Sam Youd on his friend John Wyndham

Feral T. Robot, Oil Swamp Utility Bot #7629@feralrobots.bsky.social · last yr.

Tripods was by John *Christopher* (a.k.a. Sam Youd), not John Wyndham (but the confusion is VERY understandable). More even than the tripods books, his Sword of the Spirits trilogy kind of messed me up, emotionally. I still regularly think of its last line. ("But I shall have no son.")

John Christopher sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/christ... was born on this day, so here are some of his book covers (artist: Karel Thole, John Griffiths, [uncredited] and Vincent Mahé):

Co-host @selsijohn.bsky.social found a John Christopher in the wild (AKA Sam Youd, author it of The #Tripods series) novel. How many non-Tripods books have you read? We reviewed a selection for our episode dedicated to Sam Youd, with help from @sylepress.bsky.social open.spotify.com/episode/7gN2...

OTD 1922: Sam Youd (John Christopher) Writer of many dystopian novels, compelling to young me not just for his grim worldbuilding but their sour endings Most famous for The Tripods Trilogy, later a BBC1 series with an infamously (accidentally) bleak ending

If you haven't already, we devoted an episode to Sam Youd, with participation from @sylepress.bsky.social 'Happy Birthday Sam, RIP' anchor.fm/the-tripodscast

The landscape of childhood ...

"William Vine" -- one of SY's more rarely used pen-names

Derelict Space Sheep@maxmooneydss.bsky.social · 2y ago

SF short story that starts off exploring the emotional ramifications of time dilation (for a couple soon to be separated) before segueing into a threnody on reckless, irreversible scientific experimentation (induced telepathy). Sombre food for thought, undermined by a token twist ending. #TheNewWine

The Death of Grass by John Christopher

“The hours worth numbering, as the sundial says, are happy ones.” Sam Youd (born 16th April 1922)

From SY nature diary (Apr 16) “Woods now bosky as against bare. An overnight explosion of tree colour. ... Drakes and ducks in low over-river chases. Jackdaws and sparrow (?) vying in investigation of hole in Abbey wall. Bright sunshine after cold night -- mist on the marsh.”

Read The Prince in Waiting, the first in the 1970s Sword of the Spirits trilogy by John Christopher. I found book 3 a couple of years ago, and saved it for posterity; I found book 1 last week. Hopefully it won't be many more years until I find 2.

Other purchases from the Scholastic Book Fair that got me drawing:

I read everything I could find by John Christopher in elementary school, then forgot about his existence for years. The “Sword of the Spirits” trilogy is even better than the Tripods books, imo.

1. Nobody told my new teacher I had to have special books. I picked out the prince in waiting trilogy by John Christopher. Hundreds more pages than normal. I then punished my way through more words in a week across a book a day than I had in all my previous years of school.

"This, like everything else, was taken for granted. But no longer by us; having started asking questions, we found that each doubt set loose a score of others." - John Christopher, "The White Mountains", 1967. Between this and "A Winkle in Time", I am LOVING my 1960's YA Sci-fi season.

Sam Youd (John Christopher) definitely covered both ends of the science-fiction / fantasy genre with his adult and YA books. @sylepress.bsky.social

#BookSky Checkpoint 💙📚 The last book you read, the last book you added to your TBR, the last book you bought, and your current read

Sam Youd with Arthur Clarke, 1957

Christopher Edge@christopheredge.bsky.social · 2y ago

Thinking back to my first encounters with science fiction as a young reader, I think I'd have to pick The White Mountains by John Christopher, which was the first novel in The Tripods trilogy. And in terms of adult novels I read at a similar age, I'd choose Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke.

Yes, they do re-read well! One of our co-hosts read The #Tripods novels, and watched the #BBC TV series for the first time. anchor.fm/the-tripodscast

💙📚If you want to introduce your kids to Sci Fi and just great reading you might want to try John Christopher's Tripod books, 4 of them. There were the initial 3 and a later prequel. Excellent series and I believe was also a TV series in the UK. #BlueSkyBooks #Tripods #JohnChristopher

The Death of Grass by John Christopher Great read so far, and so prescient - remarkable that it was out of print ever.

For #worldbookday2025 why not read (or purchase) The #Tripods Trilogy, or any other books by John Christopher/Sam Youd from @sylepress.bsky.social (or Amazon!) (Then listen to our podcast!) #worldbookday

Tripodscast@tripodscast.bsky.social · 2y ago

Join us on a journey as a first-time reader/viewer of The Tripods discusses the books, TV show, fandom, and author John Christopher. Along the way the podcast interviews the lead actors, and producer of the BBC TV series, and @sylepress.bsky.social listen at: anchor.fm/the-tripodscast

“The hours worth numbering, as the sundial says, are happy ones.” [Sam Youd, 16th April 1922 – 3rd February 2012]

Join us on a journey as a first-time reader/viewer of The Tripods discusses the books, TV show, fandom, and author John Christopher. Along the way the podcast interviews the lead actors, and producer of the BBC TV series, and @sylepress.bsky.social listen at: anchor.fm/the-tripodscast

The Imaginary Museum homes in on the Prince (aka Sword) trilogy mairangibay.blogspot.com/2023/04/sf-l...

David Binnig@binnig.bsky.social · 2y ago

I read everything I could find by John Christopher in elementary school, then forgot about his existence for years. The “Sword of the Spirits” trilogy is even better than the Tripods books, imo.

"... of the seventeen novels I have written for young readers, my own favourites are those which make up the second [Sword] trilogy" — Sam Youd

Tim Newman@mrtimnewman.bsky.social · 2y ago

1. Nobody told my new teacher I had to have special books. I picked out the prince in waiting trilogy by John Christopher. Hundreds more pages than normal. I then punished my way through more words in a week across a book a day than I had in all my previous years of school.

20 BOOKS CHALLENGE Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers. Day 2 #BookSky 💙📚 #Books #BookChallenge #20daybookchallenge

20 didn't cut it! "Choose 20 Books that have stayed with you. One per day for 20 days, no particular order.💙📚 Number 36/20 (Thread!🧵) #Booksky John Christopher "The Pool Of Fire". Placeholder for the "Tripods" series. Christopher (Sam Youd) grew up in my walk-to local town of Huyton.

I like Bluesky very much. it also feels a bit like we're all up in the White Mountains from those John Christopher Tripod books