Grinny

Grinny #1-2

by Nicholas Fisk

This book is based on my diary and other writings of the Aunt Emma period. Later on, it all turned sour and I used to be almost frightened of the diary and writing the next page. Everything I had written seemed to add up to something horrible. The more I wrote, the more certain it seemed that the horror was true and would get worse. I did not keep a diary any more.

Tim's diary charts the arrival of his mysterious Great Aunt Emma, an old lady who appears grinning on his doorstep and decides to stay. Nicknamed 'Grinny' for her constant eerie smile and mindless chatter, at first their aunt seems to be strange but harmless. But when Tim and his sister Beth make a horrifying discovery about their visitor, they realise that the safety of the entire planet is in jeopardy, and the silent invasion has already started.

First published in 1973, GRINNY is a forgotten favourite, brought back to life by Hot Key Books and introduced by Malorie Blackman. A classic sci-fi story filled with suspense, danger and adventure, this is a special bind up-edition including both the original story, and the powerful sequel that continues Tim and Beth's encounter with Grinny in YOU REMEMBER ME! Grinny is a character whose sinister malevolence will continue to terrify readers, both old and new!

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published July 4, 2013

About the author

(1923–2016), British author of more than forty books and television scripts and a master of science fiction for children. Fisk, whose real name is David Higginbottom, grew up during the Second World War and served in the Royal Air Force. His autobiography, Pig Ignorant (1992), covers the years 1939–1941 and details his life in Soho, a bohemian section of London, where he played jazz in the evenings until he was called to enlist. After the war Fisk worked as a musician, journalist, and publisher. He started writing in the 1960s, and his popularity was at its height in the 1970s and 1980s. His most impressive work, A Rag, a Bone, and a Hank of Hair (1982), is a thrilling futuristic novel set at the end of the 22ndcentury. The government is cloning new people and has manufactured a 1940s wartime family whose members are unaware that nothing they know is real. This moving story is a dark representation of the threat posed by technological advancement but is optimistic in its message about the triumph of the human spirit. Fisk's most enduring books include Grinny (1973), which features a technologized extraterrestrial threat in the form of a great- aunt who glows at night, and Trillions (1971), an eerie story about mysterious hard shiny objects that contain an alien intelligence. Monster Maker (1979) was made into a film.

Reviews

[Rhiannon Forsythe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not read past the first 50 pages of this book as it is written in a sort of note form. I would not recommend this book as it is hard to read.

[Ian Mond]

I read Nicholas Fisk as a kid, or at least I think I did. I’m certainly familiar with his work. For years, I was shit-scared of the Penguin cover for Space Hostages—so scared that I’m unsure if I cracked the covers.

I was aware of Grinny, but I know I never read it. So, thank you to Sam Lieth and Backlisted for forcing me at gunpoint to pick it up and its prophetic sequel, You Remember Me.

Grinny has the simplest of plots. Aliens are seeking to invade Earth. But before they arrive in their hordes, they’ve sent a scout to check out the planet and determine how easy (or hard) it will be to conquer. That scout arrives as Tim and Beth’s Great Aunt Emma. This is, of course, a lie. There is no such person as Great Aunt Emma. However, a hypnotic suggestion that affects the adults, not the kids, means that Emma is accepted into the family. It’s left to Tim and Beth to uncover Grinny’s devious plan and defeat her!

Grinny is terrifying, but no more frightening than Doctor Who of the period (the early 70s). Autons pretending to be cops, aliens pretending to be Great Aunts—it’s all the same glorious tapestry aimed at frightening the crap out of kids. Are we still frightening eight to ten-year-olds like this? I hope so!*

Thirteen years later comes the sequel, You Remember Me. The alien, Grinny, is back as the vivacious, beautiful, charismatic Lisa Treadgold. With the phrase “You Remember Me,” she has hypnotised everyone, including Tim, a cub reporter working for the local rag. Only Beth seems impervious to Lisa’s charm.

Given the current rise in populism and fascism, You Remember Me is incredibly timely and prescient. The way Treadgold worms her way into the minds of those around her, silencing anyone who defies her, is genuinely confronting. The climax is also far bloodier (without any descriptions of gore) than I expected. Also, threaded amongst all the authoritarianism and creepiness is a fascinating lesson about how to make a battery.**

Both books are terrific—short and punchy, scary and funny. I should probably get past my fears and read Space Hostages.

*I genuinely don’t know because I don’t read contemporary middle-grade fiction, and I don’t want to come off as a reactionary bemoaning a golden age of kids' literature from when I was a kid. But, hey, feel free to inform me.
** No, I didn’t immediately go out and make my own battery. I did it a week later.

[Don Dealga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seems to foreshadow concerns of contemporary times portraying the rise of extreme populist nationalism, and a kind of "mind control" & brain washing of sections of the public (not by social media, but by malevolent alien intelligence). Swap the aliens for AI perhaps? Fisk's writing is deceptively simple containing considerable helpings of knowing humour and irony.
I missed these two novellas as a youngster myself, despite being an avid reader. Thanks to the excellent podcast "Blacklisted" my attention was drawn to Fisk's writing and I enjoyed reading these works, of which I believe Grinny to be the superior.
Lenny Mount = Benny Hill

[Rachael Eyre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tim's annoying precocity aside, this classic sci fi remains fresh and disturbing. His little sister Beth is a far more interesting and likeable character; it was good to get to know her better in the sequel.

While Grinny works thanks to the paranoia factor - what better way to slip under the radar than to pass yourself off as a dotty old lady? - You Remember Me is a spot on critique of celebrity culture and extreme politics, years ahead of its time. Imagine Nigel Farrage as a stunning, charismatic blonde woman (yes, I know it's difficult) and you're halfway there! Fisk scores extra points for making a self deprecating cameo; he is just as dazzled by Lisa as everyone else.

[Elaine Pendorf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed both Grinny and Fisk's sequel, You Remember Me. I don't know why I hadn't read it when I was younger but I'm still well in touch with my inner 8 year old (who had a reading level of 13), so no harm no foul!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

GRINNY ***** for being one of the most bloody terrifying books I have ever read

YOU REMEMBER ME! ***1/2 for not being as good but still scaring the shit out of me as a child with the battery-fusing scene

[Fatima · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but it wasn't up to the standard I thought it would be.