The Moaning Lily

by Emma Vane

A short story from the British Library Tales of the Weird collection Evil Roots. Emma Vane blurs the line between human and plant in this short story featuring a lily that has developed a mouth and can moan. Concern is soon raised for the safety of the central protagonist, botanist Carl Brense....

Audible Audio

Published February 9, 2022

Reviews

[Ocean reads :-) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up a copy of Evil Roots: Killer Tales of the Botanical Gothic one Sunday morning from a local book shop, with high hopes for each tale. I read them all but, this particular short story, only ten pages long, completely blew me away. It was amazing, and, including all novels, novellas, short stories and essays that I have and will ever read, this is the best piece of literature yet!

I have portrayed this in a very, very exaggerated manner, but it deserves it! It follows botanist Carl Brense, and his prized Lilly that he enters into a flower show at a garden centre, and many come to gather about it not because of its white petals tinged with carmine at their hem, but because of a low, sorrowful moaning issued forth from the centre of the flower, where a red stalk arises up from the red ends of those petals- making it look like a human mouth.

Carl becomes obsessed over it- fanatic, even. But no more spoilers! I highly suggest this, for atmosphere, dread, prose and, over all, a great short story!