J.G. Ballard Books In Order

Publication Order of Empire Of The Sun Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Collections

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Mondo Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

J.G. Ballard
J.G. Ballard was a fiction and non-fiction author. Born in Shanghai, China, in 1930, Ballard witnessed firsthand the bombing of Pearl Harbour during the second world war. The author, then a young boy, and his family stayed in a civilian prison camp before relocating to England in 1946. Ballard studied medicine in Cambridge for two years before turning into a copywriter. He later worked as a Covent Garden porter and moved to Canada, where he published his first short story in 1956. By the time he died, Ballard had over 100 books to his name. While Ballard’s writing is straightforward, his stories are unusual, which makes them stand out.

Crash
Crash is a brilliant yet deeply disturbing story on auto wrecks and perverted sexual carnage. The book stars James Ballard, a successful commercial director whose life changes after a car crash. James is in an open marriage with Catherine, and his sexual escapades are among the first things you learn about him. When a careless mistake on the road leads to a head-on-corrosion, James is left with severe injuries that take time to heal. The person driving the other car doesn’t survive the crash, but his wife does, albeit with several injuries, just like James. When James is discharged from the hospital, he learns he has been under Vaughan’s surveillance. Vaughan is a TV scientist and a patron saint of people deformed in auto crashes.

Vaughan’s lifestyle attracts James, and he joins him and other car-wreck enthusiasts in their adventures. These exploits include masturbating to filmed automobile collisions and engaging in sex at the scene of gruesome of accidents. Hellen Remington, the widow of the man James, killed in the accident, and Gabrielle, a deformed lesbian, also joins the group. These characters cover everything from straight sex to gay sex and any other possible pairing. Somehow, all of them are maimed due to automobile collisions. However, their actions indicate a more profound hurt than what can be seen on the surface. How can anyone be turned on as they watch life slowly ebb from another human being?

James also tells how Vaughan moves towards his death by intentionally creating a car accident with Elizabeth Taylor, who he considers as the perfect woman. How does this planned crash work out? Will Vaughan die just like he expected? This book is more of a wild poem written in novel form. The repetitions work to drive the message on the human psyche and the need to experiment home, and it is easy to see how far curious humans can go. How does the story end for all the characters? Does having all this sex help numb their pain?

Crash is a cutting-edge work of fiction. The author explores our increasing dependence on technology and the disturbing potentialities this dependence can have on human relations. It is disturbing how these characters find pleasure in inspecting mangled cars and totaled cars. While there is no point in the story, it seems like Crash is a metaphor for man’s life in today’s society. When engrossed in our tech-world, the high most of us experience can be likened to how these characters get off from watching car crash scenes. Death in this story is beautified, and human brains are painted as nightmare machines. Whether you get the metaphor or not, this story will shock you. Aside from meeting the damaged accident survivors, the author also allows us to meet Catherine, James’s wife, among other intriguing characters.

Empire of the Sun
Empire of the Sun is the first book in the Empire of the Sun series. The story takes us to Shanghai in 1941 when Pearl Harbor was torched during the second world war. Jim, a young boy of British origin, cannot find his parents, which is heartbreaking enough for anyone. After searching in vain, Jim is imprisoned in a concentration camp where he witnesses the Nagasaki bombing. Here, he has to learn how to survive and get enough resources to last him until the following day. Fortunately, the Japanese are not as bad to him, and young Jim even gets an opportunity to learn as the war’s effects continue to be felt throughout the country.

This book stands out because, unlike other war stories, it focuses on the war effects and the consequences they have on a young boy’s psychology. Right from the first page, the author paints the picture of a boy left with no choice but to adapt to the changes around him. It is easy to identify with Jim and imagine how life was for him. How hard it is to survive without an authority figure and later live among others put in camps by the Japanese. While it would have been easy to wallow and whine about his life, Jim takes advantage of anything good that comes his way, and this is how he is able to survive in the face of death and destruction.

This is a story of war and deprivation. It is also a coming of age story characterized by survival and starvation in a world that is completely out of control. While the story comes with simple prose, it is also multi-layered and quite powerful. It will surprise you that Jim grows to like the Japanese who put him in a concentration camp as opposed to his people who he views as weak. This book stands out for the way the author describes what happens to and around him without emotion. Jim accepts his fate even though he doesn’t understand the thinking behind the war.

Empire of the Sun is a fiction version of the author’s own experiences during the Second World War. The author includes some real events such as the Death March and parents’ separation to make this read like a true story. Ballard’s experiences during the war shaped his life and work as an author. This book will make you understand him better. Ballard doesn’t make a big deal out of the war even though he suffered greatly during this period. Through his writing, he shows the resilient nature of human beings and their ability to adapt to whatever situation.