For me the feminist theme was wrought pointless and cynical thanks to the cliched capitulation at the end (the very end). And since the liberation of women was the only consequence of an anti-ageing drug that the author bothered to explore, I wasn't much impressed. ( )

I was lucky to find a copy of this available via ILL. It's a shorty, just 160 pages, vintage Wyndham, very light (not even really) SF set in his contemporary England of mid-20th c. (first published in 1960). As always Wyndham is enjoyable, with plots concerning the Brits trying to make sense of and coping with some new unexpected event. Usually it's an alien invasion of some kind, but in this case it's the social implications of a scientific discovery guaranteed to change human history forever. ( )

Picked up and read at relativity to while away a quiet afternoon I enjoyed this as ever. I still think the Triffids is my favourite but this is rather lovely. Anyone who loves old-fashioned Science Fiction should really try Wyndham if they haven't before. Excellent stuff. ( )

I've read a lot of Wyndham now, and his books seem to be of a sort - semi-serious examinations of difficult philosophical or societal problems with a tongue set firmly in cheek. I prefer his 'The Day of The Triffids' which I felt was just serious enough; this is more like 'The Chrysalids' which is sad, dramatic and also occasionally 'funny' (the humour doesn't always age well).

You could say that 'Trouble With Lichen' is also one of Wyndham's more experimental pieces, as he starts the book with something of a retrospective of the main character, looking back almost from the end. Such a stylised form is unlike his other writing, and doesn't entirely work. However, once the story of a scientist's discovery of an anti-aging lichen gets underway, it is pretty interesting and offers a lot to think about. ( )

The lichen in this piece is a rare plant. It has the amazingly quality of being useful in retarding the aging process in humans.
The discoverers of this decide to keep it quiet, to prevent an uproar, but inevitably, the secret gets out. Particularly when one use it was put to was basically in a beauty salon!
Definitely Wyndham's weakest effort.

http://notfreesf.blogspot.com/2006/12... ( )