The Iron Man: A Children's Story in Five Nights is a 1968 science fiction novel by Ted Hughes, future British Poet Laureate, first published by Faber and Faber in the UK with illustrations by George Adamson. Described by some as a modern fairy tale, it narrates the unexpected arrival in England of a giant "metal man" of unknown origin who rains destruction on the countryside by eating industrial farm equipment, before befriending a small boy and defending the world from a dragon from outer space. Expanding the narrative beyond a criticism of warfare and inter-human conflict, Hughes later wrote a sequel, The Iron Woman (1993), describing retribution based on environmental themes related to pollution.
Adaptations (1)
The Iron Man was adapted into a 1999 film.
The Iron Giant1999 · film · 86 min · dir. Brad Bird · IMDb ↗In the small town of Rockwell, Maine in October 1957, a giant metal machine befriends a nine-year-old boy and ultimately finds its humanity by unselfishly saving people from their own fears and prejudices.
