Science Fiction. Someone invents a Time Machine, set in Britain. In the future, group of people find motorways are covered with grass and wild animals (big cats, etc.). Female author? Read around 2000.

[Angela]

I read this about 15 years ago in a book group. I'm pretty sure the author was female and quite well known (I keep thinking Doris Lessing but it isn't) Basically somebody invents a time machine and a group of people go into the future. The images that stay with me is that all the motorways are covered in grass and wild animals (big cats etc) are roaming wild. It's possible that the group were some kind of book group to begin with??? Sorry this is vague it's all I can remember which is probably why I 've been looking for this book for so long!

[Gerd]

The most prominent woman writer that comes to mind in the field would naturally be Connie Willis.

[Angela]

Nothing in her backlist looks familiar. Although it was technically a scifi novel I don't seem to remember the author being known just for this type of novel.

[Bargle]

Maybe Kate Wilhelm?

[Angela]

No not her :( sorry should have said it was a British author and the book was set in Britain as well. I think the motorway that was covered in grass was the M1?

[Kris]

Angela, what's the tone of this science fiction novel - humor, adventure, thriller, mystery, romance, etc.?

[Angela]

At a push I would say ecological/adventure. Sorry to be so vague, it was a long time and a lot of books ago!

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Bumping since Angela posted recently.

[Ingo]

Angela wrote: "At a push I would say ecological/adventure. Sorry to be so vague, it was a long time and a lot of books ago!"

This description and the grass remind me of a late male author, John Christopher, who was British, but no specific book comes to mind, I remember the Guardians as a short lived TV-series (after the 2 seasons of Tripods), with a lot of green pastures and no more used technology, that had a very ecological feeling to it.
Not sure about the book, it may be a pointer in the direction, to look for similar books, there was no time-travel in it as far as I remember, so it will most probably not be the searched for book:
The Guardians.

[Angela]

Thanks everyone for thinking about this, I have been racking my brains trying to remember anything more but no luck so far. It wasn't John Christopher but I do remember reading 'The Death of Grass' far too young and scaring myself to death!

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Angela, are you still looking for this or did you find it?

[Angela]

Still looking I'm afraid.

[Kris]

Angela, I added some details to the topic header, so your book might be recognized from that description alone. Many members only read the headers.

Feel free to update it by clicking the small "edit" link after the header. This only works on the full Desktop website - not the Mobile website or app. (On the Mobile website, there's a "Desktop version" link at the bottom of the page.)

[Bobby]

This book doesn't fit some of the criteria, but I will suggest Arcadia by Iain Pears.

[Bargle]

Link Arcadia by Iain Pears.