Saturday 11 October 2014

The Death of Grass - A Dystopian World Novel by John Christopher

The ultimate dystopian world novel. It was written and set in Britain during the 1950s so it has a retro flavour about it. All forms of grass are becoming infected by the Chung Li virus and gradually this blight is spreading around the world. Grass is dying - all forms. Even wheat, barley and other life essential crops. Starvation and mayhem ensue.

Britain is a small island and we see the rapid disintegration of society and the governments dreadful response to the growing dilemma as a small bunch of people try to leave London and head north to England's Lake district where the group leader's brother has an enclosed farm within the mountains of Cumbria. Here he grows sugar beat and keeps pigs. Suddenly the land is a prized asset but trying to reach a destination across an island with desperate bands of people battling for survival is another thing altogether. 

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