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Hidden Wyndham: Life, Love, Letters
John Wyndham redefined science fiction. His dystopian classic The Day of the Triffids and the eerie alien children of The Midwich Cuckoos left a lasting legacy on our imaginations.
Yet despite his popularity, his obsessive need for privacy led to him being known as “the invisible man of science fiction”. In Hidden Wyndham, Amy Binns reveals for the first time the woman who was the inspiration for his strong-minded heroines. Their secret love affair sustained this gentle and desperately shy man through failure, war, and, ultimately, success.
Hidden Wyndham shows how Wyndham's own disturbing war experiences - witnessing the destruction of London in the Blitz then as part of the invading British army in France and Germany - inspired and underlay his dystopian masterpieces.
It provides an insight into the lives of men and women who refused to live by the oppressive rules of society in the mid-20th century. Many extracts from his letters are included, along with his own photographs.
Yet despite his popularity, his obsessive need for privacy led to him being known as “the invisible man of science fiction”. In Hidden Wyndham, Amy Binns reveals for the first time the woman who was the inspiration for his strong-minded heroines. Their secret love affair sustained this gentle and desperately shy man through failure, war, and, ultimately, success.
Hidden Wyndham shows how Wyndham's own disturbing war experiences - witnessing the destruction of London in the Blitz then as part of the invading British army in France and Germany - inspired and underlay his dystopian masterpieces.
It provides an insight into the lives of men and women who refused to live by the oppressive rules of society in the mid-20th century. Many extracts from his letters are included, along with his own photographs.
- GenresNonfictionBiography
271 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 28, 2020
A fascinating exploration of the life of a very private man, examining how his upbringing and wartime experiences influenced his writing. It's also a glimpse into a period that feels surprisingly alien and remote in spite of being only a hundred years removed.
Full review
I received a free copy for a blog tour in exchange for an honest review.
Full review
I received a free copy for a blog tour in exchange for an honest review.
March 3, 2021
This is an excellent biography of a great, underappreciated, author who was extremely private. The author Binns did a lot of research to put this together. John's correspondence and diaries were destroyed after his death per his wishes; and his wife, Grace, refused to speak to would-be biographers but did keep letters and poems John sent her over their long relationship. John and Grace remained unmarried, and kept their relationship a secret for decades, and didn't marry until she was 60 for personal and professional reasons. They lived in separate small rooms in the Penn House in London until finally buying a house together after their marriage, where they lived the rest of their lives.
Wyndham was a fairly obscure writer until is most popular book, The Day of the Triffids was completed in 1951, about 30 years after he began writing. He then became a popular science fiction writer and wrote a number of novels of which I've read five so far. He is most know for his unique "soft apocalypse" style, and wrote in strong women characters which wasn't that common in the 1950s and 1960s. A number of his women characters were based on acquaintances, especially Grace.
The middle part of the book is all about John's war years told through his eyes from the many letters he wrote to Grace. He was working in London as a censor for the Ministry of Information (with George Orwell's wife!) during the blitz and was one of the oldest men to join the army; and and spent time in France during D-Day and thereafter, and his letters gave detailed accounts of the gruesome effects of the war.
The last third or so of the book focuses on his novels and some of his short stories- what inspired them and who some of the characters were based on. This was the highlight of the book for me. I could relate to the connections author Binns was making between Wyndham's stories and his life experiences. It was fun to see pictures and read stories of John schmoozing with great contemporary science fiction writers such as Arthur C Clarke and Robert Silverberg after struggling so long to write a popular novel.
It's a shame Wyndham's work isn't more well known. It really is unique within the science fiction genre and it think it holds up better than the work of his 1950s - 1960s contemporaries due to John's portrayal of women and overall progressive mindset. I absolutely loved this book and I feel like I finally know who John Wyndham was.
Each chapter has extensive reference notes at its conclusion. There is an insert of pictures in the middle and neat images of his letters and science fiction art scattered throughout the book. At its conclusion, the author Binns includes an extensive list of works of John Wyndham and an index of subject matter. This really is quite a piece of work.
Wyndham was a fairly obscure writer until is most popular book, The Day of the Triffids was completed in 1951, about 30 years after he began writing. He then became a popular science fiction writer and wrote a number of novels of which I've read five so far. He is most know for his unique "soft apocalypse" style, and wrote in strong women characters which wasn't that common in the 1950s and 1960s. A number of his women characters were based on acquaintances, especially Grace.
The middle part of the book is all about John's war years told through his eyes from the many letters he wrote to Grace. He was working in London as a censor for the Ministry of Information (with George Orwell's wife!) during the blitz and was one of the oldest men to join the army; and and spent time in France during D-Day and thereafter, and his letters gave detailed accounts of the gruesome effects of the war.
The last third or so of the book focuses on his novels and some of his short stories- what inspired them and who some of the characters were based on. This was the highlight of the book for me. I could relate to the connections author Binns was making between Wyndham's stories and his life experiences. It was fun to see pictures and read stories of John schmoozing with great contemporary science fiction writers such as Arthur C Clarke and Robert Silverberg after struggling so long to write a popular novel.
It's a shame Wyndham's work isn't more well known. It really is unique within the science fiction genre and it think it holds up better than the work of his 1950s - 1960s contemporaries due to John's portrayal of women and overall progressive mindset. I absolutely loved this book and I feel like I finally know who John Wyndham was.
Each chapter has extensive reference notes at its conclusion. There is an insert of pictures in the middle and neat images of his letters and science fiction art scattered throughout the book. At its conclusion, the author Binns includes an extensive list of works of John Wyndham and an index of subject matter. This really is quite a piece of work.
August 1, 2020
I will be reviewing this for the StarShipSofa podcast. I will update this review with a link to my discussion of the book soon.
August 30, 2020
Not without reason was John Wyndham (real name John Wyndham Beynon Harris) known as the “invisible man of science fiction”. Even friends like Arthur C. Clarke were unaware he had been living with a partner for thirty years, till he married Grace Wilson at the age of 60. “Incredibly, after years of friendship, I knew very little of John – I had no idea he had a girlfriend!”
Few writers have what could be called an exciting life, though some do have peculiar ones – and few are more peculiar than Wyndham’s.
His parents split-up when he was only young, but even before this momentous event he spent most of his childhood at boarding schools, between seven or eight in total. He knew little about a normal family life, neither parent being close to him. After graduating at university, he lived an almost monklike life at the Quaker-run Penn Club in London, where he rented a room (cleaned by the club’s servants) and enjoyed communal meals – a life significantly similar to that he had known at school. He lived in a fairly spartan single room in the club for the next thirty years, broken only with his time in the army during World War Two, though he returned back to it after being demobbed. Most of that time he and Grace had adjoining rooms. Only after they were married did they buy a house of their own for the last few years of his life. Grace was a schoolteacher and it was partly because they weren’t married that their relationship had to be kept secret as it would have meant instant dismissal for her if it ever came out in those days. Why they didn’t marry till after she retired is puzzling, except that Wyndham had little respect for the institution of marriage after what he witnessed of his parents.
During the 1930s, despite a steady sales mainly to American science fiction magazines he had no significant success as a writer, and it was only because he lived a frugal life at the Penn Club and had a modest allowance from his wealthy maternal grandfather he was able to survive. Most of his stories were sold under pseudonyms, mainly John Beynon, though he did write several novels, mainly hardboiled detectives with touches of the fantastic, none doing particularly well. It was not until after the War, when he wrote his breakthrough novel The Day of the Triffids as John Wyndham that he suddenly became a success, going on to write The Midwich Cuckoos, The Kraken Wakes, Chocky, and The Chrysalids. Being almost obsessively private, though, he shied from publicity. In 1957 the World Science Fiction Convention was held in London and Wyndham was elected President of its committee, yet apart from presenting prizes his presence was remarkably lowkey. As Amy Binns writes: “There are several galleries of pictures online, but it’s notable how little the president of the affair features. Jack is there handing out prizes at the luncheon, and introducing the guest of honour, John W. Campbell, but he seems to be missing from the fun. He is not amongst the dancers at the ball or sitting with the drinkers and merrymakers. He doesn’t feature in anecdotes or memories.”
Amy Binns’ biography is detailed, interesting and sympathetic to a writer she obviously likes and admires. It is impressively researched, with some excellent black and white photographs, including magazine and book covers, and a detailed analysis of his major novels and short stories, noting any significant links they might have with his life.
It is all in all a fascinating book, shedding considerable light on one of the most important science fiction writers of the second half of the twentieth century, a man whose influence still extends far beyond his death in 1969 aged 65. He redefined science fiction, especially in Britain, and is one of the few writers whose works never date, with several adaptations of both The Day of the Triffids and The Midwich Cuckoos (aka Village of the Damned) on TV and film, not to mention the radio, and no one would be a surprised to see more of both in the future. It is one of the best literary biographies I have ever read and a must for anyone interested in the history of science fiction, especially in the UK.
Few writers have what could be called an exciting life, though some do have peculiar ones – and few are more peculiar than Wyndham’s.
His parents split-up when he was only young, but even before this momentous event he spent most of his childhood at boarding schools, between seven or eight in total. He knew little about a normal family life, neither parent being close to him. After graduating at university, he lived an almost monklike life at the Quaker-run Penn Club in London, where he rented a room (cleaned by the club’s servants) and enjoyed communal meals – a life significantly similar to that he had known at school. He lived in a fairly spartan single room in the club for the next thirty years, broken only with his time in the army during World War Two, though he returned back to it after being demobbed. Most of that time he and Grace had adjoining rooms. Only after they were married did they buy a house of their own for the last few years of his life. Grace was a schoolteacher and it was partly because they weren’t married that their relationship had to be kept secret as it would have meant instant dismissal for her if it ever came out in those days. Why they didn’t marry till after she retired is puzzling, except that Wyndham had little respect for the institution of marriage after what he witnessed of his parents.
During the 1930s, despite a steady sales mainly to American science fiction magazines he had no significant success as a writer, and it was only because he lived a frugal life at the Penn Club and had a modest allowance from his wealthy maternal grandfather he was able to survive. Most of his stories were sold under pseudonyms, mainly John Beynon, though he did write several novels, mainly hardboiled detectives with touches of the fantastic, none doing particularly well. It was not until after the War, when he wrote his breakthrough novel The Day of the Triffids as John Wyndham that he suddenly became a success, going on to write The Midwich Cuckoos, The Kraken Wakes, Chocky, and The Chrysalids. Being almost obsessively private, though, he shied from publicity. In 1957 the World Science Fiction Convention was held in London and Wyndham was elected President of its committee, yet apart from presenting prizes his presence was remarkably lowkey. As Amy Binns writes: “There are several galleries of pictures online, but it’s notable how little the president of the affair features. Jack is there handing out prizes at the luncheon, and introducing the guest of honour, John W. Campbell, but he seems to be missing from the fun. He is not amongst the dancers at the ball or sitting with the drinkers and merrymakers. He doesn’t feature in anecdotes or memories.”
Amy Binns’ biography is detailed, interesting and sympathetic to a writer she obviously likes and admires. It is impressively researched, with some excellent black and white photographs, including magazine and book covers, and a detailed analysis of his major novels and short stories, noting any significant links they might have with his life.
It is all in all a fascinating book, shedding considerable light on one of the most important science fiction writers of the second half of the twentieth century, a man whose influence still extends far beyond his death in 1969 aged 65. He redefined science fiction, especially in Britain, and is one of the few writers whose works never date, with several adaptations of both The Day of the Triffids and The Midwich Cuckoos (aka Village of the Damned) on TV and film, not to mention the radio, and no one would be a surprised to see more of both in the future. It is one of the best literary biographies I have ever read and a must for anyone interested in the history of science fiction, especially in the UK.
July 7, 2023
Despite being aware of Wyndham's work since I were a lad I knew nothing about the man. One would expect a scifi icon to have hidden depths, perhaps exuding a certain charisma, be a man who people talk about. Instead we have a nondescript little clerk of a man who took 30 years to launch. It sums it up that he lived in a room for literally decades with his secret girlfriend a few doors down. And when they married and moved to a village his real identity wasnt even known by the members of a reading group he attended. Amy Binns of the University of Lancashire has done some impeccable research, much of it from the University of Liverpool science fiction archive on her doorstep.
Was this really the man who brought us the Kraken and the devilish cuckoos?
Strange tale indeed.
Was this really the man who brought us the Kraken and the devilish cuckoos?
Strange tale indeed.
March 3, 2022
This book is something special.
I discovered John Wyndham in my high school library, back in the 1980s, and felt a great affinity with him - something which has lasted all my life. I could see that he had a keen intelligence, a fierce individualism, a low view of religious authoritarianism, and he truly wrote from the heart. Now that I've read almost everything that he's written, I feel I know the man quite well. However, I knew little about him biographically, until a TV documentary appeared in the noughties, through which I learned that he was an intensely private man.
Then "Hidden Wyndham" came along, giving us fans the biography that Wyndham never wished to write. It's unclear how much of this Wyndham (deceased since 1969) would have wanted made public. There are no scandals in the book, by modern standards, but the nature of his relationiship with Grace Wilson would sadly have been frowned upon at the time, hence the gulf between his private life and his public persona as an author. But what impressed me most was the sheer absence of ego in the man. He even left instructions that he was to be cremated and there was to be no funeral service. Wyndham exemplified a quote by Stephen King that I always liked: "It is the tale, not he who tells it."
But fans will always be interested in "he who tells it"; it's unavoidable. And Amy Binns has done amazing work, investigating a staggering amount of sources, to give us a portrait of John Wyndham that is so much fuller and richer than I could have imagined. I'm so glad she wrote this, and I will treasure this book.
I discovered John Wyndham in my high school library, back in the 1980s, and felt a great affinity with him - something which has lasted all my life. I could see that he had a keen intelligence, a fierce individualism, a low view of religious authoritarianism, and he truly wrote from the heart. Now that I've read almost everything that he's written, I feel I know the man quite well. However, I knew little about him biographically, until a TV documentary appeared in the noughties, through which I learned that he was an intensely private man.
Then "Hidden Wyndham" came along, giving us fans the biography that Wyndham never wished to write. It's unclear how much of this Wyndham (deceased since 1969) would have wanted made public. There are no scandals in the book, by modern standards, but the nature of his relationiship with Grace Wilson would sadly have been frowned upon at the time, hence the gulf between his private life and his public persona as an author. But what impressed me most was the sheer absence of ego in the man. He even left instructions that he was to be cremated and there was to be no funeral service. Wyndham exemplified a quote by Stephen King that I always liked: "It is the tale, not he who tells it."
But fans will always be interested in "he who tells it"; it's unavoidable. And Amy Binns has done amazing work, investigating a staggering amount of sources, to give us a portrait of John Wyndham that is so much fuller and richer than I could have imagined. I'm so glad she wrote this, and I will treasure this book.
February 27, 2020
This is a biography of John Wyndham, author of The Midwich Cuckoos, The Chrysalids and more famously The Day Of The Triffids.
It tells of his difficult and rather traumatic childhood with a distant mother who he felt didn’t do enough to protect him and his brother, and a controlling father who even forced him to drink a glass of sherry as a child. He had been sent to various schools and found them difficult, it wasn’t until he was sent to the co-Ed school, Bedales that he felt some happiness, as did his brother, Viv.
As he grew he continued to write his stories, determined to make a living as a writer. Struggling until finally finding success but he stayed living in modest rooms and happiest when in the countryside.
He was also sent to France during the war and saw many traumatic things during this horrific conflict. Told using many of Wyndham’s letters to his beloved Grace, during their 36 year love story and is very moving.
A beautifully written insight into the life of the quiet, private man that was John Wyndham and how that life is reflected in his books.
Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour, for the promotional materials and a free copy of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.
It tells of his difficult and rather traumatic childhood with a distant mother who he felt didn’t do enough to protect him and his brother, and a controlling father who even forced him to drink a glass of sherry as a child. He had been sent to various schools and found them difficult, it wasn’t until he was sent to the co-Ed school, Bedales that he felt some happiness, as did his brother, Viv.
As he grew he continued to write his stories, determined to make a living as a writer. Struggling until finally finding success but he stayed living in modest rooms and happiest when in the countryside.
He was also sent to France during the war and saw many traumatic things during this horrific conflict. Told using many of Wyndham’s letters to his beloved Grace, during their 36 year love story and is very moving.
A beautifully written insight into the life of the quiet, private man that was John Wyndham and how that life is reflected in his books.
Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour, for the promotional materials and a free copy of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.
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November 14, 2022Absolutely essential reading about the writer known best as John Wyndham -- John Wyndham being one of the pen names for John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris -- though partially due to the fact that there is no other full biography of Wyndham available. That said, Amy Binns does a thoroughly decent job of setting down the eras of Wyndham's life, and providing context. She also lets Wyndham and those closest to him do a lot of the talking, and Hidden Wyndham is an absolute trove of Wyndham's letters and diaries.
This is where the documentary produced by the BBC, John Wyndham: The Invisible Man of Science Fiction, falls down, interviewing such folk as Brian Aldiss -- who famously slagged Wyndham's novels as "cosy catastrophes" -- or the daughter of close friends whose decision to become a nun so upset Wyndham he couldn't speak to the family for half a year. Their insinuation that his death by heart attack was somehow attributable to becoming a henpecked husband and not a multi-pack a day habit his entire adult life was appalling, and Binns is much better than that.
Binns occasionally set my back with was seemed like congenitally uncool attempts at relevance -- like when she refers to the students of Bedales as "snowflakes" or takes some clumsy jabs at #MeToo in the context of Wyndham's father's status as a sex pest and all around creep. No, Daddy Harris wasn't a "ladies' man" -- he was sexually assaulting his servants -- and referring to him this way is euphemistic to the point of absurdity. Occasionally she assumed common knowledge of British history and culture which forced this American to have to google a bit (and I think I'm probably better read than the average) but honestly, I don't really mind. Learning new stuff is neat.
Anyway, far and away the most personal portrait of an intensely private man and a writer who is due for a revival. Good stuff.
This is where the documentary produced by the BBC, John Wyndham: The Invisible Man of Science Fiction, falls down, interviewing such folk as Brian Aldiss -- who famously slagged Wyndham's novels as "cosy catastrophes" -- or the daughter of close friends whose decision to become a nun so upset Wyndham he couldn't speak to the family for half a year. Their insinuation that his death by heart attack was somehow attributable to becoming a henpecked husband and not a multi-pack a day habit his entire adult life was appalling, and Binns is much better than that.
Binns occasionally set my back with was seemed like congenitally uncool attempts at relevance -- like when she refers to the students of Bedales as "snowflakes" or takes some clumsy jabs at #MeToo in the context of Wyndham's father's status as a sex pest and all around creep. No, Daddy Harris wasn't a "ladies' man" -- he was sexually assaulting his servants -- and referring to him this way is euphemistic to the point of absurdity. Occasionally she assumed common knowledge of British history and culture which forced this American to have to google a bit (and I think I'm probably better read than the average) but honestly, I don't really mind. Learning new stuff is neat.
Anyway, far and away the most personal portrait of an intensely private man and a writer who is due for a revival. Good stuff.
February 23, 2020
With the subtitle “Life, Loves, Letters “, this is the book that truly explores the somewhat shadowy author of the bestselling “The Day of the Triffids” among other clever and successful science fiction novels. John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Benyon Harris was an intensely private man in many ways, who ordered many of his own papers to be destroyed at his death by the great love of his life, Grace. Binns has used details unearthed very carefully from various sources to give this highly successful picture of a man who wrote so brilliantly of alternative ways of living, especially appreciating his thoughts on the way that society “downgraded” women by marriage. His letters which survive give an enchanting view of a man who loved a woman very deeply for a long time, but who he refused to compromise in an institution he distrusted.
This is a moving portrait of a thinker, writer and feminist in a time of difficult peace and challenging war. A man who struggled with school until he encountered a totally unique institution, and who chose to live for most of his adult life in a community on the physical edge of Bloomsbury, if not getting involved in the curious situations which that society implied. He is shown as an innovator in terms of literary output, quietly using alternative views to influence his readers. I was fascinated and very grateful to have the opportunity to read this excellent biography of a long term literary hero.
This book carefully reveals details of his parents; his father being a pretentious politician and lawyer who gave his sons pretentious names to seek a link with famous families. George Harris was a cheat who tried to gain every possible financial benefit from his wife’s wealthy family, and their acrimonious breakup was another off putting factor when it came to views on marriage. John remained close to his mother and brother throughout their lives. The book really came alive for me when the letters between John and Grace were printed. John wrote beautiful letters to her throughout the war years, as he tried to persuade her to stay out of a London which was being regularly bombed. He was aware of what made a good letter as he was spending his time censoring letters in a government department. He vividly described the bombing raids and described the evacuation from the club in which he lived. One person got separated from the rest , and he wrote of the man “greeting us with the enthusiasm of a shipwrecked sailor” .
The account of John’s early literary endeavours and as he moves into his world famous novels is fascinating, with some unique pieces about stories that had small or obscure publications. Influences such as the puffball mushrooms in the countryside around were a direct influence on certain books; the breakdown of society in Day of Triffids was from what he saw in the immediate aftermath of war.
This book forms a very satisfactory insight into the life and times of a great twentieth century writer. Many people like myself have devoured Wyndham’s books as the most accessible of science fiction. It was fascinating to learn about what influenced some important novels and read about the person who created them. I recommend this for all those who enjoy literary biographies.
This is a moving portrait of a thinker, writer and feminist in a time of difficult peace and challenging war. A man who struggled with school until he encountered a totally unique institution, and who chose to live for most of his adult life in a community on the physical edge of Bloomsbury, if not getting involved in the curious situations which that society implied. He is shown as an innovator in terms of literary output, quietly using alternative views to influence his readers. I was fascinated and very grateful to have the opportunity to read this excellent biography of a long term literary hero.
This book carefully reveals details of his parents; his father being a pretentious politician and lawyer who gave his sons pretentious names to seek a link with famous families. George Harris was a cheat who tried to gain every possible financial benefit from his wife’s wealthy family, and their acrimonious breakup was another off putting factor when it came to views on marriage. John remained close to his mother and brother throughout their lives. The book really came alive for me when the letters between John and Grace were printed. John wrote beautiful letters to her throughout the war years, as he tried to persuade her to stay out of a London which was being regularly bombed. He was aware of what made a good letter as he was spending his time censoring letters in a government department. He vividly described the bombing raids and described the evacuation from the club in which he lived. One person got separated from the rest , and he wrote of the man “greeting us with the enthusiasm of a shipwrecked sailor” .
The account of John’s early literary endeavours and as he moves into his world famous novels is fascinating, with some unique pieces about stories that had small or obscure publications. Influences such as the puffball mushrooms in the countryside around were a direct influence on certain books; the breakdown of society in Day of Triffids was from what he saw in the immediate aftermath of war.
This book forms a very satisfactory insight into the life and times of a great twentieth century writer. Many people like myself have devoured Wyndham’s books as the most accessible of science fiction. It was fascinating to learn about what influenced some important novels and read about the person who created them. I recommend this for all those who enjoy literary biographies.
September 3, 2022
Sometimes it is hard to tell why a biographer chose the subject for their book. Fortunately, that is not the case here: Binns is a fantastic biographer with a detailed knowledge and interest in and of her subject and shows a deep understanding of him and the world he lived in. She also appreciates what he was writing beyond the obvious skill he displayed in the creation of it. Equally wonderful is the fact that Wyndham is an admirable figure: in a world full of disappointments it is heartening to know that there are some figures who do not betray the interest we show in them.
July 3, 2022
Wyndham admirer since childhood
What a treat to find this measured, affectionate and spare (in the best sense) biography of a writer I have loved since childhood. If you have ever read and loved his books this will be a treat, to know a little more of the gentle, passionate, measured man that wrote them.
What a treat to find this measured, affectionate and spare (in the best sense) biography of a writer I have loved since childhood. If you have ever read and loved his books this will be a treat, to know a little more of the gentle, passionate, measured man that wrote them.
February 26, 2020
Somewhere back around 1978 I picked up a version of Day of the Triffids (my mum had been to see the film) from the school library. I was only 11 so I'm guessing it was an abridged version for youngsters (though I could be wrong). The whole first scene with Bill waking up in hospital, after an eye operation, to a totally changed world fascinated me.
Skip forward a few years and a slightly older me is now at comprehensive school, in English class and the book we are given to read is The Chrysalids. Yes, they actually gave us something cool to read!! And I loved it more than Triffids. So much so that I was actively searching libraries for any Wyndham novels I could find.
Now, another skip forward, nigh on 40 years this time, and an email pops up offering me the opportunity to re iew Hidden Wyndham, the story of the man himself. Up until that point I wasn't even aware that I knew so little about one of my literary favourites. Indeed, many people didn't.
In Hidden Wyndham, Life, Love, Letters Amy Binns takes a look at the life of this most reclusive of authors. Binns studied a lot of Wyndham's letters to write this book and these are the backbone of this book. The life of a great writer was often a struggle and this is seen in his words here as he observes the coming of war and lives through it too. Even here though his prose is something above the normal everyday letters home.
Although he is now known as one of the greats of classic Sci-fi the struggle to get his career off the ground makes for rather sad reading, in such a way that I wished I could climb into the pages, put an arm around his shoulders and just say "mate, it's all gonna be good"
So, not the happiest of biographies but certainly one I enjoyed and a real insight into the life of one of the greats.
5/5* Highly Recommended
Skip forward a few years and a slightly older me is now at comprehensive school, in English class and the book we are given to read is The Chrysalids. Yes, they actually gave us something cool to read!! And I loved it more than Triffids. So much so that I was actively searching libraries for any Wyndham novels I could find.
Now, another skip forward, nigh on 40 years this time, and an email pops up offering me the opportunity to re iew Hidden Wyndham, the story of the man himself. Up until that point I wasn't even aware that I knew so little about one of my literary favourites. Indeed, many people didn't.
In Hidden Wyndham, Life, Love, Letters Amy Binns takes a look at the life of this most reclusive of authors. Binns studied a lot of Wyndham's letters to write this book and these are the backbone of this book. The life of a great writer was often a struggle and this is seen in his words here as he observes the coming of war and lives through it too. Even here though his prose is something above the normal everyday letters home.
Although he is now known as one of the greats of classic Sci-fi the struggle to get his career off the ground makes for rather sad reading, in such a way that I wished I could climb into the pages, put an arm around his shoulders and just say "mate, it's all gonna be good"
So, not the happiest of biographies but certainly one I enjoyed and a real insight into the life of one of the greats.
5/5* Highly Recommended
February 24, 2020
This is a thoughtful and well researched biography of an intensely private author who has been dubbed, 'The invisible man of science fiction'. By the end of the book, you will feel not only that you know him a little better, but that you understand his books a little more clearly too. Throughout the book, Amy Binns seeks to throw light on where he got his inspiration for his stories and characters and traces them back to the roots of his own life. It is a fascinating read.
You are given an overview on how the genre of science fiction evolved, on from the novels of H G Wells, through the American and British publishers who were on the look out for short stories to fill their pulp fiction. What set John Wyndham apart seems to have been his ability to root his stories in the everyday here on Earth and to take a problem to its logical conclusion. You can relate to the plots. You can think, 'What if I was in that situation?' You can recognise patterns of behaviour and look at what happens when society is disrupted and accepted roles are broken.
From the period detail of the twentieth century, to insights into John Wyndham's life, you are presented with a readable account which is never dry. The subject comes alive off the page. John and Grace's relationship intrigues and his letters to her are touching as much for what he is unable to say, as what he does. War emerges as a horrifying experience, which he tapped into in his subsequent books. I always enjoy writing which sends me off on tangents and makes me think. This biography certainly did that and has sent me off to eye up all those John Wyndham books which are on my shelves.
In short: Illuminating, inspiring, intriguing - wonderful!
Thanks to the author for a copy of the book.
You are given an overview on how the genre of science fiction evolved, on from the novels of H G Wells, through the American and British publishers who were on the look out for short stories to fill their pulp fiction. What set John Wyndham apart seems to have been his ability to root his stories in the everyday here on Earth and to take a problem to its logical conclusion. You can relate to the plots. You can think, 'What if I was in that situation?' You can recognise patterns of behaviour and look at what happens when society is disrupted and accepted roles are broken.
From the period detail of the twentieth century, to insights into John Wyndham's life, you are presented with a readable account which is never dry. The subject comes alive off the page. John and Grace's relationship intrigues and his letters to her are touching as much for what he is unable to say, as what he does. War emerges as a horrifying experience, which he tapped into in his subsequent books. I always enjoy writing which sends me off on tangents and makes me think. This biography certainly did that and has sent me off to eye up all those John Wyndham books which are on my shelves.
In short: Illuminating, inspiring, intriguing - wonderful!
Thanks to the author for a copy of the book.
February 21, 2020
A marvellous introduction to a very private man.
December 11, 2019
Review forthcoming.
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