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Spread: Tales of Deadly Flora
GREEN THUMBS BEWARE.
Plants are beautiful, peaceful, abundant, and life-sustaining.
But what if something sinister took root in the soil, awakening to unleash slashing thorns, squeezing vines, or haunting greenery that lured you in? Perhaps blooms on distant planets could claim your heart, hitch a ride to Earth on a meteor, or simply poison you with their essence. Imagine a world where scientists produced our own demise in a lab, set spores free to infect, even bred ferns to be our friends only to witness the privilege perverted. When faced with botanical terror, will humanity fight to survive, or will they curl and wither like leaves in the fall?
Read ten speculative tales ripe with dangerous flora to find out.
Includes stories by: Alyssa Beatty, Katie Ess, Jen Mierisch, Josephine Queen, Lisa Fox, Katie Jordan, Melissa Mendelson, Andrea Goyan, Alex Grehy, and R.A. Clarke.
Foreword by: Holly Rae Garcia.
Plants are beautiful, peaceful, abundant, and life-sustaining.
But what if something sinister took root in the soil, awakening to unleash slashing thorns, squeezing vines, or haunting greenery that lured you in? Perhaps blooms on distant planets could claim your heart, hitch a ride to Earth on a meteor, or simply poison you with their essence. Imagine a world where scientists produced our own demise in a lab, set spores free to infect, even bred ferns to be our friends only to witness the privilege perverted. When faced with botanical terror, will humanity fight to survive, or will they curl and wither like leaves in the fall?
Read ten speculative tales ripe with dangerous flora to find out.
Includes stories by: Alyssa Beatty, Katie Ess, Jen Mierisch, Josephine Queen, Lisa Fox, Katie Jordan, Melissa Mendelson, Andrea Goyan, Alex Grehy, and R.A. Clarke.
Foreword by: Holly Rae Garcia.
- GenresHorror
256 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2023
2 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
November 30, 2023
In a Nutshell: An anthology of ten stories about botanical horror. Think plants going crazy in a horrifying way! Enjoyed this wild ride.
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This anthology of ten stories comes with an uncommon theme. We have seen tales where animals go rogue and turn against humans. But how many times have we seen plants and trees given the same “active agent” role and offering humans a taste of their own medicine? We consider only fauna when we think about other living beings; flora is always ignored. Not anymore.
The editor’s note at the beginning lists the system the book uses for trigger warnings – very helpful. The foreword by horror-thriller writer Holly Rae Garcia offers the right introduction for this collection. I love how she didn’t shy away from naming her favourite stories, because most guest writers toe the line and praise every story equally. This candid approach is so much better!
Not all of the stories are set on earth. However, all of them involve some or the other element from the plant world, whether leaves or spores or trees or even protists such as algae. The genre is speculative fiction rooted in horror, so most of the stories have an underlying sound of dread and threat. These aren’t horror in the paranormal sense but in that slowburn feel of impending doom.
I enjoyed the variety of the stories. Though the theme was common, the approach of the authors made many of the stories a delight to read. Not all of them end the happy way, but all of them definitely end in the most suitable way for their plotlines.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Half of the ten stories reached or crossed the four star mark, while most of the rest were around the three star point. In other words, almost all the stories were either good or great. The path taken by a few of them is guessable but that doesn’t spoil the fun.
FWIW, I compared notes with the foreword after I completed the collection. All of Garcia's top four titles were in my list as well. These were my favourites:
Definitely recommended to fans of speculative short fiction. You might start looking at your plants with a little more respect (and possibly, a little more fear) after reading this book. 😁
3.7 stars, based on the average of my ratings for each tale.
My thanks to Rachel's Random Resources, Page Turn Press, and editor Rachel Clarke for a complimentary copy of 'Spread: Tales of Deadly Flora’. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
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Want some other interesting books with trees and plants in an active role? Try these:
🌳The Houseplant by Jeremy Ray – A lovely short story from a houseplant’s perspective.
🌳The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak – Honestly, I didn’t like this as much as I had expected, but the historical details are excellent.
🌳The Lightning Tree by Lene Fogelberg - First in a series about nature taking revenge against humans. Fascinating concept but better for YA readers.
🌳Fractured Oak by Dannie Boyd – An amazing dual narrative mystery. Strongly recommend this one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This anthology of ten stories comes with an uncommon theme. We have seen tales where animals go rogue and turn against humans. But how many times have we seen plants and trees given the same “active agent” role and offering humans a taste of their own medicine? We consider only fauna when we think about other living beings; flora is always ignored. Not anymore.
The editor’s note at the beginning lists the system the book uses for trigger warnings – very helpful. The foreword by horror-thriller writer Holly Rae Garcia offers the right introduction for this collection. I love how she didn’t shy away from naming her favourite stories, because most guest writers toe the line and praise every story equally. This candid approach is so much better!
Not all of the stories are set on earth. However, all of them involve some or the other element from the plant world, whether leaves or spores or trees or even protists such as algae. The genre is speculative fiction rooted in horror, so most of the stories have an underlying sound of dread and threat. These aren’t horror in the paranormal sense but in that slowburn feel of impending doom.
I enjoyed the variety of the stories. Though the theme was common, the approach of the authors made many of the stories a delight to read. Not all of them end the happy way, but all of them definitely end in the most suitable way for their plotlines.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Half of the ten stories reached or crossed the four star mark, while most of the rest were around the three star point. In other words, almost all the stories were either good or great. The path taken by a few of them is guessable but that doesn’t spoil the fun.
FWIW, I compared notes with the foreword after I completed the collection. All of Garcia's top four titles were in my list as well. These were my favourites:
🌱 Black Thumb - Alyssa Beatty: Such an imaginative premise that is wacky and yet feels real. Creepy, curious, captivating! - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
🌱 Seedling - Katie Ess: A dystopia that is so farfetched and yet feels believable. Dual timeline used to great effect. Unsettling from start to end. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
🌱 Blood & Thorns: A Family - Andrea Goyan: A complicated saga exploring mother-daughter relations in an unusual way. Loved the imaginativeness and the bittersweet ending. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
🌱 Tears of Green - Alex Grehy: Another dystopian story, almost as equally creepy as ‘Seedling’. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
🌱 The Bubble - R.A. Clarke: One of the creepiest stories in the book. I simply didn’t want to continue reading this because it felt so claustrophobic! - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
Definitely recommended to fans of speculative short fiction. You might start looking at your plants with a little more respect (and possibly, a little more fear) after reading this book. 😁
3.7 stars, based on the average of my ratings for each tale.
My thanks to Rachel's Random Resources, Page Turn Press, and editor Rachel Clarke for a complimentary copy of 'Spread: Tales of Deadly Flora’. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Want some other interesting books with trees and plants in an active role? Try these:
🌳The Houseplant by Jeremy Ray – A lovely short story from a houseplant’s perspective.
🌳The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak – Honestly, I didn’t like this as much as I had expected, but the historical details are excellent.
🌳The Lightning Tree by Lene Fogelberg - First in a series about nature taking revenge against humans. Fascinating concept but better for YA readers.
🌳Fractured Oak by Dannie Boyd – An amazing dual narrative mystery. Strongly recommend this one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
November 13, 2023
PageTurn Press and the editor, R.A. Clarke, send me an ARC of Spread: Tales of Deadly Flora in exchange for an honest review. I'm so glad they did.
I was a little bit nervous as I went into this book, because the cover art is creepy and I'm very nervous about horror stories in general. I was worried it would be all gory scenes of rampaging plant life. In fact, there are very few gory scenes, though plenty of disturbances. For example, there are three stories with either sexual assault or the death of a child. The editor warns of of these in advance in a "Note From the Editor", then marks the stories with an asterisk beside the title. For myself, I wasn't bothered by the scenes in question, but I really appreciated that consideration was given to those who might be.
Every story in this anthology is the quality of speculative fiction that I would expect to find in a magazine like Fantasy & Science Fiction, which is very high quality indeed. I came across such phrases as "her recollection was a child's--like faded Polaroids protected under the yellowed cellophane of an old photo album," (An Invitation to the Grovener Mountain Resort, by Lisa Fox) and marvelled at their beauty. With every single story I was left wondering, "Where did she come up with this? How did she do this?" Every idea is so original.
Another reviewer has already mentioned "Tears of Green", but I have to give Alex Grehy's story a special mention here. She posits a future, all too plausible, in which plants are weaponized, because of course they are. We see many scenes set in a cabinet room where the top politicians are making their decisions, and I kept wanting to scream at them, "Don't you do it! You idiots! Can't your see past your noses to the long-term consequences?!!" Yes, I was truly invested in the outcome of those meetings.
Do I think you should read this book? Yes, definitely. Read this book.
I was a little bit nervous as I went into this book, because the cover art is creepy and I'm very nervous about horror stories in general. I was worried it would be all gory scenes of rampaging plant life. In fact, there are very few gory scenes, though plenty of disturbances. For example, there are three stories with either sexual assault or the death of a child. The editor warns of of these in advance in a "Note From the Editor", then marks the stories with an asterisk beside the title. For myself, I wasn't bothered by the scenes in question, but I really appreciated that consideration was given to those who might be.
Every story in this anthology is the quality of speculative fiction that I would expect to find in a magazine like Fantasy & Science Fiction, which is very high quality indeed. I came across such phrases as "her recollection was a child's--like faded Polaroids protected under the yellowed cellophane of an old photo album," (An Invitation to the Grovener Mountain Resort, by Lisa Fox) and marvelled at their beauty. With every single story I was left wondering, "Where did she come up with this? How did she do this?" Every idea is so original.
Another reviewer has already mentioned "Tears of Green", but I have to give Alex Grehy's story a special mention here. She posits a future, all too plausible, in which plants are weaponized, because of course they are. We see many scenes set in a cabinet room where the top politicians are making their decisions, and I kept wanting to scream at them, "Don't you do it! You idiots! Can't your see past your noses to the long-term consequences?!!" Yes, I was truly invested in the outcome of those meetings.
Do I think you should read this book? Yes, definitely. Read this book.
December 6, 2023
I don't know where to begin with this anthology! It had so many genres that I loved all under the main Deadly Flora theme!
So much variety that's difficult to not result too simplistic in giving an opinion.. Even among the sci-fi stories, the originality was superb! Which is often difficult as it's easy to fall into the same tropes.
Needless to say I loved it and it's probably one of the best anthologies I've read so far, maybe because of my love for plants and distaste for humanity 🤣.
I have a few favourites like Black Thumb, Seedling, Plant Friends and Mother, and I'm not ashamed to say that these two in particular made me cry a little.. But they were all so well written and so round that I can't find a fault in any of them really..
I loved even the foreword from Holly Rae Garcia that named one of my favourite films ever Invasion of the Body Snatchers from 1956.
Do you think plants are innocent living beings just happy with sun and water? Well this anthology will surely change your mind!
Thank you to Page Turn Press and R. A. Clarke for a copy and this is my honest opinion.
So much variety that's difficult to not result too simplistic in giving an opinion.. Even among the sci-fi stories, the originality was superb! Which is often difficult as it's easy to fall into the same tropes.
Needless to say I loved it and it's probably one of the best anthologies I've read so far, maybe because of my love for plants and distaste for humanity 🤣.
I have a few favourites like Black Thumb, Seedling, Plant Friends and Mother, and I'm not ashamed to say that these two in particular made me cry a little.. But they were all so well written and so round that I can't find a fault in any of them really..
I loved even the foreword from Holly Rae Garcia that named one of my favourite films ever Invasion of the Body Snatchers from 1956.
Do you think plants are innocent living beings just happy with sun and water? Well this anthology will surely change your mind!
Thank you to Page Turn Press and R. A. Clarke for a copy and this is my honest opinion.
November 15, 2023
“It’s natural to think of light when one thinks of plants; we learn about photosynthesis in grade school. It’s much less instinctive to think of darkness.”
Prepare for a very unique anthology of plant horror! The collection compiled here by Clarke and the authors is truly fantastic! I loved all the stories, the forward by Holly Rae Garcia, and the illustration of the growing flora between the stories!
““Tree country?” Sid’s voice managed to sound more terrified than before. He and June had both heard about the thirty-foot-tall monstrosities that looked exactly like non-hybrid trees until they decided to attack, crushing you to death with their massive branches or releasing pollen to infect you.”
My favourite tale in this collection was Seedling by Katie Ess (although it was incredibly hard to pick just one fav!). I loved the siblings and was “rooting” for their survival! The backstory of the mutated hybrids was interesting, and if this was a full length story I would totally snap it up as well!
Thank you to BookSirens, the editor & authors for a copy!
Prepare for a very unique anthology of plant horror! The collection compiled here by Clarke and the authors is truly fantastic! I loved all the stories, the forward by Holly Rae Garcia, and the illustration of the growing flora between the stories!
““Tree country?” Sid’s voice managed to sound more terrified than before. He and June had both heard about the thirty-foot-tall monstrosities that looked exactly like non-hybrid trees until they decided to attack, crushing you to death with their massive branches or releasing pollen to infect you.”
My favourite tale in this collection was Seedling by Katie Ess (although it was incredibly hard to pick just one fav!). I loved the siblings and was “rooting” for their survival! The backstory of the mutated hybrids was interesting, and if this was a full length story I would totally snap it up as well!
Thank you to BookSirens, the editor & authors for a copy!
October 31, 2023
Firstly, anthologies are a favourite of mine, especially if they are balanced and well put-together and I was lucky enough to be given an ARC of Spread: Tales of Deadly Flora in exchange for an honest review
This anthology begins with a discreet nod to trigger warnings. Great touch, nicely done.
So you look at the cover and think, plants? Horror? How can that work? Trust me when I say it does and it does it very well through a great selection of authors
As a GenXr, I was entranced at the foreword by Holly Rae Garvia referencing Lovecraft and the Day of the Triffids (the 80s BBC series still makes me shudder) This meant I was in for a treat with this anthology. Other influences mentioned are Scott Smiths 'The Ruins', Little Shop of Horrors & Invasion of the body snatchers
"I'm going to water my plants and tenderly whisper how much I love them, to avoid being eaten in the plant-pocalypse"
Black Thumb: Alyssa Beatty
Brilliant! Wouldn't life be easier if we could rid ourselves of the pain in our hearts... but at what cost?
Seedling: Kate Ess
Outstanding concepts with a great twist ~ After climate change has had a catastrophic effect on life on earth, scientists develop the ability for humans to derive sustenance from sunlight, but how is this connected to the killer plants now invading towns?
Plant Friends: Jen Mierisch
A re-imagining of Little Shop of Horrors / sentient plant friends with a contemporary twist. Really enjoyed this and it could absolutely benefit from being expanded into a novella
The Koi Pond: Josephine Queen
Fantastically dark. Love the two intertwined narratives and dark twist
An Invitation to the Grovenor Mountain Resort: Lisa Fox
Abolutely chilling. The resort has a personality, a definitive spirit, but how far will it go to maintan its existence? Elegant concept, absolutely gripping
Mother: Katie Jordan
A tale of greedy developers and the land fighting back. I really enjoyed the nod toward the strength of the connection and relationship between indigenous people and their land
Where the Fireflies Fall:
Melissa R Mendelson
Fantastically visual and immersive. Watch out for fireflies that are supposed to be extinct!
Blood & Thorns ~ A Family:
Andrea Goyan
"Home is what you choose to make it. Feed your land as you feed your children, and neither will ever hunger" ~ Mother
A tale of when a family are of the land in more ways than one...with chilling consequences
Tears of Green: Alex Grehy
Plants engineered to be used as weapons by tgeir very definition are not safe... Fantastic structure across era's and the memo's are a great tiuch. Loved this
The Bubble ~ R.A Clarke
A post-apocalytic mission 370 days after a meteor has crashed to the earth to explore the contaminated area goes awry when Berk and his team encounter survivors and mutated plants. But can they return to their safe haven, or will they be forced to join the survivors?
Each story has it's own unique twist but they all come together equally in a fantastic compendium. Botanical horror should have its own genre and this anthology would have pride of place. Absolutely brilliant!
This anthology begins with a discreet nod to trigger warnings. Great touch, nicely done.
So you look at the cover and think, plants? Horror? How can that work? Trust me when I say it does and it does it very well through a great selection of authors
As a GenXr, I was entranced at the foreword by Holly Rae Garvia referencing Lovecraft and the Day of the Triffids (the 80s BBC series still makes me shudder) This meant I was in for a treat with this anthology. Other influences mentioned are Scott Smiths 'The Ruins', Little Shop of Horrors & Invasion of the body snatchers
"I'm going to water my plants and tenderly whisper how much I love them, to avoid being eaten in the plant-pocalypse"
Black Thumb: Alyssa Beatty
Brilliant! Wouldn't life be easier if we could rid ourselves of the pain in our hearts... but at what cost?
Seedling: Kate Ess
Outstanding concepts with a great twist ~ After climate change has had a catastrophic effect on life on earth, scientists develop the ability for humans to derive sustenance from sunlight, but how is this connected to the killer plants now invading towns?
Plant Friends: Jen Mierisch
A re-imagining of Little Shop of Horrors / sentient plant friends with a contemporary twist. Really enjoyed this and it could absolutely benefit from being expanded into a novella
The Koi Pond: Josephine Queen
Fantastically dark. Love the two intertwined narratives and dark twist
An Invitation to the Grovenor Mountain Resort: Lisa Fox
Abolutely chilling. The resort has a personality, a definitive spirit, but how far will it go to maintan its existence? Elegant concept, absolutely gripping
Mother: Katie Jordan
A tale of greedy developers and the land fighting back. I really enjoyed the nod toward the strength of the connection and relationship between indigenous people and their land
Where the Fireflies Fall:
Melissa R Mendelson
Fantastically visual and immersive. Watch out for fireflies that are supposed to be extinct!
Blood & Thorns ~ A Family:
Andrea Goyan
"Home is what you choose to make it. Feed your land as you feed your children, and neither will ever hunger" ~ Mother
A tale of when a family are of the land in more ways than one...with chilling consequences
Tears of Green: Alex Grehy
Plants engineered to be used as weapons by tgeir very definition are not safe... Fantastic structure across era's and the memo's are a great tiuch. Loved this
The Bubble ~ R.A Clarke
A post-apocalytic mission 370 days after a meteor has crashed to the earth to explore the contaminated area goes awry when Berk and his team encounter survivors and mutated plants. But can they return to their safe haven, or will they be forced to join the survivors?
Each story has it's own unique twist but they all come together equally in a fantastic compendium. Botanical horror should have its own genre and this anthology would have pride of place. Absolutely brilliant!
December 3, 2023
I really guite enjoyed this anthology. It's a bit different. It's not often the bad guy/ monster is a plant. Honestly, have yall ever seen those photos of nature reclaiming things...old buildings, cars, amusement parks, and such? I've always found those to be so hauntingly beautiful. That's sort of the same feeling many of these stories invoked in me, as humans... we haven't been kind to Mother Earth and her flora babies... and these stories are terrifying. If nature could truly fight back against humanity in these manners....*shudders*.
I'll be back with a breakdown of the individual stories and my thoughts very soon.
I'll be back with a breakdown of the individual stories and my thoughts very soon.
January 19, 2024
I received an ARC of this anthology, but the review is my own honest opinion.
Rating: 4.5
If you want to side eye your houseplants, your garden, and the surrounding nature around you then this is the anthology for you! All ten of these wonderfully written, horrifying tales will have you respectfully fearful of what flora is capable of. There are heavy leans of sci-fi, apocalyptic and dystopian worlds, and of course horror. A large handful of these short stories I'd love to see turned into full fledged novels, even if it's not the same characters and just focused in the same world. I haven't personally seen many flora related horror out there, and that needs to change after getting a taste of it with this anthology!
One story in particular, Tears of Green, gut-punched me so hard that my eyes welled with tears at the end. Bravo! Also, ouch. Forewarning for that one. Actually, there's quite a few stories that'd probably hit someone hard in the feels as well as triggers, that one just hit me the worst. The Koi Pond was a close second, that one's really dark. Always remember to check trigger warnings before diving into books like this.
I can't pick a singular favorite out of these, but some honorable mentions: Black Thumb by Alyssa Beatty, The Koi Pond by Josephine Queen, An Invitation to the Grovenor Mountain Resort by Lisa Fox, Blood & Thorns: A Family by Andrea Goyan, Tears of Green by Alex Grehy, and The Bubble by R.A. Clarke. Of course, all the stories were unique and wonderful, but I can't list them all here!
Also, I love the sneaky little art in between each story. No spoilers, you'll have to find out yourself what I mean.
Rating: 4.5
If you want to side eye your houseplants, your garden, and the surrounding nature around you then this is the anthology for you! All ten of these wonderfully written, horrifying tales will have you respectfully fearful of what flora is capable of. There are heavy leans of sci-fi, apocalyptic and dystopian worlds, and of course horror. A large handful of these short stories I'd love to see turned into full fledged novels, even if it's not the same characters and just focused in the same world. I haven't personally seen many flora related horror out there, and that needs to change after getting a taste of it with this anthology!
One story in particular, Tears of Green, gut-punched me so hard that my eyes welled with tears at the end. Bravo! Also, ouch. Forewarning for that one. Actually, there's quite a few stories that'd probably hit someone hard in the feels as well as triggers, that one just hit me the worst. The Koi Pond was a close second, that one's really dark. Always remember to check trigger warnings before diving into books like this.
I can't pick a singular favorite out of these, but some honorable mentions: Black Thumb by Alyssa Beatty, The Koi Pond by Josephine Queen, An Invitation to the Grovenor Mountain Resort by Lisa Fox, Blood & Thorns: A Family by Andrea Goyan, Tears of Green by Alex Grehy, and The Bubble by R.A. Clarke. Of course, all the stories were unique and wonderful, but I can't list them all here!
Also, I love the sneaky little art in between each story. No spoilers, you'll have to find out yourself what I mean.
October 17, 2023
When I was asked to write a foreword for this anthology, I had no idea how amazing these stories would be. You'll have to pick up a copy for my full thoughts on Spread: Tales of Deadly Flora, but for now...
All the stories are awesome but if I had to pick favorites, they would begin with Alyssa Beatty’s “Black Thumb”. She starts things off with a bang and sets the tone for the rest to follow, exploring an alien world and the grieving process with beautiful prose. Katie Ess is next with her tense story, “Seedling.” I loved the dual point-of-view here and the highly imaginative “screaming cacti” and Dandelion invaders. Two of my favorites wrap up this anthology, the first being “The Bubble” by R.A. Clarke. Clarke drops you into her world so deftly, capturing your attention from the very beginning. And finally, Alex Grehy’s “Tears of Green” holds the number one spot on my list. Told through memos, news articles, and first-hand accounts, Grehy expertly conveys the tale of genetically modified plants used as weapons of war that (of course) get out of control. You know it’s a good one when you’re left wanting more.
From plants that hug you to islands that need time to heal and ghostly apparitions springing from the moss and mold, there isn’t a story in the bunch that won’t grab you and refuse to let go.
All the stories are awesome but if I had to pick favorites, they would begin with Alyssa Beatty’s “Black Thumb”. She starts things off with a bang and sets the tone for the rest to follow, exploring an alien world and the grieving process with beautiful prose. Katie Ess is next with her tense story, “Seedling.” I loved the dual point-of-view here and the highly imaginative “screaming cacti” and Dandelion invaders. Two of my favorites wrap up this anthology, the first being “The Bubble” by R.A. Clarke. Clarke drops you into her world so deftly, capturing your attention from the very beginning. And finally, Alex Grehy’s “Tears of Green” holds the number one spot on my list. Told through memos, news articles, and first-hand accounts, Grehy expertly conveys the tale of genetically modified plants used as weapons of war that (of course) get out of control. You know it’s a good one when you’re left wanting more.
From plants that hug you to islands that need time to heal and ghostly apparitions springing from the moss and mold, there isn’t a story in the bunch that won’t grab you and refuse to let go.
November 28, 2023
Spread is a collection of short stories all with a theme of deadly fauna. If this doesn't sound like your sort of thing, then rest assured, it's not really mine either, but these tales are all really good reads - I thoroughly enjoyed all of them even if some of them made me feel a bit itchy.
The tales are so well constructed, drawing you into a whole new world quickly, and packing a great deal of punch. Some of them are quite eerie. Some of them will have you shouting, 'No, don't do it,' and others slowly reveal themselves and become creepy unexpectedly. They range from tales set on different planets to those set on an Earth slowly being consumed by deadly fauna, or being set upon by alien fauna, but not all of them can be quite so easily categorised. All of the tales are well worth reading.
In future, I will be eyeing up the plants around my house with a wary glance. Genuinely, it is an excellent collection of short stories, I'm so pleased I decided to read them.
The tales are so well constructed, drawing you into a whole new world quickly, and packing a great deal of punch. Some of them are quite eerie. Some of them will have you shouting, 'No, don't do it,' and others slowly reveal themselves and become creepy unexpectedly. They range from tales set on different planets to those set on an Earth slowly being consumed by deadly fauna, or being set upon by alien fauna, but not all of them can be quite so easily categorised. All of the tales are well worth reading.
In future, I will be eyeing up the plants around my house with a wary glance. Genuinely, it is an excellent collection of short stories, I'm so pleased I decided to read them.
December 2, 2023
Spread is a fabulous collection of creepy stories, all featuring deadly plants. And I was lucky enough to receive an arc. As with any anthology there are stories that were particular standouts for me, but every dangerous tale contained within these pages was thoroughly enjoyable.
The collection opens with ‘Black Thumb’ which was a great introductory story for me. I love sci-fi and alien plants are always fun to read about.
We then get metamorphosed people plants, hugging plants, lethal plants and plants bent on vengeance, just to name a few. My favourite story of the anthology involves plants that have been genetically modified and turned into weapons. So many variations of deadly flora to enjoy.
I highly recommend this book for lovers of short fiction and, of course, plants. As a huge Little Shop of Horrors fan these stories gave me the same sort of vibes.
The collection opens with ‘Black Thumb’ which was a great introductory story for me. I love sci-fi and alien plants are always fun to read about.
We then get metamorphosed people plants, hugging plants, lethal plants and plants bent on vengeance, just to name a few. My favourite story of the anthology involves plants that have been genetically modified and turned into weapons. So many variations of deadly flora to enjoy.
I highly recommend this book for lovers of short fiction and, of course, plants. As a huge Little Shop of Horrors fan these stories gave me the same sort of vibes.
June 18, 2024
Botanical horror at its best! I've read some stories here and there of this kind before (plus one of my favorite novels is Scott Smith's 'The ruins'), but here there's an entire anthology devoted to the subject, and about time, if I may say so. The editor has done a terrific job with the selection of stories: 'Spread: Tales of Deadly Flora' delivers exactly what it promises, namely, ten wonderful short horror tales, with original premises and brilliant writing. I enjoyed almost all of them immensely (sometimes the science fiction aspect came a bit too strong for my taste) and will certainly come back for more. My particular standouts were: "Black Thumb" by Alyssa Beatty hooked me right in, it has a very clever central idea, and the point of the story strikes deep (a plant that can take away psychological pain); "Seedling" by Kate Ess (killer plants!); "The Koi Pond" by Josephine Queen (delightfully dark!); "An Invitation to the Grovenor Mountain Resort" by Lisa Fox (great premise, awesome execution!); and the editor's, R.A. Clarke's own story, "The Bubble", a story that might be found in any high-quality anthology regardless of content! A great anthology! I hope there are more volumes to come!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 3, 2023
Spread: Tales of Deadly Flora, edited by R.A. Clarke, features ten stories where weird and (sometimes, initially) wonderful plants drive the plot (no pun intended).
The stories cover a great deal of ground (I’m not doing this on purpose, I swear!) and, in my opinion, can be broadly sorted into four categories:
- Humans mess with biology, with undesirable results: Seedling (Katie Ess); Plant Friends (Jen Mierisch); Tears of Green (Alex Grehy).
- Humans encounter alien plant species: Black Thumb (Alyssa Beatty); The Bubble (R.A. Clarke).
- Plant-themed Gothic tales: The Koi Pond (Josephine Queen); An Invitation to the Grovenor Mountain Resort (Lisa Fox); Blood & Thorns: A Family (Angela Goyan).
- Mother Nature gets her own back: Mother (Katie Jordan); Where the Fireflies Fall (Melissa R. Mendelson).
Within these categories, the authors take the theme in a fantastic range of different directions – the words “imaginative” and “creative” came up in my notes a lot, as did “vivid”, because they all describe their green antagonists so well.
For example, the three stories that highlight the potential dangers of messing with biology vary considerably in premise and tone.
In Plant Friends, a new type of plant provides comfort to the lonely and touch-starved, but soon becomes possessive and aggressive. While this obviously gives the story a dark edge, the overall mood is quite sweet, playful, and low-stakes.
Contrastingly, in Seedling, an attempt to address the climate crisis by developing injectable chlorophyll results in the advent of killer human-cacti hybrids, and in Tears of Green, plants modified as weapons of war have extreme consequences for everyone. Both of these stories are apocalyptic in tone and full of suspense, following small groups of desperate survivors.
In Black Thumb, a group of humans who have moved to the planet Cabos from an increasingly uninhabitable Earth discover a plant that acts as a powerful antidepressant. However, they come to find that it is a little too effective, not to mention addictive and even deadly. This story was one of my favourites, due to its strong message and fascinating, creative setting.
Constrastingly, in The Bubble, the alien species comes to us, quite literally crashing to Earth on a meteor. In this tense, twisty story, a specialised military team has to enter the dome that’s keeping the invasive plant and its unfortunate victims temporarily contained, and collect samples for analysis without succumbing to its dangers themselves.
Blood & Thorns: A Family was another favourite of mine. Angela Goyan spins a compelling dark fairy tale where a mother and her many young daughters live separately from the world in their ancestral home, their past and future inextricably bound up with the deadly roses they tend. When a daughter rebels against this claustrophobic, cruel way of life, her mother becomes a fearsome enemy.
Similarly, The Koi Pond, An Invitation to the Grovenor Mountain Resort, Mother, and Where the Fireflies Fall are darkly beautiful and enchantingly sinister, juxtaposing vitality and decay to devastating effect in their own distinctive ways.
Spread is an exciting, lush, and highly imaginative anthology.
The stories cover a great deal of ground (I’m not doing this on purpose, I swear!) and, in my opinion, can be broadly sorted into four categories:
- Humans mess with biology, with undesirable results: Seedling (Katie Ess); Plant Friends (Jen Mierisch); Tears of Green (Alex Grehy).
- Humans encounter alien plant species: Black Thumb (Alyssa Beatty); The Bubble (R.A. Clarke).
- Plant-themed Gothic tales: The Koi Pond (Josephine Queen); An Invitation to the Grovenor Mountain Resort (Lisa Fox); Blood & Thorns: A Family (Angela Goyan).
- Mother Nature gets her own back: Mother (Katie Jordan); Where the Fireflies Fall (Melissa R. Mendelson).
Within these categories, the authors take the theme in a fantastic range of different directions – the words “imaginative” and “creative” came up in my notes a lot, as did “vivid”, because they all describe their green antagonists so well.
For example, the three stories that highlight the potential dangers of messing with biology vary considerably in premise and tone.
In Plant Friends, a new type of plant provides comfort to the lonely and touch-starved, but soon becomes possessive and aggressive. While this obviously gives the story a dark edge, the overall mood is quite sweet, playful, and low-stakes.
Contrastingly, in Seedling, an attempt to address the climate crisis by developing injectable chlorophyll results in the advent of killer human-cacti hybrids, and in Tears of Green, plants modified as weapons of war have extreme consequences for everyone. Both of these stories are apocalyptic in tone and full of suspense, following small groups of desperate survivors.
In Black Thumb, a group of humans who have moved to the planet Cabos from an increasingly uninhabitable Earth discover a plant that acts as a powerful antidepressant. However, they come to find that it is a little too effective, not to mention addictive and even deadly. This story was one of my favourites, due to its strong message and fascinating, creative setting.
Constrastingly, in The Bubble, the alien species comes to us, quite literally crashing to Earth on a meteor. In this tense, twisty story, a specialised military team has to enter the dome that’s keeping the invasive plant and its unfortunate victims temporarily contained, and collect samples for analysis without succumbing to its dangers themselves.
Blood & Thorns: A Family was another favourite of mine. Angela Goyan spins a compelling dark fairy tale where a mother and her many young daughters live separately from the world in their ancestral home, their past and future inextricably bound up with the deadly roses they tend. When a daughter rebels against this claustrophobic, cruel way of life, her mother becomes a fearsome enemy.
Similarly, The Koi Pond, An Invitation to the Grovenor Mountain Resort, Mother, and Where the Fireflies Fall are darkly beautiful and enchantingly sinister, juxtaposing vitality and decay to devastating effect in their own distinctive ways.
Spread is an exciting, lush, and highly imaginative anthology.
December 30, 2023
The first thing I want to say about this anthology is brilliant. Positively astounding. The prose is excellent. The stories read like an artist painting on canvas. I was astounded by how compelling these tales were. Even though the subject might be dark, it felt like a light was shining when I read some of the passages.
I live in Alabama and we have this vine called Kudzu. It was brought in to help with erosion on the bluffs. They must not have done their research because the invasive species took over. It simply can’t be killed. Just keeps coming back. I often thought it would be great for a horror story. Something along the lines of The Ruins. That movie was terrifyingly brutal. That said, I wanted to mention that while some of these tales are dark, they aren’t necessarily gory. It’s more of a let your imagination take you there, wherever that is.
Being a collection, I usually have a favorite. Though I don’t usually single it out in my review. I was hard pressed to choose just one this time. All of them blew me away. The forward by Holly Rae Garcia was equally captivating. As were the illustrations spreading between the stories.
I love anthologies. Especially in a genre I read voraciously, such as horror. They’re such a fun way to discover new authors, and I found several. Each of these author’s are true storytellers and I’d love to sit around a campfire and let them spin me a tale. Feel those icy fingers creeping up and down my spine.
I received a complimentary copy. My review is voluntarily given.
I live in Alabama and we have this vine called Kudzu. It was brought in to help with erosion on the bluffs. They must not have done their research because the invasive species took over. It simply can’t be killed. Just keeps coming back. I often thought it would be great for a horror story. Something along the lines of The Ruins. That movie was terrifyingly brutal. That said, I wanted to mention that while some of these tales are dark, they aren’t necessarily gory. It’s more of a let your imagination take you there, wherever that is.
Being a collection, I usually have a favorite. Though I don’t usually single it out in my review. I was hard pressed to choose just one this time. All of them blew me away. The forward by Holly Rae Garcia was equally captivating. As were the illustrations spreading between the stories.
I love anthologies. Especially in a genre I read voraciously, such as horror. They’re such a fun way to discover new authors, and I found several. Each of these author’s are true storytellers and I’d love to sit around a campfire and let them spin me a tale. Feel those icy fingers creeping up and down my spine.
I received a complimentary copy. My review is voluntarily given.
January 16, 2024
Black Thumb- a beautiful narrative on the pain of grief and the willingness to give it away. It uses horror and sci-fi in a way to illustrate the lengths people will go into addiction to numb from grief. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Seedling- odd and a bit clunky, when jumping back and forth between the two different yet intertwined stories. An interesting narrative about the hubris of humanity trying to fix what they have already destroyed and then make it better. ⭐️⭐️
Plant Friends- a good look at how we are using technology to replace humanity and that everything is misused even when it is created for a good purpose. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Koi Pond- creepy in a very real way. The emotional toll that the relationship has taken on Thea is evident in the writing. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
An Invitation To The Grovener Mountain Resort - odd and unsettling. A living building and plants that eat guests. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mother- another beautiful narrative on grief told in a way that reminds me of the Polynesian island myths and the islands being both alive and sentient ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Where the fireflies fall- weird and confusing and all over the place. This story needed to be longer as the sudden changes in time were hard to understand. ⭐️⭐️
Blood and Thorns: A family- hard read about a complex and abusive family. The women used men and would kill them to birth their children (roses) into existence. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tears of Green- that was rough, the story of survival against a man-made plant foe. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Bubble- another apocalyptic tale with spores and a sad/open ending. More of a military sci-fi. Not my favorite but well written and with good emotion. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received this book as an ARC and am giving this review voluntarily.
Seedling- odd and a bit clunky, when jumping back and forth between the two different yet intertwined stories. An interesting narrative about the hubris of humanity trying to fix what they have already destroyed and then make it better. ⭐️⭐️
Plant Friends- a good look at how we are using technology to replace humanity and that everything is misused even when it is created for a good purpose. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Koi Pond- creepy in a very real way. The emotional toll that the relationship has taken on Thea is evident in the writing. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
An Invitation To The Grovener Mountain Resort - odd and unsettling. A living building and plants that eat guests. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mother- another beautiful narrative on grief told in a way that reminds me of the Polynesian island myths and the islands being both alive and sentient ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Where the fireflies fall- weird and confusing and all over the place. This story needed to be longer as the sudden changes in time were hard to understand. ⭐️⭐️
Blood and Thorns: A family- hard read about a complex and abusive family. The women used men and would kill them to birth their children (roses) into existence. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tears of Green- that was rough, the story of survival against a man-made plant foe. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Bubble- another apocalyptic tale with spores and a sad/open ending. More of a military sci-fi. Not my favorite but well written and with good emotion. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received this book as an ARC and am giving this review voluntarily.
November 29, 2023
In the foreword, Holly Garcia mentions a few novels, including The Ruins by Scott Smith, which is exactly the story I was thinking of when I decided to read this. Short stories of a similar vein, and yet also very different, I enjoyed every one of these. Some felt very much like Science fiction, others tugged at the heart (literally even), and most of them felt like they could make the jump to the big screen as The Ruins did. Dark, but not too dark, I would recommend this as episodes of plants from the Twilight Zone.
Thanks to NetGalley and the authors for an advance copy.
Thanks to NetGalley and the authors for an advance copy.
December 10, 2023
I really enjoyed this different end of the world adventure! Genetic plant mutation at its best! Jumping between present & the past, exciting action, beautifully written, great ideas, really well done! I was absorbed from the very first page & found all of it to be as good! I do recommend for all that love this style of story!
November 25, 2023
Thank you to BookSirens for providing a review copy.
Deadly flora is one of my very favorite horror tropes. This is a very solid anthology with various takes on deadly plants. I enjoyed it a lot and was introduced to some new authors. 3.75 stars, rounded up.
Black Thumb by Alyssa Beatty ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Seedling by Kate Ess ⭐⭐⭐.5
Plant Friends by Jen Mierisch ⭐⭐⭐.25
The Koi Pond by Josephine Queen ⭐⭐⭐⭐
An Invitation to the Grovener Mountain Resort by Lisa Fox ⭐⭐⭐
Mother by Katie Jordan ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Where the Fireflies Fall by Melissa R. Mendelson ⭐⭐.75
Blood & Thorns: A Family by Andrea Goyan ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tears of Green by Alex Grehy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Bubble by R.A. Clarke ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Deadly flora is one of my very favorite horror tropes. This is a very solid anthology with various takes on deadly plants. I enjoyed it a lot and was introduced to some new authors. 3.75 stars, rounded up.
Black Thumb by Alyssa Beatty ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Seedling by Kate Ess ⭐⭐⭐.5
Plant Friends by Jen Mierisch ⭐⭐⭐.25
The Koi Pond by Josephine Queen ⭐⭐⭐⭐
An Invitation to the Grovener Mountain Resort by Lisa Fox ⭐⭐⭐
Mother by Katie Jordan ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Where the Fireflies Fall by Melissa R. Mendelson ⭐⭐.75
Blood & Thorns: A Family by Andrea Goyan ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tears of Green by Alex Grehy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Bubble by R.A. Clarke ⭐⭐⭐⭐
December 30, 2023
I don’t think there was a single weak story in this haunting set of tales of deadly and dangerous plants.
Thanks for the ARC
Thanks for the ARC
June 11, 2024
I requested an ARC kindle copy of this plant themed anthology because it appeared to be the sort of weird stories that appealed to me. And yes, it did not disappoint me in the slightest. Genetic modifications gone wrong, alien plantlife, ghostly tales. Say it with flowers? Not these ones.
I enjoyed the diverse short stories, its an anthology I will enjoy reading again in the future
I enjoyed the diverse short stories, its an anthology I will enjoy reading again in the future
December 15, 2023
A wonderful play on horror flora! All the stories were intriguing, some made me hold my breath, while others made my heart race. All of these stories lived up to the horror theme, whilst being so descriptive i thought i was there. Highly recommend
I received an advanced reader copy for free, i am leaving this review voluntarily
I received an advanced reader copy for free, i am leaving this review voluntarily
November 18, 2023
Thank You BookSirens and All the authors that partook in this Collection.
The is a Collection of Ten Lovecraftian stories about what if the plants over took humans. There are several really great stories that I enjoyed a lot.
My two of my favorite Stories were
Black Thumb by Alyssa Beatty is the first story in this collection. A plant that takes all your pain away sounds like a great idea or is it?
An Invitation to the Grovener Mountain by Lisa Fox
Supernatural Creature Feature story of a family lineage. This story is creepy.
There is something for everyone that loves science fiction Flora stories.
Lovecraftian / Elritch
Creature Feature
Merged review:
Thank You BookSirens and All the authors that partook in this Collection.
The is a Collection of Ten Lovecraftian stories about what if the plants over took humans. There are several really great stories that I enjoyed a lot.
My two of my favorite Stories were
Black Thumb by Alyssa Beatty is the first story in this collection. A plant that takes all your pain away sounds like a great idea or is it?
An Invitation to the Grovener Mountain by Lisa Fox
Supernatural Creature Feature story of a family lineage. This story is creepy.
There is something for everyone that loves science fiction Flora stories.
Lovecraftian / Elritch
Creature Feature
The is a Collection of Ten Lovecraftian stories about what if the plants over took humans. There are several really great stories that I enjoyed a lot.
My two of my favorite Stories were
Black Thumb by Alyssa Beatty is the first story in this collection. A plant that takes all your pain away sounds like a great idea or is it?
An Invitation to the Grovener Mountain by Lisa Fox
Supernatural Creature Feature story of a family lineage. This story is creepy.
There is something for everyone that loves science fiction Flora stories.
Lovecraftian / Elritch
Creature Feature
Merged review:
Thank You BookSirens and All the authors that partook in this Collection.
The is a Collection of Ten Lovecraftian stories about what if the plants over took humans. There are several really great stories that I enjoyed a lot.
My two of my favorite Stories were
Black Thumb by Alyssa Beatty is the first story in this collection. A plant that takes all your pain away sounds like a great idea or is it?
An Invitation to the Grovener Mountain by Lisa Fox
Supernatural Creature Feature story of a family lineage. This story is creepy.
There is something for everyone that loves science fiction Flora stories.
Lovecraftian / Elritch
Creature Feature
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2023
I received an advance review copy from BookSirens for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Overall, this was an interesting anthology. Some of the stories I enjoyed immensely, others were just meh, and then there were one or two that I really did not care for at all.
Having a black thumb myself, I did think back to all the plants that I killed, and thought twice about venturing out to my tree-filled garden (I am not responsible for what lives and dies in my garden LOL).
Having said that, the book gave me pause for thought about the flora and fauna surrounding me, so while it was to a degree creepy, it wasn't so much scary, and I enjoyed that aspect of the stories.
The book was good fun, and quite a quick read as well. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.
Overall, this was an interesting anthology. Some of the stories I enjoyed immensely, others were just meh, and then there were one or two that I really did not care for at all.
Having a black thumb myself, I did think back to all the plants that I killed, and thought twice about venturing out to my tree-filled garden (I am not responsible for what lives and dies in my garden LOL).
Having said that, the book gave me pause for thought about the flora and fauna surrounding me, so while it was to a degree creepy, it wasn't so much scary, and I enjoyed that aspect of the stories.
The book was good fun, and quite a quick read as well. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.
November 30, 2023
This was a good anthology. The stories were well selected, I don't feel that any clashed with the floral theme; but this collection went a step further and discretely let readers know about certain content warnings without being too flagrant about it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 21, 2023
I received a review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Overall a good collection of stories. By the end I found I was a bit depressed by the generally negative world view of the majority even though I actually agree with the sentiments expressed.
Overall a good collection of stories. By the end I found I was a bit depressed by the generally negative world view of the majority even though I actually agree with the sentiments expressed.
November 15, 2023
This was a very enjoyable anthology. As usual some stories were better than others but all were solid. Definitely recommended!
December 1, 2023
Beware the plants. They look innocent but they can be deadly. Now they want revenge.
December 1, 2023
I've really enjoyed flipping through this collection, I did as was suggested by Hollie Rae Garcia and started with Black Thumbs and it was fantastic. Suitably creepy, brilliantly written and had me looking at my pitcher plant oddly for the rest of the day! Seedling was another one that I really enjoyed, the weirdly clever idea for adding plant DNA into humans sounds way too much like something a scientist somewhere might be working on, and again it was brilliantly written.
Id never heard of any of the authors featured in this anthology until I started making my way through the stories but I've definitely added some more to my want-to-read list of authors because each of these stories is so cleverly written that I really want to know what they do with a bigger word count!
I have to say the only thing about the book I'm not keen on is the front cover! Whilst I think it probably fits the anthology well I just don't really like it, it is just a matter of personal taste I think here.
I haven't read all of the stories yet, i keep picking out one or two whose titles take my fancy when I want a reading break from my Christmassy books but I think that's the joy of having a collection of shorts you can dip in and out to break up a block of books.
Id never heard of any of the authors featured in this anthology until I started making my way through the stories but I've definitely added some more to my want-to-read list of authors because each of these stories is so cleverly written that I really want to know what they do with a bigger word count!
I have to say the only thing about the book I'm not keen on is the front cover! Whilst I think it probably fits the anthology well I just don't really like it, it is just a matter of personal taste I think here.
I haven't read all of the stories yet, i keep picking out one or two whose titles take my fancy when I want a reading break from my Christmassy books but I think that's the joy of having a collection of shorts you can dip in and out to break up a block of books.
November 26, 2023
I received a review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
First off, I have to applaud the editor, R. A. Clarke, for gathering such a fantastic collection of stories on a very interesting theme.
Each author offers their own unique interpretation of deadly fauna in such a nuanced way to have me totally engaged with every story.
There really is something for everyone who likes horror with a twist. From Sci-Fi slants, family legacies, and warnings that seem all too feasible, the talented authors capture the essence of Deadly Flora.
I highly recommend this outstanding collection.
First off, I have to applaud the editor, R. A. Clarke, for gathering such a fantastic collection of stories on a very interesting theme.
Each author offers their own unique interpretation of deadly fauna in such a nuanced way to have me totally engaged with every story.
There really is something for everyone who likes horror with a twist. From Sci-Fi slants, family legacies, and warnings that seem all too feasible, the talented authors capture the essence of Deadly Flora.
I highly recommend this outstanding collection.
December 30, 2023
Wow wow wow!
This book was something!
I love, love, absolutely love short stories. This one has an extra layer to love – those read like tiny bite-sized treats and yummies.
Yet those are not your regular stories, those are dystopic, speculative, and thrilling, with a hefty touch of sci-fi and horror-inducing creepy tales. Plant-apocalypse, that definitely is something you have never read before.
Each story would require a full-length review of its own to describe the brilliance of this anthology. It was exactly THAT good.
This book was something!
I love, love, absolutely love short stories. This one has an extra layer to love – those read like tiny bite-sized treats and yummies.
Yet those are not your regular stories, those are dystopic, speculative, and thrilling, with a hefty touch of sci-fi and horror-inducing creepy tales. Plant-apocalypse, that definitely is something you have never read before.
Each story would require a full-length review of its own to describe the brilliance of this anthology. It was exactly THAT good.
December 1, 2023
Spread: Tales of Deadly Flora is an original and thought-provoking anthology rooted in speculative fiction with many stories containing horror elements. I also noted the influence of climate change and its effects was alluded to. The balance of dark and light in the stories is good, and all are immersive reading. I like the contemporary relevance of the importance of plants and the writers' originality.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
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