The Day of the Triffids
The Day of the Triffids is a 1951 post-apocalyptic novel about a plague of blindness that befalls the entire world, allowing the rise of an aggressive species of plant. It was written by the English science fiction author John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris, under the pen name John Wyndham. Although Wyndham had already published other novels using other pen name combinations drawn from his real name, this was the first novel published as John Wyndham. It established him as an important writer and remains his best known novel.
The story has been made into the 1962 feature film of the same name, three radio drama series (in 1957, 1968 and 2008), and two TV series (in 1981 and 2009). It was nominated for the International Fantasy Award in 1952, and in 2003 the novel was listed on the BBC's survey The Big Read.
Summary
The Triffids
The Triffids were an Australian alternative rock and pop band, formed in Perth in Western Australia in May 1978 with David McComb as singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboardist. They achieved negligible success in Australia, but greater success in the UK and in Scandinavia in the 1980s before disbanding in 1989. Some of their best-known songs include "Wide Open Road" (February 1986) and "Bury Me Deep in Love" (October 1987). SBS television featured their 1986 album, Born Sandy Devotional, on the Great Australian Albums series in 2007, and in 2010 it ranked 5th in the book The 100 Best Australian Albums by Toby Creswell, Craig Mathieson and John O'Donnell.
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) recognised The Triffids' importance on 1 July 2008 when inducting them into the Hall of Fame.Music historian Ian McFarlane declared,
"The Triffids remain one of Australia's best-loved, post-punk groups [...] McComb was an authoritative singer and accomplished songwriter [...] he infused his melancholy songs with stark yet beautiful and uniquely Australian imagery. Few songwriters managed to capture the feeling of isolation and fatalistic sense of despair of the Australian countryside."
Podcasts:
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by Ash
Day Of The Triffids
by: AshIn the mid-day heat I gave a sigh
Cruisin' through the garden district I was out of my mind
The star of India's in my hotel room
In a briefcase combination: 3,2,1 which only I know
And I've just seen my mentor, Dr. No
'California Sun' is on the radio, let's go
I just wanna reach the radio star
I just wanna reach the radio star
It's a satelite off venus and it ain't too far
I just wanna reach the radio star
I was shooting up in my hotel room
When the phone started ringing - oh no
It was Dr. No, he gave the password
He said 'Hey man, haven't you heard?' and I said 'No'
'The world's been invaded by alien life forms
Meet me at the airport, we've got to get out - let's go'
I just wanna reach the radio star
I just wanna reach the radio star
It's a satelite off venus and it ain't too far
I just wanna reach the radio star
I just wanna reach the radio star
I just wanna reach the radio star
It's a satelite off venus and it ain't too far
I just wanna reach the radio star
I ran to the window and looked out,
there were dead people lying all over the streets, man
Within two minutes I had all my stuff together
I jumped in the car and was speeding down the highway,
past all the deserted cars
In five minutes I was at the airport
but there at the gates I saw what I suppose was one of these alien life forms
I pulled my bazooka out of it's bay in the back of the car and blew it up to hell
As arranged Dr. No was waiting for me in the terminal,
we got in his private jet plane and took off
Two hours later landing in Zaire, where he met up with Fu Manchu,
Hannibal Lecter, the Hooded Claw and all the rest of the gang
We boarded the rocket and soon we were shooting off for the stars
and as we approached the space station I looked down and observerd the earth
The US Air Force being annihilated
and swarms of nuclear weapons soaring through the stratosphere destroying the earth
And I swear to God I laughed
Congratulations you guys
I just wanna reach the radio star
I just wanna reach the radio star
It's a satelite off venus and it ain't too far
I just wanna reach the radio star
I just wanna reach the radio star
I just wanna reach the radio star
It's a satelite off venus and it ain't too far