45 - Greener Than You Think by Ward Moore

Remember that sensational news story about genetically engineered Frankengrass‚ that supposedly escaped from a golf course? That narrative was foreshadowed decades earlier in a riveting blend of science fiction, horror, and satire. Greener Than You Think tells the tale of a tenacious salesman, a desperate scientist, and a rogue clump of crabgrass whose unexpected alliance leads to catastrophic consequences. This forgotten classic, originally published in 1947, resonates strikingly with today‚s world. Join us for a faithful reading of this intriguing text as we explore its themes that feel more relevant than ever. (Summary by Lee Elliot)

Better than CATCH-22 or“Rogue Tomato”

GREENER THAN YOU THINK is a classic of sardonic fiction equal to CATCH-22. It’s also, IMO, the most hysterical apocalyptic tale ever written. Each character is very much their own person; from the repulsive narcissist, narrator Albert Weener, to the sanest of “mad” scientists, Miss Josephine Spencer Francis, and on down through the myriad turtles that keep us anchored to our earthly coordinates, every individual is a singularly intriguing specimen of Homo sapiens.

Moore’s writing style is luxuriant and verdant, requiring both a narrator and a technicality of recording impossible to achieve without, say, a Kenneth Branagh or Stephen Fry or Dan Stevens at the wheel and the deep pockets and technical expertise of Audible/Amazon to accomplish and equal its mastery. I have begged Audible for decades to invest in Moore’s masterpiece … so far, to no avail.

Please, Audible, make it happen! But only if done most excellently.