Day of the Triffids...

[Phillips101]

I know the title doesn't belong in this thread, but I think 'Horror' is the best place to find what I'm looking for.

Day of the Triffids deals with a global catastrophe, humans reduced to a fraction of a percent of their original population, and there is an enemy 'Out there' stopping them from re-claiming the land, and the story deals with them trying.

I loved that concept, and hence I read 'Night of the Triffids' by Simon Clark - it was a terrible book, and I'm still looking for another book to fill the void.

I figured 'Horror' would be a good place to ask, rather than 'Sci-fi' because the only adversary I can think of that would fill the role is zombies, or even some sci-fi theme, but done in a horror style.

So I guess I'm looking for a zombie/zombie-esque book (like 28 days later), but which is more about the people surviving long-term, or re-claiming the land, rather than dealing with just the outbreak and eventually dying or escaping to safety. There wouldn't be any safety in the book I'm looking for.

Sorry about the long post... Any help you can offer would be great

EDIT: I've read 'Word War Z' by Max Brooks already.

 

[ravenus]

Roadside Picnic by Strugastsky's is about a post-holocaust survival. Don't know if that matches your need. You could also check out this Joe Lansdale book called Drive-in.

 

[Bentony]

Personally I have always been a sucker for those sort of post apocalyptic type books. There was quite a trend for them in the 50's and 60's, so they can be dated now, but still entertaining.
There is "Death of Grass" by John Christopher, out of print, but worth reading, then obviously John Wyndham, and I think Stephen King wrote one in the 70's. Of course on the subject of Stephen King try Salems lot - zombie vampires de lux.
I have read others about the early onset of the ice age, and of the ice caps melting- but cannot remember what they were called - suffice to say they were also written in the 50's and 60's so they can be quite quaint as there is no concept (obviously) of how technology has developed and affected communications. If you really want to go vintage try "war of the Worlds" by HG Wells - much better without Tom Cruise and that annoying little girl.

 

[Phillips101]

I have read others about the early onset of the ice age, and of the ice caps melting- but cannot remember what they were called - suffice to say they were also written in the 50's and 60's so they can be quite quaint as there is no concept (obviously) of how technology has developed and affected communications.

'The Kraken Wakes' by Wyndham deals with the ice caps melting, maybe that's what you were thinking of? 'The Kraken Wakes' is essentially 'Day of the Triffids' by the sea, so it's good in my eyes even if it's not in other people's .

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[tangaloomababe]

Triffids still rates as one of my favorite books, although its debatable if it falls into horror,yes there are some horrid bits in it. I to was very disappointed with Night of the Triffids - Simon Clark, don't know what I was expecting, but not what he came up with. It could have been done a lot better, but I think it would have had to be Wyndham himself who did it and its a bit late for that.

Alternatives, nope it has no equal it is brilliant, maybe try some of Wyndham;s other books like The Chrysalids or Trouble with Lichen or even The Kraken Wakes, all goods books or George Orwell's classic 1984.

 

[Phillips101]

Alternatives, nope it has no equal it is brilliant, maybe try some of Wyndham;s other books like The Chrysalids or Trouble with Lichen or even The Kraken Wakes, all goods books or George Orwell's classic 1984.

Read all of those

I wasn't looking for alternatives to it; I was looking for a a book which follows the same basic plot of massive disaster followed by people desperately trying to survive against a foe which nearly automatically takes over. The most obvious example is a zombie apocalypse, hence why I put my request in 'Horror', because I think it's more of a horror storyline despite the sci-fi stuff in it.

 

[Bentony]

I did read some book a few years ago -needless to say I cannot remember the title as it was a bit b grade. Basically an archeologist opens a cursed tomb in egypt and unleases an illness trat transforms people into "dogpeople" who run around killing everyone they can. The book then took place simultaneously in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World. Maybe someone can come up with the nameThe writer may have been Shawn Hutchenson. That is about the only Zombie-esque book I can think of, although there may also be a John Saul about a similar thing - people transforming into wolves or something.

 

[High Eight]

Read all of those

I wasn't looking for alternatives to it; I was looking for a a book which follows the same basic plot of massive disaster followed by people desperately trying to survive against a foe which nearly automatically takes over. The most obvious example is a zombie apocalypse, hence why I put my request in 'Horror', because I think it's more of a horror storyline despite the sci-fi stuff in it.

The Furies by Keith Roberts. It's a deliberate hommage to Wyndham.

An alien invasion story in which the invaders take the form of giant wasps, it is set in Roberts' beloved Wessex and, though he's basically "doing it for the money", Roberts in second gear is still better than most writers at the top of their form.

It has been out of print for a while, though, and might be difficult to find.

 

[tangaloomababe]

Phillips 101 it is good to see there are other fans of Wyndham out there. Every once in a while I pick up one of his books, even though I must have read them 100's of time and will just read read it. I know how it ends, I know what goes on but I just love the way he writes and could read them over and over. I guess compared to some of his short stories Triffids is more of a horror story, I hadn't though of it in that light.

 

[Barristan]

Try "Earth Abides" by George R Stewart. I read it only recently and even though written in 1949, I think dated pretty well.

"Blood Crazy" by Simon Clark is quite entertaining, as is "Plague" by Graham Masterton.

 

[dask]

There's no zombies involved but three good post-holocaust novels worth checking out would be Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank; On The Beach by Nevil Shute; Z For Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien. Probably not really what you're looking but what the heck....

 

[brsrkrkomdy]

There's The Purple Cloud by M.P. Shiel.

As for Wyndham, Day Of the Triffids will always be an apocalyptic classic. There are some horrific moments like the scene where the people were living on the farm with electric fence all around it. And outside were teeming with walking plants looking for a way to breach the perimeter.

 

[BAYLOR]

Try "Earth Abides" by George R Stewart. I read it only recently and even though written in 1949, I think dated pretty well.

"Blood Crazy" by Simon Clark is quite entertaining, as is "Plague" by Graham Masterton.

Earth Abides is classic stuff.

 

[Pedro Del Mar]

I picked up Day of the Triffids this weekend for a £1 in a used book shop.

Look up The Passage trilogy by Justin Cronin

 

[Ogma]

The other two Eco-Apocolypse style novels to check out are Death of Grass by John Christopher and Greener Than You Think by Ward Moore.
Death of Grass is much darker, realistic and more intense than Trifids, but Greener Than You Think (though its middle sags a little) is my personal favourite.

 

[Steve S]

The Day of the Triffids is definitely one of my favourite books - although my first introduction to the story was via the BBC tv series in the 80s, which as a young lad at the time scared the bejesus out of me!

I haven't read it yet, but I've heard good things about 'The Trees' by Ali Shaw - sounds interesting and might be worth checking out.