The Atrocity Exhibition by J. G. Ballard

This book is a collection of interconnected stories that explore the effects of media and technology on modern psychology and human behavior. The narrative centers around a psychiatrist who, after a mental breakdown, becomes fixated on the idea that there is a deeper, more abstract reality beneath the surface of everyday life. He obsessively analyzes cultural events, car crashes, and sexual encounters as he attempts to deconstruct the world into a series of conceptual, almost fetishized images. The work challenges the boundaries between sanity and madness, reality and simulation, in a fragmented, non-linear style that mirrors the disjointed nature of the protagonist's psyche and the chaotic society he is attempting to dissect.

The 3093rd greatest book of all time


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Total Points: 120

Since this book was first published in 1970, there is a penalty of 0%. The age adjusted score is 120.0.

This is to prevent newer books from reaching super high on the ranked list of the greatest books of all time. The greatest books should also stand the test of time.