The Tripods Books in Order

by Sam Youd ·4 books · 1967–1988

Children'sScience FictionHorror

★ 4.3/5 · 24 ratings across 3 books · Open Library

The Tripods series by Sam Youd, written under the pseudonym John Christopher, is a young adult science fiction trilogy set on an Earth dominated by alien Tripods that control adults through hypnotic Caps, leaving children unaffected. The series follows young protagonists as they navigate a world under alien domination, engaging in resistance efforts and uncovering truths about the Tripods' rule. Themes of freedom, autonomy, and defiance against oppressive systems are central to the narrative. The first book, The City of Gold and Lead, was published in 1970, and the series comprises four books in total, with the original trilogy followed by a prequel added later. The works were published between 1968 and 1988. Sam Youd, writing as John Christopher, received the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize in 1971 and the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis in 1976. The series is recognized for its exploration of societal control and youth-led resistance within a speculative framework.

The Tripods was first published in 1967 in the United Kingdom.