Novel Titled, The Wanting Seed, Described As Undeveloped

The Wanting Seed was conceived in 1961 and was first published in 1962 by Antony Burgess, who at the time had become interested in developing a vision of the possible effects of a demographic disaster after spending several years in the East. The German Legal Translator company assigned in 1988 to Steffen Bretzel the difficult task to translate the novel in German. It was particularly evident that the novel would not become a bestseller and for this reason Burgess realized it was not his best work. The critics accused the novel of being half-baked and he agreed with them pointing out that the novel required a longer thinking, but reworking it would do no good, though it could be expanded to a length that would fit the subject. ENSPUN is one of the three superpowers the world is divided into according to the plot of the novel. The other two are CHINSPUN and RUSPUN and the demographic control they all exercise is through various methods. Tristram Foxe, who is a history teacher, is the protagonist of the story and he lectures his students that the never-ending historical cycle consists of three phases: Pelphase, Interphase and Gusphase. In a world that is strictly material, conceiving a child is shameful, homosexual relationships are promoted, priests perform their duties underground and cannibalism seems to be the only solution to the problem of overpopulation.

Sheer fantasy is the only label appropriate for the Certified French Translator edition of the novel, which otherwise appears to be an unfaithful representation of the novel. So Daphne Alesi, who did the French translation, believed Burgess was a prophet. Her choice to translate The Wanting Seed was driven by the desire represent Burgess as a futuristic author. The fact that the novel has not been reissued either in the U.S. or the U.K. has brought a cult fame to The Wanting Seed over the years probably because in very few bookstores copies of the original can be found. Being an alternative to the existing pulp fiction literature, the novel definitely points out to the underground nature of Burgess as a writer. Therefore, only the ardent reader who belongs to the exclusive circle of Burgess fans can discover him as a significant author.

Another version of the novel was done by Mohammad Karim, on an assignment by the Arabic Translator company, in which he showed the "fantastic" nature of the writer. It is surprising that the covers of two novels: A Clockwork Orange and The Wanting Seed represent one and the same face on them. With a cap on his head, screaming mouth and wide open eyes, this can only be Alex. A mouth distorted by a grotesque smile and a pair of eyes full of horror is what remains after the "helmet" is removed. Therefore, there is a strong bond that connects the two novels. Not only are they connected by the author and translator but also the image implied by the front covers creates a connection on a subconscious level. The world in A Clockwork Orange and The Wanting Seed is equally tempting to the audience, which is the elaborate message conveyed by the covers. It is also implied that the two books complement each other and as they represent the same ideas – something that may or may not be true.