The Midwich Cuckoos
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The Midwich Cuckoos is a science fiction novel written by English author John Wyndham in 1957.
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[edit] Plot summary
The novel is set largely within the titular Midwich, a typical small English village. A series of incidents near to the village one day establishes that anybody who approaches past a certain boundary line falls instantly unconscious; the effect extends completely around Midwich, with the unconsciousness vanishing as soon as a person re-crosses the boundary. Experimentation rules out any chemical or biological effect, whilst aerial photography reveals a peculiar silver object on the ground in the village itself.
After a period of one day the effect vanishes. The villagers wake, apparently with no ill effects. Some months later a follow up study reveals that every woman of child-bearing age is pregnant, with all indications that the pregnancies were initiated on the "Dayout".
When the children are born they appear normal, except that they all have blonde hair and unusual golden eyes, having no genetic characteristics of their parents. As they grow up it becomes apparent that they are at least in some respects inhuman. They experience accelerated growth and are able to force their will on others, controlling their actions, as well as sharing two distinct group minds, one for the boys, and one for the girls. The children gradually begin to exert a bigger and bigger effect on the villagers, killing several of them in retaliation for perceived attacks.
The villagers learn that a similar phenomenon has taken place in other parts of the world: an Inuit settlement in the Canadian Arctic, a cattle station in Australia's Northern Territory, and a rural Siberian village. In the Inuit settlement, the natives instinctively drowned their newborn children, sensing they were not their own. In the Australian incident, the mothers all had miscarriages, suggesting something went wrong with the insemination process. In Siberia, the village was destroyed by the Soviet government using long-range artillery.
The British government evidently decides that the village cannot be allowed to exist, as an RAF plane attempts to bomb Midwich. However, the children force the pilot to eject before it comes into range.
Realising that the only way to destroy the children is to trick them, an elderly Midwich professor uses their trust in him to gather them together. Some projecting equipment he has brought with him turns out to be a bomb, which kills himself and all the children.
The title is a reference to the Cuckoo bird, which lays its eggs in the nest of other birds in the hopes that they will expend resources raising the Cuckoo's children.
[edit] Major themes
The novel is sometimes described as a British version of The Body Snatchers, and has a similar theme of society being subverted from within by a force which infiltrates one of the most cherished aspects of life — in this case our children rather than our own bodies.
The subtext of the book is subtle and can easily be lost in the text of the book. Throughout the book, many different types of SF and their merits are discussed and argued through as a way of coming to terms with the events told of in the story. Also, we see the Russian/Communist reaction to what is an exactly paralleled plot situation.
While the book could be criticised for neglecting its large number of female characters (two central female characters leave the narrative halfway through, never to come back), some of them are well-developed. Most notable is Angela Zellaby who is continually reining in her high-minded and sentimentally modern husband/academic into the true nature and facts of the situation at hand. She is also the first to grasp the realities of the situation. But it is true to say that no female character takes a direct hand in changing matters or affecting the situation.
Wyndham's writing style is quite accessible and the novel remains popular.
[edit] Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
The novel was filmed as Village of the Damned in 1960, with (unusual for science fiction films made in that era) a script that was fairly faithful to the book. A sequel, Children of the Damned, followed shortly after, and there was also a colour remake of the original in 1995 by John Carpenter set in "Midwich, California", and starring Christopher Reeve in his last film role before he was paralysed in a riding accident. This movie also included Kirstie Alley as a government official, the female character which the original novel lacked. There have also been several radio adaptations by the BBC, the most recent in 2003. Wyndham began work on a sequel novel, Midwich Main, which he abandoned after only a few chapters.
[edit] Allusions/references from other works
The Stepford Cuckoos, a group of New X-Men characters were partly inspired by the Midwich Cuckoos.
The Befort Children from the anime Fantastic Children were also inspired by the Midwich Cuckoos.
| John Wyndham |
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| Bibliography |
| Novels: |
| Foul Play Suspected · The Secret People · Stowaway To Mars · The Day of the Triffids · The Kraken Wakes · The Chrysalids · The Midwich Cuckoos · The Outward Urge · Trouble with Lichen · Chocky · Web |
| Collections: |
| Jizzle · The Seeds of Time · Tales of Gooseflesh and Laughter · Consider Her Ways and Others · The Infinite Moment · Sleepers of Mars · The Best of John Wyndham · Wanderers of Time · Exiles on Asperus · No Place like Earth |
| Filmography |
| Feature films: The Day of the Triffids (1962 film) · Village of the Damned (1960 film) · Village of the Damned (1995 film) |
| Radio |
| Radio adaptations: The Day of the Triffids (radio) · The Chrysalids (radio) |
| Television |
| TV adaptations: The Day of the Triffids (TV series) · Chocky (TV series) · Random Quest |
