The Day of the Triffids in The Alternative Worlds

Apr 04, 2017 Barry Cunningham rated it it was amazing

I was 1 year old when this book was published so, understandably, didn't read it for a number of years after that, Think it was around 1958 when I first read it, even then it was groundbreaking, radio programmes, films wow what a concept. One of the very early novels that dealt with mass extinction of humankind and the consequences of survival. Science fiction was really still in its infancy in those days and authors like Jon Wyndham were laying the ground for the massive genre it became. In 195 ...more

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Apr 06, 2009 Ubik rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: own

WOW! This was so absolutely amazing and not what I thought it was going to be. I avoided it for years thinking it was "killer plants taking over the world 50s B-movie style" but I was fnugging WRONG. If ever there was a piece of literature (or any other media for that matter) that so understated yet made so believable such an at-first-glance ridiculous premise, it is this novel. The characterizations were wonderful. I really knew Bill, Coker, and Josella right off the bat in fewer words without ...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Simon rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sf-masterworks, horror, sf

And so I finally read Wyndham's most famous novel, after reading most of his other novels first, hoping it would live up to my high expectations. Although having read his other work I've already seen he can be somewhat variable in quality.

Things are not looking good for humanity here. To start with nearly everybody's gone blind, then there's a mysterious plague sweeping the population and to top it all off, the triffids are on the loose stinging and devouring all who they can. Our protagonist Bi ...more

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Sep 19, 2010 Nicky rated it really liked it

Shelves: horror, post-apocalyptic, dystopia, classics, speculative-fiction

The Day of the Triffids is a book I've meant to read for a long time. Sometime way back when, I forget quite why, Dad told me the basic story -- not with characters, just the basic ideas -- and as an impressionable little daddy's girl of probably about eight years old, it stuck in my mind.

I actually expected something a bit more trashy than this, after some reviews and comments I read. It's certainly got the seeds (heh) for a lot of horror writing -- Stephen King's work is quite similar in some ...more

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May 26, 2009 Carolyn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science-fiction, 5-star-books, science-fiction_post-apoc-dystopian, classics, 2010-read

Almost seems like a companion novel to Earth Abides - happening on parallel Earths, that is. Same feel to the writing, same male/white narrator slant, but hey, the author is a product of his time. If you can get past that (and it's pretty minor in this), is a great read.
Would be excellent for book discussion groups as well.

"After the Night of the Comets, it's the Day of the Triffids" -- sounds like a great film teaser, doesn't it? = )
...more

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Jun 14, 2013 Suz rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook, science-fiction, historical, horror, post-apocalyptic, classic

I have an immense love of post-apocalyptic fiction, especially the classic stuff. I've been around the block enough not to be terribly surprised by events, but this book still hit me pretty well.
I think that this book is delightfully nuanced - it doesn't club you over the hows, but lets them develop nicely. Everything we had under control (farming carnivorous decorative plants, the space and weapons race) suddenly goes wrong, and we're left in a world where everything goes badly, because of ...more

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