John Christopher Books in Order

Twenty science fiction stories bring together Christopher’s early short work, including Colonial, The Prophet, Breaking-Point, The New Wine, and Begin Again. The collection presents both linked Max Larkin stories and independent narratives from the beginning of his science fiction career.

In a future divided among powerful business groups, a scientist possesses a secret capable of giving its owner overwhelming authority. Rival interests turn him into the target of murderous intrigue as they compete to control his discovery.

A virus destroys grasses and food crops, driving Britain toward famine and social collapse. John Custance and his family attempt to reach his brother's secluded farm, confronting violence and choices that test their remaining sense of humanity.

A group exploring caves near an Austrian village becomes trapped after a tunnel collapses. With limited supplies, they must navigate underground passages and water, while Cynthia Herrin's attraction to another man complicates an already dangerous expedition.

Bill Atholl returns to England, unexpectedly inheriting a Yorkshire farm and meeting the woman he marries. Attempts on their lives disrupt the honeymoon, drawing him into a struggle against a narcotics ring connected to Mary's past.

The ship Kreya sets sail from Ireland toward Amsterdam, despite warnings about its fate. A violent storm leaves passengers and crew drifting toward Arctic ice, where survival depends on cooperation complicated by jealousy, blackmail, and hidden troubles.

Declining solar radiation brings increasingly severe winters and threatens a new ice age. Andrew Leedon escapes frozen Britain for Lagos, where European refugees confront poverty, reversed colonial hierarchies, and an uncertain future far from their former homes.

A wealthy man named Sweeney gathers Londoners for a Pacific cruise, then their ship burns while they explore an island. Stranded passengers and crew struggle for survival as old social distinctions give way to ruthless contests for power.

An avalanche isolates an Alpine chalet and its holiday guests from the outside world. After a child's mysterious death and the disappearance of his body, the stranded group faces a threat extending far beyond their immediate survival.

Worldwide earthquakes devastate civilization and expose the English Channel's seabed. Guernsey gardener Matthew Cotter crosses the transformed landscape in search of his daughter, accompanied by a boy and threatened by scavengers among the scattered survivors.

Bridget Chauncey inherits an Irish castle and turns it into a hotel despite her fiancé's objections. A locked tower containing miniature houses hints at a disturbing presence that threatens the couple and the guests gathered around them.

Will and his companions leave the refuge of the White Mountains to infiltrate the Tripods' capital. Inside the City of Gold and Lead, he must uncover their secrets while concealing that he has escaped their mental control.

As his Capping ceremony approaches, Will Parker questions the Tripods' control over humanity. He sets out for the White Mountains, seeking people who remain free, while the machines pursue anyone attempting to escape their rule.

Three alien machines land in England, Russia, and the United States, bringing devastating force to Earth. This prequel follows the beginning of the Tripods' invasion and the events that place humanity under their far-reaching control.

Property developer Rod Gawfrey's comfortable family life unravels as Britain's young people rise in revolt. His sister-in-law's connection to an ambitious academic draws them closer to the upheaval, while anarchy creates conditions for a harsh political backlash.

Will brings crucial intelligence about the alien Masters back to the free humans. With Earth's atmosphere threatened by their plans, he and his allies prepare an attack whose failure could mean the extinction of the human race.

Marty and Steve leave their lunar colony in a borrowed vehicle and become stranded beneath the surface. The caves offer food and shelter, but the creature sustaining this apparent paradise also wants control over their lives.

Rob escapes a harsh urban boarding school into the wealthy rural County, beyond the Barrier separating two societies. Its beautiful estates promise a better life, until he begins uncovering the coercion hidden beneath their reassuring appearance.

Thirteen-year-old Luke lives in a future Winchester governed by warriors, seers, and rigid social castes. His expectations of becoming a prince draw him into political ambition and adventure, while the apparent certainty of his world begins to unravel.

Protected by the High Seers after his father's murder, Luke grows restless in their underground Sanctuary. Learning that they secretly preserve forbidden technology, he undertakes a journey through dangerous lands while trouble gathers back in Winchester.

Luke rules Winchester and expands his authority, knowing the Spirits' prophecies conceal the Seers' technological ambitions. Rivalries and shifting alliances threaten his position, forcing him to confront the violence surrounding his rise and the future of his cities.

Dom belongs to a hunting tribe and Va to a farming tribe, whose people are at war. The young lovers flee together, crossing a prehistoric landscape that tests their attachment against hostility, danger, and conflicting ways of life.

Falsely accused of a crime, privileged Clive Anderson is sent to a punitive island for retraining. Escaping into the forbidden Outlands brings him among Wild Jack's followers, where another apparent refuge raises questions about freedom and power.

After losing his parents in a car crash, Neil moves in with his grandparents. A devastating plague leaves him alone again, sending him to London in search of survivors and companionship in a world transformed by fear.

Cousins Simon and Brad investigate a mysterious fireball near a quiet London suburb. Passing through it takes them into a different version of England, where familiar geography offers little protection from unfamiliar societies and dangerous historical changes.

Still trapped in an alternate world, Simon and Brad sail to America hoping for a better future. Severe winter, hostile encounters, and unexpected civilizations challenge their survival as the continent proves different from the history they remember.

Captured by slavers while exploring an alternate America, Simon and Brad are taken toward China. Their journey leads to a remote mountain retreat and the mysterious Bei-Kun, bringing new dangers and questions about the fireball that displaced them.

Ben inherits authority over Old Isle after the Master's death, then loses his home in a fire blamed on demons. Escaping across sea and countryside, he searches for his heritage while powerful people seek control of his future.

Anna uses immersive virtual reality to experience her dead son's presence, but dies during treatment. Her brother Michael investigates subsequent suspicious deaths, uncovering questions about a technology whose entertainment applications conceal a more sinister purpose.

A virus destroys grasses and food crops, driving Britain toward famine and social collapse. John Custance and his family attempt to reach his brother's secluded farm, confronting violence and choices that test their remaining sense of humanity.