The Fungus

An end of the world novel based around killer fungus. It gets as dark as expected with good twist and good ideas within the novel.

Mushrooms: I'll probably never eat one again! THE FUNGUS is a fast paced, funny and disgusting 80's horror story that contains everything you'd ever want from a fungi-based creature feature.I recently read another book by this author, (two authors, really, using the pseudonym of Harry Adam Knight. Get it? HAK?), called SLIMER. I liked that one slightly more than this because there was no real science, just a fun, slimy, creature. In this narrative, we do have an attempt to be science-y, but not overly so, which I appreciated.We follow several characters from the beginning, including the scientist who accidentally created this rapidly mutating fungi. Before we know what hit us, all of London is infected and not just people either. There are several types of fungi attacking concrete and other building materials eventually resulting in the literal crumbling of the city. Will any of the plucky characters survive? What about the doctor who created this mess? Will London itself make it through? You'll have to read this book to find out!These two authors, John Brosnan and Leroy Kettle were actually very talented, (I say were, but one is still alive-Leroy Kettle,) and they knew how to write a creature feature without getting too bogged down in the fake science. Just enough to make it plausible to non-biologists is fine. Of course, using the old trope of science making a mistake and thereby destroying humanity is always rich with possibilities, maybe even more so these days than back in the 80's when this was written.Being that this book was written back then, there are some sexist views, (a few racist ones too), and a few other things that don't fit in with today's culture and attitudes. There are also a few extraneous sex scenes thrown in there, because hey-in the 80's that's how the horror genre rolled. None of which bothered me much because this tale is just. that. much. fun.Valancourt Books is dedicated to bringing back these out of print books, some of which have become nearly impossible to find.(If you are lucky enough to find one, you'd better be prepared to pay through the nose.) Over the years I've watched as they've become more and more popular and with their forthcoming PAPERBACKS FROM HELL series, I think they'll have reached the pinnacle as far as retro horror publishers are concerned. (They publish other lines as well, if you're interested, check out their website.)THE FUNGUS isn't trying to masquerade as scientific or serious, it's just trying to provide imaginative, fast paced, creature feature fun. It has succeeded!Highly recommended!*Valancourt Books provided me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*

Not really a fan of British Science Fiction. Aside from an occasional H.G. Wells, British Sci-Fi is just not my 'cup of tea.' I agree that after reading books like The Fungus, You'll Never Look At A Mushroom 🍄 The Same Way Again. Lots of 'semi-action' , and .. well .. IT .. IS .. BRITISH !! Unfortunately British Science Fiction writers are sort of in a "group all to themselves". Interesting read... but prepare for some ooee and goeh writing.

Fun, quick read. The pace is quick and the story is violent. The ending is a little abrupt but not quite nihilistic.

Pure enjoyment! This book is cheesy and schlocky in the best possible way. I'd tell you what it's about but the (excellent) cover art does that for me. There's fungus. It's big, troublesome, and city-destroying.It doesn't take itself seriously, which is something of a relief these days. I had fun reading it and I can tell the authors (Harry Knight is a pseudonym) had fun writing it.If this were a movie it would have been on USA Up All Night with an encore on MST3K.Definitely worth picking up the sample if you're in the mood for fast-paced light horrory-action-adventure.

HAK does it again. John Brosnan (his real name) has a great, clean writing style that carries you along, and takes this from a pulp effort to a real book (his characters are real people, too). I had my doubts about fungus taking over London, but he does it pretty scientifically and name-checks about two dozen different fungi that victims and our heroes encouter. Plus, a London and its inhabitants covered in a soft, furry blanket is creepy as hell.

If you're looking for some fungal grue, "The Fungus" provides plenty of it, with a healthy dollop of technobabble on top. I don't know how accurate the mycology is but, for what the book is, it works. That aspect of the book is worth a good four stars by itself. Unfortunately...If you're looking for characters that you won't absolutely hate, then this isn't your book. The female characters are particularly badly written, but the males aren't much better. More believable, maybe, but so thoroughly unlikable and unrelatable that you may find spending even this book's brief length in their presence intolerable. I almost dropped my rating to two stars because of it, but I decided to be generous. Overall, two and half stars.

A book I never thought would see reprinting gets an A+ effort from new publisher BRUIN ASYLUM. Nice production values, bonus introduction by Roy Kettle, photos of Roy with John Brosnan and loads of bonus HAK Letters after the conclusion of the novel. Nice oversized softback format with original cover art looks great on the shelf. Let's hope that BRUIN revisit the "SIC HAK" library again soon!

If you're a fan of Wyndham and old school British Sci Fi, then this is THE book for you!Highly recommended read !

The duo of Brosnan and Kettle has done it again. Just the right mix of horror and humour in the British Isles to create to savour over.

The Fungus was easy entertainment. Quite a blast and plenty of questions raised to keep the reader interested. There was plenty of gruesome images. The plot twisted and turned.It was well researched but the conversations between the military characters wasn't massively convincing. The dialogue kept the story moving though. I've since recommended this book.

I finally got the book that i had been searching for, for over twenty years.Harry Adam Knight's 'The Fungus'.I was not expecting much since it has been out of print for over two decades and the sellerwas advertising it as used.I was expecting some dogeared book with tea ring stains and crumbs in the pages, but what i gotwas a book in my eyes i would class as mint conditionClean cover, crisp pages and no marks, stains or unidentified objects stuck to the pages (if youhave ever used a public library you will know what i mean)I'm totally gobsmacked as to how they could get this book after so long.I have such a big smile on my face, there's something about being reunited with a book that meant so muchto you after so long.I will love this company for a lifetime and beyond.

Reads like it wanted to be a film. I would imagine this being in the book case of M R Carey as he sat down to write the girl with all the gifts. Two very different books with similar themes and with familiar UK landmarks. Both fictional worlds are nightmare fuel.