Hello America

by J. G. Ballard

Published 1 January 1981

A terrifying vision of the future from one of the twentieth century’s most renowned writers – J. G. Ballard, author of `Empire of the Sun’ and `Crash’.

Following the energy crisis of the late twentieth-century America has been abandoned. Now, a century later, an expedition from Europe returns to the deserted continent. But America is unrecognisable – the Bering Strait has been dammed and the whole continent has become a desert, populated by isolated natives and the bizarre remnants of a disintegrated culture.

The expedition sets off from Manhattan on a cross-continent journey, through Holiday Inns and abandoned theme parks. They will uncover a shocking new power in the heart of Las Vegas in this unique vision of our world transformed.

This edition is part of a new commemorative series of Ballard’s works, featuring introductions from a number of his admirers (including Ned Beauman, Ali Smith, Neil Gaiman and Martin Amis) and brand-new cover designs.


Crash!

by J. G. Ballard

Published 1 January 1973
The novel opens with the narrator recovering in hospital after a serious car crash in which he has killed the husband of a young woman doctor. In his pain-filled dreams he finds himself dominated by strange sexual fantasies, and he determines to find the real meaning of this horrific experience. When he leaves hospital he revisits the scene of the crash, and meets the woman doctor. During their affair they begin an exploration of the motor-car in all forms, attending stock-car races, watching test vehicles being crashed, conducting a variety of sexual experiments on London motorways. A disquieting vision of the future in which sex and technology form a nighmare marriage.