No Blade of Grass / The Death of Grass

[fred]

Classic book from the creator of the Tripods (the post-apocalyptic kid's book about a hobbit-like humanity being farmed by War of the Worlds-like creatures, which is in pre-production as a hollywood movie) about two brothers. One's a farmer in the Lake District, the other a high-up political figure in London. All grasses (wheat, rice, barley etc) starts dying from a single disease. Civil unrest ensues, and the city boy has to make it to his brother's bastion of rural bliss....
Relentless violence and a more realistic approach to the genre. Gripping and even better if you know the Dales and Cumbria.
The 70s film was pretty dire. Perfect time for a remake though.

[Matthew]

Great book.

Radio 4 did a version of it recently (tagged on to the end of Womans Hour ) and it was very good.

And yes, it.


Also a fan of 'A wrinkle in the skin' and 'The World in Winter'.

[edwin]

Missed the Women's Hour version, shame because it must be one of my all time favourites, can't remember how young I was when I read it first but it made a huge impression.

I used to spend time thinking how to smuggle weapons after being stopped by a citizen's roadblock and what would be the most effective gear to have. My least practical was a suit of chainmail armour and a tommygun.

Edwin

[thrombus]

This is a great book, read it for the first time reletively recently. Really enjoyed the 'realism' of it, it seemed to portray life in a world that's going belly up in a harsh reality rather than some novels which ignore some of the nastier bits.

Well worth a read.

[fred]

Re-reading this at the moment. Simple language used beautifully, albeit in a disturbing scenario. If you live in the Yorkshire Dales or Cumbria, worth a read just for the potential hotspots to avoid in case of emergency. At one point they have to bypass Sedbergh & Kendal as they're on fire. Obviously a Saturday night....
No, really, I'm surprised this hasn't been remade yet, set in the USA and butchered beyond belief...

[keiron1]

I read it at school, I remember then thinking it was quite a violent book, especially for a kids book! Also, has anyone thought that the events of the last few months sound just like "the Quaking Spring" described in the first few pages of "Wrinkle in the Skin"?

[Matthew]

Mar 29, 2011 11:21:57 GMT keiron1 said:

I read it at school, I remember then thinking it was quite a violent book, especially for a kids book! Also, has anyone thought that the events of the last few months sound just like "the Quaking Spring" described in the first few pages of "Wrinkle in the Skin"?

Great minds and all that

I still have this image of the channel all drained of water and the part of the book which involves his encounter with the man who has remained on his ship still influences me today.

[edwin]

Was up in the lake Dustrict last week and we stayed in a hotel in Dungeion Ghyll but I kept calling it Blind Gill to the confusion of people. Show what an impact the book had. We too avoided Sedbergh and kendal. one can't be too carefull.

[keiron1]

Surely the lake districts best post apocalyptic pub is that one at the end of the road that goes up one side of wastwater? nice and defendable, and good ale as well!

[edwin]

Had a meal in that pub, nice shop as well but restrained from buying yet more camping goodies/survival stuff by GLW. Yes on could "ruin" the road in quite easily, even perhaps disguise it as a no road. Not sure there are a lot of grub resources there at the moment

[keiron1]

Wastwaters not the greatest for fishing either, still, beggard cant be choosers. I would be busy mining the road whilst most of the other flee-ers are stuck in traffic in Ambleside...

[northernraider1]

A few years ago I did my best to retrace the route the book followed, all was fine til Kendal then i could not follow it any further. BTW I think the mini movie is available on DVD on amazon.