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Cover of The Day of the Triffids by John WyndhamThe Day of the Triffids
Classic · Fiction, Science Fiction, Post Apocalyptic

The Day of the Triffids

by John Wyndham
1951 · 272 pages · Fiction
65.4Must-Read
Score Classic
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 7 hours to read · about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Bill Masen wakes up in a London hospital with his eyes bandaged after an operation, and finds the city silent. The night before, a spectacular green meteor shower blinded almost everyone who watched it. Now the triffids, tall, venomous, walking plants grown for their oil, are free, and the few people who can still see must decide how to survive.

Why it's worth reading

It was voted onto the BBC's Big Read and is a classic of British science fiction. It's a gripping, chilling story of a world collapsing.

You'll love it if you liked

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Good to know

It's short. Some of its ideas about women's roles in rebuilding society are dated.

By the numbers

65.4Must-Read Score
  • Readers46 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller43 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

On the lists
BBC's The Big Read

Reads as

Dark, Adventurous

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

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Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedClassic booksTop 25 · 762 rankedBooks of the 1950sTop 25 · 75 rankedFantasy booksTop 25 · 459 rankedMysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 309 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedRomancesTop 25 · 233 ranked

Quick answers

Is The Day of the Triffids worth reading?

Yes. It was voted onto the BBC's Big Read and is a classic of British science fiction. It ranks #1,821 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 65.4 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is The Day of the Triffids about?

Bill Masen wakes up in a London hospital with his eyes bandaged after an operation, and finds the city silent. The night before, a spectacular green meteor shower blinded almost everyone who watched it. Now the triffids, tall, venomous, walking plants grown for their oil, are free, and the few people who can still see must decide how to survive.

How long does it take to read The Day of the Triffids?

About 7 hours (272 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after The Day of the Triffids?

If you liked it, try The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel or The Stand by Stephen King.