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The Screaming Face
It began with the sudden disappearance of the world’s political and religious leaders.
Then strange objects were seen floating in the sky, followed by a terrifying scream of sound that filled the air all around the world.
The people were told that the world’s leaders were attending a summit at the North Pole; that the objects were just high cloud formations, or spots before the eyes. And the scream? Just a scientific device that had gone astray.
The truth, however, was very different.
The Big Sound signalled the beginning of the total extinction of Earth.
And the world’s leaders had found a way to escape to another planet while the rest of humanity perished.
Then strange objects were seen floating in the sky, followed by a terrifying scream of sound that filled the air all around the world.
The people were told that the world’s leaders were attending a summit at the North Pole; that the objects were just high cloud formations, or spots before the eyes. And the scream? Just a scientific device that had gone astray.
The truth, however, was very different.
The Big Sound signalled the beginning of the total extinction of Earth.
And the world’s leaders had found a way to escape to another planet while the rest of humanity perished.
145 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1963
About the author
John Lymington
28 books9 followersJohn Lymington is a pseudonym for author John Newton Chance.
John Newton Chance was born in London in 1911 and educated at a private school there. He went to a Technical College with the intention of becoming a Civil Engineer, but left that to become a Quantity Surveyor. While surveying, he began to write for the BBC, and on his twenty-first birthday gave up all honest work to become a writer. The first novel was published in 1935, was hailed as a masterpiece and, like so many such, grossed more glory than gain. But it established the writer's career, which he has followed ever since with the exception of the four war years. When his war ended, he and his wife came to live in Hampshire where their first son was horn. Seventeen books later a second son arrived, and six books further on, the third came along. Among the books of the time there were a number for children, and the adult stories were published here, in America and on the Continent; some were filmed and a number broadcast.
source: his autobiography Yellow Belly
He would eventually write over 160 books under several names. Pseudonyms used by Chance throughout his career included:
John Drummond, John Lymington, David C. Newton, and Jonathan Chance. He was also one of the writers who used name the Desmond Reid which was one of the many personas responsible for the 'Sexton Blake' series that spanned decades.
John Newton Chance was born in London in 1911 and educated at a private school there. He went to a Technical College with the intention of becoming a Civil Engineer, but left that to become a Quantity Surveyor. While surveying, he began to write for the BBC, and on his twenty-first birthday gave up all honest work to become a writer. The first novel was published in 1935, was hailed as a masterpiece and, like so many such, grossed more glory than gain. But it established the writer's career, which he has followed ever since with the exception of the four war years. When his war ended, he and his wife came to live in Hampshire where their first son was horn. Seventeen books later a second son arrived, and six books further on, the third came along. Among the books of the time there were a number for children, and the adult stories were published here, in America and on the Continent; some were filmed and a number broadcast.
source: his autobiography Yellow Belly
He would eventually write over 160 books under several names. Pseudonyms used by Chance throughout his career included:
John Drummond, John Lymington, David C. Newton, and Jonathan Chance. He was also one of the writers who used name the Desmond Reid which was one of the many personas responsible for the 'Sexton Blake' series that spanned decades.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 2, 2020
Lymington's excellent writing takes a rather ordinary doomsday novel and spins it on it's head giving deep insight into the character and morals of the characters in the book. I personally loved every bit of it and look forward to reading more of John Lymington in the future.
May 6, 2026
The narrator in this book constantly appears to be in a dour and distant mood and because of it the people around him start speculating that he's secretly gay, but actually he's just harboring secret knowledge that the world will soon end
January 18, 2021
Went a different direction than I was expecting - hyper focused on one guy and his immediate nucleus with a backdrop of "the extinction of Earth". Slow build, but glad I finished.
November 26, 2023
A kind of insane pulp scifi novel I found in a used booked store. Actually won me over by the end, despite its bizarre pacing and focus. Still sad about the lack of a literal screaming face.
May 31, 2013
John was one of his eras easy reads, always had interesting left field subject matter. I always looked forward to his next book.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews