The Day of the Triffids - by John Wyndham (Paperback)

About the Book

"What if a meteor shower left most of the world blind--and humanity at the mercy of mysterious carnivorous plants? Bill Masen undergoes eye surgery and awakes the next morning in his hospital bed to find civilization collapsing. Wandering the city, he quickly realizes that surviving in this strange new world requires evading strangers and the seven-foot-tall plants known as triffids--plants that can walk and can kill a man with one quick lash of their poisonous stingers."--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

The influential masterpiece of one of the twentieth century's most brilliant--and neglected--science fiction and horror writers, whom Stephen King called "the best writer of science fiction that England has ever produced."--now in development as a miniseries directed by Johan Renck.

"[Wyndham] avoids easy allegories and instead questions the relative values of the civilisation that has been lost, the literally blind terror of humanity in the face of dominant nature. . . . Frightening and powerful, Wyndham's vision remains an important allegory and a gripping story."--The Guardian

What if a meteor shower left most of the world blind--and humanity at the mercy of mysterious carnivorous plants?

Bill Masen undergoes eye surgery and awakes the next morning in his hospital bed to find civilization collapsing. Wandering the city, he quickly realizes that surviving in this strange new world requires evading strangers and the seven-foot-tall plants known as triffids--plants that can walk and can kill a man with one quick lash of their poisonous stingers.

Review Quotes

Praise for John Wyndham

"The best writer of science fiction that England has ever produced."--Stephen King

"Wyndham was a true English visionary, a William Blake with a science doctorate."--David Mitchell

"[Wyndham] did more than any other British writer since H. G. Wells to make science fiction popular. . . . His plots, however fantastic, were characterized by inventiveness, clarity and a profound sympathy for mankind."--The New York Times

"[John Wyndham] singlehandedly invented a whole pile of sub-genres of science fiction. It's as if . . . he was plugged in to the world's subconscious fears and articulated them one by one in short, amazingly readable novels."--Jo Walton

About the Author

John Wyndham (1903-1969) is considered a pioneer of science fiction and horror, though he preferred to think of himself as a "logical fantasist." He began writing science fiction and detective stories in the 1920s, but shifted to science fiction post-WWII, focusing on themes of disaster, invasion, and first contact. His best known works include The Day of the Triffids (1951) and The Midwich Cuckoos (1957). A pacifist and socialist, Wyndham--unlike a lot of mid-century genre fiction authors--was alive to the impact of sexism, classism, and prejudice and his novels reflect his liberal politics.