My first encounter with the work of British author John Wyndham was the BBC’s chilling 1981 adaptation of his classic SF novel, The Day of the Triffids, and although I’ve read several of his novels since, I’d somehow never got round to reading one of his most famous--The Midwich Cuckoos, an omission I recently put right.

The Midwich of the novel is a small, unremarkable English village, but everything changes when it is enveloped by a mysterious force and everyone inside falls unconscious. When the stricken villagers awake, everything appears to be normal, however it is soon revealed all women of child-bearing age have suddenly become pregnant. When the women give birth, the children, or the Children as they become known, are all golden-eyed and develop remarkably quickly. As the Children grow, they show signs of accelerated learning—when one of the Children learns something, they all learn—and appear to have telepathic ability.
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Within the village, unease grows into open hostility. And if this is not dangerous enough, it becomes evident Midwich is not the only place in the world to have experienced this weird phenomenon, and fears grow of a hostile alien invasion…  

Cosy catastrophe is an accusation often directed at John Wyndham’s work, and there are moments in The Midwich Cuckoos when this does not feel unreasonable, as without doubt some elements of the novel have dated. However, there’s a chilly undercurrent to the novel and the brutal force of the ending carries real weight. Wyndham masterfully reflects post-war concerns of invasion, infiltration and fears of the consequences of the growing gap between generations.

The Midwich Cuckoos explores the potential consequences of humanity’s relationship with an intelligent alien species, with the main characters struggling with moral and religious questions—is the very idea of killing the Children permissible, even necessary, to protect our own kind? Wyndham offers no comforting answers and the fact the novel plays out its weighty themes in the softest of settings—a quaint, quiet village—does, in my opinion, give the story even more impact.

I wouldn’t rate The Midwich Cuckoos as my favourite John Wyndham book (that would still be The Chrysalids, with The Day of the Triffids as a close second) but I thoroughly enjoyed it as a thoughtful, suspenseful and unsettling SF novel.

A galaxy of books has been written about Star Wars and there are some excellent titles covering the development of the original films, such as The Making of Star Wars by J.W. Rinzler and George Lucas – a biography by John Baxter. And there is also the outstanding Empire of Dreams documentary.
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It would be tempting, therefore, to think there’s nothing more to say about the creation of Star Wars but even in this crowded field, The Star Wars Archives – Episodes IV-VI brings fresh perspective and lives up to its billing as the definitive exploration of the original trilogy. 

​Paul Duncan’s book is structured with a series of long interviews with George Lucas – and other key contributors – accompanied with beautifully reproduced concept art, storyboard, stills and much more. As with all Taschen books, the layout and picture quality are second to none, and the sheer skill and creativity of the production and character design – such an important part of the success of the films – shines through. In bringing A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi to the screen, Lucas and his team faced immense difficulties, breaking new ground in film production, especially in the cutting-edge special effects created by Industrial Light and Magic, and Duncan’s book perfectly captures the challenges and eventual successes. 

As well as being a feast for the eyes, extracts from early script drafts provide fascinating insights into the development of the story of each film. I found the story conference discussions around the plot for Return of the Jedi particularly interesting; it’s intriguing to think how differently the final film could have been.

A treat from start to finish and a worthy tribute to the artistic achievements of the original trilogy, The Star Wars Archives – Episodes IV-VI is a must for any Star Wars, but also a great read for anyone interested in film production or the history of cinema.
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Impressive, most impressive…

The Star Wars Archives – Episodes IV-VI 1977-1983 – Paul Duncan (Taschen link)

Like many others, I had been looking forward to Scarred for Life: Volume Three. The first two Scarred for Life books (I reviewed both books previously) were real treats, digging deeply into the dark, often dystopian, world of 1970s and 1980s pop culture.

So, did volume three live up to my expectations? Absolutely, indeed I’d say it exceeded my expectations.

As with the first two books, Scarred for Life: Volume Three is a mighty tome, with over 700 pages and the book’s scope is enormous, encompassing novels, films, comics, games, music, television and much more. In fact, there’s so much packed into this book, it’s almost impossible to give a summary that gives its breadth and scale any justice!

Some of the many highlights include a fine section on horror novels from the 1980s, taking us through the paperback gore of writers such as Guy N Smith and Shaun Hutson, through to Stephen King and Clive Barker.

The section on comics – split into British and American publications – is exhaustive, and I particularly enjoyed the 2000ad chapters and the article on Charley’s War, my favourite comic story of my youth.

As a child in the 80s, I was fascinated by the paranormal, whether UFOs, ghosts or cryptids, and Scarred for Life: Volume Three excels in describing that decade’s obsession with all things paranormal. I loved the chapters on Arthur C Clarke’s Mysterious World and Arthur C Clarke’s World of Strange Powers – series I remember fondly!
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One of Volume Three’s biggest treats is the ‘book within a book’ focused on Cold War pop culture during the 1980s. From Z For Zachariah to Protect and Survive, When the Wind Blows to Judge Dredd: The Apocalypse War, the impact of nuclear anxiety on our culture is brought to vivid life. I was particularly engrossed by the extended chapters on the terrifying Threads, arguably the apogee of nuclear war films, and treated in the book as the masterpiece it undoubtedly is.

Scarred for Life: Volume Three understandably goes to dark places, but it is always witty, well-informed and deeply researched, and is often laugh-out loud funny. The level of detail and the passion of the authors shine through each chapter.

I can’t recommend Scarred for Life: Volume Three highly enough; as with volumes one and two, it provides hours and hours of absorbing reading. The three volumes of Scarred for Life form, in my opinion, a significant publishing and writing achievement, a passion project that has deservedly reached a wide and enthusiastic readership.

As well as live shows, the Scarred for Life books have also spawned an excellent podcast, with guests such as Danny Robins, Joe Cornish, Alice Lowe and Michael Sheen – episodes are now released weekly, and it’s an entertaining and fascinating listen.

It is also worth following the Scarred for Life account on X - as well as some great posts, there are regular and generous discounts on all their books. So if you can, order all three books and prepare to plunge into a world of 1970s and 1980s nightmares…

Scarred for Life (Volume one)
Scarred for Life (Volume two)
Scarred for Life (Volume three)