LE2 Salute J G Ballard!

This week, LEN.2 are taking over the Book Blog to give a 'Salute to J.G. Ballard', presenting their hot takes on this famous British Science Fiction writer, whose themes of alienation, psychology, and technology, are as relevant today as they were when they were written.

Picture a world in which a university professor eating his dog 'stuffed with garlic and herbs', or the body of a drowned giant washing up on the shores of a British seaside town, are events considered to be within the realms of normality; this is the dark, yet exhilarating world of J G Ballard. Ballard specializes in placing mundane and bleak everyman figures in circumstances too bizarre to comprehend, brought about either by the chaos of their own minds, as is the case in ‘The Enormous Space’ in which a 9 to 5 office worker decides never to leave his house again, or by external factors such the gross overpopulation that is evident in ‘Billenium’. Ballard explores the response of these everyman figures, utilising them as embodiments of the human race as a whole, allowing him to cynically comment on human nature. Ballard is so skilled at emulating the human mind in his work, that the readers themselves come to question how they would behave in these bizarre situations; filled with doubt as the darker side of their nature is exposed.  Much of his work is believed to be inspired by his experiences in a Japanese prisoner of war camp during WW2 - the idea of thousands of families suddenly being forced together is extremely Ballardian. (Caspar Robertson)

J G Ballard has managed to create his own remarkable niche in the genre of science fiction which is an astonishing achievement and shows the strength of his writing. Instead of focusing on the ‘space opera’ style of science fiction writing, Ballard keeps his writing grounded in realism by using mundane civil settings and a solitary character to explore wider aspects of society such as consumerism and emotional detachment which are all pressing themes in the modern day. In my opinion, this makes his writing great because of the way most of his premises are entirely relatable until they turn darker which also serves the key science fiction trope of being a warning to society. Moreover, Ballard uses language in a clinical and precise way which means his style is often quite direct. This makes his books a quick and enjoyable read. Any reader should definitely read some Ballard because of the way his writing has become spookily prophetic (the majority of his great works were in the 1960s and 1970s) of the way we live our lives now which gives the reader a lot to reflect on and this is also another reason why his writing has endured so well. (Suleyman Ansari)

In my first few weeks of English A level I was lucky enough to encounter the specific peculiarities and wonders of J G Ballard’s Science Fiction. Having now read excerpts from High Rise and the short stories of ‘Billenium’ and ‘The Drowned Giant’, Ballard is alone in his utilisation of complex, broken social structures to depict his perception of humanity’s strangeness in action. Ballard is able to present the products of his notably unique view on human nature and illogical social structures, such as the animalistic nature which is able to exhibit itself in our consumer-based societies, social hierarchies and in general the corruption and twisted mindsets of those who are seen as ‘in charge’. J G Ballard writes in concise, precise English, with a focus on the particular actions of a character over the emotional side - a refreshing style that perhaps represents the way in which humans see each other on a day to day basis. The particular mix of Ballard’s style, precision and analytical critique of human structures mean that J G Ballard is one of the most engaging and interesting writers that I have personally experienced. (Luke Buckland)

J G Ballard is a writer who had a long and illustrious career with many of his novels turning into Hollywood movies. His books are generally seen to be of the science fiction genre but his writing is deserving of its own genre. I like Ballard’s fiction as he has the power to change what angle you see the world at through his usual writing style of taking a mildly dystopian world, characters rejected by society and combining the two to create an environment which is usually sinister. As time progresses, Ballard’s fiction will only become more relevant and significant as much of his fiction is set in the future and already, some of the stuff he has prophesied - such as Ronald Reagan becoming president - has come true. It is for this reason that it is necessary for the school to explore his works. As well as being great pieces of literature, they offer a sensible view of what the future may perhaps look like and something that we will be able to learn from as well as mitigate against. (Will Cronshaw)

A scene from 'The Drowned Giant', in the Netflix series Love, Death and Robots

J G Ballard’s stories are well-researched on the scientific properties in them and are often viewed as cautionary tales told through an analytical lens. Ballard rights in an unemotional and impersonal style, focusing on the mundanity of the fantastic. I personally have greatly enjoyed what Ballard I have read, specifically I enjoy the narratives that he creates as well as the absurd but scaringly believable scenarios that his novels take place in, such as a world where overpopulation is so great a human being is only allowed 4 square feet living space. I would greatly recommend Ballard to any Pauline: not only are his stories well written and enjoyable but many are cautionary tales that seem as important and prophetic now as ever. (Topo Gilpin)

Thanks to Mr Kemp for curating this Ballard blog-athon: Part II on Friday ...!