It's Ballard, but not at his best
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The various stories here encompass the range of Ballard's ideas and subjects prevalent in his work; alienation, the influence of technology, the questioning of sexual and social convention, dysfunctional psychologies, etc. it's all here.
Sadly although the quality of writing shows the promise of his best work, the direction and structure of some of these stories does not. Some of them are merely aimless or disappointing, but some of them are downright boring, which is not something I imagined myself writing about Ballard's work.
For fans, I can recommend these stories as accompaniments to the likes of the Atrocity Exhibition. For those new to Ballard's work, I would suggest starting with Crash instead, which is a masterpiece.
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Another masterpiece from a true visionary
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MY introduction to Ballard, this book blew my mind like nothing I'd read before. Ballard's short stories from the 50's to the 80's are all essential for anyone who appreciates imaginative fiction, and this book is no exception. These are stunningly imaginative and perfectly constructed short stories. Ballard sets the standard by which all other short story writers must be judged.
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