G. Ballard's cult, post-modern and shocking novel

Robert Vaughan, a former TV scientist turned nightmare angel of the expressway, has gathered a collection of alienated crash victims and experiments with a series of autoerotic atrocities, each more sinister than the last. But Vaughan craves the ultimate crash--a head-on collision of blood, semen, engine coolant, and iconic celebrity. First published in 1973, Crash remains one of the most shocking novels of the 20th century.tury.

J. G. Ballard was, for over fifty years, one of this country's most significant writers. Beginning with the events that inspired his classic novel, 'Empire of the Sun', this revelatory autobiography charts the course of his astonishing life.

J.G.Ballard is the author of the novels Crash, Empire of the Sun and Rushing to Paradise. Throughout his career he has also been a regular contributor to magazines and newspapers. This book collects together pieces of his journalism, grouped under themes including science and film.

"Based on J. G. Ballard's own childhood, this is the extraordinary account of a boy's life in Japanese-occupied wartime Shanghai - a mesmerising, hypnotically compelling novel of war, of starvation and survival, of internment camps and death marches. It blends searing honesty with an almost hallucinatory vision of a world thrown utterly out of joint. Rooted as it is in the author's own disturbing experience of war in own time, it is one of a handful of novels by which the twentieth century will be not only remembered but judged."--Publisher's website.

In questi due saggi di Aldous Huxley il tema fonda­mentale dell'indagine filosofica intorno alla natura dell'uomo e alla natura delle cose si arricchisce di nuovi e importanti elementi conoscitivi attraverso un metodo d'indagine abbastanza insolito. È lo stes­so autore, infatti, che riferisce di sé, del suo "sé" segreto e altrimenti inconoscibile, avvalendosi delie amplificazioni percettive procurategli dalla mescali-na, il principio attivo di una droga già nota da tempo immemorabile agli indiani del Messico. In questo stato di allucinazione, Huxley arriva a vedere una nuova essenza delle cose, in un mondo in cui le categorie di spazio e di tempo non predominano più e nel quale tutto ciò che gli accade al di dentro e all'intorno è scisso da qualsiasi sensazione utilitari­stica. Il breve testo di Grazia e Renato Boeri, che chiude il volume, definisce l'ambito culturale in cui si collocano questi saggi e ne mette in risalto gli aspetti letterari, storici e scientifici.

The Terminal Beach is one of Ballard's most brilliant collections of short stories, ranging from the title story's disturbing picture of an abandoned atomic testing island in the Pacific to the shocking Oedipal fantasy of "The Gioconda of the Twilight Noon". At the heart of the stories lies the bitter paradox that the extraordinary creative power of man's imagination is matched only by his reckless instinct for destruction. Contents: - A Question Re-entry - The Drowned Giant - End-Game - The Illuminated Man - The Reptile Enclosure - The Delta at Sunset - The Terminal Beach - Deep End - The Volcano Dances - Billennium - The Gioconda of the Twilight Noon - The Lost Leonardo Front cover illustration by David Pelham

First published in 1970 and widely regarded as a prophetic masterpiece, this is a groundbreaking experimental novel by the acclaimed author of 'Crash' and 'Super-Cannes'. The irrational, all-pervading violence of the modern world is the subject of this extraordinary tour de force. The central character's dreams are haunted by images of John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe, dead astronauts and car-crash victims as he traverses the screaming wastes of nervous breakdown. Seeking his sanity, he casts himself in a number of roles: H-bomber pilot, presidential assassin, crash victim, psychopath. Finally, through the black, perverse magic of violence he transcends his psychic turmoils to find the key to a bizarre new sexuality.

This mesmerizing collection demonstrates perfectly Ballard’s extraordinary writing talent. All the concentrated power and imagination that distinguish his novels are demonstrated here: the iron strength of his stories lies in the juxtaposition of a recognizable physical word with an inner, complex dream landscape. Within this Disaster Area you’ll find: - Storm-bird, Storm-dreamer - The Concentration City - The Subliminal Man - Now Wakes the Sea - Minus One - Mr F. is Mr F. - Zone of Terror - Manhole 69 - The Impossible Man

J.G. Ballard. The Venus Hunters. Gollancz, 1986. First hardcover edition, first printing. Octavo. 142 pages.

Vermilion Sands is a fully automated desert-resort designed to fulfil the most exotic whims of the idle rich, but now languishes in uneasy decay, populated only by forgotten movie queens, solitary impresarios and the remittance men of the artistic and literary world. It is a lair for beachcombers, hangers-on and malignant obsessions - a place where sensitive pigments paint portraits of their mistresses in a grotesque parody of art; where prima donna plants are programmed to sing operatic arias; where dial-a-poem computers have replaced poets; where psychosensitive houses are driven to murder by their owners' neuroses; and where love and lust, in the hands of jewel-eyed Jezebels, pall before the stronger pull of evil

The sequel to "Empire of the Sun", this story follows the travels of Jim, as he leaves Shanghai after the war and tries to settle firstly in England and then Canada. Shattered by personal tragedy, he throws himself into the maelstrom of the 1960s, searching for peace of mind

Paul and his wife Jane move to France so that she can take up a post as doctor to the new community of Eden-Olympia. According to its resident psychologist, the community is a place where one is absolutely free to "board the escalator of possibility". And, Jane does just that

When a light aircraft crashes into the Thames at Shepperton, the young pilot who struggles to the surface seems to have come back from the dead. Within hours everything in the suburb is strangely transformed.

This collection is a companion to the long-established and highly successful Modern Short Stories One and its essential aims are the same: to offer stories of high literary quality which, though written for adults, can be enjoyed and appreciated by adolescents. The fifteen stories included are by distinguished writers from Africa, America, Australia, India, Ireland, Italy and Great Britain; and within their artistic context several of them deal with the special personal and social concerns of society today.The collection includes stories by the likes of Dorothy Parker, Maeve Binchy, Garrison Keillor, Peter Carey, Flannery O'Connor and Nadine Gordimer.

In contrast to Ballard's earlier novel The Drowned World, The Burning World describes a world in which water is scarce. After an extensive drought, rivers have turned to trickles and the earth to dust, causing the world's populations to head toward the oceans in search of water. The drought is caused by industrial waste flushed into the ocean, which form an oxygen-permeable barrier of saturated long-chain polymers that prevents evaporation and destroys the precipitation cycle. Since the novel was published neustonic plastic islands covering measurable percentages of the Pacific Ocean have been discovered.

From one of the most powerful and original talents in science fiction comes the story of a new world--a strange world where solar radiation fluctuations have melted the polar ice caps, flooding the land and raising the temperature of the atmosphere.

Con questo romanzo, ebbe a dire Norman Mailer, William Burroughs rivelò di essere «l’unico romanziere americano vivente a cui si possa plausibilmente attribuire genio». Scavando nelle proprie ferite con l’acume della paranoia e un’acrobatica inventiva stilistica, in Pasto nudo Burroughs disegna, sfrontato e perentorio, un ritratto dell’America all’acido fenico.

"For Thane Coder, a shot at running one of the richest, most influential corporations in America was an opportunity he couldn't pass up. And with his seductive, savvy wife, Jessica, showing him the way, his fate was decided." "All it took was a back door, a snowy night, and an old hunting knife to unlock more money than Thane could ever imagine." "After he murders his boss, mentor, and friend James King, Thane and Jessica leap into a life of corporate jets and tropical hideaways - a world of infinite luxury and privilege. But when King's son surfaces with suspicion and revenge on his mind, the Coders' empire begins to crumble." "Once an everyday American couple with a mortgage and weekend soccer games, they're now entering a twisted maze filled with federal agents, the Mafia, a son hell-bent on vengeance, and a relentless, old-fashioned tracker willing to follow this husband and wife to the ends of the earth to take them down." "In Kingdom Come, boardrooms become hunting grounds, handshakes become blood oaths, and even the people you hold closest to you - your family - become suspect."--BOOK JACKET.

In the parched Port-la-Nouvelle in central Africa, Dr Mallory watches his clinic fail. He dreams of discovering a 3rd Nile that will make the Sahara bloom. During the search for water a bulldozer exposes an underground stream.

After his ex-wife is killed in a bombing at London's Heathrow airport, psychologist David Markham infiltrates the shadowy protest group responsible and finds himself becoming brainwashed by the group's charismatic leader, a doctor based in Chelsea Marina -- an exclusive Thames-side address -- intent on rousing the docile middle classes to free them from the burdens of civic responsibility.

A century after America's financial collapse and the climactic upheavals of the 1990s, Wayne stows away on SS Apollo, bound for the New World on a voyage of rediscovery. He and the crew encounter hazards at every turn and ghosts from the past as they travel West. In Las Vegas, roaming bands of Mexican teenagers welcome them to the citadel of late 20th century glitter. Their charismatic leader - a William Burroughs look-alike addressed reverently as President Charles Manson - invites Wayne into hs cybernetic stronghold. But suddenly the erratic president takes fright at Wayne's alien presence and threatens to play deadly war games with an arsenal of leftover Titan warheads. Now it is not just the Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe holograms that are at risk...

J. G. Ballard - author of `Crash' - explores the extremes of ecology and feminism in this highly acclaimed modern fable. Newly reissued with an introduction by Rivka Galchen.

Set against the backdrop of war, the narrative explores profound themes of love, betrayal, and chaos through the lens of the author's experiences as a medic. It delves into the complexities of human relationships amidst the turmoil of murder and drug abuse, painting a vivid picture of resilience and vulnerability in the face of death and destruction.

Contains:Luft oder Der Sturm aus dem Nichts (The Wind from Nowhere)Wasser oder Die Dürre (The Drought)Erde oder Die Kristallwelt (The Crystal World)"Da macht ein Hauch mich von Verfall erzittern" essay by Klaus W. PietrekEin Interview mit J. G. Ballard - interview by James Goddard and David PringleDie vierfache Symbolik essay by David Pringle (The Fourfold Symbolism of J. G. Ballard)Die Lamia, der Hofnarr und der König: Ballards Helden • essay by David Pringle (The Lamia, the Jester and the King: J. G. Ballard's Characters)

Durch den Verlust der Ionosphäre, des Schutzmantels der Erde gegen die Sonnen­einstrahlung, sind die Temperaturen gestiegen, die Polkappen geschmolzen, der ­Meeresspiegel steigt unaufhörlich. Europa ist ein sumpfiger Dschungel, bevölkert von Leguanen, Alligatoren und Moskitos, in dem ein Klima herrscht wie in der Kreidezeit. Während die Reste der Erdbevölkerung sich in die Polarregionen zurückgezogen haben, lebt Dr. Kerans in einem Luxusapartment im 10. Stock des Hotel Ritz über einem weitgehend überfluteten London, um zusammen mit anderen Wissenschaftlern die verbliebenen Landmassen zu kartografieren. Die extremen Umweltbedingungen und die Sonnenstürme verändern nach und nach die Träume der Menschen. Nachdem die Expedition aufgrund steigender Hitze abgebrochen wird, beschließt Kerans zu bleiben. Bei den Zurückgebliebenen vollzieht sich eine gefährliche Regression, eine innere Reise zurück in eine archäopsychische Vergangenheit, ein imaginiertes Trias Eden. Die Flut ist ein postapokalyptischer Roman, der die Auswirkungen einer ­Klimakatastrophe auf die menschliche Psyche in halluzinatorischen Bildern beschreibt und heute als ­Klassiker der dystopischen Literatur wie als Vorläufer der »Climate Fiction« gilt.

Inhalt: - Der ewige Tag - Gefangener der Korallentiefe - Morgen in Jahrmillionen - Der Mann im 99. Stock - Die Warte-Gründe - Das Schlachtfeld - Der freundliche Attentäter - Der unvermutete Nachmittag - Die Wahnsinnigen - Mr. Goddards letzte Welt

Урбанистическая робинзонада, драматическое исследование положения человека, оказавшегося один на один с бетонными джунглями,- от одного из наиболее уважаемых и влиятельных британских авторов конца XX века. Второй роман в условной "трилогии городских катастроф", связанной отнюдь не общими действующими лицами, но идейно и тематически; в трилогии, начатой скандально знаменитой "Автокатастрофой" и завершенной "Высоткой".

The irrational, all-pervading violence of the modern world is the subject of this extraordinary tour de force. The central character’s dreams are haunted by images of John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe, dead astronauts and car-crash victims as he traverses the screaming wastes of nervous breakdown. Seeking his sanity, he casts himself in a number of roles: H-bomber pilot, presidential assassin, crash victim, psychopath. Finally, through the black, perverse magic of violence he transcends his psychic turmoil to find the key to a bizarre new sexuality. In this revised edition, Ballard has added extensive annotation that help to unlock many of the mysteries of one of the most prophetic, enigmatic and original works of the late twentieth century. This edition is part of a new commemorative series of Ballard’s works, featuring introductions from a number of his admirers (including Neil Gaiman, Iain Sinclair, James Lever and Ali Smith) and brand-new cover designs.

Contains:Agglomeratie (Build-Up)Dertien Man naar Centaurus (Thirteen to Centaurus)Nul: Nu (Now: Zero)Paspoort naar de Euwigheid (Passport to Eternity)Opname 12 (Track 12)Tijd van Verloop (Time of Passage)Pendule (Escapement)Overbelasting (The Overloaded Man)De Wachtvelden (The Waiting Grounds)

12 sublieme science fiction-verhalen waarin de rijke verbeelding van de begaafdste schrijvers weergaloze hoogten bereikt.J. G. Ballard: De tuin des tijdsTerry Carr: De dans van de Veranderaar en de DrieArthur C. Clarke: Ontmoeting met MedusaPhilip K. Dick: De elektrische mierKeith Laumer: De andere hemelFritz Leiber: Bazaar van het BizarreEric Frank Russell: HobbyistRobert Silverberg: In het Huis der Tweevoudige GeestenTheodore Sturgeon: WessenflinkelJames Tiptree: Liefde is het plan het plan is de doodJack Vance: De zeventien maagdenJohn Varley: In de kom

„Vom Leben und Tod Gottes“ ist der zweite Band der gesammelten Erzählungen von J. G. Ballard, einem der bedeutendsten Autoren der Science Fiction. Seine Werke haben eine literarische Revolution ausgelöst und reflektieren eindrucksvoll den Wandel der Zivilisation in den letzten Jahrzehnten.

Podle pozorovatele zvenčí patří Britové na odpočinku, kteří tráví své dny v pobřežním letovisku Estrella de Mar k idylické komunitě. Jejich životní styl je plný kulturních a sportovních akcí – jejichž středem je aktivní Club Nautico. Ale tento obraz dostane trhlinu, když při záhadnémpožáru, který vypukne během večírku, jehož se účastní členové klubu, zahyne pět lidí. Manažer klubu je zatčen a obviněn z vraždy.

Robert Maitland, een 35-jarige architect, rijdt met zijn Jaguar door de afrastering van de snelweg en komt ongedeerd terecht op een driehoekig grasland, ingesloten door de betonnen wanden van wegen en viaducten. Niemand schenkt aandacht aan het ongeluk, ook niet als hij oproepen om hulp in enorme lettters op het beton schrijft en zelfs zijn auto in brand steekt. Maar na enige tijd ontdekt hij dat hij niet alleen is tussen het beton: een verlopen trapezewerker, die bij een ongeluk zijn verstand is kwijtgeraakt, en een prostituée hebben er een woonplaats gevonden. En tegen dit decor speelt zich de ontmoeting af van Maitland met... zichzelf.

Rudolf Hermstein, geboren 1940 in Juliusburg in Niederschlesien, ist seit 1971 als freier Übersetzer aus dem Englischen tätig. Er lebt im oberbayerischen Bad Feilnbach.

Mythen der nahen Zukunft Dolce far niente Ein Schwarm rasender Phantasievorstellungen Tierkreis 2000 Nachrichten von der Sonne Kriegsschauplatz Die tote Zeit Das Lächeln Motelarchitektur Familienglück

Die drei einflussreichsten Werke des Kultautors über den Horror der Zivilisation.

Zuerst kam der Staub ... Er sammelte sich in den Straßen und auf den Fensterbrettern - roter Staub, zentimeterhoch. Dann riss der Wind die leichteren Gebäude um und zwang die Fluggesellschaften, ihren Dienst einzustellen. Und dann begann die Windgeschwindigkeit um fünf Meilen pro Tag zuzunehmen. Nach drei Wochen hatte der Sturm Hurrikanstärke überschritten. Massive Gebäude stürzten ein, die Menschen drängten sich in Bunkern, Tiefgaragen und U-Bahnschächten zusammen. Die Lebensmittelversorgung brach zusammen - und das Chaos regierte. Die Wissenschaftler waren ratlos. Sie konnten diesen Zyklon weder analysieren noch ihm Einhalt gebieten ...

Après avoir causé la mort d'un homme lors d'un accident de voiture, James Ballard, le narrateur, développe une véritable obsession pour la tôle froissée. Enrôlé par Vaugham, un ex-chercheur qui aime reconstituer des accidents célèbres et va même jusqu'à en provoquer pour assouvir ses pulsions morbides, Ballard se verra progressivement initié à une nouvelle forme de sexualité: le mariage de la violence, du désir et de la technologie. Avec Crash !, premier volet de la «Trilogie de béton », J. G. Ballard ausculte les rapports de l'homme à la technologie dans un monde perverti par les machines, et livre un roman troublant, qui mêle perversion sexuelle et réflexion politique.

De laatste stad (The Ultimate City) Lichtgevende verf (Low-Flying Aircraft) De dode astronaut (The Dead Astronaut) Ik wou zo graag naar Wake Island (My Dream of Flying to Wake Island) Het leven en de dood van God (The Life and Death of God) De kijkdichtheid van de hemel (The Greatest Television Show on Earth) Een plaats en een tijd om te sterven (A Place and a Time to Die) De twaalf wonderkinderen (The Comsat Angels) De strandmoorden (The Beach Murders)

Science-Fiction-Erzählungen. ( Phantastische Bibliothek, 96).

In J.G. Ballards Roman versammelt sich die globale Wirtschaftselite in der luxuriösen Gated Community Eden-Olympia oberhalb von Cannes. Journalist Paul, dessen Frau dort arbeitet, entdeckt eine düstere Unterwelt aus Verbrechen und Exzessen, während er den mysteriösen Tod eines Arztes untersucht.

Die Erde in naher Zukunft: Gigantische Sonneneruptionen haben das Klima global aufgeheizt; die Polkappen sind geschmolzen, weite Teile Europas gänzlich von Wasser bedeckt. Nur jenseits der Polarkreise ist Leben noch möglich. Eine kleine Gruppe Wissenschaftler hält sich noch in Europa auf, einer bizarren Sumpflandschaft mit riesigen Leguanen und urzeitlicher Vegetation. Doch als auch dieser letzte Außenposten der alten Welt aufgegeben werden soll, begehrt ein kleines Team um Dr. Kerans auf und beginnt eine faszinierende Reise in eine versunkene, archaische Welt, die die Psyche der Überlebenden in zunehmendem Maße beeinflußt. Mit eindringlichen, surrealistisch-halluzinatorischen Bildern, deren Spektrum von tiefenpsychologischen Metaphern bis hin zu somnambul-unwirklichen Schilderungen reicht, und einer dichten, an Joseph Conrad gemahnenden Sprache schildert J. G. Ballard, der große Visionär der britischen Gegenwartsliteratur, eine Welt, die morgen schon Wirklichkeit sein könnte.

Ein Psychiater mit wechselnden Namen (Talbert, Traven, Travis...) wird verfolgt von Bildern und Ereignissen der späten 1960er-Jahre – dem Attentat auf John F. Kennedy, dem Tod Marilyn Monroes, dem Vietnamkrieg – und imaginiert sich dabei selbst als Attentäter, Pilot, Unfall- opfer… Innere und äußere Realitäten, Wissenschaft und Fiktion, Technik und Pornographie ­verbinden sich zu obsessiven Visionen einer in Gewaltkonstellationen und massenmedialer Zerstückelung pervertierten Welt. 1970 erschienen, gilt dieser auch in formaler Hinsicht wegweisende Text als JG Ballards wichtigstes Buch. Zweifellos aber ist das in den USA schon früh der Zensur anheimgefallene Werk bis heute sein einflussreichstes in Popkultur und Kunst.