Fantastic. 1200 pages and rarely a dull moment. Also I will say, I've read two of Ballard's books before this one, but I never realized how much he loves to use beaches as a setting. Not a complaint, just a curiosity.

After reading this book you realize how unstoppably imaginative Ballard is. It's interesting to look at the time periods each of these stories were written in, and seeing how Ballard would take the popular obsessions of the time, and twist their meaning to reveal the horrible realities lying just under the surface psyches. He is also an incredibly elegant writer, educated with an intense cultural awareness that only heightens his credibility as reporter of disquieting norms. Prophetic is an understatement. Ballard seemed to realize the problems of the internet culture long before it even existed.

It should also be noted that this collection is not complete, though I believe the few excluded stories can be found here: http://www.jgballard.ca/uncollected_w...

Some of my favorite stories from this collection include:
"The Intensive Care Unit"
"Report on an Unidentified Space Station" (one of the most perfect stories I've ever read)
"Mr. F is Mr. F"
"Escapement"
"The Terminal Beach"
"The Comsat Angels"
"The Object of the Attack"
"The Cloud Sculptors of Coral D"
"My Dream of Flying to Wake Island"
"The Cage of Sand"
"The 60 Minute Zoom"