science fiction

The Midwich Cuckoos - John Wyndham Book Review

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"The Midwich Cuckoos"
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Review Summaries
" One day the town of Midwich experiences a strange phenomenon. Everyone in the town is rendered unconscious and an invisible barrier prevents people from getting into the area of the village. This lasts for a day. It is then discovered that all the women in the town are pregnant. The children they eventually deliver all have golden eyes and very soon begin behaving strangely. It seems they have the power to control the minds of the humans around them and force them to do things against their will. As the children grow older, they develop more quickly than normal children. Then it is discovered that all the boys seem to learn as a single unit and all the girls as another. It becomes very clear that they are a superior race and unless something is done they will dominate the lesser human beings. The question becomes what, if anything, can be done to save humanity from these "Midwich cuckoos.""
Jack Goodstein, Resident John Wyndham Scholar

"The village of Midwich near London is cut off by a mystery force field that lasts for about a day. Then, just as mysteriously, the force field disappears. The inhabitants have been to sleep for the duration and although they refer to the scientifically inexplicable event as the 'Day Out', village life quickly returns to normal. Except that several weeks later the women of the village all find that they are pregnant. The children are duly born and are as strange as their portents. Although generally looking human, their golden eyes, and the psi-powers of their hive-mind are not. Their mothers do their best to care for them, but they are hardly needed. The children grow at an incredible rate, becoming adolescents in a few years, and they learn even faster. As the villagers grow more afraid the men march on their house to try to destroy them, only to find that they are no match for their psychic powers. "
Michael JR Jose, Resident John Wyndham Scholar

"One day in September the entire town of Midwich falls into a deep sleep. Soon after waking up the villiage discover that all women of childbearing age are pregnant. What they bear can hardly be described as alien as they look human but their golden colour eyes, their incredible growth rate and their increasing mind power differentiates them. As they grow older it becomes apparent that it is either a case of kill or face the eventual extinction and replacement of the human race by these beings. Gordon Zellaby takes it upon himself to try to wipe out these children once and for all."
Neil Morey, Resident John Wyndham Scholar


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Overall Review
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 60%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 10%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%




Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
If an invasion, from Earth/human POV: - subtle invasion (mind control, lookalikes)
War or Invasion Yes
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Horror story? Yes
Horror plotlets - the bodysnatchers are coming!

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - scholar
Age: - 40's-50's
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - an entire race
Age: - a kid
Has magical powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - mind reading - mind control
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a substantial amount

Setting
Earth setting: - 20th century - current (early 21st century)
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only) - none/very little science jargon needed
Most similar books by Gordonator ranking
Crawlers by John Shirley
Stasis by Kelly Steed & Colleen Elliott
Dreamcatcher by Stephen King
Stinger by Robert R. McCammon
Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney





Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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