Dystopian author JG Ballard dies

Phenopath · Post by **Phenopath** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:57 pm

Cult author JG Ballard dies age 78 (BBC obit). Surprisingly he died of natural causes and not as a result of a middle class terrorist attack, or a knife fight at the tennis club.

The man was a master of portraying futures in which society crumbles and man's (often violent) base instincts are exposed. He will be fondly remembered for the perverted Crash (and also for the Spielberg blockbuster Empire of the Sun).

I am off to read me some Ballard.

Goldenrat · Post by **Goldenrat** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 4:00 am

I really liked The Drowned World.

Phenopath · Post by **Phenopath** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:51 am

Wikipedia had this gem; the manuscript for Crash was returned from a publisher with a note which read:

"This author is beyond psychiatric help. Do Not Publish!"