John Wyndham is currently my most read science fiction author, and I recently had the pleasure of listening to Noah Reid reading The Chrysalids, which I’m now declaring as my favorite Wyndham novel!

I started out with his apocalyptic "The Kraken Wakes", which I rated 3, as I didn’t quite like the characters and prose, but I liked Wyndham’s approach to catastrophe and his ideas, so it intrigued me more than enough to continue exploring Wyndham’s works.

I then read "Chocky", which was completely different in scope, perspective, themes and POV, focusing on one family and their son, and the narrative was more driven by parenthood and scientific curiosity, while the alien element was much less destructive, yet much more interesting. I gave it 5.

My third Wyndham book was the post-apocalyptic "The Day of the Triffids", which I gave 5. While the characters were less compelling, less emotionally nuanced, it raised even bigger questions about our society, exposed our collective weaknesses and had some cool planty creatures in it.

In "The Chrysalids", Wyndham combined all the things I liked in these three books. There was the issue of how to rebuild a society. There was heart and family and big philosophical and moral questions and strange dangers and action. The book can be read as YA because of the age of some of the central characters and the simple narrative, but I think Wyndham never falls into the trap of writing children’s characters in an exaggerated childlike or silly way, but rather with respect befitting their age, so that his writing can appeal to a wide audience. And at some point they grow up to be (mostly) mature teenagers.

I’ve come to realize I’m a sucker for coming-of-age stories, but not with too much romantic drama, silly conflicts and competition. I prefer stories where friendship, adventure and ultimately disillusionment are central to the story, and there’s no dumbing down in dealing with dark themes. Kids being kids, teenagers being teenagers, but having to deal with grown-up stuff, you know, and if you like that too, you’ll love this!

The narrator is a young boy called David, and the setting is a contaminated future dystopian Earth where a lot of people and animals and plant life are born with mutations. David grows up in a part of the world populated by intolerant religious zealots who they believe that anyone and anything that is not perfectly made (i.e. not made in the image of God) is a deviation and should be persecuted. A threat to life itself. Nothing short of perfectly made livestock can be put to use, and the same with the vegetables they eat.

They're not just deviations, but soulless blasphemies.

"Clearly there must be a mistake somewhere. Surely having one very small toe extra, well, two very small toes because I suppose here would be one to match on the other foot, surely that couldn't be enough to make her hateful in the sight of God? The ways of the world were very puzzling."

I tend to shy away from stories with religion as a core aspect, but it worked very well here – mainly because the book could be interpreted as criticism of Christian fundamentalism, while at the same time asking the ageless question of what it means to be human, normal, perfect, and how we value life. The fear of difference is such a powerful force here too. David naturally learns early on that he is a deviation, and while he hides this fact, it shapes his upbringing and perspective as he grows up.

'Why should they be afraid of us? We aren't hurting them,' she broke in. 'I'm not sure that I know why,' I told her. 'But they are. It's a feel-thing not a think-thing. And the more stupid they are, the more like everyone else they think everyone ought to be. And once they get afraid they become cruel and want to hurt people who are different.'

I know the subject matter sounds very serious, but I truly enjoyed the story. I think I owe much of my enjoyment to the narrator Noah Reid. His pronunciation and pacing was spot on, and his voice acting was so impressive. He performed with clear and convincing distinction both children and adults, and he transitioned so smoothly between males and female in and out of character, and he possessed such a wide and nuanced emotional range. It was so pleasing to the ear and elevated the story to pure bliss. Remember Noah Reid if you ever come across his name again.

Yes, he was simply perfect!

And Wyndham is an author worthy of admiration. Highly recommend!