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Ask me about my forthcoming book, Applied Ballardianism, or anything Ballard-related.

Recent Responses

    1. Simon Sellars
      ballardian 22 Jan 12

      Hello Simon. Do you know if we're due a follow up to 'A Users Guide To The Millenium'? There must be some 15 years of essays and reviews to be collected. Kind regards Richard Clouston

      Hi Richard, I don't know of any such plans. I think it's a great idea, though. As you say, there's a lot of material that hasn't been collected. We're due to put out a collection of Ballard interviews through HarperCollins this year, so perhaps if that goes well, the 'Users Guide' follow up could get the green light.

    2. Simon Sellars
      ballardian 16 Jan 12

      Simon- do you know what Ballard's major influences and/or favorite books from the scifi side of things were? (as opposed to "mainstream" writers like Graham Greene). What did he love in the '50s and '60s? Hope you can shed some light, thanks

      I recommend reading Miracles of Life, his autobiography. It goes into some detail about his formative influences. For me, the revelations about his interest in French New Wave cinema were most interesting.

    3. Simon Sellars
      ballardian 16 Jan 12

      Looking forward to your ZerO book (I'm just completing a book for ZerO, too, on digitality and 'cloud' culture). I first got into JGB through references in post-punk music - any thoughts on the correspondences between his fiction and that scene?

      I have plenty of thoughts on that. Have a look at my interview with post-punk journalist Simon Reynolds: http://bit.ly/stXHkR. My interview with Mike Ryan might also be of interest: http://bit.ly/xvOLkV.

      Good luck with your book!

    4. Simon Sellars
      ballardian 16 Jan 12

      Who do you think are the most interesting thinkers of our time ?

      Difficult to say. Aside from Ballard, the one I always come back to is Virilio.

    5. Simon Sellars
      ballardian 16 Jan 12

      I just saw Antonioni's film Red Desert, and it seemed very Ballardian to me, despite being made in 1964. A quick search here shows nothing, so: I recommend checking it out.

      Thanks for the tip. Antonioni's Zabriskie Point also seems pretty Ballardian, with its ennui, disaffection, random violence, scenes of stifling city life and desert-landscape fetish.

    6. Simon Sellars
      ballardian 16 Jan 12

      I have a rather odd question you probably can't answer, but I've wondered since Ballard's death whether he perhaps donated his body to science? He spoke so poetically in his work about his response to working with cadavers as a young med student.

      Not that I know of! Interesting idea, though.

    7. Simon Sellars
      ballardian 16 Jan 12

      Is there any good analysis of the last world of mr goddard anywhere online to read?

      I'm not aware of one. Perhaps you could write it?

    8. Simon Sellars
      ballardian 16 Jan 12

      I am an artist born in the shadows of Ballard (I am from Weybridge) and researching a short film. I am looking for definitive list of all the laboratories that might have appeared in Ballard novels. Would you or members of your community have any ideas?

      I don't have such a list, but it would be an interesting exercise. The one that immediately springs to mind is the Road Research Laboratory in Crash; not a medical lab, but still... Good luck with your film - let me know how it goes.

    9. Simon Sellars
      ballardian 16 Jan 12

      Why does the last page of many of Ballard's books lack a page number?

      You might have to ask the publishers that one.

    10. Simon Sellars
      ballardian 16 Jan 12

      What is "A Neural Interval"? What is the name of your new book, and when will it be coming out in the U.S.?

      'A Neural Interval' is the title of a graphic treatment by Ballard: http://bit.ly/wvdE3V

    11. Simon Sellars
      ballardian 16 Jan 12

      What is the name of richard's father in "Kingdom Come"? or is it not mentioned?

      I don't believe it's mentioned.

    12. Simon Sellars
      ballardian 16 Jan 12

      who is Cousin Silas

      I was hoping you could tell me...

    13. Simon Sellars
      ballardian 16 Jan 12

      Theme park

      Yes?

    14. Simon Sellars
      ballardian 16 Jan 12

      Did Ballard ever discuss music? I cannot remember ever seeing any reference in any of the novels I've read and therefore have no idea what kind of music he might have liked. (And your PhD should definitely be available for the academically inclined!)

      He occasionally referred to music; there's a quote about Eno in one interview: "Vermilion Sands is a kind of cross between Palm Springs and Juan-les-Pins... Music by Brian Eno, metal foil architecture by Frank Gehry, dreams by Sigmund Freud, decor by Paul Delvaux." More info here: http://bit.ly/w5Gntc

      Other than that, he was famous for expressing little interest in popular music, a topic we covered on ballardian.com: http://bit.ly/xvOLkV

    15. Simon Sellars
      ballardian 16 Jan 12

      nic clear

      More information, please?

    16. Simon Sellars
      ballardian responded to dzhimbo 16 Jan 12

      Why was Kurt vile?

      I'm afraid I don't understand...

    17. Simon Sellars
      ballardian 16 Jan 12

      When will Applied Ballardianism come out in the U.S.?

      I don't know that it will have a specific US release, given it's a small-scale publisher. But these things are increasingly less relevant these days, aren't they, with the ubiquity of online retailing?

    18. Simon Sellars
      ballardian 16 Jan 12

      It's very hard to find any of JGB's books in Argentina. Are you in knowledge of any re-edition of his work in spanish?

      No, I'm sorry to say I don't! However, I will make some enquiries about this...

    19. Simon Sellars
      ballardian 12 Dec 11

      When will you have a new lead story? I'm hungry

      We've just done one! See here: http://bit.ly/ttBF0O

ballardian

Simon Sellars
ballardian

Simon Sellars’s Bio

Melbourne, Australia.

www.ballardian.com

I am a writer and editor. I am currently writing the book Applied Ballardianism: the Philosophy of J.G. Ballard, for publication by Zer0 Books in 2012.