The Midwich Cuckoos
Failed to add items
Add to cart failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
New to Audible Prime Member exclusive: 2 credits with free trial
The Midwich Cuckoos
Buy Now for ₹759.00
-
Narrated by:
-
Stephen Fry
-
Written by:
-
John Wyndham
About this listen
In the sleepy English village of Midwich, a mysterious silver object appears and all the inhabitants fall unconscious. A day later the object is gone and everyone awakens unharmed - except that all the women in the village are discovered to be pregnant.
The resultant children of Midwich do not belong to their parents: all are blonde, all are golden eyed. They grow up too fast, and their minds exhibit frightening abilities that give them control over others and brings them into conflict with the villagers just as a chilling realisation dawns on the world outside....
The Midwich Cuckoos is the classic tale of aliens in our midst, exploring how we respond when confronted by those who are innately superior to us in every conceivable way.
About the author: John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Benyon Harris was born in 1903, the son of a barrister. He tried a number of careers, including farming, law, commercial art and advertising, and started writing short stories, intended for sale, in 1925. From 1930 to 1939 he wrote stories of various kinds under different names, almost exclusively for American publications, while also writing detective novels. During the war he was in the Civil Service and then the Army. In 1946 he went back to writing stories for publication in the USA and decided to try a modified form of science fiction, a form he called 'logical fantasy'.
©2008 John Wyndham (P)2021 Audible, LtdQuestions like,
Humans have dominated the planet not because we're physically strong or can overpower other species with brute force, but because we possess cognitive abilities far beyond any other species and can coordinate our efforts toward greater goals. So, what happens when humans are faced with an alien species that not only exceeds our mental and cognitive abilities many times over but can also grasp new knowledge at lightning speed—and operates as a single brain, a hivemind, if you will?
How much control do we truly have over our actions in the face of superior or external influence? Is a collective intelligence superior or inferior to individual thought? What is lost or gained when individuality is sacrificed?
The children's existence creates a tension between “us” (humans) and “them” (the alien children). This raises issues of xenophobia, fear of the unknown, and social cohesion.
A few things I didn't liked: the writing was kind of dry and didn’t feel as punchy or engaging as it could’ve been. But maybe that’s just me—I like my philosophical debates and moral dilemmas delivered in the style of Russian literature, haha. Characters and events didn’t play out like I expected, and the ending was very predictable, with clear hints appearing several chapters earlier. I wasn’t surprised by it at all.
My favorite character was, of course, Zellaby. I could probably listen to that guy giving nerdy speeches all day, lol. A really interesting read, I’d say—even if you’re not into sci-fi or alien-related stuff. Definitely going to check out more of the author’s works.
A chilling thought experiment in disguise.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.