Wyndham's The Chrysalids

[lurok]

Just finished re-reading this and curious if anyone has any theories why never filmed. It has the post-apocalyptic tone of Triffids and the mutant/telepathy elements of Cuckoos and could see it working as a two or three-part BBC style character driven drama rather than FX heavy movie. Found it quite moving. Also, any recommendations on other Wyndham novels (bar Triffids, Cuckoos) ?

 

[Greg Cox]

I remember loving this book as a kid. (I believe it was published as Re-Birth here in the states.)

Maybe the not-so-veiled critique of religious fundamentalism discouraged filmmakers back in the old days? And maybe they thought audiences weren't ready for an sf movie where the telepathic mutants were the good guys and the devoutly religious humans were the bad guys?

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

I haven't read it since I was 12 as it was on our required reading list at school. I remember thinking that the ending was a bit weak. I agree the religious fundies being the baddies is the reason why it's never been adapted. Doesn't explain why The Kraken Wakes hasn't been adapted either though. The description of the assault on the Caribbean island from the sea still gives me the shivers. Both books were adapted as BBC radio plays some years ago.

 

[Alpha Flyer]

Probably by now anything Wyndham has written is too far removed from the short-lived attention span of filmwriters to warrant attention. I thought the film version of the Midwich Cuckoos was fine, but missed out on a lot of the more subtle horrors of the book, namely the very idea of involuntary incubation. (Granted, Wyndham himself fell a bit short of potential on dealing with the women who gave birth to these children.) When I read it at about 15 that book creeped me out for weeks -- I'd love to see a serious director take a stab at the story's premise, maybe drag it out of the Cold War age into the 21st century.