John Wyndham, The Day of the Triffids (Essential.penguin S.)

Synopsis:

"A shower of meteorites produces a glow that blinds anyone that looks at it. As it was such a beautiful sight, most people were watching, and as a consequence, 99% of the population go blind. This chaos results in the escape of some Triffids: experimental plants that are capable of moving themselves around and attacking people."

Back in 1951, John Wyndham first published his novel "The Day Of The Triffids". Since then the novel has been hailed as a sci-fi masterpiece and has become one of the cornerstones in the post-apocalyptic fiction subgenre.

Within "The Day Of The Triffids," Wyndham explores humanity's need for power and its inevitable downfall towards its own destruction. Wyndam probes away at our lustful need for supposed 'civilised development' whilst pointing towards greed as the real motivation towards such advancements.

Tackling the idea that humanity could potentially wipe itself out with not just one dramatic incident but the combination of two or more events feeding off each other, the novel's fictional premise holds key ideas for the state of the real world.

The tale follows the character, Bill Mason, as the world around him slowly collapses, leaving just a few survivors who were lucky enough to escape blindness by not witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime event. With ninety-nine percent of the world's entire population now sightless, the remaining visually sighted are left with an enormous moral dilemma as well as the seemingly impossible problem of survival.

The storyline delivers twists and turns throughout the tale, as groups of individuals attempt to reclaim what is left of humanity. The reader quickly learns that no two answers are right, with difficult decisions often seemingly harsh, are perhaps the only real solution.

From the outset, "The Day Of The Triffids" keeps up a fast and nail biting pace that never seems to let up. With each decision comes an unforeseen outcome that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Running for just 272 pages, Wyndham crams in a tight storyline that will swallow you in to this desperate new world.

Like in much post-apocalyptic fiction, the story has a bleak and downbeat atmosphere, with every positive action bringing a beaming ray of hope. Wyndham cleverly plays on this, until finally ending the novel with a question mark to the final outcome of humankind's survival.

This is an important and powerful novel that can be enjoyed by all ages. It's a book that you'll find yourself returning to time and again. This is one of the best pieces of post-apocalyptic fiction ever.