J.G. Ballard

The Complete Stories of JG Ballard I first heard J.G. Ballard’s name in connection with the film Crash and its NC-17 rating . Not the super-shrill-racism-is-bad (which of course it is) film Crash. I’m talking about the David Cronenberg film from 1996 which features a peculiar group of people who get turned on by automobile collisions. (Honk honk!) The movie sounded bizarre. It was. As I read about it and saw that it was based on a book, I suspected that I wanted nothing to do with that...Read Full Story

A glimpse inside the recently acquired J. G. Ballard archive at the British Library Tim Martin of the Telegraph is given an exclusive tour of the late author's letters and manuscripts, now being catalogued for posterity by the British Library. Among the highlights, manuscripts for Crash and Empire of the Sun , and correspondence between novelist and critic Will Self and science fiction writer Michael Moorcock: [...] One of the jewels of the archive is Ballard’s annotated typescript for Crash...Read Full Story

A retrospective of Ballard's life and work Photograph: Mark Tucker Rob Latham reflects on the life and career of British novelist J. G. Ballard. His article reviews Ballard's final novel, Kingdom Come (2007) alongside his memoir Miracles of Life: Shanghai to Shepperton and Norton's recent edition of The Complete Stories of J.G. Ballard (link via Susan Tomaselli ): British author J.G. Ballard died on April 19, 2009 of an inoperable cancer that had spread from his prostate to his ribs and spine...Read Full Story

Original manuscripts by late British writer J. G. Ballard have been acquired for the British Library. Works include a hand-edited typewritten manuscript of Crash , Super Cannes and Empire of the Sun : Manuscripts, letters, notebooks and even the school reports of one of the most spectacularly imaginative literary minds of the 20th century, JG Ballard, have been saved for the British public. Ballard's literary archive has been acquired for the nation through the acceptance in lieu (AIL) scheme...Read Full Story

The Tao of Dana have feng shui questions? want a feng shui consultation, in person or online? have comments? want to show me something cool in art & design? Please email me- danaclaudat@yahoo.com--- I love to hear from you!!!!!! xx Dana *on twitter @thetaoofdana Mobile Archive RSS Random “My work is not a reflection on J G Ballard’s writing; it’s more that these mushrooms literally crash and form a new body. It’s not a sexual thing like in Crash...Read Full Story

According to a report in yesterday’s Guardian , the British Library has acquired J.G. Ballard’s archival material, including hand-written manuscripts, drafts, letters, and photos. The British Library will make Ballard’s materials fully accessible to the public. From the article: Ballard was a man of routine and, in the first instance, wrote all his work by hand, once saying he could always tell if a novel had been written on a typewriter (and later computer). One of the highlights of the...Read Full Story

John Baxter's new book explores the life of the influential writer John Baxter, The Inner Man: The Life of J. G. Ballard (W&N, 2011) Ballardian has very usefully pointed me in the direction of a new book from John Baxter. Entitled The Inner Man: The Life of J. G. Ballard (W&N, 2011), the book details the way twentieth century history and culture influenced the late writer, and, in turn, how the writer's work impacted upon that culture. The following is taken from the book's product...Read Full Story

British novelist on 'upper-class Midwesterner' Burroughs William S. Burroughs Biblioklept quotes an 1984 interview with British novelist J. G. Ballard, where he relates his admiration for Beat writer William S. Burroughs: 'I have met Burroughs quite a few times over the last fifteen years, and he always strikes me as an upper-class Midwesterner, with an inherent superior attitude towards blacks, policemen, doctors, and small-town politicians, the same superior attitude that Swift had to their...Read Full Story

I do not remember reading a book that has affected me as profoundly as this one.   Set in the Spanish holiday resort of, "Estrella de Mar," "Cocaine Nights," revolves around the main character's attempts to prove that his brother was not responsible for a fire which killed the wealthiest inhabitants of the resort. On the surface this is a very interesting murder story, with enough twists to keep even the most ardent crime novel fan interested.   However, delving below the surface we are...Read Full Story

JG Ballard, a cult author best known for his book "Empire of the Sun" about his childhood struggle to survive in a Japanese internment camp, has died after a long illness, his agent said. He was 78. Margaret Hanbury announced his death from cancer on Sunday with "great sadness", saying he had been ill "for several years". Hanbury, who had been Ballard's agent for more than 25 years, described his "acute and visionary" observation of the world, which led him to produce disquieting novels and...Read Full Story