Name: John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris
Nationality: English
Born/Died: 1903-1969
Famous for: The Day of the Triffids (1951), The Kraken Wakes (1953), The Chrysalids (1955)
What makes him a revolutionary: Some have described Wyndham’s writing style as quaint and have dubbed him ‘the master of middle-class catastrophes’, but I think the author was a lot more than a competent writer of safe stories. Personally. I believe Wyndham was one of the few science fiction writers who managed to add real depth and emotion to his characters as they fought through some strange, bewildering and perilous adventures. His novels may not have ignited the same sort of fear and passion that Orwell brought about in his dystopian fiction but there is a tremendous sense of hope and humanity that both inspires and entertains. His logical fantasies are enviable in quality, and the fact he named one of his short stories ‘Jizzle’ only makes me like him more.
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