Empire of the Sun.

BALLARD, J.G.

Item Number: 136607

London: Victor Gollanz, 1984.

First edition of the author’s classic novel which was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Octavo, original cloth. Boldly signed by J.G. Ballard on the title page. With an original advertisement card laid in from September 13, 1984. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Pat Doyle.

The Empire of the Sun was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Like Ballard's earlier short story "The Dead Time" (published in the anthology Myths of the Near Future), it is essentially fiction but draws extensively on Ballard's experiences in World War II. The name of the novel is derived from the etymology of the name for Japan. It was adapted by Tom Stoppard in 1987. The screenplay was filmed by Steven Spielberg, to critical acclaim, being nominated for six Oscars and winning three British Academy Awards (for cinematography, music and sound). It starred a then 13-year-old Christian Bale, as well as John Malkovich and Miranda Richardson.