The Iron Man: A Children's Story in Five Nights is a novel written by British Poet Laureate Ted Hughes and illustrated by Andrew Davidson. Described by some as a modern fairy tale, it describes the unexpected arrival in England of a giant "metal man" of unknown origin who rains destruction on the countryside by attacking industrial farm equipment, before befriending a small boy and defending the world from a monster from outer space. Expanding the narrative beyond a criticism of warfare and inter-human conflict, Hughes later wrote a sequel, The Iron Woman , describing retribution based on... environmental themes related to pollution. Prior to publishing in North America, the title was changed to The Iron Giant to avoid confusion and legal issues with Marvel Comics' character, Iron Man. The Iron Man arrived from seemingly nowhere and his appearance is described in detail. To survive, he feeds off local farm equipment. When the farm hands discover their destroyed tractors and diggers, a trap is set consisting of a covered pit on which a tractor is set as bait. Hogarth, a local boy, lures the Iron Man to the trap.
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| Author: | Ted Hughes |
| Genre: | Science Fiction, Novel, Fiction, Fantasy, Children's literature |
| Year published: | 1968 |
| Number of editions: | 9 |