RIP John Christopher [author of 'tripods' books]

[Ron Obvious]

Damn, I loved these books when I was 13 or so. I don't know how well known they are in the US, but unlike 99% of young-adult fiction, I think these hold up really well. The White Mountains is an enjoyable read at any age.

"In this period of the 1950s, both authors were writing novels that depicted a variety of global catastrophes, but these superficial similarities hid genuine differences. Youd repudiated, rightly, the tag of "cosy catastrophe", a phrase coined by Brian Aldiss. In The Death of Grass, there is a pleasing ruthlessness behind many of the actions. It tells the story of a world where all the graminaceous crops have failed. David Custance has a potato farm in Westmorland; his younger brother John wants his family to join him. After a few murders of innocent people encountered on the way up the Great North Road, the two brothers confront each other with automatic weapons. It ends badly – there is nothing like that in The Day of the Triffids."

Original Article

[Dead_Parrot]

1. I grew up on his stuff...

Re-read 'Death of grass" about a year ago, and it's still a page-turner. ("No Blade of Grass" in the US)

Sniff. RIP...

[frylock]

2. i've read these books 3 or 4 times..

picked them up in junior high. i really enjoyed this trilogy. in fact, i bought these books about 5 years ago, but haven't had a chance to read them.

[TlalocW]

3. I never knew 'Tripods' were books

I remember seeing some cartoons (now I know) based on the books on the back of some, "Boys Life," magazines in the 80s. I recently remembered them and how scared they made me and found them all on the internet so I could read the entire story.

I might have to look the books up.

TlalocW

[Ron Obvious]

5. They were great

The White Mountains is the first one in the series, and as I said, it holds up really well for adults. Some of the themes, such as the caps that everyone is fitted with at age 13, make for some interesting moral questions. A capping turned you into a happy, well-adjusted person, but essentially a slave. Nobody ever complained about wearing them, but of course, they wouldn't and they're also irreversible. Is it better to be a happy slave than a struggling free person? Are the masters evil or the great benefactors of mankind? The books don't spell it out and the morality is left ambiguous.

It was great to talk about these things with your friends when you were all in the transition to adulthood yourselves and unsure whether it was a good thing or not.

[VenusRising]

4. I read The White Mountains in 8th grade.

It was a great book. Really loved it.

Wishing his family peace in this time of loss.