A review by verkisto
The Fungus by Leroy Kettle, John Brosnan, Harry Adam Knight
3.0
Compared to the authors' previous book, [b:Slimer|3147072|Slimer|Harry Adam Knight|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1381520896s/3147072.jpg|3178563], The Fungus is creepier and more effective. I think that has to do with their choice of horror for this novel. Before, it was a kind of ooze that could duplicate and mimic other people (how did I not realize they were ripping off The Thing before just now?), and it was so unrealistic it was easy to dismiss. Here, they focus on fast-growing, parasitic fungi to serve as their horror, even using real fungi as a basis, and they nailed it.
The characters in this book are also an improvement, as the authors mostly avoid the typical cast of horror movie characters. It starts out with less sexism, too, but it doesn't maintain that position through to the end. I was hoping that an apocalyptic book would help the story eschew any -isms, but I guess that was too much to expect. It's not as overt as it was in Slimer, but it's still there.
The Fungus is a decent read, but even as an improvement over Slimer, it's not a book for anyone but the most hardcore of hardcore horror readers. It's important to get into the mindset of 1980s horror before starting, and I think casual readers would find the book to be dated. For readers who are members of the Paperbacks from Hell church, though, they ought to check it out (though, chances are, they already have).
The characters in this book are also an improvement, as the authors mostly avoid the typical cast of horror movie characters. It starts out with less sexism, too, but it doesn't maintain that position through to the end. I was hoping that an apocalyptic book would help the story eschew any -isms, but I guess that was too much to expect. It's not as overt as it was in Slimer, but it's still there.
The Fungus is a decent read, but even as an improvement over Slimer, it's not a book for anyone but the most hardcore of hardcore horror readers. It's important to get into the mindset of 1980s horror before starting, and I think casual readers would find the book to be dated. For readers who are members of the Paperbacks from Hell church, though, they ought to check it out (though, chances are, they already have).