Dystopia

When I was younger, I used to enjoy reading my dad's science fiction books, mostly Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov. Then, when I was in the first year at secondary school in Hong Kong, my English teacher, Mr O'Neill, gave me three books to read: Dickens' 'Great Expectations'; 'Shane'; and John Wyndham's 'The Chrysalids'. 

I'm ashamed to say that I never got past the first few pages of 'Great Expectations', although I really enjoyed 'Shane'. However, it was 'The Chrysalids' that had the greatest impact on me and led me to read the rest of Wyndham's books. It also gave me a temporary taste for dystopian fiction. 

As I got older, though, and lived through the era where 'Protect and Survive' leaflets arrived in one's letter box, I began to worry that it was a real possibility that I would find myself living in some post-apocalyptic society and such stories lost their appeal. It's a concern that waned over the years but has reared its head again over the lest eight months or so!

I was reminded of those books when these two novels appeared in the post today. I had completely forgotten ordering them, at a penny apiece, at the tail end of one of those evenings when I traipse around Wikipedia, following links between articles. I can remember that both books were referenced in the same entry about John Titor but I can't recall just how I got to him.

The cover of 'Thrice Upon A Time' is very reminiscent of those science fiction books from the sixties and seventies but, nostalgia aside and in the cold light of day, I'm not sure how keen I am to read them now. Maybe when the future's looking a little rosier!

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Diet update
-3.3kg