The Day of Creation - Softcover

Ballard, J. G.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0007227892 ISBN 13: 9780007227891

Publisher: Fourth Estate, 2014

Synopsis

‘Classic Ballard. Mesmerising. No one writes with such haunting impact’ William Boyd

In parched, war-torn central Africa, Dr Mallory watches his clinic fail and dreams of discovering a third Nile to make the Sahara bloom. During his search for water, an ancient tree stump is uprooted by a bulldozer and water wells up, spreading until it becomes an enormous river. With the once arid land now abounding in birds and beasts, the obsessed Mallory forges up-river in an old car ferry, clashing with hostile factions as he tries to find the source of his own creation.

This edition is part of a new commemorative series of Ballard’s works, featuring introductions from a number of his admirers (including Ali Smith, Iain Sinclair, Martin Amis and Ned Beauman) and brand-new cover designs from the artist Stanley Donwood.

About this title

Review:

‘Classic Ballard. Mesmerising. No one writes with such haunting impact’ William Boyd

‘A unique writer with a distinctive vision unmatched by any other living novelist. In The Day of Creation Ballard is at the height of his powers ... triumphant’ New Statesman

‘An exciting plot unfolded with a master’s cunning. Ballard has brought off something rare in this fine book. He has written an adventure story that constantly surprises and excites’ Guardian

‘Absolutely vintage Ballard ... Compulsively absorbing: the white heat of its images seems to burn off the page, and the surreal landscapes linger on in the mind’ Independent

‘It could only have been imagined by a master of visionary realism ... a country of the mind as vivid and viable as anything this extraordinary writer has ever produced’ Spectator

‘The terrifying thing about Ballard is his logic; is this science fiction or history written ahead of its time?’ Len Deighton

From the Back Cover:

In parched Port-la-Nouvelle in central Africa, Dr Mallory watches his clinic fail and dreams of discovering a third Nile to make the Sahara bloom. During his search for water, an ancient tree stump is uprooted by a bulldozer and water wells up, spreading until it becomes an enormous river. With the once arid land now abounding in birds and beasts, the obsessed Mallory forges up-river in an old car ferry, clashing with hostile factions as he tries to find the source of his own creation... An unforgettable voyage of the imagination from the best-selling author of 'Empire of the Sun', 'Crash', and 'Super-Cannes'.

"This is classic Ballard. Mesmerising. No one writes with such haunting impact."
WILLIAM BOYD

"An exciting plot unfolded with a master's cunning. Ballard has brought off something rare in this fine book. He has written an adventure story that constantly surprises and excites."
GUARDIAN

"A unique writer with a distinctive vision unmatched by any other living novelist, and in 'The Day of Creation' Ballard is at the height of his powers... triumphant."
NEW STATESMAN

"A blend of animated reverie, myth and adventure story, 'The Day of Creation' imprints itself on the mind with acid sweetness."
TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT

"Ballard's prose sizzles off the page."
TIME OUT

About this edition

• Publisher: Fourth Estate
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0007227892
• ISBN 13: 9780007227891
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288