The Illuminated Man
Life, Death and the Worlds of J. G. Ballard
Christopher Priest author Nina Allan author
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Publishing:8th Apr '27
£14.99
This title is due to be published on 8th April, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
This book is about J. G. Ballard. It is also about death, love and time travel.
‘The best account yet of the life of one of the great English-language writers of the last century.’ – The New World
'A brave and moving book' -- Adam Sisman, the Guardian
‘Fascinating...very timely.’ –- Sunday Times
J. G. Ballard’s novels are among the finest and most unusual fiction that has ever been published. Whether in the hyper-surrealism of High-Rise or the erotic violence of Crash, he upended the morality and reality of our world.
As a young writer, it had been Ballard’s stories, most of all, that had helped cement Christopher Priest’s passion for science fiction. He set out to write a biography that would make people understand what he already knew: that J. G. Ballard wasn’t just a cult writer — he was one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century.
In 2024, Christopher died. He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, the same disease that killed Ballard.
When Nina Allan first met Christopher, they bonded over their love for Ballard’s writing. When it became clear that Christopher would not have time to finish this biography, Nina promised him that she would complete it. If the book began as a tribute from Priest to Ballard, it is now also a love story written by Nina for Christopher. With access to never-before-seen material, The Illuminated Man explores the history and themes of Ballard’s life and – with Ballardian strangeness – celebrates and mourns for those that are gone.
A very timely book, and one that I hope will introduce new readers to a writer Priest rightly calls one of the greatest of the 20th century. * The Sunday Times *
Christopher Priest’s sympathetic biography, completed by his wife after his premature death, will enlighten new readers and maintain Ballard’s reputation. -- Michael Moorcock * The Spectator *
The best account yet of the life of one of the great English-language writers of the last century… Exemplary in detail and analysis, The Illuminated Mind is a page-turning portrait of an author whose work feels more bracingly relevant than ever. * The New World *
A brave and moving book. * Guardian *
A remarkable document, a series of homages of authors to each other, written with intense insight and abundant care. -- Stuart Kelly * The Scotsman *
An invigorating read, richly stimulating and almost unbearably moving... simply unforgettable. * Martin MacInnes, author of Infinite Ground *
An engaging and frequently moving tribute to a writer honouring his self-imposed task to the last breath. * Iain Sinclair *
Exciting...to see a major UK publisher investing in an unconventional turn on an often stale and trudging genre. * M. John Harrison *
The Illuminated Man does the job. It succeeds as a tribute to Ballard and to the abiding power of literature and ideas. -- Norma Clark * Times Literary Supplement *
An incisive and moving new critical biography of one of the nuclear age’s greatest visionaries. * LA Review of Books *
A strange, poignant meditation on pain and art. -- Tim Adams * Observer *
The book manages to get as close to the truth as anyone is likely to… Informative and inspiring. * The Fantasy Hive *
Thoroughly researched, astutely observed and formally inventive. * Locus *
A strange, occasionally devastating, but in the end quite lovely dual tribute. * Gary Wolfe *
ISBN: 9781399417501
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
496 pages