Written in 1955, this novel very much reflects the cold-war fears of its era. It is set in a post-atomic future, when all complicated technology has been lost or rejected, and most of the the survivors live at subsistence level. Even the better-off live from farming, and their lives are governed by a narrow and fanatical religion.
The prevailing wisdom is that the atomic war was a punishment from God, and to avoid further wrath the people must root out what are known as "Abominations" – plant or animal mutations caused by the lingering effects of radiation. This includes human mutants, so anyone with a physical peculiarity, such as an extra toe, is banished to a remote area called "the Fringes." The centre of Wyndham's story is a group of children who discover that they have telepathic powers, which makes them technically Abominations too, but also gives them the means to outwit the authorities.
The prevailing wisdom is that the atomic war was a punishment from God, and to avoid further wrath the people must root out what are known as "Abominations" – plant or animal mutations caused by the lingering effects of radiation. This includes human mutants, so anyone with a physical peculiarity, such as an extra toe, is banished to a remote area called "the Fringes." The centre of Wyndham's story is a group of children who discover that they have telepathic powers, which makes them technically Abominations too, but also gives them the means to outwit the authorities.
