 First edition | |
| Author | John Christopher |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publisher | Eyre & Spottiswoode |
Publication date | 1962 |
| Pages | 253 |
The World in Winter (US title The Long Winter) is a 1962 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by British writer John Christopher.[1] It deals with a new ice age caused by a reduction in the output of the Sun.
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Transcription
There are 4 seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Depending on where you live, the seasons happen at different times of the year. That’s because the Earth is tilted on its axis. Part of the year, the top half of the Earth is tilted away from the sun, so it gets less sunlight. At the same time, the bottom half is tilted towards the Sun, so it’s getting lots of sunlight. Later in the year, now the top half of the Earth is tilted towards the Sun, so it is getting a lot more sunlight. At the same time, the bottom half of the Earth is tilted away from the Sun, so now it’s not getting very much sunlight. I live in the Northern Hemisphere. In this part of the globe, Spring comes in March, Summer comes in June, Fall comes in September, and Winter comes in December. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the opposite! September is when Spring starts. Then Summer comes in December, Fall begins in March, and Winter starts in June. What season is it where you live? Spring is when the Earth starts to warm up after Winter. New plant life starts to SPRING forth from the Earth. That’s where we get the name! All sorts of flowers bloom, and brand new leaves start to grow. It’s often rainy one minute, and sunny the next! Spring weather is kind of unpredictable, so depending on where you live, it might be a good idea to carry an umbrella! I love to see cherry blossoms in the Spring. What’s your favourite part of Spring? Summer is the warmest time of the year. The days are long, and the nights are short. Fruit ripens...yum! Where I come from, people love to go swimming, eat ice cream and watermelon, and watch fireworks in the summer. What do you love about summer? Fall is harvest time. Farmers have to work hard to bring in all the crops. The weather gets cooler, and leaves turn different colours - aren’t they beautiful! And then they fall to the ground. Maybe that’s where we get the name, fall! We also call this season Autumn. Where I come from, we celebrate Fall by decorating pumpkins, and jumping in piles of leaves. What do you like to do in the Fall? Winter is the coldest time of the year, when the days are short and the nights are long. It might even snow where you live! But it doesn’t snow everywhere. Some places get so cold in the winter, that animals have to hibernate or migrate away during the winter. But don’t worry, they’ll be back when it warms up again. Where I come from, people love to play in the snow, building snowmen, going ice skating, and catching snowflakes. What’s your favourite part of Winter? That’s the 4 seasons - Spring...Summer...Fall...and Winter. They are all beautiful and special in their own way.
Plot summary
The story involves a new ice age hitting Europe, British refugees fleeing to Nigeria, and what a later group find when they return.
As the story opens, Andrew Leedon, a London-based television documentary producer, is given a new story to research: an Italian scientist, Fratellini, has proposed an imminent fall in solar radiation for the forthcoming few years which may lead to harsher winters. Leedon meets with David Cartwell, a Home Office civil servant and useful source, to see if he can find out more. Cartwell quickly becomes a close friend of Leedon, but also begins an affair with Leedon's wife, Carol.
The winter of that year is, as predicted, long and harsh, but by January is it becoming clear to insiders that the solar downturn is worse than Fratellini had calculated and no upturn is in sight. By March, food stocks are becoming dangerously low, rationing has been imposed and the Government imposes martial law. Those in the know, including Andrew's estranged wife, sell up and move south to the tropics and countries such as Nigeria. Leedon stays behind, as inner London is finally cordoned off from the rest of the UK to protect the seat of power – an area called the London Pale – as the rest of the country is abandoned to starvation and barbarism.
Finally Leedon is persuaded both by Carol and by David Cartwell to exit the country while safe passage is still possible. Taking with him Cartwell's wife Madeleine, he moves to Lagos in Nigeria, finding that the tables have now turned – white refugees fleeing from the ice-bound northern countries are living in slums, unemployed or with only menial jobs, and penniless, as African governments have withdrawn recognition of currencies such as Sterling and no longer recognize the British Government, with reason, as it no longer exercises sovereignty over its own land.
A ray of hope arrives for Leedon as Abonitu, a young Nigerian whom Leedon had treated with kindness and generosity one evening in London, finds him and in turn helps him and Madeleine out of the slum. Abonitu plans a reconnaissance expedition back to Britain.
References
- ^ "John Christopher, 1922-2012 | Tor.com". www.tor.com. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
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This page was last edited on 12 October 2023, at 17:37