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28th out of 441 books
—
411 voters
When the Tripods Came (The Tripods 0)
Long ago, the Tripods--huge, three-legged machines--descended upon Earth and took control. Now people unquestioningly accept the Tripods' power. They have no control over their thoughts or their lives. But for a brief time in each person's life--in childhood--he is not a slave. For Will, his time of freedom is about to end--unless he can escape to the White Mountains, wher...more
Paperback, 160 pages
Published
April 1st 2003
by Simon Pulse
(first published 1988)
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Now, I have made little secret how The Tripods trilogy is my favourite reading material from when I was but a child. I still love it. This is the prequel, written a while after the original trilogy.
I am always dubious when encountering something, added to something great, at a much later date. However, true to form the author doesn't disappoint. The story of how the Tripods came to Earth is told through the eyes of a young teen, Laurie and his friend, Andy. Once again the characters are well wri...more
I am always dubious when encountering something, added to something great, at a much later date. However, true to form the author doesn't disappoint. The story of how the Tripods came to Earth is told through the eyes of a young teen, Laurie and his friend, Andy. Once again the characters are well wri...more
I love it when a book exceeds my expectations.
And they were very low after finishing the core Tripods trilogy. John Christopher's well-crafted prequel, however, more than made up for my disappointment in those first three dry, poorly paced books. By shifting the action to the near-future, Christopher gives us both a more realistically palpable setting and a much more sympathetic narrator. Although Laurie, hero of When the Tripods Came shares some personality traits with Will (protagonist of the
...more
When the Tripods Came by John Christopher is a story about an invasion of Earth from outer space. Three different areas were attacked by the aliens, Russia, England, and the United States. These giant aliens had 3 legs and they were huge. They crushed everything in their paths. Brian, the protagonist, is telling his life story as the aliens are invading. His family is killed by the tripods and he has to survive. He is afraid because they are moving from city to city and his is next. He is afrai...more
The original tripods trilogy was one of my favorite reads as a young adult. This book is a prequel to that trilogy; I have owned it forever and have never read it. So when I found the trilogy (along with this prequel) sitting on my bookshelf I decided to give it another read.
This is a short book but I found it was not as engaging as I remember the trilogy to be. It is a book that basically tells how the tripods came to our world. Overall I agree with the other reviewers that say read the trilogy...more
This is a short book but I found it was not as engaging as I remember the trilogy to be. It is a book that basically tells how the tripods came to our world. Overall I agree with the other reviewers that say read the trilogy...more
I recently rediscovered the "Tripod" books. This book is the prequel to the "Tripod" trilogy. "The White Mountains" was published in 1967, "City of Gold and Lead" in 1968, and the final in the trilogy "Pool of Fire" in 1968 also. "When the Tripods Came" was written in 1988, about 20 years after the trilogy was written.
Three alien ships crash land on earth, one in England, one in Russia, and another one in the United States. Defeated with little difficulty, the story changes to following a new T...more
Three alien ships crash land on earth, one in England, one in Russia, and another one in the United States. Defeated with little difficulty, the story changes to following a new T...more
EXCITING PREQUEL TO A FABULOUS SCI FI SERIES!
Although fourth in the series in terms of publication dates, this book is actually set earlier in time than the famous triology, giving us a chance to witness the Invasion firsthand. We meet all new heroes, of course. This story starts off slowly and seems somewhat bland after the first wave of tripods is exterminated. But gradually we realize their insidious plan to take over the Earth by Mind Control--mass Brain Washing via the media. People--kids...more
Although fourth in the series in terms of publication dates, this book is actually set earlier in time than the famous triology, giving us a chance to witness the Invasion firsthand. We meet all new heroes, of course. This story starts off slowly and seems somewhat bland after the first wave of tripods is exterminated. But gradually we realize their insidious plan to take over the Earth by Mind Control--mass Brain Washing via the media. People--kids...more
Who knew this was the prequel book? Oh well. Maybe knowing that would help it's quality. I dunno. I'm not rushing out to buy the first books now, anyway, so maybe we shall never know.
You'd think that the Earth being invaded by space ships would be cause for alarm. And it is. But somehow that alarm never quite spread to me. It was just so very boring and dull and... trifling. Perhaps it's a realistic look at what a family would do if aliens came and started brainwashing people - I don't know. Un...more
You'd think that the Earth being invaded by space ships would be cause for alarm. And it is. But somehow that alarm never quite spread to me. It was just so very boring and dull and... trifling. Perhaps it's a realistic look at what a family would do if aliens came and started brainwashing people - I don't know. Un...more
As I rambled through the public library, I discovered this prequel to the Tripod trilogy in a children's display. Since I loved the original trilogy, I had to read this book and then re-read the trilogy.
This prequel is worth a read, but it's not as engaging as the original series. I also wouldn't want to read this book first. I remember reading The White Mountains for the first time in sixth grade and wondering about so many topics. Where did those tripods take the kids? Was the tripod a being?...more
This prequel is worth a read, but it's not as engaging as the original series. I also wouldn't want to read this book first. I remember reading The White Mountains for the first time in sixth grade and wondering about so many topics. Where did those tripods take the kids? Was the tripod a being?...more
I enjoyed this story quite a bit, but it suffered a bit by comparison with the other three books of the Tripods series.
One of the best things about those books is the sense of timelessness that the world has: the characters ride horses and work the fields, which makes the futuristic Tripods stand out in even greater contrast. We find out about them only as the characters themselves do, giving those books an easy accessibility and engagement.
At the same time, it's so obviously a different world...more
One of the best things about those books is the sense of timelessness that the world has: the characters ride horses and work the fields, which makes the futuristic Tripods stand out in even greater contrast. We find out about them only as the characters themselves do, giving those books an easy accessibility and engagement.
At the same time, it's so obviously a different world...more
The Tripod Trilogy and prequel When the Tripods Came were a refreshing and quick read after reading The Hunger Games books which I thought were terrible. Seems like I am the only one there. I found myself thinking about Tripods in my daily routine and being excited by the idea which is a good sign that a book has meant something for me. One thing about the main characters in these books, Will in the trilogy and Laurie in the prequel; are 14 year old kids really that insightful and thoroughly abl...more
A big letdown. This is the story of how the tripods invaded us and turned earth into the feudal dystopia found in the White Mountains. But the way they do it is absurd, and doesn't really make much sense. They do so by implanting hypnotic suggestions in a kid's TV program, creating a cult of Trippies who soon overrun the world. The first image of the book is a tripod landing in england, walking around aimlessly, and crushing a tank, only to get blown to bits.
It doesn't fit the other books that w...more
It doesn't fit the other books that w...more
I chose this book because my dad recommended it to me. Laurie and his friend Andy are the first to witness a Tripod come to earth. In this book Laurie goes with his family to escape the Tripods so they will not be capped and eventually find shelter where the Tripods don't come. My favorite quote from the book is "I wondered about those who would come after-if maybe one day three like us would lie on this hillside in the sun, watching butterflies as we were doing, but able also to look towards a...more
A nice stand-alone novel that is a prequel to the more-famous "Tripod trilogy." Reading this doesn't really enhance the reading of the Tripod trilogy, but it is a good story in its own right. It's a bit like reading Bujold's Barrayar prequels, Dickson's Dorsai prequels, Moran's Emerald Eyes, or even Asimov's Foundation prequels: they are in no way necessary to the plot of the main series, but they're still fun to read. Christopher is clearly making a statement with this book about how people con...more
A whiny teenager and tripods. Again. Interesting origin story but the author writes the same, whiny, headstrong teen in every book.
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This is a prequel to Christopher's "Tripod Trilogy," and describes what occurred when the Tripods first invaded Earth. It was an enjoyable read, but I didn't find it nearly so gripping as the other books, and the writing didn't seem as good. In particular, I found that the main character's voice did not quite ring true: Laurie did not sound quite like a 13-year-old boy, even when he was voicing thoughts that would be completely natural to a 13-year-old. He was too detached, and the overall feel...more
When I was a mere lad I was introduced to John Christopher by way of The White Mountains. I instantly related to the young boys who escaped being capped by aliens, which would make them like everyone else. They risked life and limb to cross a dystopian Europe to escape that fate. I reread it as an adult and saw their flight from “normality” in my own escape from rural NJ to New York to live life on my own terms as a gay man, a reading that Christopher probably never foresaw. I was curious to rea...more
Jul 07, 2012
Amy
added it
Oh, John Christopher. I just reread the Tripod Trilogy, which I'd loved and reread many times during childhood, and Joy discovered this prequel and gave it to me for Christmas. I still love the trilogy and it's very cool to read his story of how the Tripods came , but I'm irritated now by something I didn't notice as a child: he can't (won't? doesn't see the need to? hasn't noticed the oddity of failing to ever?) write from a girl's perspective. Every hero is a boy. His secondary female characte...more
Reviewed by Kira M for TeensReadToo.com
Something is not right in England.
Laurie's little sister recently started watching a show called Trippies. One day, she disappears. When they bring her back, all she can talk about is peace and Tripods, an alien race bent on bringing peace to Earth. Although they manage to dehypnotize her, people all over start disappearing and showing up with helmets that allow the Tripods to control their brains.
Soon the whole world is conquered by this strange alien race...more
Something is not right in England.
Laurie's little sister recently started watching a show called Trippies. One day, she disappears. When they bring her back, all she can talk about is peace and Tripods, an alien race bent on bringing peace to Earth. Although they manage to dehypnotize her, people all over start disappearing and showing up with helmets that allow the Tripods to control their brains.
Soon the whole world is conquered by this strange alien race...more
John Christopher, When the Tripods Came (Dutton, 1988)
This prequel to the Tripods Trilogy, written two decades after the original books, is decent enough, but it certainly doesn't measure up to the three books that preceded it (chronologically) in the series.
Laurie, a British teen, is one of the first in the world to see the Tripods while on an orienteering trip with a friend. The initial tripod, after causing a bit of destruction, is swiftly brought down by the local armed forces. The intellig...more
This prequel to the Tripods Trilogy, written two decades after the original books, is decent enough, but it certainly doesn't measure up to the three books that preceded it (chronologically) in the series.
Laurie, a British teen, is one of the first in the world to see the Tripods while on an orienteering trip with a friend. The initial tripod, after causing a bit of destruction, is swiftly brought down by the local armed forces. The intellig...more
This is an excellent prequel to the Tripods trilogy.
BUT: If you have not read the series, PLEASE HEED THIS ADVICE:
Don't read this until after you finish the original trilogy. I know that it says #1 on the spine, and these events happened before the first three books. Ignore that!
It's more fun to be guessing and wondering with the protagonists in the books than to already have all the answers given to you at first. After you finish all three books, it's fun to see all the little questions you m...more
BUT: If you have not read the series, PLEASE HEED THIS ADVICE:
Don't read this until after you finish the original trilogy. I know that it says #1 on the spine, and these events happened before the first three books. Ignore that!
It's more fun to be guessing and wondering with the protagonists in the books than to already have all the answers given to you at first. After you finish all three books, it's fun to see all the little questions you m...more
A good prequel to the Tripods trilogy. Creepy in its own right; the idea of an alien force removing resistance by capturing our minds through media broadcasts. The feel of the takeover in the earlier chapters of the book have a distinct Hitchcock-esque taste as the characters fall to the sway of the (then-unknown) Tripods broadcast. As people begin taking the Caps, the mood becomes decidedly creepy. Who to trust? What to do? Stay or flee? Amazing tale of science fiction for youngsters and adults...more
As good a prequel as I have read although I question why it wasn't just the first book. And unlike the other books in this series there was a strong interesting female character in the form of a kick-ass grandma...yeahhhh!!!
It was sort of weird that while I was finishing this book, Mormon missionaries knocked on my door, I couldn't help but draw some comparisons.
After reading the trilogy, the setting off on arduous journeys theme wore thin for me. And I found it challenging to keep the family re...more
It was sort of weird that while I was finishing this book, Mormon missionaries knocked on my door, I couldn't help but draw some comparisons.
After reading the trilogy, the setting off on arduous journeys theme wore thin for me. And I found it challenging to keep the family re...more
A very satisfying conclusion (beginning) to the Tripods tales. The hindsight with which this is written is a good suggestion to all writers of series of books that it doesn't hurt to start in the middle and fix the beginning later! All so tonally consistent and quite terrifyingly plausible, this has such detail and humanity at its centre, I'm just sorry to have finished these books, for it'll be a long time until I've forgotten them as well as I had again! Excellent, excellent.
Dec 16, 2012
Kevin
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
lovers of the 1st 3 books of the White Mountains trilogy
Recommended to Kevin by:
Natasha Jaques
I loved the The Tripods Trilogy as a kid. I read it so many times. So when my daughter, Natasha, gave this book to me for my 49th birthday, I was delighted. The lackluster nature of the novel, written well after the series, as a prequel, in no way diminished the thoughtfulness and pleasure of the gift. And actually, I enjoyed reading it a lot.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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I read the tripod trilogy as a child, so those three books were a re-read for me. This book was new. A prequel to the trilogy telling how the tripods took over Earth in the first place.
With this book, especially, I really enjoyed having the author's preface at the beginning, telling what inspired him to write the prequel. Basically the BBC started to film the original trilogy. At first they stayed loyal to the books, then they strayed. It seems that criticism of the tv series made the author wa...more
With this book, especially, I really enjoyed having the author's preface at the beginning, telling what inspired him to write the prequel. Basically the BBC started to film the original trilogy. At first they stayed loyal to the books, then they strayed. It seems that criticism of the tv series made the author wa...more
I read this pretty young, and at the time, thought it was a great book. Looking back on it, it is kind of a mediochre prequel to the Tripods trilogy. It was the kind of book that looks for total resolution, but in the end, it had a series following it, and the ending that was hoped for was relegated to a minor victory. I recommend reading this book before reading the actual Trilogy (White Mountains, Pool of Fire and City of Gold and Lead) as opposed to the order in which it came out (Last). It w...more
I do not like science-fiction books as a whole, but this one I liked. I thought the plot was clever and believable. (Especially for a book written almost 50 years ago) I liked the conflict that arose and how the characters resolved it. Easy to read. Although I found it in the young adult section of the library, it would be great for older children to read. My 8 and 10 year old children would like it.
Interesting, but I didn't love it. I can't argue with the idea that we waste too much time on things (television, internet, etc) that do not matter and in so doing give up some of our freedom and, one could argue, humanity; but still the premise seems very far fetched. (I've never been comfortable with hypnotism, and I find the events suggested here eerily like the explorations of George du Maurier.)
Strangely, BOTH my parents bought this series for me on my 14th birthday. haven't reread them until now but was pleasantly surprised with this one. I guess it's #4...but it's the prequel, so I don't feel guilty about reading out of order. Anyway, totally engaging YA fiction and also fun because the Swiss scenes are spots we visited on vacation this summer (and years before).
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John Christopher
is the pseudonym under which the British science fiction author Samuel Youd has been most successful. Youd has written under the following pseudonyms:
• John Christopher
• Stanley Winchester
• Hilary Ford
• William Godfrey
• Peter Graaf
• Peter Nichols
• Anthony Rye
He is best known for The Tripods trilogy, published under the pseudonym John Christopher.
His novels were popular during the...more
More about John Christopher...
• John Christopher
• Stanley Winchester
• Hilary Ford
• William Godfrey
• Peter Graaf
• Peter Nichols
• Anthony Rye
He is best known for The Tripods trilogy, published under the pseudonym John Christopher.
His novels were popular during the...more
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“The secret of success in battle lies often not so much in the use of one's own strength but in the exploitation of the other side's weaknesses.”
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23. November, 08:56 Uhr