（外文电子版资料）John Christopher - A Journey South.pdf

A Journey South - a novelette by John Christopher A Journey South a novelette by John Christopher An introduction by Keith Brooke I can trace my own writing career back to a time as a boy when I first read the works of John Christopher. The details may have become fuzzy over the course of the years, but the feelings inspired in me when I read the Tripods trilogy are still vivid: to use the hackneyed phrase, it was the sheer sense of wonder of Christophers dystopian future which made such a huge impression. The future was going to be different in ways both foreseeable and surprising, and yet people very like me may be there to tackle the challenges life presented. The books gripped me from the outset, and have never really let go. I went on from the Tripods to read the usual young adult fare -- Heinlein, Asimov et al-- and eventually to start scribbling down my own ideas for how things might be. Christopher set the standard with his young adult fiction (a standard I still aspire towards when I write for that age group), and naturally enough his fine oeuvre of adult fiction has sometimes been overshadowed. Im delighted to be able to include this novelette in infinity plus, but even more pleased that 2000/2001 sees something of a John Christopher revival. The December issue of Spectrum SF included the first instalment of a brand new novel, Bad Dream. And in 2001 Wildsides Cosmos imprint will reissue several earlier novels and a collection of short fiction, which will include A Journey South. I hope the story included here will inspire you to go on and find more of Christophers work. A Journey South a novelette by John Christopher I In the early evening she seemed better. She could not eat anything, but she said she would have a drink with him. He