The Day of the Triffids

Imagine a world where almost everyone goes blind from watching a super bright meteor shower in the sky, like fireworks that hurt your eyes forever. A smart guy named Bill can still see because his eyes were covered up from a sting by scary walking plants called triffids that eat people with their whips and poison. Bill teams up with a few friends to fight the plants, help lost blind people, and start a new safe home in the countryside while dodging bad guys who want to rule the broken world.

In John Wyndham's seminal post-apocalyptic novel 'The Day of the Triffids,' protagonist Bill Masen awakens in a London hospital after being stung by a triffid—a carnivorous, ambulatory plant engineered for oil production but capable of independent movement and deadly stinging. A brilliant meteor shower, visible worldwide, has blinded virtually the entire human population overnight, plunging society into chaos as the sightless masses stumble through streets amid fires, looting, and starvation. Masen, spared by his bandaged eyes, emerges into a nightmarish landscape where triffids, previously contained, now roam freely, exploiting human vulnerability with their predatory instincts. As civilization crumbles, Masen encounters other sighted survivors, including the intelligent Josella Playton and the tough dockworker Coker, forming uneasy alliances amid rival factions vying for control. From misguided communes to tyrannical groups enslaving the blind, human depravity rivals the natural threat, prompting reflections on morality and resilience. Masen ultimately joins a rural group at Tynsham Abbey, battling triffid hordes while establishing a sustainable community, underscoring themes of renewal amid humanity's self-inflicted and natural perils.