Wyndham: Midwich Cuckoos

Main ideas:

• In the small village of Midwich, a mysterious silver object appears and causes all the inhabitants to fall unconscious.
• When they awaken, it is discovered that all the women in the village are pregnant, and their children possess supernatural abilities.
• These children, known as the "Midwich Cuckoos," grow up rapidly and use their powers to control others, leading to conflict with the villagers.
• The story explores how humanity reacts when faced with beings who are superior to them in every way.
• The author, John Wyndham, is known for his works in apocalyptic science fiction and explores moral ambiguities in his novels.

Overall, "The Midwich Cuckoos" is a thrilling and unsettling science fiction novel that delves into the psychological and moral aspects of a village dealing with extraordinary circumstances.

Review: Exciting, unsettling and technically brilliant - Spectator

A taut, entertaining story that showcases John Wyndham's status as a classic purveyor of apocalyptic SF suspense - SFReviews.net

A searching novel of moral ambiguities - Guardian

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 realization 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 (1903-69) John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris was the son of a barrister, who started writing short stories in 1925. 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, which he called 'logical fantasy'. As John Wyndham, he is best-known as the author of The Day of the Triffids, but he wrote many other successful novels including The Kraken Wakes, The Chrysalids and The Midwich Cuckoos (filmed as Village of the Damned).