Concrete Island

Name: Concrete Island
Rating: 3.5 (4 reviews)
Author: Unknown Author
ISBN: 9780099334811

by Unknown Author

3.5

(4 ratings)

176 pages1994VINTAGE (RAND)ISBN 9780099334811

Fiction Science Fiction Science Thriller Adventure

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About this book

A chilling novel about our modern world, from the author of Empire of the Sun and Crash. An architect is driving home from his London offices when a blow-out sends his speeding Jaguar hurtling out of control and crashing through the motorway barrier. When he tries to climb the embankment or flag-down a passing car for help it proves impossible – and he finds himself marooned on the concrete island. In this twisted version of Robinson Crusoe, our hero must learn to survive – using only what he can find in his crashed car. Concrete Island provides an unnerving study of our modern lives and world. With his alienating, ‘Ballardian’ view of normal events, this is a unique novel from one of our finest writers.

Publication Details

Publisher: VINTAGE (RAND)
Published: 1994
Pages: 176
ISBN: 9780099334811
Language: en

About Unknown Author

James Graham Ballard was born and raised in the International Settlement in Shanghai, China to a chemist. In 1943 the Japanese occupied the International Settlement and Ballard's family was sent to the Lunghua Civilian Assembly Center, where they were interned for two years until the end of World War II. In 1946, Ballard went to England with his mother and sister, and stayed on in England after his mother and sister returned to China to rejoin his father. In 1949 he went to King's College, Cambridge to study medicine, but he began writing fiction and abandoned medicine in 1952 to pursue writing. In 1953 he joined the Air Force and was sent to the Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan to train. There he discovered science fiction in and he began to write science fiction. He left the RAF in 1954 and returned to England. In 1956 he published his science fiction story. In 1960 he committed to writing full-time.