Before there was Little Shop of Horrors, there was The Day of the Triffids. Giant, mobile, poisonous, and hungry plants stalk through John Wyndham’s 1951 novel feasting on the human race, which, unfortunately, has gone collectively blind. Some can still see, though, and not everyone gets stung and devoured by triffids. There’s also romance to be had, so naturally one character says “the race is worth preserving.” Given the visible glimmers of hope, writer Brian Aldiss referred to the British classic as a “cosy catastrophe.” The book, originally published as a serial in Collier’s under the title Revolt of the Triffids, was a huge success. Multiple radio and screen adaptations followed.