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Cloud on Silver
A luxury cruise in the South Pacific comes abruptly to a halt when the yacht catches fire and sinks, leaving all passengers marooned on an island totally isolated and inhabited only by the animals and birds one would expect. Or so it seems until they find the first of the freaks: a rat with two heads is seen, a lobster with one grossly over-developed claw, deformed pigs, mutated monkeys. And if some unseen agent on the island can transform its animal life, what effect will it have on a party of human intruders, beyond all hope of rescue and free from all the restrictions of morality?
Paperback
First published January 1, 1964
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About the author
John Christopher
197 books543 followersSamuel Youd was born in Huyton, Lancashire in April 1922, during an unseasonable snowstorm.
As a boy, he was devoted to the newly emergent genre of science-fiction: ‘In the early thirties,’ he later wrote, ‘we knew just enough about the solar system for its possibilities to be a magnet to the imagination.’
Over the following decades, his imagination flowed from science-fiction into general novels, cricket novels, medical novels, gothic romances, detective thrillers, light comedies … In all he published fifty-six novels and a myriad of short stories, under his own name as well as eight different pen-names.
He is perhaps best known as John Christopher, author of the seminal work of speculative fiction, The Death of Grass (today available as a Penguin Classic), and a stream of novels in the genre he pioneered, young adult dystopian fiction, beginning with The Tripods Trilogy.
‘I read somewhere,’ Sam once said, ‘that I have been cited as the greatest serial killer in fictional history, having destroyed civilisation in so many different ways – through famine, freezing, earthquakes, feral youth combined with religious fanaticism, and progeria.’
In an interview towards the end of his life, conversation turned to a recent spate of novels set on Mars and a possible setting for a John Christopher story: strand a group of people in a remote Martian enclave and see what happens.
The Mars aspect, he felt, was irrelevant. ‘What happens between the people,’ he said, ‘that’s the thing I’m interested in.’
As a boy, he was devoted to the newly emergent genre of science-fiction: ‘In the early thirties,’ he later wrote, ‘we knew just enough about the solar system for its possibilities to be a magnet to the imagination.’
Over the following decades, his imagination flowed from science-fiction into general novels, cricket novels, medical novels, gothic romances, detective thrillers, light comedies … In all he published fifty-six novels and a myriad of short stories, under his own name as well as eight different pen-names.
He is perhaps best known as John Christopher, author of the seminal work of speculative fiction, The Death of Grass (today available as a Penguin Classic), and a stream of novels in the genre he pioneered, young adult dystopian fiction, beginning with The Tripods Trilogy.
‘I read somewhere,’ Sam once said, ‘that I have been cited as the greatest serial killer in fictional history, having destroyed civilisation in so many different ways – through famine, freezing, earthquakes, feral youth combined with religious fanaticism, and progeria.’
In an interview towards the end of his life, conversation turned to a recent spate of novels set on Mars and a possible setting for a John Christopher story: strand a group of people in a remote Martian enclave and see what happens.
The Mars aspect, he felt, was irrelevant. ‘What happens between the people,’ he said, ‘that’s the thing I’m interested in.’
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 17, 2017
This is my second book from John Christopher, the first being The Death of Grass. Both books seem to have been heavily influenced by Lord of the Flies, especially this one. Christopher doesn't seem to have the highest hopes for humanity if civilization were to falter.
In this one a millionaire takes a group of ne'er do wells out on a yacht and then proceeds to shipwreck them on a deserted island. His reasons are really never made clear, but it's hinted that he was doing it as an experiment to see how quickly people will descend into savagery when pressured. The island itself also has some secrets, as the animals they find are strangely mutated.
All in all, it reminded me of Lord of the Flies with girls and grown ups as the groups behavior starts to worsen and people become more and more uncivilized. Overall a very enjoyable read, as Christopher does a great job of spinning a tale. If you're a fan of this type of story, check this one out.
In this one a millionaire takes a group of ne'er do wells out on a yacht and then proceeds to shipwreck them on a deserted island. His reasons are really never made clear, but it's hinted that he was doing it as an experiment to see how quickly people will descend into savagery when pressured. The island itself also has some secrets, as the animals they find are strangely mutated.
All in all, it reminded me of Lord of the Flies with girls and grown ups as the groups behavior starts to worsen and people become more and more uncivilized. Overall a very enjoyable read, as Christopher does a great job of spinning a tale. If you're a fan of this type of story, check this one out.
January 28, 2022
This relatively obscure novel from the author of "The Death of Grass" turned out to be a great read. It's the story of a bunch of privileged rich people stranded on a desert island. John Christopher has a particular interest in examining the human condition in his fiction, and here he puts the spotlight on what happens when the thin veneer of civilisation is removed from people whose lives had, until now, depended on etiquette and class. Who are they underneath the facades? At the start, I didn't particularly like any of the bunch, but this changed as I read on, and I came to root for several characters when things went in a "Lord of the Flies" direction.
The other thing that makes this interesting is that there's something weird and mysterious about the island. In this respect, I was reminded of the TV series "Lost," but of course, this was written several decades before that. If you're a fan of that series, then this novel will probably appeal to you.
I'm very happy that the Style Press has brought this author's "lesser" works back into print. I hope the publisher continues to bring out even more titles. I want them all.
The other thing that makes this interesting is that there's something weird and mysterious about the island. In this respect, I was reminded of the TV series "Lost," but of course, this was written several decades before that. If you're a fan of that series, then this novel will probably appeal to you.
I'm very happy that the Style Press has brought this author's "lesser" works back into print. I hope the publisher continues to bring out even more titles. I want them all.
July 22, 2021
https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3693065.html
Also known as Sweeny's Island, this is one of the less well-known works by John Christopher, author of the Tripods trilogy, the Sword of the Spirts trilogy and The Death of Grass. A bunch of unpleasant middle-class Londoners get marooned on a desert island in the Pacific Ocean, and come to realise that apart from their own mating rituals there is something more sinister going on - Lord of the Flies, but with grownups, some of whom are women. Some people rate this as an undiscovered gem, but I felt that the social commentary was not as interesting as the author obviously thinks it is, and that the sfnal elements were neither particularly original nor particularly memorably executed. His other books are better.
Also known as Sweeny's Island, this is one of the less well-known works by John Christopher, author of the Tripods trilogy, the Sword of the Spirts trilogy and The Death of Grass. A bunch of unpleasant middle-class Londoners get marooned on a desert island in the Pacific Ocean, and come to realise that apart from their own mating rituals there is something more sinister going on - Lord of the Flies, but with grownups, some of whom are women. Some people rate this as an undiscovered gem, but I felt that the social commentary was not as interesting as the author obviously thinks it is, and that the sfnal elements were neither particularly original nor particularly memorably executed. His other books are better.
October 12, 2013
Men become utterly gruesome and greedy when it comes to surviving desperately. Their actions brought by desperation will only be recognized as savage and demoralizing, and all the accepted norms and way of living are long forgotten.
May 4, 2024
review 39 in my year of reviewing everything I read even though I hate writing reviews 🖍️
triangle of sadness + island of doctor Moreau + bright young things
this is a 4 stars against intention rather than the grand scheme of literature - I was entertained, I was in suspense, I was turning those pages
triangle of sadness + island of doctor Moreau + bright young things
this is a 4 stars against intention rather than the grand scheme of literature - I was entertained, I was in suspense, I was turning those pages
March 24, 2019
***3.5 stars***
A mix of Lord of the Flies and the TV show Lost. Humanity goes to the pits when social conventions are removed. Thankfully a few retain their human side. I enjoyed this novel for the story and the psychological aspect to it.
A mix of Lord of the Flies and the TV show Lost. Humanity goes to the pits when social conventions are removed. Thankfully a few retain their human side. I enjoyed this novel for the story and the psychological aspect to it.
May 3, 2020
A better than average thriller
I've been a huge fan of John Christopher since The Death of Grass but, even though Cloud on Silver is a cut above your average thriller, it is not quite up to the standard of his more well known novel. But still an enjoyable read.
I've been a huge fan of John Christopher since The Death of Grass but, even though Cloud on Silver is a cut above your average thriller, it is not quite up to the standard of his more well known novel. But still an enjoyable read.
June 3, 2023
Another great book by John Christopher but with abrupt weird ending which resulted in a 3 star rating
January 16, 2022
3.5 stars, Metaphorosis Reviews
Summary
A mixed group of comfortable, educated people is invited on a cruise by a mysterious, powerful benefactor. Circumstances trap them on a strange island, and the pressure of the situation brings out different sides of all of them.
Review
Also published as Sweeney’s Island, Cloud on Silver comes across as Christopher’s attempt to write Lord of the Flies with adults (or, if you prefer, an updated, modified Heart of Darkness). Of course, part of what made Lord of the Flies so shocking is that it was about children. Christopher’s version loses that shock, and becomes simply a description of human weakness. It’s effective, but not really novel. It also leaves loose ends dangling all over the place at its end.
Christopher is a good writer, and the book moves smoothly, with interesting, effective characters. It does very much have the feel of the ’60s in which it was written, but it’s not a major impediment. More problematic is Christopher’s casual dismissal of the story’s only non-European characters – Hawaiian ‘boys’ who as far as I recall are never named. They’re used primarily to give depth and complexity for the only character who stands up against their mistreatment.
It’s this complexity that Christopher manages well. There are certainly evil acts, and perhaps even evil characters, but these are all real people. For his plot purposes, he does allow for two fairly straightforward ‘good’ characters, but one is as well detailed as the less simple characters. Only one, whose viewpoint we never see, is never developed.
Christopher switches the perspective freely among the principal characters, excepting only a few that remain mysterious – one being Sweeney, the man who has brought them all to the island to begin with. And here Christopher fails, to some extent. He’s so concerned with keeping Sweeney mysterious that he forgets some of the threads he’s laid out, and portions of the story don’t really make sense at the end.
All that said, it’s an interesting and effective story. It will be most effective for those who have not read Lord of the Flies or Heart of Darkness, but it’s a considerably easier (and to my mind, more interesting) read than the latter.
Summary
A mixed group of comfortable, educated people is invited on a cruise by a mysterious, powerful benefactor. Circumstances trap them on a strange island, and the pressure of the situation brings out different sides of all of them.
Review
Also published as Sweeney’s Island, Cloud on Silver comes across as Christopher’s attempt to write Lord of the Flies with adults (or, if you prefer, an updated, modified Heart of Darkness). Of course, part of what made Lord of the Flies so shocking is that it was about children. Christopher’s version loses that shock, and becomes simply a description of human weakness. It’s effective, but not really novel. It also leaves loose ends dangling all over the place at its end.
Christopher is a good writer, and the book moves smoothly, with interesting, effective characters. It does very much have the feel of the ’60s in which it was written, but it’s not a major impediment. More problematic is Christopher’s casual dismissal of the story’s only non-European characters – Hawaiian ‘boys’ who as far as I recall are never named. They’re used primarily to give depth and complexity for the only character who stands up against their mistreatment.
It’s this complexity that Christopher manages well. There are certainly evil acts, and perhaps even evil characters, but these are all real people. For his plot purposes, he does allow for two fairly straightforward ‘good’ characters, but one is as well detailed as the less simple characters. Only one, whose viewpoint we never see, is never developed.
Christopher switches the perspective freely among the principal characters, excepting only a few that remain mysterious – one being Sweeney, the man who has brought them all to the island to begin with. And here Christopher fails, to some extent. He’s so concerned with keeping Sweeney mysterious that he forgets some of the threads he’s laid out, and portions of the story don’t really make sense at the end.
All that said, it’s an interesting and effective story. It will be most effective for those who have not read Lord of the Flies or Heart of Darkness, but it’s a considerably easier (and to my mind, more interesting) read than the latter.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews