The most famous catastrophe novel of the twentieth century, John Wyndham''s The Day of the Triffids, published as a Penguin Essential for the first time.

''When a day that you happen to know is Wednesday starts off by sounding like Sunday, there is something seriously wrong somewhere.''

When a freak cosmic event renders most of the Earth''s population blind, Bill Masen - one of the lucky few to keep his sight - finds himself trapped in a London jammed with sightless mobs who prey on those who can still see. But another menace stalks blind and sighted alike. With nobody to stop them the Triffids - walking carnivorous plants with lethal stingers - rise up as humanity stumbles and falls . . .