Short Book Reviews: Ideas, Not Action

  

Trouble with Lichen, by John Wyndham (Modern Library)

British writer John Wyndham is known to the science fiction community best for his novel, and then the movie based on it, The Day of the Triffids. The publisher Modern Library isn’t exactly known for its modern (excuse the pun) science fictional sensibilities. So to judge this novel as contemporary science fiction is, I believe, a disservice to both the book and the community (and the reading community at large, as well, especially those who still reflexively look down their noses at genre fiction). Rather, it is a quintessentially British literary novel that employs a science fictional concept as a vehicle for examining societal issues, especially those relating to gender roles.

In many ways,  Trouble with Lichen violates the contemporary expectations of genre. Most of the book consists of conversations (“talking heads”) rather than action. Indeed, almost every pivotal event occurs offstage, leaving the reader with the long-drawn-out, convoluted, and often ambivalent reactions of the characters. Dramatic tension is slight compared to that in today’s science fiction novels. To this American reader, most of the characters sounded similar (similarly British); they had different points of view, but they all talked the same. (To be fair, a few of the secondary characters had strong voices, usually unpleasant ones.) And yet, I found the book neither boring nor slow-paced. Its center revolves around ideas, not action, but those ideas are provocative.

I enjoyed the slow evolution of reactions and visions of the potential of the mcguffin (an extract of lichen that slows down aging, potentially extending human lifespans to several centuries) to transform lives and greater society. My favorite point of discussion was the way a greatly enhanced life expectancy would result in accumulation of knowledge, experience, and (hopefully) wisdom. For every anticipated benefit, there would be a host of drawbacks (ever-young people refusing to retire, others stuck in meaningless jobs for a hundred years, unhappy marriages turning into eternities of hell). Wyndham himself doesn’t bash the reader of the head, telling us how we should think and feel; he allows his characters to explore nuance and unfolding realizations. The book is out of date in terms of feminist sensibilities, not to mention LGBTQ+ and environmental/population concerns, but taken for what it is and when it was written, I found it surprisingly relevant. As I said, I enjoyed it and recommend it. Just don’t expect a lot of frenetic rockets’n’rayguns action. Instead, have a cup of tea ready.