Hidden Wyndham : life, love, letters /
Binns, Amy,author.
John Wyndham redefined science fiction. His dystopian classic The Day of the Triffids and the eerie alien children of The Midwich Cuckoos left a lasting legacy on our imaginations. Yet despite his popularity, his obsessive need for privacy led to him being known as "the invisible man of science fiction". In Hidden Wyndham, Amy Binns reveals for the first time the woman who was the inspiration for his strong-minded heroines. Their secret love affair sustained this gentle and desperately shy man through failure, war, and, ultimately, success. Hidden Wyndham shows how Wyndham's own disturbing war experiences - witnessing the destruction of London in the Blitz then as part of the invading British army in France and Germany - inspired and underlay his dystopian masterpieces. It provides an insight into the lives of men and women who refused to live by the oppressive rules of society in the mid-20th century. Many extracts from his letters are included, along with his own photographs.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Part one: 1903-1939. Edgbaston, Birmingham, March 1911 -- Edwardian scandals -- Discovering utopia -- Love without chains -- Pulp fiction --  Part two: 1939-1945. Row Cottage, Steep, 3 September 1939 -- Jack's blitz, Gace's exile -- The long haul -- Somewhere in France -- The final push -- Part three: 1946-1969. The Penn Club, London, 12 June 1949 -- The day of the triffids -- New worlds -- Aliens among us -- Wyndham's women -- Return to utopia.
John Wyndham redefined science fiction. His dystopian classic The Day of the Triffids and the eerie alien children of The Midwich Cuckoos left a lasting legacy on our imaginations. Yet despite his popularity, his obsessive need for privacy led to him being known as "the invisible man of science fiction". In Hidden Wyndham, Amy Binns reveals for the first time the woman who was the inspiration for his strong-minded heroines. Their secret love affair sustained this gentle and desperately shy man through failure, war, and, ultimately, success. Hidden Wyndham shows how Wyndham's own disturbing war experiences - witnessing the destruction of London in the Blitz then as part of the invading British army in France and Germany - inspired and underlay his dystopian masterpieces. It provides an insight into the lives of men and women who refused to live by the oppressive rules of society in the mid-20th century. Many extracts from his letters are included, along with his own photographs.
Wyndham, John, 1903-1969.
Wyndham, John, 1903-1969.
Authors, English
Authors, English.