The Drowned World
- 175
- Pages
- about 3 h
- Reading time
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About the book
The Drowned World is a 1962 science fiction novel by J. G. Ballard. It first appeared in shortened form in the January 1962 issue of the UK edition of Science Fiction Adventures and was published in book form later that year by Victor Gollancz Ltd in London; an American edition followed from Berkley Medallion. Critics have grouped The Drowned World with Ballard's early science-fiction novels as part of an "ambiguous apocalypse" sequence that also includes The Drought and The Crystal World, from the period in which he was developing the ideas he described as "inner space". Set in a future in which solar radiation has melted the polar ice caps and transformed London into a flooded tropical lagoon, the novel follows biologist Robert Kerans as he becomes increasingly drawn toward the altered environment rather than toward restoring the old social order.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 6.6 across 86 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 37% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Science fiction average of 7.8. That is how 7.3 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 6.6 | 7 | 8% |
| Hardcover | 6.6 | 79 | 92% |
Frequently asked
How long is The Drowned World?
It has 175 pages — shorter than 96% of the ranked books in Science fiction.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Science fiction — with scores between 7.3 and 7.4, closest to this book.
