Strictly Wyndham-like SF -- is there any?

Extollager

Extollager

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John Wyndham has been known for writing about world catastrophes in which, however, some at least of the people involved remain decent as they try to survive and then even make some sort of shared life with others. Wyndham aimed for a sense of menace but not gross horror. The Day of the Triffids, The Midwich Cuckoos, When the Kraken Wakes... some Chrons people will have read these, and maybe some Chrons people will know of books by other authors that are truly kindred works.

Would it be possible, at first at least, that responses could be limited to comments from people who have actually read at least one of Wyndham's novels? Responses that make a good-faith effort to identify books that truly are close kin to the ones just mentioned will be especially appreciated. One reason I'm asking the question posed in this thread's title is that I wonder if there are any such books, especially ones that were aimed at grownups rather than teenagers, though books aimed at adolescents could be appropriate. I know that Ballard wrote several novels that are alleged to have been influenced by Wyndham, but my sense is that this author typically wants to go for the nasty in a way that Wyndham declined to do, so please don't list Ballard (or John Christopher) without careful consideration....

We'll see...
 
I think that Wyndham recapitulates some of elements found in a story like The War of the Worlds.

One might argue that some of the 1960s British New Wave writers develop Wyndham’s oddly parochial middle-class English post-War disaster sf, such that it is clearly descendant, even if no longer exactly Wyndhamesque. So Ballard is not that far off. Possibly Greybeard by Brian Aldiss is a better fit.
 
I only recently read When The Kraken Wakes and I love Triffids but I have not read The Midwich Cuckoos so thanks for the heads up on that one.

I wouldnt say any of these are kindred works but my main recommendation would be Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm (1976) which as well as sharing some themes is probably the closest in writing styles (imo and they certainly still have their differences).

Earth Abides - George R Stewart (1949) jumps straight into the post-apocalyptic but may not be a million miles away in writing styles (its been awhile since I read it) and agree with the suggestion of War of the Worlds.

Roadside Picnic by Arkay and Boris Strugatsky (1972) maybe? Alien contact into a somewhat post-apocalyptic world.

Its funny you vetoed Ballard as my first thought was the stories above and then The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard (1962) and was going to say shares a lot in themes but is very different in writing style. Its a book that in the end I liked but didn't love, your millage may vary.
 
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If you liked Day of the Trffids then I would Simon Clark 's novel Night of the Triffids its very close in tone and theme to the original.
 
I’ve read all the Wyndham you mention in your first post, Extollager, and he did have a certain tone and theme that are not seen elsewhere very often. I would agree that some Simak comes close (They Walked Like Men, perhaps). Also Greybeard, by Aldiss seemed a little Wyndhamesque. Then there’s Ballard. Books like The Drowned World share some features. John Christopher?

Edit: Ha! I wrote my reply without reading the other responses (lazy of me) and it transpires I’ve restated a lot of earlier suggestions. At least now you know they are popular suggestions.
 
Day of the Trifids - Greener Than You Think/Earth Abides/I am Legend
Midwich Cuckoos - More Than Human
 
"The Crysalids" (also Wyndham) was good, "the outward urge" was his, too, but I think under a different pen name - actuually, I liked the guy, we got somewhat inebriated at a wine and cheese party celebrating a centenery of H.G.Wells, and had an entusiastic argument , the two of us against Brian Aldiss and Kingsley Amis.

How about 'Tue Tide Went Out' By Charles Eric Maine? Sort of inverse Krakens Or Mead's 'Mary's Country'?
 
It's quite some time since I read either book, so apologies if my memory fails me here. Terry Nation's book of the tv series Survivors (which ends quite differently to the television programme) may be worth consideration.

Incidentally, the 1981 tv series 'Day of the Triffids' is well worth a watch if you haven't already seen it. Much better than the movie or the more recent tv drama.
 
Thanks for your thoughts, all. But I've read Christopher's No Blade of Grass (as serialized in The Saturday Evening Post!). I thought that was reacting against Wyndham, i.e. basically the idea that decency is a luxury of civilization and that, the material conditions being severely compromised, it'll inevitably be every man for himself. It's a while since I read it but it seemed to me to have quite a different vibe from Wyndham. Could people who have read these various non-Wyndham books comment on whether they have Wyndham's more hopeful estimate of human possibilities? If people want to write about non-Wyndham books that aren't very Wyndham but seem somewhat related, fine, but what would be more useful to me personally would be to know about books that really are Wyndham-y. Thanks....
 
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