High-Rise
High-Rise is a 1975 novel by British writer J. G. Ballard. The story describes the disintegration of a luxury high-rise building as its affluent residents gradually descend into violent chaos. As with Ballard's previous novels Crash (1973) and Concrete Island (1974), High-Rise inquires into the ways in which modern social and technological landscapes could alter the human psyche in provocative and hitherto unexplored ways. It was adapted into a film of the same name, in 2015, by director Ben Wheatley.
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8recommend
17mentions
17people
2011–2026years
47% recommend53% neutral
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
- J. G. Ballard's "High-Rise" and "The Drowned World" are both excellent reads with very interesting stuff going on.
- I absolutely love JG Ballard. Crash is a classic, and High Rise is a fun one.
- This is honestly the most hilarious possible misread of J.G. Ballard, perhaps one of the most overtly politically ideological sci-fi authors who ever wrote. Read High-Rise (or watch the surprisingly good movie!). Read Concentration City.
- Ever read or watched High Rise by JG Ballard? Afterwards you might not be so keen on living in the same skyscraper as you work.
- Maybe you know it but I think you'd also like novels by J.G. Ballard. e.g. "Concrete Island" or "High Rise".
- High Rise is possibly his most readable. The Elements series (The Drowned World, The Crystal World, The Drought and The Wind From Nowhere) is very good, Drowned World being the best, IMO. Unlimited Dream Company is well worth reading, as is Crash. His short stories are generally excellent, and maybe the best intro: Vermilion Sands is brilliant, but the best value is the (two volume) Complete Short Stories collection.
Empire of the Sun is pretty much essential if you want to understand why he wrote the way he did; why his characters are drawn and act the way they do. There's also a short essay he did for the Guardian a few years before he died, on modernism and death, which is informative (http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2006/mar/20/architec...).
Also, this site is good: http://www.ballardian.com/
