Ballardian: Exploring Tropes & Motifs from the Works of J.G. Ballard

Ballardian.com explores tropes and motifs found in the work of J.G. Ballard. It is edited and published by Simon Sellars. But perhaps the site’s twin aims are best defined by the dual definitions applied to the word ‘Ballardian’, according to the Collins English Dictionary:

BALLARDIAN: (adj) 1. of James Graham Ballard (J.G. Ballard; born 1930), the British novelist, or his works. (2) resembling or suggestive of the conditions described in Ballard’s novels & stories, esp. dystopian modernity, bleak man-made landscapes & the psychological effects of technological, social or environmental developments.

That is to say, we explore the Ballardosphere (definition 2) as much as we do Ballard (definition 1). Or to say it another way, we use the term ‘Ballardian’ to identify a particular phase in late capitalism that is yet to play itself out, and which is best articulated by the writer J.G. Ballard. This site therefore attempts to formulate a world view refracted through the writings of an author who has continually and accurately predicted the bewildering pace of change in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

The site seeks to bind together a community of writers and artists who have been similarly inspired by the man and his writing. A key component of this project is to contextualise Ballard’s work, to analyse his sphere of influence beyond the stifling constraints of the literary realm and into the more expansive realms of music, film, visual art, fashion, cultural theory, architecture, even pornography. Ballard’s work contains a mysterious code that is not readily distilled into biography or literary theory. By tracking this trans-disciplinary mutant word virus, and the way it reflects other cultural forces and the way other cultural forces reflect it, this site hopes to eventually come to some preliminary understanding of the dark forces shaping our lives.

Feel free to contact us with any news appropriate to this site’s aims, or if you wish to contribute articles, features, reviews and so on. We are always on the lookout for contributors.