The Day of Creation

Description

'Classic Ballard. Mesmerising. No one writes with such haunting impact' William Boyd In parched, war-torn central Africa, Dr Mallory watches his clinic fail and dreams of discovering a third Nile to make the Sahara bloom. During his search for water, an ancient tree stump is uprooted by a bulldozer and water wells up, spreading until it becomes an enormous river. With the once arid land now abounding in birds and beasts, the obsessed Mallory forges up-river in an old car ferry, clashing with hostile factions as he tries to find the source of his own creation. This edition is part of a new commemorative series of Ballard's works, featuring introductions from a number of his admirers (including Ali Smith, Iain Sinclair, Martin Amis and Ned Beauman) and brand-new cover designs from the artist Stanley Donwood.

J.G. Ballard was born in 1930 in Shanghai, where his father was a businessman. His 1984 bestseller 'Empire of the Sun' won the Guardian Fiction Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. It was later filmed by Steven Spielberg. His controversial novel 'Crash' was also made into an equally controversial film by David Cronenberg.

Praise for 'The Day of Creation': 'Absolutely vintage Ballard ! impressive stuff ! never anything but compulsively absorbing: the white heat of its images seems to burn off the page, and the surreal landscapes linger on in the mind.' Independent 'An exciting plot, unfolded with a master's cunning ! Ballard has written an adventure story that constantly surprises and excites.' Guardian 'A metaphysical adventure story dealing with complex themes -- the life-giving power of water, the cold eye of television, obsession and love -- all set in a dream Africa, as if hallucinated by Joseph Conrad.' Angela Carter 'A blend of animated reverie, myth and adventure story, "The Day of Creation" imprints itself on the mind by its acid sweetness.' Times Literary Supplement