The Night of the Triffids [Paperback]

Simon Clark's The Night of the Triffids is the authorised 50th-anniversary sequel to The Day of the Triffids (1951) by John Wyndham, that classic SF nightmare which gave our language the word "triffid".

Clark's opening consciously echoes Wyndham's. In Day, narrator Bill Masen woke to a world blinded by strange radiations. Twenty five years later, his son David wakes to a different mysterious darkness. When people can't see, those deadly walking GM vegetables the triffids have the advantage. They got out of hand in Day and now not only dominate the continents but are learning how to invade human refuges like the Masens' Isle of Wight.

Air pilot David's high-altitude investigation of what's hiding the sun leads to unexpected dangers and contact with explorers from triffid-besieged Manhattan Island. A wonderful place but with something rotten underneath--and its leader's plans for reclaiming the Earth verge on the insane.

Simon Clark, a devoted fan of The Day of the Triffids, is best known for horror fiction. Although he does a fair pastiche of Wyndham's very British understated narrative style, this often escalates into darker imagery and moments of memorable nastiness. The triffids have evolved new, lethal tricks but these pale into insignificance besides the unspeakable things that obsessed humans can do to one another. In the long run, coping with triffids may well be easier.

The Night of the Triffids builds to a slam-bang action climax, not terribly Wyndhamesque but still gripping. A good old-fashioned read with slick modern trimmings and hints of another sequel. --David Langford --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'The hottest new purveyor of horrific thrills currently working on these shores' -- Big Issue Praise for Simon Clark: 'A master of eerie thrills' -- Richard Laymon 'Simon Clark is a well-established horror writer whose stories are told with pace, style and always with a surreal twist' -- Newcastle Evening Chronicle 'To say that Simon Clark is the best novelist to emerge this decade is self-evident. Simon has simply outgrown genre restrictions' -- Andrew Darlington NIGHT OF THE TRIFFIDS, essentially a story of good versus evil, is an intriguing and enjoyable sequel that should delight appreciators of Wyndham's work. Simon Clark dedicates his novel to the memory of John Wyndham (1903-1969) -- The Third Alternative "A definite confirmation of this author's growing reputation as one of the top genre novelists around today." -- Starburst (The Night of The Triffids) "Readers will relish Clark's uncomplicated cocktail of chlorophyl and human blood." Financial Times on The Night of the Triffids -- Financial Times 'The writing is crisp and unfussy' -- The Scotsman 'The pace of the story is breakneck and the climax exhilarating' -- The Scotsman 'Simon Clark is a wonderful writer. He has what it takes to be another Stephen King.' -- Bentley Little - Hell Notes.

'The writing is crisp and unfussy'

"A definite confirmation of this author's growing reputation as one of the top genre novelists around today."

'The pace of the story is breakneck and the climax exhilarating'

Praise for Simon Clark:
'A master of eerie thrills'

'Simon Clark is a wonderful writer. He has what it takes to be another Stephen King.'

'The hottest new purveyor of horrific thrills currently working on these shores'

"Readers will relish Clark's uncomplicated cocktail of chlorophyl and human blood."
Financial Times on The Night of the Triffids

At the end of THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS, the hero, Bill Masen, his wife and four-year-old son leave the British mainland to join a new colony on the Isle of Wight. This tiny community, temporarily safe in its island fortress, begins its work not only to eradicate the triffid menace but also to lay the foundations for a new civilization. THE NIGHT OF THE TRIFFIDS takes up the story twenty-five years later. David Masen, the now grown-up son of Bill, is a pilot, still searching for a method of destroying the implacable triffid plant as it continues its worldwide march, seemingly intent on wiping out humankind. David eventually manages to reach New York, where a very different sort of colony has been set up, a colony whose members seem to be immune to the triffid string and where David comes face to face with an old enemy from his father's past.

With this book I knew I would be standing on the shoulders of a giant. A fact brought home to me when I held the original manuscript of The Day Of The Triffids in my hands at the University of Liverpool's library that houses a large science fiction archive, including a number of unpublished John Wyndham stories and the unfinished Midwich Maine; his sequel to The Midwich Cuckoos.

People have asked me if The Night Of The Triffids has been sanctioned by the Wyndham estate. I can confirm that it has.

To close, I'll repeat part of what I've written about The Day Of The Triffids on the cover of my book. I hope it conveys what that classic work means to me.

'I was twelve years old when I discovered John Wyndham's awe-inspiring The Day Of The Triffids. For me, standing between the world of childhood and the mysterious new world of adulthood it was a revelation. The Day Of The Triffids wasn't merely a good story; it was such a powerful transforming experience that the hero's struggle for survival has stayed with me ever since.

Writing this book was a real labour of love, and I dedicate it with true respect and admiration to John Wyndham (1903-1969). --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Simon Clark's short stories have appeared in several magazines and anthologies, including Darklands 2, Dark Voices 5 and The Year's Best Horror Stories (four times). He has published two collections of short stories, and seven previous novels. His work has been broadcast on BBC Radio 4, and he has also written prose material for the rock band U2.