An edition of No blade of grass (1956)

No Blade of Grass

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Last edited by MARC Bot
November 28, 2023 | History
An edition of No blade of grass (1956)

No Blade of Grass

  • 0 Ratings
  • 8 Want to read
  • 0 Currently reading
  • 0 Have read

The Death of Grass
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"No Blade of Grass" redirects here. For the film adaptation, see No Blade of Grass (film).
The Death Of Grass

Cover of a U.S paperback edition.
Author(s) John Christopher
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Genre(s) Science fiction novel
Publisher Michael Joseph
Publication date 1956 (UK)
Media type Print (Hardcover)
Pages 231 pp
ISBN 0140013008
OCLC Number 16191150

The Death of Grass (aka No Blade of Grass) is a 1956 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel written by the English author John Christopher, the first in a series of post-apocalyptic novels written by him. It deals with the concept of a virus that kills off all forms of grass.
The novel was written "in a matter of weeks" and liberated Christopher (a pen name for Samuel Youd) from his day job. It was retitled No Blade of Grass for the US edition as supposedly the US publisher thought the original title "sounded like something out of a gardening catalogue". The film rights were sold to MGM.[1]
[edit]Plot summary

A new virus strain has infected rice crops in East Asia causing massive famine; soon a mutation appears which infects the staple crops of West Asia and Europe such as wheat and barley, all of them types of grasses (thus the novel's title), threatening a famine engulfing the whole of the Old World, while Australasia and the Americas attempt to impose rigorous quarantine to keep the virus out.
The novel follows the struggles of architect John Custance and his friend, civil servant Roger Buckley, as, along with their families, they make their way across an England which is rapidly descending into anarchy, hoping to reach the safety of John's brother's potato farm in an isolated Westmorland valley. Picking up a travelling companion in a gun shop owner named Pirrie, they find they must sacrifice many of their morals in order to stay alive. At one point, when their food supply runs out, they kill an innocent family simply to take their bread. The protagonist justifies this with the belief that "it was them or us."
Adaptations

A film version, No Blade of Grass, was produced and directed by Cornel Wilde, and released in 1970.
In 2009, as part of a BBC Radio 4 science fiction season, the station broadcast a drama in five episodes, based on the novel and narrated by David Mitchell.[2]

Publish Date
Language
English
Pages
190

Buy this book

Previews available in: English

Edition Availability
Cover of: No Blade of Grass
No Blade of Grass
July 1986, Avon Books
in English
Cover of: No Blade of Grass
No Blade of Grass
May 1980, Avon Books (Mm), Avon Books
in English
Cover of: No blade of grass
No blade of grass
1975, Avon Books
in English
Cover of: No blade of grass
No blade of grass
1975, Avon Books
in English
Cover of: No blade of grass
Cover of: No blade of grass
Cover of: No blade of grass
No blade of grass: a novel.
1957, Simon and Schuster
in English
Cover of: No blade of grass
No blade of grass: a novel
1956, Simon and Schuster
in English
Cover of: No blade of grass
No blade of grass: a novel
1956, Simon and Schuster
in English
Cover of: No blade of grass
Cover of: No blade of grass

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Book Details


Classifications

Library of Congress
PR6005.H77 D42 1980

ID Numbers

Open Library
OL7431889M
Internet Archive
nobladeofgrass0000chri
ISBN 10
0380480093
ISBN 13
9780380480098
LCCN
57005674
Library Thing
123856
Goodreads
1132099

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History

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November 28, 2023 Edited by MARC Bot import existing book
March 21, 2022 Edited by ImportBot import existing book
February 28, 2022 Edited by ImportBot import existing book
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