Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Penguin Books (1955), Mass Market Paperback, 240 pages
Description
It started with fireballs raining down from the sky and crashing into the oceans' depths. Then ships began sinking mysteriously and later 'sea tanks' emerged from the depths to claim people ... For journalists Mike and Phyllis Watson, what at first appears to be a curiosity becomes a global calamity. Helpless, they watch as humanity struggles to survive now that water - one of the compounds upon which life depends - is turned against them. Finally, sea levels begin their inexorable rise ...
User reviews
LibraryThing member SComley
Not very good takes to long to get to anything interesting
LibraryThing member JSmith5528
This is an alien invasion story. In the first phase, objects from outer space land in the oceans. The distribution of their landing points -- always at ocean deeps, never on land -- implies intelligence. Phase two starts with ships being attacked, causing havoc to world shipping. Shortly after, the
Alien invasion stories are not my particular favorite scifi sub-genre, but this one is pretty good. Wyndham does an excellent job keeping the aliens a mystery, which makes them more threatening. We never actually see the aliens, they remain concealed; everything we know about them is inferred from their actions. Likewise, we never really understand their motives – was their plan always to conquer Earth, or did they attack us in response to our attacks? In many ways this novel predicts current global warming fears when the aliens melt the polar ice caps and devastate the human population. The ending seemed a bit rushed – as if Wyndham wrote himself into a corner and pulled the superweapon out of thin air to end the novel. Also, this novel is very similar to the superior Day of the Triffids. But, it’s still much better than most of the “aliens invade” stories I’ve read.
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aliens start ‘harvesting’ the land by sending up ‘sea tanks’ which capture humans from seaside settlements; this is presumed to be for investigation, although the humans always drown. However, humans manage to defeat this phase. Next, the aliens start melting the ice caps causing sea levels to rise. London and other ports are gradually flooded, causing widespread social and political collapse. The narrators are Mike and Phyllis Watson, a British married couple who are both journalists, as they try to survive and understand what is going on. At the end, humanity develops an underwater ultrasonic weapon that kills the aliens. However, the world population has been reduced to less than a fifth of its level before these events. Alien invasion stories are not my particular favorite scifi sub-genre, but this one is pretty good. Wyndham does an excellent job keeping the aliens a mystery, which makes them more threatening. We never actually see the aliens, they remain concealed; everything we know about them is inferred from their actions. Likewise, we never really understand their motives – was their plan always to conquer Earth, or did they attack us in response to our attacks? In many ways this novel predicts current global warming fears when the aliens melt the polar ice caps and devastate the human population. The ending seemed a bit rushed – as if Wyndham wrote himself into a corner and pulled the superweapon out of thin air to end the novel. Also, this novel is very similar to the superior Day of the Triffids. But, it’s still much better than most of the “aliens invade” stories I’ve read.
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LibraryThing member edgeworth
This is the second of John Wyndham’s excellent four-book stretch of science fiction novels, and I recall it generally being my favourite. It followed his hugely successful novel The Day of the Triffids, and repeats the theme of human society collapsing in the face of an alien
Obviously there are a number of differences between the two novels, but from the viewpoint of a post-apocalyptic fiction fan, the key difference is timing. The Day of Triffids follows an apocalypse that occurs literally overnight, whereas The Kraken Wakes takes place over many years. The novel follows journalist Mike Watson and his wife Phyllis as they investigate mysterious fireballs that have begun descending from the sky and landing in the deepest parts of the Earth’s ocean. A British bathyscope expedition investigating this phenomenon has its cables cut,and responds imprudently with nuclear depth charges. Before long ships mysteriously begin to sink. Further nuclear bombs dropped into the deepest trenchs and chasms of the ocean in retaliation don’t always go off. Sediment and ooze are showing up in ocean currents, suggesting mining activity on the seabed. The attacks on ships expand until virtually the entire ocean is a danger zone. Something is down there. What are we going to do about it?
Wyndham handles the gradual emergence of the threat masterfully, creating a profoundly disturbing menace that is never seen, lurking in the dark and pressure-crushing depths of the ocean – the only place on the planet we cannot venture. Human society thus grapples with a completely unbelievable threat. All throughout the book, action by government leaders and military figures and ordinary citizens is hampered by denialism, partisan poilitics, worries about the stock market, suspicion of the Soviet Union, media sensationalism and accusations of alarmism. It’s a strong and depressingly realistic portrayal of people bickering and squabbling in the face of a looming threat, too caught up in their petty pre-existing issue to face it down properly. Wyndham delivers some scathing critiques of many aspects of human society and the human mindset, but as a natural writer he lampoons the media best. In one example, Mike and Phyliss discover that following the unexplained sinking of a ship, every newspaper has independently decided to compare it to the Marie Celeste.
“Wasn’t the whole point about the Mary Celeste that she didn’t sink?”
“Roughly – yes, darling.”
“Well, then what is all this about her for?”
“It is what is known as an “angle,” darling. It means in translation that nobody has a ghost of an idea why the Yatsushiro sank. Consequently she has been classified as a Mystery-of-the-Sea. This gives her a natural affinity with other Mysteries-of-the-Sea, and the Marie Celeste was the only other M-of-the-S that anyone could call to mind in the white heat of composition. In other words, they are completely stumped.”
…
She nodded, and we went on working through the pile, learning a lot more about the Marie Celeste than we did about the Yatsushiro.
In addition to realistically portraying how mankind reacts when faced with gradual threats, The Kraken Wakes has some truly creepy and disturbing moments – not just the unknown and unseen creatures lurking below human reach, but also with a number of other scenes, particularly a Brazilian navy party encountering a deserted island. The novel’s final third is a devastating climax to all that comes before it, but I don’t want to give anything away.
As with The Day of the Triffids, the book is remarkably well-aged, but Wyndham still shows his upbringing – the Soviet Union is unfailingly portrayed as a nation of stupid, one-track mind paranoiacs, while the United States is a nation of trigger-happy cowboys. And, like The Day of the Triffids, The Kraken Wakes has a sudden and optimistic ending which comes out of nowhere and seems rather tacked on. Nonetheless, mankind is in a pretty sorry state at this point, and The Kraken Wakes does a marvellous job of showing denialism, rash decisions and vested interests preventing people from tackling a challenge until it’s almost destroyed them. Written in the early1950s, I’m sure the specific example Wyndham had in mind was the Appeasement of Hitler (one character even draws this comparison), but I’m sure the savvy reader might think of a contemporary example – particularly as they reach the final third of the book.
In any case, The Kraken Wakes is a brilliant classic science fiction novel, my favourite John Wyndham book, and probably in my top ten favourite books of all time. Read it.
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intelligence.Obviously there are a number of differences between the two novels, but from the viewpoint of a post-apocalyptic fiction fan, the key difference is timing. The Day of Triffids follows an apocalypse that occurs literally overnight, whereas The Kraken Wakes takes place over many years. The novel follows journalist Mike Watson and his wife Phyllis as they investigate mysterious fireballs that have begun descending from the sky and landing in the deepest parts of the Earth’s ocean. A British bathyscope expedition investigating this phenomenon has its cables cut,and responds imprudently with nuclear depth charges. Before long ships mysteriously begin to sink. Further nuclear bombs dropped into the deepest trenchs and chasms of the ocean in retaliation don’t always go off. Sediment and ooze are showing up in ocean currents, suggesting mining activity on the seabed. The attacks on ships expand until virtually the entire ocean is a danger zone. Something is down there. What are we going to do about it?
Wyndham handles the gradual emergence of the threat masterfully, creating a profoundly disturbing menace that is never seen, lurking in the dark and pressure-crushing depths of the ocean – the only place on the planet we cannot venture. Human society thus grapples with a completely unbelievable threat. All throughout the book, action by government leaders and military figures and ordinary citizens is hampered by denialism, partisan poilitics, worries about the stock market, suspicion of the Soviet Union, media sensationalism and accusations of alarmism. It’s a strong and depressingly realistic portrayal of people bickering and squabbling in the face of a looming threat, too caught up in their petty pre-existing issue to face it down properly. Wyndham delivers some scathing critiques of many aspects of human society and the human mindset, but as a natural writer he lampoons the media best. In one example, Mike and Phyliss discover that following the unexplained sinking of a ship, every newspaper has independently decided to compare it to the Marie Celeste.
“Wasn’t the whole point about the Mary Celeste that she didn’t sink?”
“Roughly – yes, darling.”
“Well, then what is all this about her for?”
“It is what is known as an “angle,” darling. It means in translation that nobody has a ghost of an idea why the Yatsushiro sank. Consequently she has been classified as a Mystery-of-the-Sea. This gives her a natural affinity with other Mysteries-of-the-Sea, and the Marie Celeste was the only other M-of-the-S that anyone could call to mind in the white heat of composition. In other words, they are completely stumped.”
…
She nodded, and we went on working through the pile, learning a lot more about the Marie Celeste than we did about the Yatsushiro.
In addition to realistically portraying how mankind reacts when faced with gradual threats, The Kraken Wakes has some truly creepy and disturbing moments – not just the unknown and unseen creatures lurking below human reach, but also with a number of other scenes, particularly a Brazilian navy party encountering a deserted island. The novel’s final third is a devastating climax to all that comes before it, but I don’t want to give anything away.
As with The Day of the Triffids, the book is remarkably well-aged, but Wyndham still shows his upbringing – the Soviet Union is unfailingly portrayed as a nation of stupid, one-track mind paranoiacs, while the United States is a nation of trigger-happy cowboys. And, like The Day of the Triffids, The Kraken Wakes has a sudden and optimistic ending which comes out of nowhere and seems rather tacked on. Nonetheless, mankind is in a pretty sorry state at this point, and The Kraken Wakes does a marvellous job of showing denialism, rash decisions and vested interests preventing people from tackling a challenge until it’s almost destroyed them. Written in the early1950s, I’m sure the specific example Wyndham had in mind was the Appeasement of Hitler (one character even draws this comparison), but I’m sure the savvy reader might think of a contemporary example – particularly as they reach the final third of the book.
In any case, The Kraken Wakes is a brilliant classic science fiction novel, my favourite John Wyndham book, and probably in my top ten favourite books of all time. Read it.
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LibraryThing member Bcteagirl
The Kraken Wakes would likely be categorized as a 'Cozy Catastrophe'. Although it is a dystopian tale, it is not overly dark, nor is there gore. I would suggest Day of the Triffids followed by this book as an introduction to dystopian books for those who are worried about gore or about a book being
The book is written as a memoir, which tells you that the person (main character writing it) survived. They are trying to piece together for histories sake, just what happened. Many years ago red comet like entities began crashing into the ocean in increasing numbers. Here you can clearly see what era the book was written is as the situation quickly escalates into everyone blaming Russia and Russia blaming the 'capitalist pigs'. This continues for a few years until people stop bothering about the comets since they don't seem to be doing anything. Then ships traveling over deep water begin to go missing. Again it seems to be Russia vs the rest of the world. Very few seem to be making any connections between the red comets. Then settlements near deep water are 'attacked'. What struck me was the need for normality, or how quickly people jumped to 'Yes, but that is over in X, not here, we are fine' or assumed things were fine after a period of time. The book spans years with changes happening so slowly that many don't notice until the changes appear more drastically (Think putting a frog in water and then turning up the heat). I have heard that some found this book slow. I did not find that to be the case. I think it highlights how people resist changes that do not make sense to them and cling to what they believe to be 'normal'. I gave this book 5 stars.
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far to dark for them.The book is written as a memoir, which tells you that the person (main character writing it) survived. They are trying to piece together for histories sake, just what happened. Many years ago red comet like entities began crashing into the ocean in increasing numbers. Here you can clearly see what era the book was written is as the situation quickly escalates into everyone blaming Russia and Russia blaming the 'capitalist pigs'. This continues for a few years until people stop bothering about the comets since they don't seem to be doing anything. Then ships traveling over deep water begin to go missing. Again it seems to be Russia vs the rest of the world. Very few seem to be making any connections between the red comets. Then settlements near deep water are 'attacked'. What struck me was the need for normality, or how quickly people jumped to 'Yes, but that is over in X, not here, we are fine' or assumed things were fine after a period of time. The book spans years with changes happening so slowly that many don't notice until the changes appear more drastically (Think putting a frog in water and then turning up the heat). I have heard that some found this book slow. I did not find that to be the case. I think it highlights how people resist changes that do not make sense to them and cling to what they believe to be 'normal'. I gave this book 5 stars.
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LibraryThing member sturlington
Aliens invade the Earth and take up residence in the deepest parts of the oceans, where we can't bomb the crap out of them, then they try to exterminate us. This was entertaining, if a little talky and dated. The unseen aliens were an effective unknowable menace, especially the invading "sea tanks"
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with their jellyfish-like tentacles, and the depiction of our response to a slow-rising threat was depressingly spot-on. The ending particularly resonates for those of us looking down the barrel of climate change now. Sometimes didactic, particularly in the lectures about governments not letting people defend themselves (bullets were no good against the sea tanks, anyway), and references to people who were not white and Western were cringe-worthy, but putting those things aside, it's a solid and unusual alien-invasion story. Show Less
LibraryThing member ecumenicalcouncil
Consider this book a cross between Wyndham's most famous book, Day of the Triffids, and H G Wells' War of the worlds. Into an already edgy cold war climate come creatures which live in the deepest parts of our oceans and possess advanced technology. Weather it's our fault or theirs things escalate
There were two things I liked about this classic science fiction story. The first is Wyndham's playing with the media and the governmental spin put on the events being described in the book. He portray's his government and governments in general as completely useless when they are most needed. The other thing I liked was that Wyndham makes no attempt at any point to describe some monster from the deeps for us. He leaves everything up to our imaginations which, lets face it, can come up with all sorts of horrors to fill the gaps the author leaves.
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and only one species can survive.There were two things I liked about this classic science fiction story. The first is Wyndham's playing with the media and the governmental spin put on the events being described in the book. He portray's his government and governments in general as completely useless when they are most needed. The other thing I liked was that Wyndham makes no attempt at any point to describe some monster from the deeps for us. He leaves everything up to our imaginations which, lets face it, can come up with all sorts of horrors to fill the gaps the author leaves.
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LibraryThing member jayne_charles
I'm still looking for life after Day of the Triffids. This was an apocalypse novel of sorts, but seemed to spend an awful lot of time in the early stages just ruminating about what might be going on, and introducing the narrator's spunky wife.
Once it was established that there was something going
There is a third part to the book, where living conditions have become even worse, but the space given to this didn't seem enough. I would have liked to heare more about lfe under these circumstances as it's a situation we could face in the real world, though I suspect it would not be brought about by creatures from the deep but by our own actions.
Once it was established that there was something going
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on under the sea, and things started kicking off, the story became quite exciting and thought provoking. I had never thought previously about the reliance we place on being able to use waterborne transport.There is a third part to the book, where living conditions have become even worse, but the space given to this didn't seem enough. I would have liked to heare more about lfe under these circumstances as it's a situation we could face in the real world, though I suspect it would not be brought about by creatures from the deep but by our own actions.
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LibraryThing member plabebob
The genius of this book is how hidden & mysterious the enemy is, with overtones of cold war psychology. Brilliant use of pseudo-science to create a believable & frightening alien threat.
LibraryThing member papyri
A most enjoyable story. This audio drama is very well done. The story keeps you interested throughout.
LibraryThing member Figgles
Rising sea levels, mob rule in London, political point scoring when a crisis demands action, journalists suffering from PTSD - no it's not this weeks news headlines, it's John Wyndham's 1953 sci-fi disaster novel "The Kraken Wakes". Through the eyes of a married couple of journalists it tells the
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story of a world threatened by a mysterious alien invasion, based in the deepest oceans. An interesting mix of historical setting (the world is very much 1953) and timeless observations on human nature. Also a cracking read! Show Less
LibraryThing member jhughes84
In Wyndham’s The Kraken Wakes (Previously published under the title Out of the Deeps), English journalist for the EBC--- not the BBC, Mike Watson writes an account of events that he and his wife Phyllis witnessed. Starting on their honeymoon with what was described as fireballs falling from the
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sky and leading to the attacks of “sea tanks” and the unusually fast melting of icebergs. Not your typical science fiction story, the aliens are no longer confined to taking over from Outer Space. The story was cut up in three phases which moved the plot along wonderfully, however there was not much character development. British narrator Alex Jennings shows animation playing multiple people very well including men, women, English, Russian, and French characters. Fans of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds will enjoy this story. Show Less
LibraryThing member soylentgreen23
Get past the annoyingly old-fashioned writing and dialogue, and here is a fascinating look at a flooded world. Sadly, Wyndham takes far too long getting to the interesting, post-apocalyptic world he deals with so carefully, and so successfully, in his other works, notably in "Day of the Triffids."
LibraryThing member imyril
This remains one of my favourite novels ever written. Jolly hockey sticks in the face of rising sea levels, alien sea monsters and the world falling apart. The haunting descriptions of drowning London send shivers down my spine.
LibraryThing member adzebill
Aliens from Jupiter invade the deep sea in the 1950s, we nuke them, they kidnap thousands then melt the ice caps. Much jolly japery about the Russkies. Interestingly prescient account of the horrors of rapid sea level rise.
LibraryThing member PilgrimJess
"Procrastination and ineptitude has from the beginning marked the attitude of the Authorities......"
Many years ago I read and enjoyed Wyndham's more celebrated book 'Day of the Triffids' so when I spotted this book I could not resist giving it a go.
Could a book first published in 1953 about an
The ending is perhaps a little weak, the title a little misleading, as the Kraken does not really seem an apt portrayal of the "bathies" and the image of Phyllis a bit stereotypical but over all this is still a good read, a cross between HG Wells sci-fi and Ballard's environmental disaster. Perhaps we should all follow the advice of the Watsons and "Find a nice, self sufficient hilltop, and fortify it".
Many years ago I read and enjoyed Wyndham's more celebrated book 'Day of the Triffids' so when I spotted this book I could not resist giving it a go.
Could a book first published in 1953 about an
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alien invasion still have any relevance today? Certainly some parts are symptons of their time, there is the old Cold War frictions and people rely on telegraph and radio for their news rather than instantanious TV, internet and mobile phones as today but in some ways this adds to the story as it allows the author to slowly build up the tension, a bit like turning a screw. In some respects this book, if you just concentrate on the environmental issues raised alone, has more relevance today than it did when it was first published, there is still little knowledge about the deepest parts of the oceans and whoever dreamed that the ice caps could melt, raising sea levels, in 1953? Today we hear plenty in the news about global warming and strange weather patterns, possible flooding of low lying islands but as in this book a few loud voices are drowned out by apathy from the masses while the Governments of the World do little about it other than making grand ineffectual announcements.The ending is perhaps a little weak, the title a little misleading, as the Kraken does not really seem an apt portrayal of the "bathies" and the image of Phyllis a bit stereotypical but over all this is still a good read, a cross between HG Wells sci-fi and Ballard's environmental disaster. Perhaps we should all follow the advice of the Watsons and "Find a nice, self sufficient hilltop, and fortify it".
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LibraryThing member SylviaC
Typical Wyndham, which is a Good Thing. This one gets off to a slow start, building gradually over several years, before the world realizes that the situation is dire. Published in 1953, the Cold War is heavily present through most of the book, but almost everything that happens could just as well but with an unexpected interlude of PTSD . Then there's his wife, the ever-resourceful Phyllis. She provides most of the personality in the book (although that isn't necessarily saying a lot). As much as I liked the pair of them, I wanted to take a pen and cross out the word "darling" every time they used it. Especially when it was used multiple times in a single conversation. While The Kraken Wakes is not going to replace The Day of the Triffids in my affections, I did like it very much.
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take place in the present. Outside of the use of radio as the primary method of disseminating news, most of the technology and attitudes are familiar. Which is pretty scary. There are strong, unavoidable parallels to the current situation with climate change, and the general attitude of "We don't know what to do, so let's pretend it isn't happening." We see governments acting as governments do, military acting as military does, regular people acting as regular people do, and media following the orders of government rather more than one would expect today. The hero is the usual competent, stoic type, Show Less
LibraryThing member RBeffa
In 1953 John Wyndham's tale of alien invasion, following in the footsteps of H.G. Wells, was published in England as "The Kraken Wakes". That same year an American version was published in America as a Ballantine paperback original (35c on the cover) and that was what was in my hand as I read, "Out
After finishing the American paperback I then listened to an audiobook of the British version, The Kraken Wakes. I never think it entirely fair to review an audiobook vs a print book since so much can depend on the delivery of a narrator, plus or minus. So I tried to focus on the story itself to decide overall strengths and weaknesses of the different versions of the story. As it happens I like both versions of the story, and I thought the narrator very good, and I think I'd give a slight nod to the British version as the better of the two. The main story is told in 3 parts, named Phase One, Phase Two and Phase Three. The British version begins quite differently - there is an extended preface that the American novel lacks, and I liked it. It also describes the choice of the title, coming from a poem by Tennyson.
Below the thunders of the upper deep;
Far, far beneath in the abysmal sea,
His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep
The Kraken sleepeth: faintest sunlights flee
About his shadowy sides: above him swell
Huge sponges of millennial growth and height;
And far away into the sickly light,
From many a wondrous grot and secret cell
Unnumbered and enormous polypi
Winnow with giant arms the slumbering green.
There hath he lain for ages and will lie
Battening upon huge sea-worms in his sleep,
Until the latter fire shall heat the deep;
Then once by man and angels to be seen,
In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die.
I think the British preface is a very nice introduction to what we read. It lets us know right off that the narrator is looking back on the past and how the world has changed and how he and his wife, the two of them an integral part of the story, lived through it.
The British novel is a much longer and elaborate story. I noted in a great number of places that descriptive bits and extended conversations had been cut out for the American version, as well as changes to phrasing here and there. As I listened I noted some of the added detail in the British version was quite good and probably should or could have been left in, and in other places sections were chopped out or completely rewritten, sometimes for the better in the American version as the dialogue gets excessively wordy at times. There is overall quite a lot of material in the British edition that does not appear in the American. The American version of the story comes across as a much tighter story and supplies an ending with added material which was a plus. In sum, the American version was quite satisfactory and then listening to the British version I was able to pick up extra details and backstory.
So what is the story about - it is about an alien invasion that was not recognized for a number of years. When the monsters do show up things get a little wild and entertaining. We never actually see the invaders as far as I could tell. By the end much of humanity is gone and the world has been vastly changed by rising sea levels. The invading enemy has suffered as well but would seem to be victorious. Who were they and where did they come from and why? These questions were asked early on. We never find out. The story leaves us with a sense that humanity might eventually survive due to an invention by the Japanese that seems to destroy the aliens. But who knows - the world as it once was is gone. I liked the American ending of the novel much better.
The story suffers from weaving the Russians and the Cold War into things far too much, even for a story published in 1953. I was also bothered by an excess of denial (especially in the original Brit version but both versions suffer from it) of what was going on - this was after all prime-time in the UFO sighting years. Once or twice, fine, but on and on year after year, I just didn't buy it. Still, this was fairly good reading of an oldie and I'll give it a 3 star OK.
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of the Deeps". There are no Krakens as we might think of them in either book. According to wikipedia I was warned there are differences between the two books. This was Wyndham's second novel, following upon the breakout "Day of the Triffids." After finishing the American paperback I then listened to an audiobook of the British version, The Kraken Wakes. I never think it entirely fair to review an audiobook vs a print book since so much can depend on the delivery of a narrator, plus or minus. So I tried to focus on the story itself to decide overall strengths and weaknesses of the different versions of the story. As it happens I like both versions of the story, and I thought the narrator very good, and I think I'd give a slight nod to the British version as the better of the two. The main story is told in 3 parts, named Phase One, Phase Two and Phase Three. The British version begins quite differently - there is an extended preface that the American novel lacks, and I liked it. It also describes the choice of the title, coming from a poem by Tennyson.
Below the thunders of the upper deep;
Far, far beneath in the abysmal sea,
His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep
The Kraken sleepeth: faintest sunlights flee
About his shadowy sides: above him swell
Huge sponges of millennial growth and height;
And far away into the sickly light,
From many a wondrous grot and secret cell
Unnumbered and enormous polypi
Winnow with giant arms the slumbering green.
There hath he lain for ages and will lie
Battening upon huge sea-worms in his sleep,
Until the latter fire shall heat the deep;
Then once by man and angels to be seen,
In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die.
I think the British preface is a very nice introduction to what we read. It lets us know right off that the narrator is looking back on the past and how the world has changed and how he and his wife, the two of them an integral part of the story, lived through it.
The British novel is a much longer and elaborate story. I noted in a great number of places that descriptive bits and extended conversations had been cut out for the American version, as well as changes to phrasing here and there. As I listened I noted some of the added detail in the British version was quite good and probably should or could have been left in, and in other places sections were chopped out or completely rewritten, sometimes for the better in the American version as the dialogue gets excessively wordy at times. There is overall quite a lot of material in the British edition that does not appear in the American. The American version of the story comes across as a much tighter story and supplies an ending with added material which was a plus. In sum, the American version was quite satisfactory and then listening to the British version I was able to pick up extra details and backstory.
So what is the story about - it is about an alien invasion that was not recognized for a number of years. When the monsters do show up things get a little wild and entertaining. We never actually see the invaders as far as I could tell. By the end much of humanity is gone and the world has been vastly changed by rising sea levels. The invading enemy has suffered as well but would seem to be victorious. Who were they and where did they come from and why? These questions were asked early on. We never find out. The story leaves us with a sense that humanity might eventually survive due to an invention by the Japanese that seems to destroy the aliens. But who knows - the world as it once was is gone. I liked the American ending of the novel much better.
The story suffers from weaving the Russians and the Cold War into things far too much, even for a story published in 1953. I was also bothered by an excess of denial (especially in the original Brit version but both versions suffer from it) of what was going on - this was after all prime-time in the UFO sighting years. Once or twice, fine, but on and on year after year, I just didn't buy it. Still, this was fairly good reading of an oldie and I'll give it a 3 star OK.
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LibraryThing member ikeman100
Wyndham has a good writing style that works well for his brand of SF. His "Midwich Cuckoos" (Village of the Damned) and "The Day of the Triffids" are well worth reading. This one is not up to standard of those two books and I found myself rushing through it just to say I finished. If I spent time
I will continue to read more of his works.
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analyzing my disgruntlement I might produce a reason why this book was disappointing. But, giving this book even more of my time is not going to happen.I will continue to read more of his works.
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LibraryThing member Ma_Washigeri
I re-read most of the John Wyndham books just before joining Goodreads, 8 or 9 years ago. I was bowled over by this one and now re-reading again I am even further impressed. For a start there is no action - it is all reportage - and just as riveting and perilous as any immediate action would have
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been. First published in 1953 it is beautifully written and constructed and far from sounding dated and old-fashioned. In fact while we may have moved on from the simplistic cold war agendas, replace aliens (or possible aliens) with runaway climate change and it is horrifyingly up to date. Show Less
LibraryThing member mbmackay
British sci-fi from the 1950s.
The book travels well - the science of the dystopian future is not too detailed, which means it hasn't dated. Other aspects of the imagined future are prescient - the populist fake-news characters seem very real in a Trumpian world; and the rising sea levels (although
The writing is well crafted, the characters believable.
A good book to look back on.
The book travels well - the science of the dystopian future is not too detailed, which means it hasn't dated. Other aspects of the imagined future are prescient - the populist fake-news characters seem very real in a Trumpian world; and the rising sea levels (although
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with a different cause) also seems far-sighted.The writing is well crafted, the characters believable.
A good book to look back on.
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LibraryThing member isabelx
We considered the charts again in silence.
‘People,’ I told him, ‘are continually quoting to me things that the illustrious Holmes said to my namesake, but this time I’ll do the quoting: “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
‘That isn’t the kind of solution I like,’ he said.
‘It’s not the kind of solution anyone would like,’ I agreed.
Groups of red fireballs descend through the atmosphere, and when their trajectories are plotted it seems that they have all are likely to have landed in the deepest parts of the Ocean. Several years later strange evens start to happen at sea, and it takes a while for the two sets of phenomena to be linked.
The book starts with Mike Watson deciding to write a book about what has happened since the fireballs first appeared and then skips back to Mike and his wife Phyllis on their honeymoon cruise, seeing one of the earliest groups of fireballs land in the sea. Mike and Phyllis are radio journalists working for the EBC, and on their return to work they find that any stories related to the fireballs end up on their desks. They seem to have an unusually equal marriage for the early 1950s, indulging in lots of light-hearted banter and often working together, with Phyl's charm helping to get them information that they might not have got otherwise. They are present when the British navy attempts to send a manned bathysphere thousands of fathoms down at the place where a ship disappeared without trace,and after that ends disastrously things go from bad to worse, with the alien creatures in the deeps finding new ways to attack humanity over the next few years . Apparently the British and American versions of this book have different endings and I read the British version which ends on a hopeful note.
I hadn't read The Kraken Wakes since I was a teenager, but I always remembered it as being my favourite of John Wyndham's book, although I had forgotten all of the characters and almost all of the plot. But because I remembered so little I was able to enjoy it as if it was completely new to me.
‘People,’ I told him, ‘are continually quoting to me things that the illustrious Holmes said to my namesake, but this time I’ll do the quoting: “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
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Which is to say that if it is no terrestrial nation that is doing this, then – ?’‘That isn’t the kind of solution I like,’ he said.
‘It’s not the kind of solution anyone would like,’ I agreed.
Groups of red fireballs descend through the atmosphere, and when their trajectories are plotted it seems that they have all are likely to have landed in the deepest parts of the Ocean. Several years later strange evens start to happen at sea, and it takes a while for the two sets of phenomena to be linked.
The book starts with Mike Watson deciding to write a book about what has happened since the fireballs first appeared and then skips back to Mike and his wife Phyllis on their honeymoon cruise, seeing one of the earliest groups of fireballs land in the sea. Mike and Phyllis are radio journalists working for the EBC, and on their return to work they find that any stories related to the fireballs end up on their desks. They seem to have an unusually equal marriage for the early 1950s, indulging in lots of light-hearted banter and often working together, with Phyl's charm helping to get them information that they might not have got otherwise. They are present when the British navy attempts to send a manned bathysphere thousands of fathoms down at the place where a ship disappeared without trace,
I hadn't read The Kraken Wakes since I was a teenager, but I always remembered it as being my favourite of John Wyndham's book, although I had forgotten all of the characters and almost all of the plot. But because I remembered so little I was able to enjoy it as if it was completely new to me.
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LibraryThing member monado
This is probably my favourite John Wyndham novel.
It's another end-of-the-world-but-not-quite. After all, if _everybody_ died, who would there be to write about it.
Written from the point of view of his usual clear-eyed and intelligent observer, this is a 'memoir' of the end of the world as we know
The narrator and his wife escape to the north in a small boat...
Wyndham brings their predicament to life and makes you feel sympathy for the people who are trapped and bewildered by the changes. How does one fight an ocean?
It's another end-of-the-world-but-not-quite. After all, if _everybody_ died, who would there be to write about it.
Written from the point of view of his usual clear-eyed and intelligent observer, this is a 'memoir' of the end of the world as we know
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it. On their honeymoon, the narrator and his wife see mysterious red lights settling into the ocean. A few months later, things start to go wrong. Ships disappear and the oceans start to rise. Our protagonists get involved in the effort to research the problem as sea-going aliens begin to emerge onto land. London is engulfed by the sea and the government is forced to flee. People are squeezed into smaller and smaller islands: refugees are unwelcome. The narrator and his wife escape to the north in a small boat...
Wyndham brings their predicament to life and makes you feel sympathy for the people who are trapped and bewildered by the changes. How does one fight an ocean?
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LibraryThing member infjsarah
As a teenager I read "Triffids" and absolutely loved it - which lead me on a Wyndham reading spree. One of which was "Kraken" - which as a teenager really bored me. Having a yen to revisit some of these and many either available as audio via the library or free on Audible, I listened to this to see
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if my initial opinion remained the same. I certainly enjoyed it more this time but it's pacing is off. It only really gets exciting in the final third. The buildup is too long and the end is very reminiscent of how Triffids ends. Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1953