Taking a look at a legend. Though he passed away last year, the father of Will Parker shall always capture our imaginations...
A lot gets spoken regarding legacy. What legacy will the 2012 London Olympics leave? Is George Lucas harming the legacy of Star Wars with the changes? These are just a couple of examples to show that legacy tends to raise more questions than it answers.
Samuel Youd was born on the 16th April 1922, and was destined to write. He wrote short stories, novels, comic book entries, all sorts of styles of writing under numerous pseudonyms. It is the pseudonym of John Christopher that I fondly remember. Despite many titles, both as Christopher and his other names, the novels that spring instantly to mind are The Tripod trilogy, written between 1967 and 1969; and my favourite of John Christopher's books, 1977's Empty World.
The Tripods trilogy was about a conquered humanity. The Masters travel around in huge three-legged machines known as The Tripods, and the world becomes reminiscent of the middle ages. Humans are controlled from their teenage years by implant 'Caps' which take away curiosity and leave the person incapable of dissent. They work for, and worship, The Tripods, and those for whom the Caps don't work are left wandering the world as vagrants.
I will get to the point about legacy soon, but allow me this synopsis, a brief description of Empty World:
