Earth has been invaded by aliens!
The alien Masters and their mechanical Tripods (much like those AT-AT Walkers from Star Wars– yes, I had to look that name up) have brainwashed and enslaved one country after another. In their effort to control the planet, the Masters also abolish capitalism (which they see as too individualistic, rebellious and messy) and re-create the more simple agrarian societies of earth’s distant past in order to keep their new slaves more docile. Although the stories begin in rural England, they soon evolve into an international quest following a small group of teenaged boys who are willing to risk everything to restore the Earth they know used to exist!
John Christopher (a pen name for adult author Christopher Samuel Youd) is one of the early children’s dystopian writers. Interesting to see a genre in its infancy.
If you have a son or daughter who enjoys Dystopian Science Fiction, The Tripods Trilogy might just be the “new” book series you’ve been looking for. Although these books contain no foul language, there are a number of deaths.
The White Mountains, 272 pages, published in 1967
The City of Gold and Lead, 304 pages, published in 1967
The Pool of Fire, 272 pages, published in 1968
When the Tripods Came (prequel — to be read last), 240 pages, published in 1988
Middle Grade reading level, 250-300 pages per volume, Published 1967-1988.
