The Day of the Triffids

I just finished reading John Wyndham's The Day of the Triffids. I've been a fan of the 1962 film, and I've enjoyed two BBC audio productions of it, one from the '50's and the other from the '60's; but I've never had a chance to check out the book.  I liked the story so much, I think I was afraid to read the book and find out it didn't measure up to the movie.  Sad, I know!

As it turns out, I had no reason to worry.

The Day of the Triffids is a simply told story, but it's also a very subtle book and a very good survival/horror novel.  One night, green lights appear in the sky all over the world, blinding everyone who watches them.  Combine this with genetically engineered, highly mobile, carnivorous plants, the Triffids, and you've got trouble.  Normally, people can see Triffids and avoid them.  Some people even keep them in their garden.  Now that everyone's blinded though, the Triffids are loose and the general populace becomes a blinded buffet that's ripe for the taking.

Sound familiar?  It should.  Remove 'Triffids' and replace with 'zombie' and you have the same plot as almost every modern zombie film, book or game since George Romero's 1968 Night of the Living Dead.

The Day of the Triffids isn't just a mindless Plant On Blind Human story, it also deals with many morality issues that are still relevant today.  The 1962 film was a lot of mindless fun, and I was surprised that the book runs so much deeper.  I would highly reccomend it.

Note:  While the DVD for the 1962 film is currently out of print, there is a 1981 BBC miniseries and a 2009 BBC miniseries available.  Also, the 1981 version is available on Netflix.