The Peter Pan Syndrome

About the Book

Thinking about the recent discoveries about genetics, I wondered what it might be like if governments decided to control how long we should live. The aspect I chose is about increasing our lifespan (but I know there is another side to this which is rather more sinister!) My story is set in the future, where Gene Control apparently sets the ground rules in every country and civilisation in most areas is confined to huge domes with artificial weather systems. Health – both physical and mental is dealt with by the Government of each civilisation – if necessary by altering peoples’ genes. Should anything go wrong with genetic interference, it is not unusual for people to disappear. There are rebels, who hate being controlled. Some have escaped to ‘Outside’, where plants grow uncontrolled and which is thought to be lawless, backward and uncivilised. However, a majority of residents love the controlled weather system, which never interferes with pleasurable activities (it rains only at night!); has a moon, sun and stars which appear to revolve around the system, a crop-growing facility and farming –including horses, cows, poultry, orchards etc. People can live as long as they like – for hundreds of years if desired – and children can stay as children for as long as they (and their parents) wish. There are robots for servants; there is an education system and hospitals etc., etc. – everything you could wish for! However, not everyone is happy with the situation – the children in particular. The story is about one family in particular, Katie and Ian Stone, their children, Michael and Sarah and their experiences in (and out of) Gene Control.

About the Author

Gillian Grace Lyden was born in 1933 in Worcester. When the Second World War started in September 1939, Gillian, then six, and her father George Pearce needed to evacuate to Little Aston while her mother Grace Blanche Hines-Pearce and her younger brother Gordon stayed in Worcester with their Great Aunt Florence and her husband James Turton. Her education started early in West Bromwich at Beeches Road Junior Infants’ School. From 8 to 18 years of age, she attended St Johns Junior School for Girls and Worcester Grammar School for Girls respectively. She also attended Trent Park Training College from 1951-1953 and was trained as an infants’ teacher. In 1955, she married George Kenneth Millington, a music teacher turned organiser of music in Rochdale. They had a daughter, Rachel Fay Georgette born on 10 February 1969. Gillian and Kenneth divorced in 1972. Gillian and Rachel then moved to Stevenage. Gillian was a Teacher-In-Charge of Music, Art and Display when she was introduced to Cyril Thomas Lyden. She married him in 1975 and she was then appointed to Teacher-In-Charge of a 24 place Nursery Unit in Maidenhall Infants School in Luton. In 1977, when the Nursery Unit expanded to 100 place Unit, Gillian got promoted to a higher scale. She became pregnant but had miscarriage. Gill and Cy divorced in 1985. Her daughter Rachel married Philip Green in 1986. They had three children – Rebecca, Aron and Philip. But they got divorced in late 1990s. Gillian retired from teaching in 1992 but she did supply work – mostly music to infants’ schools for a few years after that. Her final retirement was in 2000. She met Colin John Toten in 1995 and now lives in Kensworth, Bedfordshire.