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  Yes, I’m fascinated by the psychology of gated communities and the England of the M25. Not Heritage England or Heritage London – the bus parks and executive housing, CCTV cameras, airports. A lot of the bleak scenarios I’ve thought of have come true. When we look back over the last thirty years, meaningless violence has become very common: people who walk into supermarkets and start shooting at random, violence like Jill Dando’s killing or even these latest ghastly bombs in Madrid. It’s not certain if any of the people who carry out these atrocities have any justification, even in their own minds. It may be violence for violence’s sake. That’s dangerous because you can’t predict it. Maybe people are so bored and modern life is so empty that they want to drop a bomb or kill someone just to feel alive.

  In your personal life you’re known as a devoted family man. Are there other writers and artists in your family?

  I have three children and four grandchildren, of whom I’m very proud. I see a lot of them and my family have always been very important to me. My wife died a long time ago, in 1964, and I brought up my children myself.

  How do you organise your time? Do you write by timetable?

  Yes. Unless you’re disciplined, all you end up with is a lot of empty wine bottles. All through my career I’ve written 1,000 words a day – even if I’ve got a hangover. You’ve got to discipline yourself if you’re a professional. There’s no other way.

  In 2003 you refused a CBE. Why?

  (He chuckles.) If I could have called myself Commander Ballard I would have accepted! I think too much is made of these things.

  Copyright

  Fourth Estate

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  This edition published by Fourth Estate in 2014

  First published in Great Britain by Flamingo in 2003

  Copyright © J. G. Ballard 2003

  Introduction © Iain Sinclair 2014

  Interview © Vanora Bennett 2004

  J. G. Ballard asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

  A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

  This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

  Source ISBN: 9780006551614

  Ebook Edition © ISBN: 9780007371907

  Version: 2014-03-10

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