from the now quickly spreading crystallization, Sanders reaches Port Matarre. Here, however, he makes the same decision as Balthus and Suzanne. In the final pages, Sanders goes back to the river to face the same fate as Suzanne. Reception Richard A. Lupoff described The Crystal World as the best of Ballard's "catastrophe novels," saying it was "Idiosyncratic but highly effective [and] a very important science fiction book." References External links The Terminal Collection: JG Ballard First Editions The Crystal World by J.G. Ballard, reviewed by Ted Gioia (Conceptual Fiction) 1966 British novels 1966 science fiction novels Jonathan Cape books Novels by J. G. Ballard