John Wyndham is a British science fiction writer, who started writing in the thirties, but his best known works were written in the 1950s. As a result, much of his fiction is tinged with echoes from the cold war and can seem dated. However, his sheer imagination, brilliant descriptive writing and believable characters make him a must read author, even today.

Most people have heard of The Day of the Triffids, as it has been reworked for film and television, as was The Midwich Cuckoos. However, some of Wyndham's slightly less famous books such as Chocky and The Kraken Awakes are just as entertaining and highly readable.

The Day of the Triffids begins with one of the best openings to a story I have ever read. The story opens in a hospital, the day after a spectacular firework display caused by thousands of meteorites, which the whole world watched.

Except that is for Masen, who is initially very miffed at missing the show. He is in hospital, after having had an operation on his eyes and his bandages are due to come off today. As he wakes up, he cannot hear the usual ward sounds. Straining his ears, he realises he cannot hear anything at all, except for a few faint moans. He pushes the bell to call for a nurse but there is no answer. Timidly, he peels off his bandages to peer out, unsure whether his eyesight will have returned. Fortunately his eyesight is fine, but that is the least of his problems. The "meteors" turn out to be an alien invasion of intelligent plant-like creatures intent on taking over the Earth and the book develops the story of humanity's fight for survival.

Wyndham has great powers of description and we can easily empathise with his characters. His stories are highly imaginative, gripping from the first chapter and can be read easily. For this reason, he is an excellent introduction to the science fiction genre. He has often been compared to the master H. G. Wells, and many of his books have the same apocalyptic feel to them.

Like "The Day of the Triffids", "The Kraken Awakes" deals with similar themes. This time, there is an alien invasion from the deeps. The aliens can only exist under the conditions of high pressure that exist at the bottom of the ocean.

A sprinkling of meteors again heralds the oncoming invasion. This time, however, the threat is much more subtle, and the aliens lie dormant until disturbed by a research ship. As soon as its camera penetrates the deep, its cable snaps and the image is lost.

A reporter investigates this strange occurence, interviewing a professor who has a theory of an alien invasion. He has measured a rise in sea level, as a result of warming of the oceans. He surmises that the aliens are trying to change ther environment to suit their own needs. Not surprisingly, his ideas are rejected.

Soon, however, the threat can no longer be ignored as ships are reported missing above deep oceans all over the world. Inexorably the seas become a no-go area, the oceans rise and we follow the fortunes of the rest of humanity as they cling to high ground away from the flooding.

If this book does not foretell global warming, I will eat my hat! Similarly written to "The Day of The Triffids" it is a powerful and gripping story of a clash of civilisations (first done by Wells most famously in War of the Worlds). Much of Wyndham's writing has the same apocaplyptic feel to it - but he also focusses on the ability of the human spirit to bounce back from adversity.

Wyndham's last book "Chocky" is also well worth a look. Its lead character is a young boy Matthew who hears voices. He is treated by a psychologist, who is baffled by the boy's symptoms. He has been visited (if that is the right word) by an alien, and struggles to explain to it the world. Wyndham's gift is making the ordinary seem fantastic, encouraging us to look in the world in a new light. I think that all literature and poetry should aspire to this.

Few science fiction writers, with the exception of Ursula Le Guin and Douglas Adams, I think, are as eloquent and imaginative as Wyndham. If you are not normally a fan of sci-fi, I think you will still find his stories compelling simply because of the tautness of his writing - not an image or an idea is superflous, the strong characters and highly imaginative ideas.

Other works by Wyndham I have read: The Trouble with Lichen (I have not read this for a long time, I remember it being a little disappointing).

The Chrysalids (an excellent novel, set in a post-apocalyptic future, with a small group of children who are telepathic hiding their secret from their elders. There are plenty of crossovers from the rest of his work here, and this is similarly compelling stuff).

The few flaws in Wyndham's writing are things which he could not do much about, writing as he did in the 50s. The politics, paranoia and issues of the time feature in much of his books and as a result some of the issues raised may seem a little dated now. However, his strength of characterisation and highly imaginative storylines invariably make for an enthralling read. Very highly recommended.

There is much more to Wyndham's work than walking plants which eat people!