Survivors 2

I just watched the previous episode of Survivors on BBC iPlayer, albeit with subtitles. (Why don’t they make all the episodes available until the end of the series? I would particularly like to see the first.)

It was interesting, and I’ll look forward to the next one. I’m not sure there would be a greater sense of anarchy, and wariness of contact because of the virus – does this no longer exist? I also presume availability of fuel has been explained.

I see it is based on a novel by Terry Nation – he of Blakes 7 and Dr Who fame, among other things. He died 11 years ago – good to see his work lives on.

Survivors

I caught the second half of Survivors on BBC1 last night and rather enjoyed it. I wish I’d seen the previous episodes now. I wonder if they’re on replay or iPlayer…

Post-apocalyptic stuff really appeals to me. Survivors has a similar feel to John Wyndham’s Day of the Triffids, The Chysalids, and to some extent The Midwich Cuckoos, and also Walter Miller’s A Canticle for Leibowitz, along with something of Quatermass. I have a copy of The Midwich Cuckoos with a very well-creased spine, and recently read The Chrysalids (the first time since being at school, when I didn’t really get it) and also read A Canticle for Leibowitz for the first time. If you haven’t read any of these books I heartily recommend you do so.

The thing with post-apocalyptic SF is that people are denied their technology, and are stripped back to basics. Emotions, motivations and relationships become enhanced and distorted as the characters find themselves no longer carrying the huge amounts of baggage that comes along with modern life. It also highlights so many of the things we take for granted which would be denied us given such catastrophic events. The playing field would be levelled. Survival of the fittest. I also like the generally slower pace and gentleness of this sort of thing.

Writing this I realise just how much of a Wyndham fan I am. I must look up more of his work.