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Trouble With Lichen
by
Francis Saxover and Diana Brackley, two scientists investigating a rare lichen, discover it has a remarkable property: it retards the ageing process. Francis, realizing the implications for the world of an ever-youthful, wealthy elite, wants to keep it secret, but Diana sees an opportunity to overthrow the male status quo by using the lichen to inspire a feminist revolutio
...more
Paperback, 204 pages
Published
2008
by Penguin Books
(first published 1960)
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Start your review of Trouble With Lichen
For the past few years I have peppered my reading with rereads from my youth. It has been even more rewarding than I anticipated. So far, my rereads have all been books I enjoyed when I first read them. But this time I decided to reread a book I did not enjoy at all.
Why would I do such a silly thing with my limited reading time? Well, let’s say it was an experiment. The only things I remembered about Trouble with Lichen, besides the general premise and a few random details, were that I didn’t l ...more
Why would I do such a silly thing with my limited reading time? Well, let’s say it was an experiment. The only things I remembered about Trouble with Lichen, besides the general premise and a few random details, were that I didn’t l ...more
Trouble with Lichen didn't strike me as quite as readable as Wyndham's other books, but the prominence of female characters/concerns was a welcome surprise. The plot is a bit different to Wyndham's other books, too. You might be excused, knowing Wyndham's other books, for thinking that this is a book about lichen taking over the world, but this isn't one of his post-apocalyptic efforts.
If you've enjoyed Wyndham's other stuff, this is a bit different, but equally enjoyable, I think. The science i ...more
If you've enjoyed Wyndham's other stuff, this is a bit different, but equally enjoyable, I think. The science i ...more
3.5
I'm fast becoming a fan of Wyndham's works. This is a lot more thought provoking than Day of the Triffids, though I will confess to enjoying it far less. Though it comes across a little preachy at times, Trouble With Lichens is nonetheless interesting, funny (at times), relevant and thought provoking, and I can honestly confess that I did not see that end coming. ...more
I'm fast becoming a fan of Wyndham's works. This is a lot more thought provoking than Day of the Triffids, though I will confess to enjoying it far less. Though it comes across a little preachy at times, Trouble With Lichens is nonetheless interesting, funny (at times), relevant and thought provoking, and I can honestly confess that I did not see that end coming. ...more
A book ahead of its time. Very strong female character with Diana. A biochemist who discovers the elixir of life. A lichen which extends one’s life by a few hundred years. The book is a satire and funny in places especially the newspapers and their fake news.
The premise of the plot is novel but lacks a bit of punch in the delivery. However, it is thought provoking and I think close to the mark of what might happen if anyone discovered a drug to extend life. Of course the lichen is rare so the r ...more
The premise of the plot is novel but lacks a bit of punch in the delivery. However, it is thought provoking and I think close to the mark of what might happen if anyone discovered a drug to extend life. Of course the lichen is rare so the r ...more
Finished this one a little while ago and I enjoyed the questions it asked and the ramifications explored in a world where people really could live forever if they were lucky.
I've enjoyed all the books by Wyndham I've read and I recommend him for a cosy sci fi story. 3.5*s ...more
I've enjoyed all the books by Wyndham I've read and I recommend him for a cosy sci fi story. 3.5*s ...more
This book was written by the guy who wrote Day of the Triffids, and we should all know what I think of that book by now [it's awesome to the power eleventy billion]. I was expecting something along similar lines – an out of control plant species runs amok, humanity is threatened, and we are forced to face the moral questions that come along with fighting for survival in an increasingly cruel world.
That’s not what Trouble With Lichen is about at all, though I did keep imagining this silent creep ...more
That’s not what Trouble With Lichen is about at all, though I did keep imagining this silent creep ...more
I read several Wyndham novels when I was 12 or 13 - this was one of them. My recollection of those novels was that they were enjoyable but tended to have poor endings, as if Wyndham had said what he wanted, got bored and just stopped. The exception was The Day of the Triffids which had a satisfactory ending. So how would I respond to re-reading Trouble with Lichen?
First I found it a good deal more sophisticated than memory had led me to believe: The book is a feminist tract, following the career ...more
First I found it a good deal more sophisticated than memory had led me to believe: The book is a feminist tract, following the career ...more
When I first saw the title of this book, I thought it would be about how lichen would somehow become a danger to mankind, pose a threat that might wipe us all out. But it's not like that at all. Rather lichen offers mankind the solution to one of it's oldest problems, but the two people who discover it fear the social ramifications of it getting out.
I'm not even going to talk about the nature of the benefits this lichen offers to mankind because it's not revealed until about 25% of the way throu ...more
I'm not even going to talk about the nature of the benefits this lichen offers to mankind because it's not revealed until about 25% of the way throu ...more
This John Wyndham book, did not really contain anything that made me feel awesome (or even great or wonderful, for that matter), and as a result after loving his books like The Day of the Triffids, The Chrysalids and The Midwich Cuckoos, having read through the years, this one was very much near to boring, and even skippable I should say, much like how Chocky was just prior to this about four years ago. In fact Chocky was slightly better than this!
However, still, the idea of not ageing, being th ...more
However, still, the idea of not ageing, being th ...more
This was AMAZING! I love John Wyndham, but my problem with him was that his books always came across as sexist and racist. Though this book is still massively problematic in Wyndham's understanding of feminism, it's at least an understanding and frankly it's a pretty good one! He seems to have a good understanding of the binary between the public and domestic spheres and how that works in gender, and frankly, it was just well-written and exciting!
My new dream is to find a lichen that starts a f ...more
My new dream is to find a lichen that starts a f ...more
‘Who wants to live forever?’ Freddie Mercury once asked, well it turns out John Wyndham asked the same question years earlier, and the answer isn’t what you expect.
Of course the knee-jerk position is to say Yes, of course I want to live for 200 years (as the rare form of lichen discovered in this book would allow you to do), but Wyndham takes the opposite view. When I gathered what the gist of this book was going to be, I assumed the rest of the narrative would be concerned with various governme ...more
Of course the knee-jerk position is to say Yes, of course I want to live for 200 years (as the rare form of lichen discovered in this book would allow you to do), but Wyndham takes the opposite view. When I gathered what the gist of this book was going to be, I assumed the rest of the narrative would be concerned with various governme ...more
This book is unusual and intriguing. Much more essay-esque than the rest of Wyndham's stuff, and perhaps that's contributed to it's comparable lack of popularity. On the other hand, this is an unusually feminist concept and execution from a white male in the 50s. Especially one who, as far as my limited research has found, wasn't particularly know for his feminist leanings.
Could this have effected the book's readership? Possibly. And for feminism it's a highly questionable form of it. Though the ...more
Could this have effected the book's readership? Possibly. And for feminism it's a highly questionable form of it. Though the ...more
Published in 1960, John Wyndham’s Trouble with Lichen tells the story of Diana Brackley, a revolutionary, a feminist, and a scientist.
Diana is considered odd because although she is attractive, she does not want to marry. Instead, she is dedicated to her career in the lab, and it is there that she makes her amazing discovery: a type of lichen that slows the aging process. Diana decides to use the lichen to empower women, and she sets up a beauty clinic that caters to rich and influential women ( ...more
Diana is considered odd because although she is attractive, she does not want to marry. Instead, she is dedicated to her career in the lab, and it is there that she makes her amazing discovery: a type of lichen that slows the aging process. Diana decides to use the lichen to empower women, and she sets up a beauty clinic that caters to rich and influential women ( ...more
Definitely not 'gay' (as in cheerful) satire. Not even all that satirical, really. Social commentary, yes. An awkward exploration of how 'women' and 'men' and 'the rich' and 'the working class' and 'the religious' will diversely react to the news of a longevity treatment. Needed more individual people, not types. Interesting and entertaining enough, but if you've read or watched any SF, or philosophy, or have even dreamed yourself, you have your own ideas, and Wyndham's are, well, odd. If you've
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By 1960, British sci-fi author John Wyndham was popularly known as the creator of what Brian W. Aldiss would later call "cosy catastrophes," largely by dint of a quartet of highly successful novels from the previous decade. "The Day of the Triffids" ('51) had dealt with walking, malevolent plants and a world gone blind following a meteor storm; "The Kraken Wakes" ('53) had told of an alien invasion from the oceanic depths; "The Chrysalids" ('55) had described a postapocalyptic world, and the pur
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What if someone find the true anti-aging formula which enabling people to live to around 200 years? What’re the implications? And what if the resource of it is so rare not all people can get it? How much trust should we place in those we appoint to be its guardians?
Once again, Wyndham wrote such a compelling story on how society would deal with a life changing discovery.
‘If you’re suggesting that women are anxious to live longer, but men don’t much care, I’m going to disagree thoroughly,’ Franc ...more
Once again, Wyndham wrote such a compelling story on how society would deal with a life changing discovery.
‘If you’re suggesting that women are anxious to live longer, but men don’t much care, I’m going to disagree thoroughly,’ Franc ...more
Read this 13 years ago, only fiished it due to lack of alternative reading material. Disliked it enough that it stuck in my memory, although details are fuzzy. Didn't realize it was the same author as 'Day of the Triffids'.
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7/10
I've been meaning to read a Wyndham novel. I found this and I was glad to finally be able to read one. Then I read the reviews and got the idea it wasn't the best one to start with but I read it anyways and I ended up really enjoying it ;D ...more
I've been meaning to read a Wyndham novel. I found this and I was glad to finally be able to read one. Then I read the reviews and got the idea it wasn't the best one to start with but I read it anyways and I ended up really enjoying it ;D ...more
Feb 11, 2021
Brandy Cross
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
gender-in-fiction,
feminism
Wyndham's diversity and range are no better exemplified than in his dramatic shift in direction and tone in Trouble with Lichen. This is a deliberate shift into a mindset and tone that very-well exemplifies the main character, but which, apparently, a lot of readers have trouble getting into (I don't, but okay). The language is posh maybe even prissy as is the pacing. The story, slowly measured over enough decades to make you consider that perhaps, what Wyndham is trying to say is not that peop
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3.5 stars
This was a surprisingly feminist book considering it was written by a man in 1960!
A female biochemist, strong peripheral female characters, a man equalled in intelligence and drive by a woman! All the yeses Mr Wyndham.
The idea for the story is simple yet effective, the writing is strong, witty and engaging.
The ending (don't worry no spoilers), though a bit of a surprise feels like a cop out however; a rapid race to finish the book which is a little disappointing.
Never mind, still a ...more
This was a surprisingly feminist book considering it was written by a man in 1960!
A female biochemist, strong peripheral female characters, a man equalled in intelligence and drive by a woman! All the yeses Mr Wyndham.
The idea for the story is simple yet effective, the writing is strong, witty and engaging.
The ending (don't worry no spoilers), though a bit of a surprise feels like a cop out however; a rapid race to finish the book which is a little disappointing.
Never mind, still a ...more
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I first read this many years ago, probably when I was a teenager, and I loved it. I've been wanting to reread it for a while, but I did wonder how it would stand up, especially as it is a book written in the 1960's, by a man, about a revolution (for lack of a better world) led by women - and rich, white women at that.
I was both relieved and rather surprised to find that on the whole, it did. The moral, sociological and ethical issues the book considers and discusses are not irrelevant now and st ...more
I was both relieved and rather surprised to find that on the whole, it did. The moral, sociological and ethical issues the book considers and discusses are not irrelevant now and st ...more
This was a quick read, breezily satirical and crisply written, with a charming heroine and an interesting hypothesis: What would happen if a lichen could be found and processed to create a potion that could slow the rate of human’s growth and extend people’s lives. Like all Whyndam’s novels, the interesting prediction of the future is eerily accurate in the foretelling of the problems that will come with progress. Written in 1960, the book is relevant today in its discussion of the implications
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3.5 stars
Rereading some old favorites. This is one that I come back to less often than others (The Day of the Triffids, The Kraken Wakes) but still find new points to enjoy nonetheless. It's different from most of his others, being more concerned with potential/actual societal change and the philosophical musings around what would happen if we could live 200 years.
There's a preponderance of strong female characters - not entirely unusual for Wyndham, but they almost entirely dominate, making a n ...more
Rereading some old favorites. This is one that I come back to less often than others (The Day of the Triffids, The Kraken Wakes) but still find new points to enjoy nonetheless. It's different from most of his others, being more concerned with potential/actual societal change and the philosophical musings around what would happen if we could live 200 years.
There's a preponderance of strong female characters - not entirely unusual for Wyndham, but they almost entirely dominate, making a n ...more
Not the best known of Wyndham's books - the Triffids offer stiff competition - and one I'd overlooked. It's of its time, a time before genetic engineering was dreamt of, and yet curiously relevant to our own age of obsession with self-image and eternal youth. It explores the questions that will always attend new technologies - who benefits, are they being misused, should they be reserved for the elite? - and has a good dig at the hysteria of the popular presses along the way. The heroine is curi
...more
Feb 17, 2019
Robyn Blaber
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
british-literature,
science-fiction
Well this was refreshing to read in that it's the first science fiction book I've read in a while where there were no deaths... well, maybe one. Science and fiction can come together without the Grim Reaper taking everything in its wake.
Normally I'd give a novella like this 3 stars at best, because there's no time to really flesh out a story. This one gets a 4th star because it's so damned progressive for its time. Our hero is a woman, a bio-chemist, and truly 'wears the pants' in all of her in ...more
Normally I'd give a novella like this 3 stars at best, because there's no time to really flesh out a story. This one gets a 4th star because it's so damned progressive for its time. Our hero is a woman, a bio-chemist, and truly 'wears the pants' in all of her in ...more
Francis Saxover and Diana Brackley, two scientists investigating a rare lichen, discover it has a remarkable property: it retards the aging process. Francis, realising the implications for the world of an ever-youthful, wealthy elite, wants to keep it secret, but Diana sees an opportunity to overturn the male status quo by using the lichen to inspire a feminist revolution. As each scientist wrestles with the implications and practicalities of exploiting the discovery, the world comes ever closer
...more
It's the 50s, and she tells people she's going to be a scientist. She meets with a variety of negative reactions, including "Huh?", "Why would a pretty girl like you want to do that?" and "You'll grow out of it when you meet the right man."
But the one that really annoys her, and which they keep saying behind her back, is "What does it matter, as long as she's happy?" She grits her teeth and decides she'll damn well show them. And she does.
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But the one that really annoys her, and which they keep saying behind her back, is "What does it matter, as long as she's happy?" She grits her teeth and decides she'll damn well show them. And she does.
...more
Fabulous!
Such an entertaining read.
Explores what would very likely happen in the event of someone actually discovering the means of extending life expectancy.
All the chaos, disparate groups being for or against it, and all written in an engaging, highly astute and intelligent way.
This is the second Wyndham book I've read- having had my socks knocked off by Triffids , I gave this one a whirl.
Very glad I did! Highly recommended
...more
Such an entertaining read.
Explores what would very likely happen in the event of someone actually discovering the means of extending life expectancy.
All the chaos, disparate groups being for or against it, and all written in an engaging, highly astute and intelligent way.
This is the second Wyndham book I've read- having had my socks knocked off by Triffids , I gave this one a whirl.
Very glad I did! Highly recommended
...more
Mar 01, 2017
Lou Robinson
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
ukit-work-book-club
Book club choice for February from Sue, and it's taking us back a few years, published in 1960. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, a certain feminist edge to it, and sci-fi but not space sci-fi, short and set in the UK, ticked plenty of boxes. My one and only criticism, a pretty abrupt ending, and I want to know what happens next!
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John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris was the son of a barrister. After trying a number of careers, including farming, law, commercial art and advertising, he started writing short stories in 1925. After serving in the civil Service and the Army during the war, he went back to writing. Adopting the name John Wyndham, he started writing a form of science fiction that he called 'logical fantasy'.
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“I'm not romancing. I'm talking about the inevitable time when, unless we do something to stop it, men will be hunting men through the ruins, for food. We're letting it drift towards that, with an evil irresponsibility, because with our ordinary short lives we shan't be here to see it. Does our generation care about the misery it is bequeathing? Not it. "That's their worry," we say. "Damn our children's children; we're all right.”
—
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“My great-aunt, and other people's great-aunts, won all the rights that women need ages ago. All that's been lacking since then is the social courage to use them. My great-aunt and the rest thought that by technically defeating male privilege they'd scored a great victory. What they didn't realize is that the greatest enemies of women aren't men at all, they are women: silly women, lazy women, and smug women.”
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