Empire of the Sun

This article is about the 1984 novel. For the film adaptation of the novel, see Empire of the Sun (film)

Empire of the Sun is a 1984 novel by J. G. Ballard which was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. Although like Ballard's earlier short story, "The Dead Time," published in the anthology Myths of the Near Future, it is essentially fiction, like the earlier story it draws extensively on Ballard's experiences in World War II. It recounts the story of a young English boy, Jim Graham (Ballard's first and middle names are James Graham), who lives with his parents in Shanghai just before its capture by the Japanese.

Ballard later wrote a sequel, entitled The Kindness of Women.

Film adaptation

Main article: Empire of the Sun (film)

The book was adapted by Tom Stoppard in 1987. The screenplay was filmed by Steven Spielberg, to critical acclaim, being nominated for six Oscars and winning three British Academy Awards (for cinematography, music and sound). It starred 13-year-old Christian Bale, as well as John Malkovich and Miranda Richardson.

References

External links

• The Terminal Collection: J. G. Ballard First Editions