Comments on: The Wind From Nowhere (1961) http://www.ballardian.com/biblio-the-wind-from-nowhere Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:59:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: David Pringle http://www.ballardian.com/biblio-the-wind-from-nowhere/comment-page-1#comment-6429 David Pringle Thu, 30 Sep 2010 13:37:34 +0000 http://www.ballardian.com/biblio-wind-from-nowhere/#comment-6429 The novel, published by Berkley Books of New York, is dated "January 1962" on the copyright page. So, bibliographically, 1962 is the correct date to give for it. However, it was a mass-market paperback original; and in America, in those days, such books usually appeared on the newsstands and in the racks at the drugstores at the end of the month preceding the month they're dated for. So it's likely that _The Wind from Nowhere_ was first on sale in late December 1961. The novel, published by Berkley Books of New York, is dated “January 1962″ on the copyright page. So, bibliographically, 1962 is the correct date to give for it. However, it was a mass-market paperback original; and in America, in those days, such books usually appeared on the newsstands and in the racks at the drugstores at the end of the month preceding the month they’re dated for. So it’s likely that _The Wind from Nowhere_ was first on sale in late December 1961.

]]> By: Jan Vaněk jr. http://www.ballardian.com/biblio-the-wind-from-nowhere/comment-page-1#comment-6401 Jan Vaněk jr. Thu, 30 Sep 2010 10:03:44 +0000 http://www.ballardian.com/biblio-wind-from-nowhere/#comment-6401 Is The Wind From Nowhere really from 1961? Most bibliographies give 1962, specifically January, which I suppose is listed on the copyright page; I don't know whether the modern habit of the book being physically available several weeks before the official release date was practiced as early as that time. Any elucidation would be much appreciated. Is The Wind From Nowhere really from 1961? Most bibliographies give 1962, specifically January, which I suppose is listed on the copyright page; I don’t know whether the modern habit of the book being physically available several weeks before the official release date was practiced as early as that time. Any elucidation would be much appreciated.

]]> By: Enigmatic Engineering – Yuichi Yokoyama’s Visionary Architecture – Part 1 « transatlantis http://www.ballardian.com/biblio-the-wind-from-nowhere/comment-page-1#comment-4664 Enigmatic Engineering – Yuichi Yokoyama’s Visionary Architecture – Part 1 « transatlantis Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:31:25 +0000 http://www.ballardian.com/biblio-wind-from-nowhere/#comment-4664 [...] (the story with that title also shared by the book) was J.G. Ballard’s first novel The Wind from Nowhere. In the book, the surface of the whole planet is rapidly destroyed by a powerful wind, which [...] [...] (the story with that title also shared by the book) was J.G. Ballard’s first novel The Wind from Nowhere. In the book, the surface of the whole planet is rapidly destroyed by a powerful wind, which [...]

]]> By: Mark Burgess http://www.ballardian.com/biblio-the-wind-from-nowhere/comment-page-1#comment-515 Mark Burgess Tue, 26 Aug 2008 03:53:47 +0000 http://www.ballardian.com/biblio-wind-from-nowhere/#comment-515 It seems I remember Mr. Ballard saying somewhere that he tossed this one off very quickly to "make a little money" (I'm paraphrasing that quote). It shows. Maybe that's why he disregards it? It seems I remember Mr. Ballard saying somewhere that he tossed this one off very quickly to “make a little money” (I’m paraphrasing that quote). It shows. Maybe that’s why he disregards it?

]]> By: Simon Sellars http://www.ballardian.com/biblio-the-wind-from-nowhere/comment-page-1#comment-514 Simon Sellars Sun, 07 Oct 2007 13:52:28 +0000 http://www.ballardian.com/biblio-wind-from-nowhere/#comment-514 Thanks, John ... Toby's choice was noted here: http://www.ballardian.com/the-wind-from-nowhere-is-now-a-wind-from-somewhere Simon Thanks, John … Toby’s choice was noted here:
http://www.ballardian.com/the-wind-from-nowhere-is-now-a-wind-from-somewhere

Simon

]]> By: John Edge http://www.ballardian.com/biblio-the-wind-from-nowhere/comment-page-1#comment-513 John Edge Sun, 07 Oct 2007 13:49:38 +0000 http://www.ballardian.com/biblio-wind-from-nowhere/#comment-513 This book appeared in the Guardian on a list of "most under-rated" novels. Choice was made by Toby Litt. Toby Litt The Wind From Nowhere (1961) JG Ballard Thousands of books are undervalued by the general public. Far rarer are those undervalued by their own authors. And rarer still are those the authors dislike so much that they suppress them. Graham Greene wouldn't allow his first four novels to be reprinted. And Jeanette Winterson has done her best to turn her second novel, Boating for Beginners, into an unbook. Harder to understand is JG Ballard, who always refers to The Drowned World as his first novel, whereas it was, in fact, The Wind From Nowhere. His reluctance to admit authorship is almost certainly due to having knocked it out in a mere two weeks. But it's not a bad book - recognisably Ballardian in subject and form. Also, it stands as the first part of Ballard's Disaster Quartet. Each of these books - The Drowned World, The Drought (aka The Burning World) and The Crystal World are the others - is based on one of the four classical elements: air, water, fire and earth. By refusing to admit The Wind From Nowhere into his corpus, Ballard leaves this quartet maimed. But maybe that's the whole point. This book appeared in the Guardian on a list of “most under-rated” novels. Choice was made by Toby Litt.

Toby Litt

The Wind From Nowhere (1961)

JG Ballard

Thousands of books are undervalued by the general public. Far rarer are those undervalued by their own authors. And rarer still are those the authors dislike so much that they suppress them. Graham Greene wouldn’t allow his first four novels to be reprinted. And Jeanette Winterson has done her best to turn her second novel, Boating for Beginners, into an unbook. Harder to understand is JG Ballard, who always refers to The Drowned World as his first novel, whereas it was, in fact, The Wind From Nowhere. His reluctance to admit authorship is almost certainly due to having knocked it out in a mere two weeks. But it’s not a bad book – recognisably Ballardian in subject and form. Also, it stands as the first part of Ballard’s Disaster Quartet. Each of these books – The Drowned World, The Drought (aka The Burning World) and The Crystal World are the others – is based on one of the four classical elements: air, water, fire and earth. By refusing to admit The Wind From Nowhere into his corpus, Ballard leaves this quartet maimed. But maybe that’s the whole point.

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