What Is John Wyndham’s Novel “The Chrysalids” About?

Written in 1955, this novel very much reflects the cold-war fears of its era. It is set in a post-atomic future, when all complicated technology has been lost or rejected, and most of the the survivors live at subsistence level. Even the better-off live from farming, and their lives are governed by a narrow and fanatical religion.

The prevailing wisdom is that the atomic war was a punishment from God, and to avoid further wrath the people must root out what are known as "Abominations" – plant or animal mutations caused by the lingering effects of radiation. This includes human mutants, so anyone with a physical peculiarity, such as an extra toe, is banished to a remote area called "the Fringes." The centre of Wyndham's story is a group of children who discover that they have telepathic powers, which makes them technically Abominations too, but also gives them the means to outwit the authorities.

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