What is this post-apocalypse book?

February 28, 2006 7:23 AM

What is this post-apocalypse book that features "New Sealand"?

I remember reading a book as a child which was set in the UK (?) and featured a small number of children (brother and sister?) who are some of the few survivors of a nuclear war. They end up searching for a semi-mythical place they call "New Sea Land". What is it called and who wrote it?

posted by jonesor to media & arts (11 comments total)

The Chrysalids, by John Wyndham
posted by jon_kill at 7:24 AM on February 28, 2006

AKA John Wyndham Harris.
posted by stet at 7:37 AM on February 28, 2006

Ahhh The Chrysalids. The book that got me into science fiction. I still have a soft spot for post-apocalyptic stories because of that one thin tome. Day of the Triffids - also quite entertaining.
posted by antifuse at 7:53 AM on February 28, 2006

Aha! My god - that was fast! This has been bugging me for ages. I look forward to reading it again. Googling "The Chrysalids" has revealed that the place they are heading for is called Sealand, and they live in a place called Waknuk in Labrador (not the UK!)
posted by jonesor at 7:56 AM on February 28, 2006

I went on a Wyndham kick last year — The Day of the Triffids, The Kraken Wakes, The Chrysalids, The Midwich Cuckoos, and Chocky were entertaining. Avoid Trouble with Lichen; it's very poorly written.
posted by D.C. at 9:20 AM on February 28, 2006

This was published under another title in the US; The Secret People if memory serves.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 9:29 AM on February 28, 2006

And there was a short story or novella version, too--I remember reading it in some sci-fi compilation book years ago.
posted by Asparagirl at 9:33 AM on February 28, 2006

I don't think it was called The Secret People - see this wikipedia entry. That was about "a British couple [who] find themselves held captive by an ancient race of pygmies dwelling beneath the Sahara desert"
posted by jonesor at 9:41 AM on February 28, 2006

oh wow, I love that book! I'm looking at it on my bookcase right now.

if you guys liked that one, you should check out The Tripod Trilogy by John Christopher. it's more sci-fi for the juvenille (but there's no law against grown-ups reading it) that in retrospect kind of reminds me of the game, Half-Life 2.
posted by mcsweetie at 10:54 AM on February 28, 2006

I don't think it was called The Secret People

Shouldn't have depended on my memory: the actual alternate title was Rebirth (or possibly Re-Birth or The Rebirth) according to a google search for "The Chrysalids aka".

And there was a short story or novella version, too--I remember reading it in some sci-fi compilation book years ago.

There's an old two volume "Treasury of Great Science Fiction" that contains the complete text. Also has all of The Stars My Destination, as well as stories by Dick, Heinlein, Kornbluth, etc.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 10:58 AM on February 28, 2006

The Stars My Destination is great but I like The Demolished Man better myself. (reading a short story collection by Bester currently)
posted by edgeways at 6:37 PM on February 28, 2006