The Coral Island the civilising effect of Christianity, 19th-century British imperialism in the South Pacific, and the importance of hierarchy and leadership. It was the inspiration for William Golding's dystopian novel "Lord of the Flies" (1954), which inverted the morality of "The Coral Island"; in Ballantyne's story the children encounter evil, but in "Lord of the Flies" evil is within them. In the early 20th century, the novel was considered a classic for primary school children in the UK, and in the United States it was a staple of high-school suggested reading lists. Modern critics consider the book's worldview to be dated and
The Lord of Opium problems that remained at the end of "Scorpion". Farmer began working on the novel in 2008 and the working title was "God's Ashtray". Farmer wrote 80 pages of the book before having to stop due to an illness. When her health was better, Farmer tried to resume writing, but was exhausted after moving from California to Arizona. She was at last revived by listening to music and was able to finish the novel. Critical reception of "The Lord of Opium" has been favorable, with starred reviews in "Publishers' Weekly," which hailed it as a "superb novel . . .well worth