Trouble with Lichen

By: John Wyndham

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Synopsis: A &“sharp, amusing story&” (The Guardian) about the fountain of youth and its implications for women&’s rights, by one of the twentieth century&’s most brilliant—and neglected—science fiction and horror writers, whom Stephen King called &“the best writer of science fiction that England has ever produced.&” &“It was a genius move for John Wyndham to center an age-slowing narrative on women, who are still today pressured to remain youthful-looking forever, or succumb to social invisibility. . . . Wyndham was uniquely gifted at skewering humankind&’s foibles while maintaining a shred of hope that our better angels would prevail.&”—Kate Folk, from the introduction What if humans discovered the secret to prolonged life? Francis Saxover and Diana Brackley, two biochemists investigating a rare lichen, separately discover that it has a remarkable property: It slows the aging process almost to a halt. Francis, realizing the horrifying implications of an ever-youthful wealthy elite, decides to keep his findings a secret. But the younger and more daring Diana sees an opportunity to overturn the male status quo and free women from the career-versus-children binary—in short, a chance to remake the world.