Chocky - MXHDR BookWyrm

Paperback

English language

Published Aug. 18, 2015 by New York Review of Books.

ISBN:: 978-1-59017-852-2

(1 review)

In Chocky, pioneering science-fiction master John Wyndham confronts an enigma as strange as anything found in his classic works The Day of the Triffids or The Chrysalids--the mind of a child.

It's not terribly unusual for a boy to have an imaginary friend, but Matthew's parents have to agree that his--nicknamed Chocky--is anything but ordinary. Why, Chocky demands to know, are there twenty-four hours in a day? Why are there two sexes? Why can't Matthew solve his math homework using a logical system like binary code? When the questions Chocky asks become too advanced and, frankly, too odd for teachers to answer, Matthew's parents start to wonder if Chocky might be something far stranger than a figment of their son's imagination.

Chocky, the last novel Wyndham published during his life, is a playful investigation of what being human is all about, delving into such matters as child-rearing, marriage, learning, artistic …

In Chocky, pioneering science-fiction master John Wyndham confronts an enigma as strange as anything found in his classic works The Day of the Triffids or The Chrysalids--the mind of a child.

It's not terribly unusual for a boy to have an imaginary friend, but Matthew's parents have to agree that his--nicknamed Chocky--is anything but ordinary. Why, Chocky demands to know, are there twenty-four hours in a day? Why are there two sexes? Why can't Matthew solve his math homework using a logical system like binary code? When the questions Chocky asks become too advanced and, frankly, too odd for teachers to answer, Matthew's parents start to wonder if Chocky might be something far stranger than a figment of their son's imagination.

Chocky, the last novel Wyndham published during his life, is a playful investigation of what being human is all about, delving into such matters as child-rearing, marriage, learning, artistic inspiration--and ending with a surprising and impassioned plea for better human stewardship of the earth.

16 editions

AvonVilla@ramblingreaders.org reviewed Chocky by John Wyndham

Essential SF and great for non-genre readers too

5 stars

Wyndham's last substantial work before his death is a great way to go out. The story tells of a boy's imaginary friend who turns out to be a telepathic alien child reaching out from across the vastness of space. Wyndham imbues it with fantastic insights into the nature of language and communication and the delicate nature of family relationships.

Essential SF, and like much of this author's work, should appeal to non-genre readers too.