02: Tim Rabbit, The British Bugs Bunny

The Stand tells the story of a world devastated by a rapidly mutating flu virus known as Captain Tripps, which kills over 99% of the population. The survivors are drawn to two opposing forces: Mother Abagail, a 108-year-old woman who represents good, and Randall Flagg, a supernatural entity embodying evil. The novel explores themes of rebuilding society, the persistence of evil, and the necessity of standing against it. The Complete & Uncut Edition, released in 1990, includes material that was originally cut from the 1978 publication, providing a more comprehensive and detailed narrative.

In the sleepy English village of Midwich, a mysterious silver object appears, causing all inhabitants to fall unconscious. Upon awakening, the villagers discover that all fertile women are pregnant with children who are not biologically related to them. These children, known as the 'Children' with golden eyes, possess telepathic powers and a hive-mind. The novel explores the ethical and societal implications as the villagers and the state grapple with the presence of these extraordinary children, leading to a confrontation that raises questions about humanity, trust, and the collective versus individual values.

The novel begins with a military satellite crashing in northern Arizona, leading to the deaths of nearly all the inhabitants of the nearby town of Piedmont. Only two survivors are found: an old man and a baby. A team of scientists, part of Project Wildfire, is dispatched to investigate the cause of the deaths and to contain the threat. They discover an alien organism, the Andromeda Strain, which has lethal effects on humans by clotting their blood. As the scientists delve deeper, they find that the organism mutates into a form that no longer harms humans but begins to eat through rubber and plastic. The story culminates in a race against time to prevent a catastrophic breach of the containment facility and the potential spread of the organism.

In this classic science fiction novel, a spectacular meteor shower causes widespread blindness, leading to the collapse of society. The protagonist, Bill Masen, who retains his sight due to being in the hospital with bandaged eyes, must navigate this new world. Along with a few other sighted survivors, including the novelist Josella Playton, Bill faces the dual threats of blind humans and the triffids, carnivorous plants that can move and kill with their poisonous stingers. The novel explores themes of survival, societal collapse, and the human response to catastrophic events, including bio-warfare and mass destruction, all set against the backdrop of Cold War paranoia.