The Chrysalids and Survival (Classic Radio Sci-Fi) [Audiobook] [Audio CD]

NOTE THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE CLASSIC SCI FI AUDIO CD.
(Amazon post the audio book reviews and the books together and vice versa)

This is my 4th John Wydham BBC adaptations and I must admit I have enjoyed them all.
This is a link to the others.
The Kraken Wakes (Classic Radio Sci-Fi)
The Midwich Cuckoos (BBC Classic Radio Sci-Fi)
Chocky (Classic Radio Sci-Fi)
I have not listed to
The Day of the Triffids (Classic Radio Sci-Fi)
That is next on my list.

I was Surprised that the 3rd one Chocky proved the better of the series but this one the Chrysalids tops even that and that was a very hard act to beat.

Why? Simply because the story and the dramatic depiction are so powerful. I have enjoyed this one the most.
The portrayal of a country in a world after an unspecified man made disaster has meant' that animals, crops and even humans are born with `defects'.
In the central character David's retrograded country that is an abomination.

The world David lives in has a religious sect akin to the Puritans of America and all their prejudices but in spades. It's more a case of PuriTANICAL.

David's father is a Reverend and a hell fire, kill them all and let God sort it out, Fire and Brimstone, no chance of any mercy what so ever.
This for me is where the true drama of the book comes to life. The actor who plays the Reverend Father has done a magnificent job.

For me I was truly shocked at David's Father ranting.
For example when David injures his arm and has trouble taking of his jacket he remarks to his mother if he had another arm it would be easily he is mercilessly beaten by his tyrannical father.
In this unforgiving country all children born have to be examined by a religious government official who has to count fingers, toes and arms for any defects only then will a certificate be issued and the child considered safe. If by unhappy chance the child is not normal but a 'deviant' then.... Well that scenario is not specified.

Many events happen to increase the horror of David's world.
After his sister is born his Aunt begs to swap her `slightly imperfect baby' with David's sister so that the all important certificate can be issued and her to be safe.
The Mother refuses and we later learn that David's Aunt has committed suicide.
This really brings the horror of the world home and make no mistake this is no tale for children it is a full on Adult tale.

Now David has a gift too but luckily his defect is hidden. I won't reveal the story too much but his problems are compounded when his sister is born.
We see David's naivety of his `gift' through a child's eyes and as he gets older he learns to hide it from the merciless citizens of his world. To be a 'deviant' means expulsion from the safe world and death in the badlands.

The drama never outstays its welcome by a microsecond and the shortness of the drama is boosted by the addition of another John Wydham short story. `Survival'.

Now the best way to think of this story is as an added bonus.
It is not as good as the Chrysalids and to my ear seems a little dated.
Briefly a space ship bound for another world blasts off.
On the voyage disaster strikes and the ship is adrift with no chance of rescue unless Earth is galvanised in the rescuing the ship because one of the passengers Alice Morgan is pregnant the first baby to be born in Outer Space.
Will Earth come to her and the crews rescue?

Listen yourself and you decide.

This set is worth the purchase because of the excellence of the Chrysalids alone `Survival' is a bonus.

Listen yourself and you decide.

This set is worth the purchase because of the excellence of the Chrysalids alone `Survival' is a bonus.

The Chrysalids is, I would say, John Wyndham's best novel. It's a very sharply written story, especially considering that it was written 55 years ago. The dramatisation is typically BBC, very good and very professional. There are some elements missed out but overall it's excellent. Most gripping.

It's strange. Not having thought about the book for 25 years, this year I emigrated to New Zealand, the final destination in the book of David, Rosalind and Petra, and only then recalled it.

I actually heard the original broadcast of The Chrysalids many years ago, and was impressed enough to jump at buying it now on cd. As usual the BBC haven't gone overboard with the packaging and insert materials, but the two stories in this set hold up without any bells and whistles in that line. The sound quality on both is excellent, and the performances are terrific. I was a bit surprised that The Chrysalids has been split between the two discs, but it doesn't really impair your enjoyment of the story. However, the story is introduced in first person by the character David, and in that first narration the ending is totally given away, which means it is almost impossible to raise any tension throughout as to the fate of the characters, especially in the final flight, which should have been nail-biting but is simply interesting. I haven't read the original novel on this one, so I don't know if the book is the same, but it did spoil the drama a bit for me. Survival, however, is just solid drama right through, and with an enjoyably horrid ending. Nice to hear the late Nicholas Courtney in it, too. But I deduct a star for shoddy marketing by the BBC. The Chrysalids was one of their many stand-alone plays, but Survival was one from their revival of The Man In Black with Edward de Souza. The Chrysalids could have been released on a single disc on its own, and Survival held back for a Man In Black release, but the price would have had to be lower. I dare say The Man In Black series will still be released and I will wind up duplicating this story to get it, but I can't say I'm impressed; it is on a par with them releasing new, previously unreleased classic Doctor Who stories in sets with ones already issued as dvds. Nasty, money-grubbing and unnecessary.