Concrete Island
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- A "concrete island" is also a term used to describe a microclimate effect on some large cities, such as Tokyo.
 Cover of first edition (hardcover) |
|
| Author | J. G. Ballard |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction novel |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Released | 1974 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
| Pages | 176 pp |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-224-00970-2 |
Concrete Island is a 1974 science fiction novel by J. G. Ballard.
[edit] Plot introduction
A twisted adaptation of Robinson Crusoe, the story's protagonist, Robert Maitland, a wealthy businessman, finds himself stranded in a manmade 'island' (a section of fenced-off wasteland in the middle of a motorway intersection), forced to survive on only what is in his crashed Jaguar and what he is able to find. As his condition degrades, it soon becomes difficult to determine whether Maitland is finding sanity or watching his mind fall apart as he finds companions on the island and eventually decides to remain there and forsake his former life. As an allegory of how the technological advancements of society ultimately serve to alienate, rather than unite, us, this short novel provides a quick introduction to one of the recurring themes in Ballard's work.
[edit] Adaptations/references in other media
The novel was adapted as a multimedia play by German artists Stefan Kunzmann and Isabelle Jenniches in 2002.
One of the chapter titles from the novel, "Burning Car", provided the inspiration for a 1980 single by British electronic new wave musician John Foxx.
