Short Book Reviews: Ideas, Not Action
Troublewith Lichen,by John Wyndham (Modern Library)
British writer John Wyndham is known to the science fictioncommunity best for his novel, and then the movie based on it, The Day of theTriffids. The publisher Modern Library isn’t exactly known for its modern(excuse the pun) science fictional sensibilities. So to judge this novel as contemporaryscience fiction is, I believe, a disservice to both the book and the community(and the reading community at large, as well, especially those who stillreflexively look down their noses at genre fiction). Rather, it is aquintessentially British literary novel that employs a science fictionalconcept as a vehicle for examining societal issues, especially those relatingto gender roles.
In many ways, Trouble with Lichen violates the contemporaryexpectations of genre. Most of the book consists of conversations (“talkingheads”) rather than action. Indeed, almost every pivotal event occurs offstage,leaving the reader with the long-drawn-out, convoluted, and often ambivalent reactionsof the characters. Dramatic tension is slight compared to that in today’sscience fiction novels. To this American reader, most of the characters soundedsimilar (similarly British); they had different points of view, but they alltalked the same. (To be fair, a few of the secondary characters had strongvoices, usually unpleasant ones.) And yet, I found the book neither boring norslow-paced. Its center revolves around ideas, not action, but those ideas areprovocative.
Ienjoyed the slow evolution of reactions and visions of the potential of themcguffin (an extract of lichen that slows down aging, potentially extendinghuman lifespans to several centuries) to transform lives and greater society.My favorite point of discussion was the way a greatly enhanced life expectancywould result in accumulation of knowledge, experience, and (hopefully) wisdom.For every anticipated benefit, there would be a host of drawbacks (ever-youngpeople refusing to retire, others stuck in meaningless jobs for a hundredyears, unhappy marriages turning into eternities of hell). Wyndham himselfdoesn’t bash the reader of the head, telling us how we should think and feel;he allows his characters to explore nuance and unfolding realizations. The bookis out of date in terms of feminist sensibilities, not to mention LGBTQ+ andenvironmental/population concerns, but taken for what it is and when it waswritten, I found it surprisingly relevant. As I said, I enjoyed it andrecommend it. Just don’t expect a lot of frenetic rockets’n’rayguns action.Instead, have a cup of tea ready.
