Welcome to Litsy!

Weekend reading 🎧

Fun installation in Hull right now. #hull #yorkshire

Fireballs from space land in the seas and something in the very deep parts begins to stir.

Slow motion apocalypse without graphic violence, but still rather unsettling. Deservedly not one of his more famous books but it does have something to offer with contemporary resonances in the 3rd and last part but to say any more would be a spoiler.

This is another of John Wyndham's "soft apocalypse" stories - there is a global catastrophe without the gore, massive explosions, or gallons of blood spilling; the disaster just slowly happens. It‘s told as a memoir by journalist Mike Watson who, along with his wife and fellow journalist, Phyllis, witnesses the initial phenomenon which kickstarts the apocalypse and then recount their experiences to the conclusion. I just love Wyndham‘s books.

This one just isn‘t grabbing me like his other novels did. Pictured here with poor Keenan has to watch squirrels through the window because he can‘t last long outside in the frigid weather.

#RRSciFiMonth Day 21: first contact
...funny how few first contact stories are amicable with happy endings, isn‘t it?

I loved the first half, so tense and atmospheric, felt like it was slowly building to something very original with really good characters. Once the sea tanks arrived I found it on the nose and silly, and I didn‘t enjoy reading about environmental catastrophe in the current climate at all. Phyllis was wonderful, and I adored how grounded the central relationship was, but I didn‘t feel that engaged with the war and politics, or the creatures.

I‘ve loved other classic sci fi but never tried John Wyndham before - hoping I‘ll like it

Opening line: "I'm a reliable witness, you're a reliable witness, practically all God's children are reliable witnesses in their own estimation - which makes it funny how such different ideas of the same affair get about." #thekrakenwakes #johnwyndham #penguinbooks #penguinclassics #bookcover #firstline #bookgnome #bookish #book