Brilliant... a frightening parody on man's return [in a few weeks] to that state of darkness from which it took him thousands of years to emerge. Fully to succeed, a fantasy must approach very close to real ity. Lord of the Flies does. It must also be superbly written. It is.

At the dawn of the next world war, a plane crashes on an uncharted island, stranding a group of schoolboys. At first, with no adult supervision, their freedom is something to celebrate. This far from civilization they can do anything they want. Anything.

But as order collapses, as strange howls echo in the night, as terror begins its reign, the hope of adventure seems as far removed from reality as the hope of being rescued...

INTRODUCTION BY E. M. FORSTER

one

THE SOUND OF THE SHELL

two

FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN

three

HUTS ON THE BEACH

four

PAINTED FACES AND LONG HAIR

five

BEAST FROM WATER

six

BEAST FROM AIR

seven

SHADOWS AND TALL TREES

eight

GIFT FOR THE DARKNESS

nine

A VIEW TO A DEATH

ten

THE SHELL AND THE GLASSES

eleven

CASTLE ROCK

twelve

CRY OF THE HUNTERS

NOTES

CRITICAL ANALYSIS