The death of grass

The Death of Grass (US title No Blade of Grass) is a 1956 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel written by the English author Sam Youd under the pen name John Christopher. The plot concerns a virus that kills off all forms of grass, including rice and wheat. The Death of Grass was the first of several post-apocalyptic novels written by Youd. The novel was written in a matter of weeks and liberated him from his day job. It was published in the United States both in book form and serialized in The Saturday Evening Post, as No Blade of Grass; supposedly the US publisher thought the original title "sounded like something out of a gardening catalogue". Its publication in The Saturday Evening Post provoked considerable reaction amongst its readers on account of its portrayal of government's response to the unfolding worldwide crisis. The film rights were sold to MGM; the 1970 film, No Blade of Grass, was produced and directed by Cornel Wilde.