to let her back in, but they decide that they could never trust her again, and leave her outside. In the last paragraph of the book Neil abruptly changes his mind, feeling that he would never get over the guilt of leaving Billie to die, and with Lucy goes downstairs to open the door and let her back inside. Background John Christopher said the inspiration for Empty World came from "the recollection of a childish daydream". He suspected it was a fantasy shared by most children: a world without adults and the restrictions they place on children. He thought it would be fun if it was just him and a few friends left to do as they pleased, with everything at their disposal. He felt that it was a grim daydream and that Empty World was an exploration of that daydream. For him, personally, he was analyzing the "people-need-people cliche". Reviews Empty World over the years has been well received. The characters and the loneliness of the Neil's journey is well developed, and the English setting of the novel will not discourage American readers, especially children as it is "not too English". Well written, and more believable than one would think just by reading a summary, it is a page turner. John Christopher offers a chilly story, which offers more, and is by and large more convincing the trope, put in play by many television series of happy survivors seeking a place to establish a cleaner and more romantic version of the old world. Empty World gives the youthful reader far more to think about by exploring darker and more realistic themes of greed, mistrust, despair, and insanities. Empty World has been compared to novels like Secret City, U.S.A., by Felice Holman and When the City Stopped, by Joan Phipson. TV Adaptations The German station ZDF produced a TV adaptation of Empty World in 1987. Movie Adaptations A movie version of Empty World was said to be in production in 2011 but no further information is available . See also Progeria References External links 1977 British novels British post-apocalyptic novels British science fiction novels British young adult novels Children's science fiction novels Works published under a pseudonym Novels by John Christopher Hamish Hamilton books