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The Inner Landscape
Hardcover with unclipped dust jacket in good condition. Jacket is marked and discoloured throughout, and edges are creased and nicked. Page block head is tanned and foxed, and spine is cocked. Pages and text are clear and unmarked throughout. LW
151 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1969
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 26, 2020
Publishing these three stories together was more than a little random by Corgi. Firstly, the title is virtually meaningless, peripheral at best with the contents. Secondly, it was sold as a science fiction collection, yet Peake's story is hardly that.
'Boy in Darkness' by Mervyn Peake
An unnamed boy, forced to live a life acting out arcane rituals, decides to free himself on his fourteenth birthday: 'to be alone in a land where nothing can be recognised, that is what he feared, and that is what he longed for.'
Anyone who has read any of the author's Gormanghast trilogy will be familiar with the territory of this story right away, a place grim, grotesque and unashamedly lyrical.
'The Voices of Time' by JG Ballard
A scientist named Powers, suffering from an unusual illness, resigns himself to his own mortality, then decides that he 'would explore the lateral byways now, the side doors, as it were, in the corridors of time.'
As always with Ballard there is an ambiguous for dogging the protagonist's footsteps, obscure obsessions and a drained swimming pool.
'Danger: Religion!' by Brian Aldiss
An infinite universes story, where a history teacher from 'matrix' AA688 is kidnapped and taken to an alternate matrix, a world run by a Christian state dependent on slaves, where he is asked to use his knowledge to halt a rebellion.
Regardless of the times in which each of the stories is set (they were all written in the late 1950s or early 60s) Ballard's, as always, seems from the near future; Aldiss's seems very much of its time, though also clearly Wellsian; and Peake's seems set in some forgotten past.
As I said, grouping these three tales together doesn't really make sense, but fortunately the stories by Peake and Ballard are quite brilliant. Aldiss's effort, on the other hand, is not much cop and poorly written in comparison.
'Boy in Darkness' by Mervyn Peake
An unnamed boy, forced to live a life acting out arcane rituals, decides to free himself on his fourteenth birthday: 'to be alone in a land where nothing can be recognised, that is what he feared, and that is what he longed for.'
Anyone who has read any of the author's Gormanghast trilogy will be familiar with the territory of this story right away, a place grim, grotesque and unashamedly lyrical.
'The Voices of Time' by JG Ballard
A scientist named Powers, suffering from an unusual illness, resigns himself to his own mortality, then decides that he 'would explore the lateral byways now, the side doors, as it were, in the corridors of time.'
As always with Ballard there is an ambiguous for dogging the protagonist's footsteps, obscure obsessions and a drained swimming pool.
'Danger: Religion!' by Brian Aldiss
An infinite universes story, where a history teacher from 'matrix' AA688 is kidnapped and taken to an alternate matrix, a world run by a Christian state dependent on slaves, where he is asked to use his knowledge to halt a rebellion.
Regardless of the times in which each of the stories is set (they were all written in the late 1950s or early 60s) Ballard's, as always, seems from the near future; Aldiss's seems very much of its time, though also clearly Wellsian; and Peake's seems set in some forgotten past.
As I said, grouping these three tales together doesn't really make sense, but fortunately the stories by Peake and Ballard are quite brilliant. Aldiss's effort, on the other hand, is not much cop and poorly written in comparison.
February 4, 2022
A deeply mixed bag. Peake's one of the most underappreciated fantasy authors out there, and much of his talent is on display in "Boy In Darkness" -- up to a point, anyway. Allegedly the version of that story in this volume was mangled in the editing or something, because it ends with such abruptness I wondered if someone had just collected the manuscript off Peake's desk before he was done with it, scribbled a few more lines to close it off, and sent it to the typesetters. But up to that point it's spellbinding.
I also liked Ballard's contribution, "The Voices Of Time", an example of what could be called existential SF -- the way man's attempt to understand the sheer scale and scope of the universe can be as overwhelming as it is exhilarating. But the Aldiss story, "Danger: Religion!" is as pat as its title. One and three-fourths out of three ain't bad, I guess.
I also liked Ballard's contribution, "The Voices Of Time", an example of what could be called existential SF -- the way man's attempt to understand the sheer scale and scope of the universe can be as overwhelming as it is exhilarating. But the Aldiss story, "Danger: Religion!" is as pat as its title. One and three-fourths out of three ain't bad, I guess.
April 9, 2013
Boy In Darkness
A Boy runs away from his castle home and finds himself in the company of Hyena and Goat, the two beastly henchman of the blind Lamb, a creature of evil who imposes his dark will on his deserted empire, the Mine.
This is the type of story that I would like to write. Mervyn Peake captures precisely the feeling of being in a nightmare. Strange things come and go as if they were normal, inappropriate emotional reactions exist in tandem with the cerebral analysis of them, and grotesque perversions of the world are not only real, but wield control over reality. Peake describes this nightmare world with a large vocabulary used so effectively that upon being forced to put the story down in the middle, it haunted me until I could pick it back up and finish it.
(5/5)
The Voices of Time
A true synopsis of this story almost ruins the effect of reading it, so the one provided by the publisher is the best thing (it is an accurate and enticing teaser while giving very little away about what actually happens).
I would like to read this story again knowing the ending, paying more attention to details and following the strings connecting bits of information.
Ultimately, while based on science that is rather out of date, the story is very good.
(5/5)
Danger:Religion!
A history professor is pulled into a parallel dimension and asked to participate in a war, but when he sees the nature of this alternate reality he decides to do something about it.
This was my least favorite of the stories. Not only was it heavy-handed with the social issues, but it was light on the science part of the fiction. It didn't spark my imagination at all and I had to slog through it just to say that I had finished the book.
(2/5)
A Boy runs away from his castle home and finds himself in the company of Hyena and Goat, the two beastly henchman of the blind Lamb, a creature of evil who imposes his dark will on his deserted empire, the Mine.
This is the type of story that I would like to write. Mervyn Peake captures precisely the feeling of being in a nightmare. Strange things come and go as if they were normal, inappropriate emotional reactions exist in tandem with the cerebral analysis of them, and grotesque perversions of the world are not only real, but wield control over reality. Peake describes this nightmare world with a large vocabulary used so effectively that upon being forced to put the story down in the middle, it haunted me until I could pick it back up and finish it.
(5/5)
The Voices of Time
A true synopsis of this story almost ruins the effect of reading it, so the one provided by the publisher is the best thing (it is an accurate and enticing teaser while giving very little away about what actually happens).
I would like to read this story again knowing the ending, paying more attention to details and following the strings connecting bits of information.
Ultimately, while based on science that is rather out of date, the story is very good.
(5/5)
Danger:Religion!
A history professor is pulled into a parallel dimension and asked to participate in a war, but when he sees the nature of this alternate reality he decides to do something about it.
This was my least favorite of the stories. Not only was it heavy-handed with the social issues, but it was light on the science part of the fiction. It didn't spark my imagination at all and I had to slog through it just to say that I had finished the book.
(2/5)
April 7, 2021
This book was an interesting little read for me because I already considered myself a Ballard fan but I’d never read Peake or Aldiss, although I knew who both of them were.
Ballard’s story was probably my favourite, but Peake’s was pretty interesting too. I particularly liked that there was a hyena that kept on calling people knobheads. Other than that though, there’s not really too much to say here because the stories are somewhere between short story length and novella length.
There are some great ideas for readers to wrap their heads around here, but there’s not a huge amount to any of these stories and they’re really only enough to get a feel for each author’s writing style. Peake uses the passive voice way too often, by the way. Or the passive voice is used way too often by Peake, I should say.
As to whether I’d recommend this book, yeah sure, why not? It’s a pretty good little read in my book.
Ballard’s story was probably my favourite, but Peake’s was pretty interesting too. I particularly liked that there was a hyena that kept on calling people knobheads. Other than that though, there’s not really too much to say here because the stories are somewhere between short story length and novella length.
There are some great ideas for readers to wrap their heads around here, but there’s not a huge amount to any of these stories and they’re really only enough to get a feel for each author’s writing style. Peake uses the passive voice way too often, by the way. Or the passive voice is used way too often by Peake, I should say.
As to whether I’d recommend this book, yeah sure, why not? It’s a pretty good little read in my book.
April 2, 2024
[Allison & Busby] (1969). HB/DJ. 1/1. 151 Pages. Purchased from biffbooks2.
Anonymously anthologised by Michael Moorcock.
I can’t see any logic to the collection’s title or even a flimsy connection between the three stories.
Melvyn Peake “Boy in Darkness” (1956) - As I adore “Mr Pye” (1953), my main aim here was to read this piece. It’s enjoyable enough, with sublime flashes, but shy of the novel’s overall brilliance.
J. G. Ballard “The Voices of Time” (1961) - Strange and enchanting. Awash with Ballard tropes. After 60+ years, it remains fresh, unsettling and relevant.
Brian Aldiss “Danger: Religion!” (1969) - A ridiculous, violent parallel universe bore fest.
Anonymously anthologised by Michael Moorcock.
I can’t see any logic to the collection’s title or even a flimsy connection between the three stories.
Melvyn Peake “Boy in Darkness” (1956) - As I adore “Mr Pye” (1953), my main aim here was to read this piece. It’s enjoyable enough, with sublime flashes, but shy of the novel’s overall brilliance.
J. G. Ballard “The Voices of Time” (1961) - Strange and enchanting. Awash with Ballard tropes. After 60+ years, it remains fresh, unsettling and relevant.
Brian Aldiss “Danger: Religion!” (1969) - A ridiculous, violent parallel universe bore fest.
January 11, 2024
Boy in Darkness (1956) by Mervyn Peake
Possibly my favourite of the three, although rather derivative of The Island of Dr Moreau and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, it certainly holds itself as the most enticing and densely world-built of the stories at hand here. I can't say I was in love with it, as everything up until the characters reach the mines is fun but then the description of the Lamb goes on for like 30 pages in of itself, although I do like the ending quite a lot and the story as a whole may have been enough to entice me to take another step into Peake's Gormenghast series, as the world established is so very interesting.
The Voices of Time (1961) by J.G. Ballard
Oh so very nauseating and not in the best way, I'm rather appreciative of the scientific mumbo-jumbo and some of the imagery and writings are hair-raising, but overall it just really isn't for me I don't think. At least not on first impression. Perhaps it will grow on me, or inspire me in some way down the line.
Danger: Religion! (1969) by Brian W. Aldiss
What began is undoubtedly my favourite of the anthology quite quickly turned to middling. The whole set-up is so very Matrix-like, I feel like it could easily be an Animatrix short story, but then once the greater themes of overruling the Church come into play it loses its steam and entertainment value rapidly. It all just comes off a bit pathetic, and while the brawl between two characters in an underground mall is excellent, it just isn't enough to bring it all together.
Possibly my favourite of the three, although rather derivative of The Island of Dr Moreau and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, it certainly holds itself as the most enticing and densely world-built of the stories at hand here. I can't say I was in love with it, as everything up until the characters reach the mines is fun but then the description of the Lamb goes on for like 30 pages in of itself, although I do like the ending quite a lot and the story as a whole may have been enough to entice me to take another step into Peake's Gormenghast series, as the world established is so very interesting.
The Voices of Time (1961) by J.G. Ballard
Oh so very nauseating and not in the best way, I'm rather appreciative of the scientific mumbo-jumbo and some of the imagery and writings are hair-raising, but overall it just really isn't for me I don't think. At least not on first impression. Perhaps it will grow on me, or inspire me in some way down the line.
Danger: Religion! (1969) by Brian W. Aldiss
What began is undoubtedly my favourite of the anthology quite quickly turned to middling. The whole set-up is so very Matrix-like, I feel like it could easily be an Animatrix short story, but then once the greater themes of overruling the Church come into play it loses its steam and entertainment value rapidly. It all just comes off a bit pathetic, and while the brawl between two characters in an underground mall is excellent, it just isn't enough to bring it all together.
February 7, 2025
Finished the first story. Would have been more interesting if
Finished The Voices of Time. It was good. Mostly vibes, not a lot of conclusion but immaculate vibes.
Finished the book. I did dip in and out of Danger: Religion! a lot so I don't have a really solidified feeling of it. It was weird.
Well I got what I wanted which was to read more older Sci-Fi, so I'm happy.
Finished The Voices of Time. It was good. Mostly vibes, not a lot of conclusion but immaculate vibes.
Finished the book. I did dip in and out of Danger: Religion! a lot so I don't have a really solidified feeling of it. It was weird.
Well I got what I wanted which was to read more older Sci-Fi, so I'm happy.
March 4, 2018
Vintage '50s-'60s British Sci Fi: four stars for the first short story (Boy in Darkness by Mervyn Peake), two stars for the other two stories (The Voices of Time by J. G. Ballard and Danger: Religion! by Brian W. Aldiss).
October 12, 2022
The Ballard story was the highlight (unsurprisingly), I give that one 5 stars. The Peake story had a cool concept, too, so I give that one 4. The Aldiss story was kind of unexceptional, so I give that a 3 (but maybe I'm just kind of bored by multiverse stories at this point).
March 30, 2022
Especialmente buenos los dos primeros relatos: Niño en la Oscuridad y Las Voces del Tiempo.
October 11, 2023
3 1/4 stars
April 6, 2025
Boy in Darkness was pretty cool. The Voices of Time was a sort of interesting concept, but didn’t do much with the ending. Danger: Religion! was definitely an adventure, but really nothing special.
December 27, 2016
These three novellas by Mervyn Peake, JG Ballard and Brian Aldiss date from the late 50s and early 60s. They explore... well, who knows what they explore! They are very diverse, typical of their authors, and they make an interesting book.
Peake's "Boy in Darkness" is clearly an episode in Titus Groan's life, although names are never given. Interestingly, the action begins on the Boy's fourteenth birthday, in other words in the middle of the period covered by the novel "Gormenghast" which follows Titus from ten to seventeen. Anyone wanting to read the full Gormenghast story (the trilogy and the fourth volume patched together by Maeve Peake) should definitely add "Boy in Darkness".
Ballard's "Voices of Time" is a hallucinatory depiction of the winding down of Earth, or more precisely our solar system, some time after the 60s as solar radiation mutates plants and animals, while people sleep minutes longer every night and head into non-existence. Normal Ballard.
Aldiss' "Danger: Religion!" is the most intellectually provocative, as it has its 21st century protagonist (a liberal living in the diminished world after the Fifth World War) taken to an alternative universe whose almost-identical Earth is facing a crisis and is bringing people with military experience from dozens of parallel Earths to get their perspective on solving the issue. Aldiss uses this as a way of exploring views about the development of religion and its impact on social development and technology, contrasting attitudes from a range of otherwise identical time and place. A nice idea - and as action-packed as one could imagine.
Peake's "Boy in Darkness" is clearly an episode in Titus Groan's life, although names are never given. Interestingly, the action begins on the Boy's fourteenth birthday, in other words in the middle of the period covered by the novel "Gormenghast" which follows Titus from ten to seventeen. Anyone wanting to read the full Gormenghast story (the trilogy and the fourth volume patched together by Maeve Peake) should definitely add "Boy in Darkness".
Ballard's "Voices of Time" is a hallucinatory depiction of the winding down of Earth, or more precisely our solar system, some time after the 60s as solar radiation mutates plants and animals, while people sleep minutes longer every night and head into non-existence. Normal Ballard.
Aldiss' "Danger: Religion!" is the most intellectually provocative, as it has its 21st century protagonist (a liberal living in the diminished world after the Fifth World War) taken to an alternative universe whose almost-identical Earth is facing a crisis and is bringing people with military experience from dozens of parallel Earths to get their perspective on solving the issue. Aldiss uses this as a way of exploring views about the development of religion and its impact on social development and technology, contrasting attitudes from a range of otherwise identical time and place. A nice idea - and as action-packed as one could imagine.
August 10, 2012
The Peake story alone is reason enough to track this collection down.
October 8, 2014
Superbly horrible proto Gormenghast short by Peake, the Ballard and Aldiss stories were nowhere near as entertaining or memorable sadly.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews