The Drowned World by J. G. Ballard is a 1962 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel that follows Dr. Robert Kerans, a biologist leading a scientific survey team in a future London submerged due to climate change. As they study the area's unique flora and fauna, the team experiences increasingly disturbing dreams. Strangman, a pirate, arrives, causing chaos and leading to a series of conflicts and existential struggles for Kerans and his colleagues. The novel includes depictions of torture.

J. G. Ballard's The Drowned World offers a mesmerizing journey into a sunken, post-apocalyptic Earth, showcasing his signature blend of evocative prose and speculative ingenuity. While some readers praise the novel's atmospheric and psychologically rich narrative, others find its pacing slow and characters underdeveloped. Overall, it's a haunting, thought-provoking read.

Fans of post-apocalyptic literature and dystopian fiction, particularly those who enjoy the bleak, surreal landscapes of J.G. Ballard, will find The Drowned World captivating. Readers of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale will appreciate its exploration of human psychology in extreme environments.

Dark / Mysterious / Contemplative / Melancholic / Fantastical

- The Drowned World is part of a trilogy by J. G. Ballard often referred to as his "climate-changed" novels, exploring different environmental catastrophes.
- J. G. Ballard drew inspiration for The Drowned World from the landscapes he experienced during his childhood in Shanghai, lending vivid detail to his depictions of a submerged, tropical world.
- The book, published in 1962, is considered one of the seminal works of climate fiction, as it explores the psychological effects of a drastically altered environment.

**Dr. Robert Kerans**  
A middle-aged scientist who is the protagonist, grappling with his role in a radically changed world while surveying sunken cities and maintaining a sense of detachment from his work and relationships.

**Strangman**  
A dramatic and unsettling figure who arrives with a crew of African men and trained alligators, embodying an immoral and opportunistic approach to the post-apocalyptic world.

**Colonel Riggs**  
The leader of a United Nations military mission, characterized by his high spirits and pragmatic acceptance of the collapsed societal order while attempting to maintain morale and perform his duties.

**Beatrice Dahl**  
A woman living independently above the submerged city out of loyalty to her inherited home, embodying human stubbornness and nostalgia as she maintains the rituals of an old social order.

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