THE DROWNED WORLD By J G Ballard

Published : 1962
Pages : 175
Overall Mark : 7/10

Kerans has spent most if not all of his life living on a version of the planet Earth where ecological disaster has lead to the tides rising, and the majority of the world's continents are now under water. A solution to this problem would be ideal, but when a possible solution arises in the form of a man named Strangman, Kerans starts to wonder if he wants his world to change or if he's happy with the way things are.

This is a fascinating novel, on a par with Lord Of The Flies in its ability to give us a terrible scenario that somehow feels right for the people involved. Although many of the characters are flat and lifeless, the character of Strangman has enough character to make up for this, and his manic egomaniacal ways soon have us thinking whether or not he is in fact in the right in his assertions.