1956 - 1959





JGB in the very early days.
This pix was published in the December 1956 issue of New Worlds, along with his first published story, Escapement. The profile outlines his zany cv, his favourite writers -- Poe, Wyndham, Lewis -- and the usual surreal suspects -- Dali, Ernst -- as inspirational painters.




Science Fantasy, Volume 7, Number 20, December, 1956
Contains the short story, Prima Belladonna, which was reprinted in the collections, Billenium, The Four-Dimensional Nightmare, and Vermillion Sands.

Ted Carnell's story blurb: "Once again we have pleasure in presenting a new author to our pages with quite a fascinating approach to fantasy. In particular, we cannot remember having read such an intriguing idea about singing plants before, although there have been stories that have referred to such a possibility."




New Worlds, Volume 18, Number 54, December, 1956.
Contains the short story, Escapement, which shares first-published JGB story honours with Prima Belladonna, which was also published in December, 1956. Escapement was reprinted in the collections, Passport To Eternity and The Overloaded Man.

Ted Carnell's story blurb: "Mr. Ballard is a new author to our pages from whom we hope to see a lot more stories in the near future. His first story herewith (although he also has one in the current Science Fantasy) is a delightful type of Time-travel theme in a setting all too familiar to everyone -- commercial TV. But read about..."




New Worlds, Volume 19, Number 55, January 1957
Contains the short story, Build-Up, which was reprinted in the collections, Billenium, and Chronopolis. It also appeared in The Disaster Area, retitled The Concentration City

Ted Carnell's story blurb: "This month Mr. Ballard presents a well defined story based on the question 'When we get to the end -- what is beyond that?' In this case it is a world-wide city state of the future where the inhabitants have never known anything else but the three dimensions of their buildings."




Science Fantasy, Volume 8, Number 23, June 1957
Contains the short story, Mobile, which was reprinted in the paperback collection, Billenium. It also appeared in Vermilion Sands and Worlds of If (September 1967) rewritten and retitled Venus Smiles.

Ted Carnell's story blurb: "Back in the early 1930's there was published a fascinating serial entitled 'The Death of Iron,' it's title speaking for itself. It is certain that author Ballard has never read that story, yet by a reverse process he has produced as delightful an idea -- sentient, growing metal. Written with a freshness and with touches of humour that typify the modern trend of fantasy writing."




New Worlds, Volume 22, Number 65, November 1957
Contains the short story, Manhole 69, which was reprinted in the collections, The Voices of time, The Disaster Area, and Chronopolis.

Ted Carnell's story blurb: "Each successive story we publish by Mr. Ballard shows that he is fast becoming one of Britain's most promising new writers. This month we present one of the most powerful stories yet published in this country and one which will long be talked about by science fiction readers."




New Worlds, Volume 24, Number 70, April 1958
Contains the short story, Track 12, which was reprinted in the collections, Passport To Eternity and The Overloaded Man.

Ted Carnell's story blurb: "Microsonics is as fascinating a subject in today's science fiction as stories of the microcosm were twenty-five years ago. More so, in fact, because we are closer to the subject in fact rather than theory. To the best of our knowledge, Mr. Ballard's story is the first of its kind."




New Worlds, Volume 30, Number 88, November 1959.
Contains the short story, The Waiting Grounds which was reprinted in the paperback collections, The Voices Of Time and The Day Of Forever.

Ted Carnell's story blurb: "Not for a long time have readers seen a story quite like this one. Those with extensive collections or good memories will remember the impact H. P. Lovecraft made in the middle 30's with his all-too-few science fiction stories, particularly 'At the Mountains of Madness.' Undoubtedly author Ballard has a touch of that same genius which eventually made Lovecraft great."




Science Fantasy, Volume 13, Number 38, December 1959.
Contains the short story, Now:Zero which was reprinted in the paperback collections, Billennium and The Overloaded Man.

Ted Carnell's story blurb: "Here is another fascinating Ballard incursion into the realms of fantasy. His earlier 'Prima Belladonna,' you may remember, hit the American 'Year's Best S-F Stories 1956' and pulled more review comments than the rest of the stories in that particular collection."