Book info

• Title The Day of the Triffids
• Author John Wyndham
• Year 1951
• Genre Science Fiction

When a freak cosmic event renders most of the Earth's population blind, Bill Masen is one of the lucky few to retain his sight. The London he walks is crammed with groups of men and women needing help, some ready to prey on those who can still see. But another menace stalks blind and sighted alike. With nobody to stop their spread the Triffids, mobile plants with lethal stingers and carnivorous appetites, seem set to take control.

Thoughts

I love a good old apocalyptic story, and this has all the makings of your perfect dystopian world. After a bizarre comet event leaves much of the population blind, the few sighted survivors have to make their way through a world that is falling apart - and also deal with some pretty terrifying poisonous, walking plants.

I was surprised that really, the triffids don’t play a huge part in the story. They are one problem that the protagonists have to deal with, for sure, but they aren’t really the big bad. Most of the story is actually about how the world copes with the sudden onset of a catastrophe like this. Many people choose not to deal with it at all, others instantly revert to outdated ideas of servitude.

There’s an interesting portrayal of how quickly society falls apart, although I was surprised that there really wasn’t much mention of government or ruling parties. I feel like the prime minister and the army would still have some kind of power over society, even if they aren’t fully sighted. Still, a fascinating story from start to finish.

Rating: 4 / 5