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Who is Joyleg? What is he?

There are governments that want to know his secret. There is evidence that his more than 200 years old. And indeed he does have a secret -- one that will cause the history of the world to be rewritten!

Joyleg is a jouous prophetic novel, one of the first great science fiction collaborations and a recognized classic of the field.

Man loses control over the outcomes of a scientific experiment the only aim of which is to create a way for the greediest man on earth to become even richer. The experiment is conducted on Bermuda grass, a harmless plant in its initial form, but one that becomes murderous and powerful after the salesman protagonist of the novel applies a fertilizer spray called the Metamorphosizer created by a female chemist on it.

The metamorphosis of the grass is very quick - it starts growing with incredible speed and soon it turns out that nothing can destroy the new species of grass, it feeds on anything and grows over anything. In the beginning, the grass grows at the same pace as its owner rises to prominence and wealth, but things get out of control very soon and it takes a team of the bravest to stop the murderous plant.

The United States never recovered from The War for Southern Independence. While the neighboring Confederacy enjoyed the prosperity of the victor, the U.S. struggled through poverty, violence, and a nationwide depression.

The Industrial Revolution never occurred here, and so, well into the 1950s, the nation remained one of horse-drawn wagons, gaslight, highwaymen, and secret armies. This was home for Hodgins McCormick Backmaker, whose sole desire was the pursuit of knowledge. This, he felt, would spirit him away from the squalor and violence.

Disastrously, Hodgins became embroiled in the clandestine schemes of the outlaw Grand Army, from which he fled in search of a haven. But he was to discover that no place could fully protect him from the world and its dangerous realities....