Vermilion Sands by J. G. Ballard, © 1973 hardback, Jonathan Cape (London)
This is the 9th in my series of Forgotten Books
J.G. Ballard - Vermilion Sands
When J. G. Ballard died last year at age 78, it was painful to me. I had discovered his work while still a teenager in the Judith Merrill’s YEAR’S GREATEST SF anthologies. Those books were like a bolt of lightning to me. I was reading Heinlein, Norton, Asimov, and ER Burroughs regularly and then Judy Merrill comes up and says “SF can be so much more than.” I remember reading the short stories “The Drowned Giant” and “The Volcano Dances” and feeling my head hurt because they were unlike what I had seen before.
VERMILION SANDS was originally a paperback from Berkeley in 1971. The first hardback edition came from the UK in 1973 where one additional story (“The Singing Statues”) was added. I have both covers here – the American by Richard Powers which was the first version I read and the surrealist cover from the UK for which I do not have an attribution. My hardcover lacks the jacket and is a stained ex-library copy that I am still pleased to have, VERMILION SANDS may be the most coherent and readable of all Ballard’s short story collections. It has a strong lineup including his first published story “Prima Belladonna”. The title refers to a location, a kind of artist colony of the former stars and nearly great artists and writers, a second tier future Riviera. Ballard has gone out of his way to explore new cultural changes in these pieces. You have the art of cloud sculpting (“The Cloud-Sculptors of Coral D), you have the singing plant life (“Prima Belladonna”), intelligent clothing that reflects the mood of the wearer (“Cry Hope, Cry Fury”), the singing statues (in “The Singing Statues”), computer written poetry (“Studio 5, the Stars”), psychotic houses (“The Thousand Dreams of Stellavista”), and more, Each story examines the art of the subject and how it might interact in this future world. And, being Ballard, it is a decadent world. Vermilion Sands, the locale, is on the edge of a sand sea and is used in gliding and sand sailing. There are sand rays which swim in both the sand and the air, generally passively, though the can and do turn on the unwary).
If you have read Ballard before, then you know this is not action filled science fiction. It is very introspective and most stories are first person accounts of the events. They may begin “Again last night, as the dusk air began to move across the desert from Lagoon West, I heard fragments of music coming in on the thermal rollers, remote and fleeting, echoes of the love-song of Lunora Goalen.” (from “The Singing Statues”).
Vermilion Sands - J.G. Ballard (hardcover)
Each of the narrators is different and each has their own obsessions. Ransom in “Studio 5, the Stars” is obsessed with poetry written by machines, he edits a magazine of the work. The Major (in “Cloud-Sculptors”) is obsessed with flying which he does not do anymore and training others to do it and to sculpt the clouds.
Ballard’s portraits of the rich and former famous inhabitants of the area are rarely flattering. They are superficial, narcissistic, and frequently clueless. Even so, his portraits of the artists are equally damning. They may be obsessed but their obsessions are unhealthy or absurd.
There are nine stories in the hardcover edition, eight in the first edition. I am not sure about later editions. My 1975 Panther paperback from the UK maintains the nine stories. Amazon does not list an American edition as being in print at this point but there are numerous copies available through the used book outlets. OR, you could just get THE COMPLETE STORIES OF J. G. BALLARD (list price $35.00 but discounted at some locations) which contains the full contents of 10 short story collections! I cannot recommend this version highly enough. Ballard was a master short story writers and this should be in every fan’s library. Be warned that the stories in my edition (the UK edition) are listed in order of publication so you do not get them all in one grouping, but that is still fine.
Series organizer Patti Abbott hosts more Friday Forgotten Book reviews at her own blog, and posts a complete list of participating blogs.
Another great pick and commentary!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Missions Unknown and Paul Vaughn, Missions Unknown. Missions Unknown said: New post: Forgotten Book: VERMILION SANDS by J. G. Ballard http://bit.ly/cp5g22 [...]
My husband, Phil, is a great Ballard fan but I don’t remember him reading this one. Sounds great.
If he does not have it, Patti, THE COMPLETE STORIES is something he would love.
Great commentary on a great collection of stories. Ballard’s stuff really did elevate SF storytelling to a new level. I really need to pick up “The Complete Stories.”
What a great title: VERMILLION SANDS. You have introduced me to J.G. Ballard. Thank you.
I loved VERMILION SANDS when Berkley published it in 1971 with that eye-catching Powers cover. THE COMPLETE STORIES OF J.G. BALLARD is a must-buy!
Actually, Scott, for a Ballard collection that leans even a bit more traditionalist, try CHRONOPOLIS AND OTHER STORIES, which was first Ballard book (my fother picked up a double armload of SFBC editions at a tag sale sometime ca. 1973, considerably fleshing out his rebuilding of his collection after a 1967 flood all but completely obliterated it, and a wide-ranging slew of ’60s/early ’70s classics was included). The Berkley THE TERMINAL BEACH, my first Ballard purchase, is another good way to “ease in”…if you were reading the Merril volumes, of course, Ballard has a Lot of company in the mind-expansion game, technically as well as conceptually, but perhaps it helped me that I started reading those volumes with the 10th annual, the one that leads off with Kit Reed’s “Automatic Tiger”…as a 13yo who had nearly exhausted the electic selections of both Robert Arthur’s and Harold Q. Masur’s ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS: volumes…
Or even my first Ballard book, which my father picked up…the eyes and typing fingers aren’t That old, but they feel it some hours…
Todd, all good choices there. I read all those as they were coming out and Terminal Beach was pretty wonderful. Chronopolis is a good cheaper alternative to the Complete Stories, but, being obsessive compulsive, I want it all. I had a very good Ballard collection before my big book sale 3 years ago including copies of all the books, many signed. I even got to meet him on his one US tour. He was in Chicago promoting The Day of creation and he spoke one evening. I was there with a smalloish group of fans and listening to him was exciting. He spoke at length about Crash and other stuff.
“Chronopolis” was the first Ballard I read. It’s a really solid collection. I’ve still got my well-worn copy… somewhere.
[...] date, that challenge could apply to most of the books I have reviewed here. Certainly, VERMILION SANDS, BLIND VOICES, THE RAKEHELLS OF HEAVEN, A MIRROR FOR OBSERVERS, and the forthcoming review of A. [...]
note that the panther edition (orange cover ’75) has some small, awkward changes for the worse from the ’71 original. early political correctness ? “modernization” ? i doubt if they were made by ballard.
has anyone out there compared any other editions of this collection with the stories as originally published or with “the complete short stories…” ?
Mike – I had not heard r noted this. nor have I heard of anyone making a comparison. Might be interesting to do at some point. Thanks for the info.