It has been said that Ballard 'thought the unthinkable', the famous response from a publishers reader having read the manuscript of 'Crash' was “This author is beyond psychiatric help. Do not publish.”
Ballard took it as a compliment. 'Crash' was published and Ballard even curated an exhibition with the same name.
The site slashseconds gives the full details here slashseconds.org . 'Crash' still sells and is probably the deepest rabbit hole he dug. Read it and he holds your hand as you tumble down the hole together into a world where most people, however much they recoil and find it repulsive continue reading, if through parted fingers, anxious to get the end to then wonder...and think.
Ballard spent a fractured childhood in wartime Shanghai, which he described in 'Empire of the Sun'. He then arrived in post-war London which, to him was a strange, unworldly place. He tried medical school in Cambridge, then, in 1954, joined the RAF and served in Canada where he found American SF magazines. The writing rabbit hole for Ballard opened.
Back in the UK he slowly established himself as an SF writer, finding success with 'The Drowned World' in 1960. The sudden death of his wife in 1964 left him responsible for their three children. His writing became a warren of rabbit holes and JG explored them to the end of his life.
The genius of Ballard is most fully explained in book form in an extensive and fascinating collection of interviews with JG collated by Simon Sellars and Dan O'Hara in 'Extreme Metaphors'
Read these interviews and JG Ballard will shine a very bright light on the walls of all the rabbit holes he dug. For a copy of 'Extreme Metaphors' take this number to your local bookshop ISBN 9780007454860, as usual it's in stock at mine..
There are also many interviews on Youtube and the full Ballardian experience online is here at ballardian.com
Warning: Compulsive reading...don't expect an early night!
Another rabbit hole soon...
