The Venus Hunters
by J. G. Ballard
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10 short stories, all of which appear to have been published earlier in one form or another dating from 1967, now published as a collection in 1980. Recurring themes are the passage of time (best being "Time of Passage"), the effects of war, and several instances of murder. I think I might have read "One Afternoon at Utah Beach" before - or maybe the deja vu is because I've actually been there. Some of the stories have only the very briefest hint of being science fiction - or maybe it's just a trick of the mind...
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291+ Works 37,617 Members
J. G. Ballard was born to British parents in Shanghai, China on November 15, 1930. While a child during World War II, he spent four years in a Japanese POW camp. This experience was the basis for the emotionally moving novel Empire of the Sun, which he adapted into a successful movie, directed by Steven Spielberg. Before becoming a full-time show more writer, he studied medicine at Cambridge University and served as a pilot in the British Royal Air Force. Ballard is best known for his science fiction writings. His early works were heavily influenced by surrealism. Most of his novels deal with death and destruction of the human spirit. Novels such as Crash, Concrete Island, and High Rise portray a society that is devolving into barbaric chaos. Crash was made into a movie by David Cronenberg in 1996. The Drowned World describes an apocalyptic society, with a hero that ushers in the destruction of the world. His novel Empire of the Sun was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and awarded the Guardian Fiction Prize and James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction. Empire of the Sun was filmed by Steven Spielberg in 1987, starring a young Christian Bale as Jim (Ballard). Ballard moved away from science fiction, but he is still considered one of the leading authors of the genre. He died on April 19, 2009 at the age of 78. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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- Canonical title*
- Les Chasseurs de Vénus
- Original publication date
- 1980; 1967
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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