The Death of Grass: Difference between revisions
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The novel follows the struggles of architect John Custance and his friend, civil servant Roger Buckley as, along with their families, they make their way across an England which is rapidly descending into [[anarchy (word)|anarchy]], hoping to reach the safety of John's brother's potato farm in an isolated [[Westmorland]] valley. Picking up a travelling companion in a gun shop owner named Pirrie, they find they must sacrifice many of their morals in order to stay alive. At one point, when their food supply runs out, they kill an innocent family simply to take their bread. The protagonist justifies this with the belief that "it was them or us." |
The novel follows the struggles of architect John Custance and his friend, civil servant Roger Buckley as, along with their families, they make their way across an England which is rapidly descending into [[anarchy (word)|anarchy]], hoping to reach the safety of John's brother's potato farm in an isolated [[Westmorland]] valley. Picking up a travelling companion in a gun shop owner named Pirrie, they find they must sacrifice many of their morals in order to stay alive. At one point, when their food supply runs out, they kill an innocent family simply to take their bread. The protagonist justifies this with the belief that "it was them or us." |
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==Adaptations== |
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A film version, ''[[No Blade of Grass (film)|No Blade of Grass]]'', was produced and directed by [[Cornel Wilde]], and released in 1970. |
A film version, ''[[No Blade of Grass (film)|No Blade of Grass]]'', was produced and directed by [[Cornel Wilde]], and released in 1970. |
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Revision as of 19:33, 29 October 2010
- "No Blade of Grass" redirects here. For the film adaptation, see No Blade of Grass (film).
| File:NoBladeOfGrass.jpg Cover of a U.S paperback edition. | |
| Author | Samuel Youd (as John Christopher) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction novel |
| Publisher | Michael Joseph |
Publication date | 1956 (UK) |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 231 pp |
| ISBN | 0140013008 |
| OCLC | 16191150 |
The Death Of Grass (aka No Blade Of Grass) is a 1956 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel written by the British author Samuel Youd under the pen name of John Christopher, the first in a series of post-apocalyptic novels written by Youd. It deals with the concept of a virus that kills off all forms of grass.
The novel was written "in a matter of weeks" and liberated Youd from his day job. It was retitled No Blade of Grass for the US edition as supposedly the US publisher thought the original title "sounded like something out of a gardening catalogue" and the film rights were sold to MGM.[1]
Plot summary
A viral strain has attacked rice crops in East Asia causing massive famine; soon a mutation appears which infects the staple crops of West Asia and Europe such as wheat and barley, threatening a famine engulfing the whole of the Old World, while Australasia and the Americas attempt to impose rigorous quarantine to exclude the virus.
The novel follows the struggles of architect John Custance and his friend, civil servant Roger Buckley as, along with their families, they make their way across an England which is rapidly descending into anarchy, hoping to reach the safety of John's brother's potato farm in an isolated Westmorland valley. Picking up a travelling companion in a gun shop owner named Pirrie, they find they must sacrifice many of their morals in order to stay alive. At one point, when their food supply runs out, they kill an innocent family simply to take their bread. The protagonist justifies this with the belief that "it was them or us."
Adaptations
A film version, No Blade of Grass, was produced and directed by Cornel Wilde, and released in 1970.
In 2009, as part of a BBC Radio 4 science fiction season, the station broadcast a drama in five episodes, based on the novel and narrated by David Mitchell.[2]
References
- ^ John Christopher's life and works
- ^ "Woman's Hour Drama - The Death of Grass". BBC. 2 March 2009.