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A review by unfetteredfiction
The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham
4.0
“It is because nature is ruthless, hideous, and cruel beyond belief that it was necessary to invent civilisation.”
John Wyndham, The Midwich Cuckoos
*mild spoilers ahead*
Cuckoos are brood parasites. They lay their eggs in the nest of another bird so as to avoid raising their own offspring. This was something I didn’t know until I read this book, and quite an interesting albeit quirky natural fact. I don’t think this is necessarily good or bad, it just is. In the same way that nature just is. But by human societal standards, perhaps this little trick could be construed as cruel? I’m not sure…
Anyway, The Midwich Cuckoos was such a memorable read, one which is now solidified in my top sci-fi favourites. I loved the style in which is was written, quite like a fable, centring on the odd occurrences of a village no one thought would really be remembered for anything. The setting has a slight Hot Fuzz vibe.
It all starts with the Dayout. An invisible “something” that makes those in Midwich fall into a silent, frozen sleep. From here, things get tricky. Why are all the women of the village pregnant? Why do all their children have golden eyes? Why do they age at such a rapid pace? Why can’t anyone drive out of Midwich?
This is a short read and honestly super good. The only slight disappointment was that I was able to predict the ending, which is something I can never usually do, meaning it must have been a pretty obvious one. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good ending, because it was, and the one that I think fits. I’ll certainly be reading more of Wyndham…
John Wyndham, The Midwich Cuckoos
*mild spoilers ahead*
Cuckoos are brood parasites. They lay their eggs in the nest of another bird so as to avoid raising their own offspring. This was something I didn’t know until I read this book, and quite an interesting albeit quirky natural fact. I don’t think this is necessarily good or bad, it just is. In the same way that nature just is. But by human societal standards, perhaps this little trick could be construed as cruel? I’m not sure…
Anyway, The Midwich Cuckoos was such a memorable read, one which is now solidified in my top sci-fi favourites. I loved the style in which is was written, quite like a fable, centring on the odd occurrences of a village no one thought would really be remembered for anything. The setting has a slight Hot Fuzz vibe.
It all starts with the Dayout. An invisible “something” that makes those in Midwich fall into a silent, frozen sleep. From here, things get tricky. Why are all the women of the village pregnant? Why do all their children have golden eyes? Why do they age at such a rapid pace? Why can’t anyone drive out of Midwich?
This is a short read and honestly super good. The only slight disappointment was that I was able to predict the ending, which is something I can never usually do, meaning it must have been a pretty obvious one. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good ending, because it was, and the one that I think fits. I’ll certainly be reading more of Wyndham…