The Death of Grass

The Death of Grass (published in the United States as No Blade of Grass) is a 1956 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel written by the English author Samuel Youd under the pen name John Christopher. It was the first in a series of post-apocalyptic novels written by him, and the plot concerns a virus that kills off all forms of grass.

The novel was written in a matter of weeks and liberated 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.

Plot

A new virus strain has infected rice crops in East Asia causing massive famine; the virus is also revealed to be found in the UK but because of its selectivity does not affect the country's agriculture . After the introduction of a specially developed pesticide, taken in preference of breeding resistant crop, a new mutated virus appears which infects the staple crops of West Asia and Europe such as wheat and barley, all of the 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.