John Brosnan (1947–2005)

There are essentially two different kinds of B-movie horror, a genre I'm terribly fond of. The first kind is the so called creature-feature, wherein oversized animals go on the rampage eating lots of people until a handsome but gruff hero with a painful past, and an attractive but snarky heroine with a painful past team up and not only destroy the oversized rats/cats/bats/marmots/whatever, but also destroy their own inner demons. And they all live happily ever after. Except for the large show more animals. They don't live happily ever after because they're dead.

The second kind of B-movie horror is the splatterfest. In these the foe isn't a gerbil of epic proportions with a taste for human blood, instead it's usually just a plain old person, but with a taste for human blood. Armed with a hacksaw and a hammer and a bevel edged chisel, they'll amble slowly after screaming cheerleaders in dark forests before killing them in some suitably gruesome fashion. Occasionally there's a supernatural air to the whole thing, the killer is really a demon or a ghost or zombie-grandma.

When it comes to films I prefer the creature-feature. B-movies are supposed to be fun, something you watch with friends and enjoy because they're so bad that they're actually good. It's easy to laugh at and enjoy the antics of a fifty foot long salamander whose diet consists of extras who can't act. It's often less fun to laugh at the antics of a sadistic serial killer whose victims are extras who can't act.

However, when it comes to books my experience with B-movie-esque fiction was limited to the outstandingly terrible [b:Slugs|3836481|Slugs|Shaun Hutson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1248256416s/3836481.jpg|907812] by Shaun Hutson. This was for a long time the Worst Book I'd Ever Read. And not in any "so bad it's good" kind of way, the book was unmitigated feculence. I believe it got turned into a movie too, maybe that would be better, but the book broke my willing suspension of disbelief (and my willing suspension of disbelief is made of veritable adamantium, fact fans) and didn't even have a decent story to make up for it.

Bedlam is the second B-movie book I've read, and this one is definitely of the splattery variety. It starts in pretty grim fashion, with the antagonist – a rather distasteful serial killer – tricking a lady into killing her boyfriend then dealing with her himself. And it doesn't really pause for breath much thereafter. A third of the way into the book it suddenly makes a rather bold plot-shift which works out nicely, turning the book very much into a supernatural gore-fest. The area of London the book is set in literally becomes hell on Earth for the latter half of the book, and Harry Adam Knight is happy to shift his perspective from the two heroes (gruff male cop and hot female scientist) to the other residents of the area to show some of the gruesome fates that they're being forced to experience.

Suffice it to say that if you're squeamish about anything then this book really isn't for you. There's cannibalism, skinning alive, animal cruelty, necrorape, knitting, and more besides. And while I probably wouldn't have enjoyed a film of this (they didn't make one, fortunately), the book was surprisingly enjoyable. It certainly restored my faith in B-movie fiction, which after Slugs was no mean feat at all. show less

Strange, mushroom-like growths are appearing on peoples' bodies and doctors, puzzled by the strange virus that plants inhuman desires in the minds of victims, look for a cause and uncover a horrifying reality.

When a brilliant scientist seeking to solve the problem of world hunger tries to create giant mushrooms through genetic manipulation, what could possibly go wrong?

The mutated spores escape the lab and spread across all of England. Toadstools grow to twenty feet tall, and a case of show more athlete's foot can mean a grisly and horrible death.

But those who die quickly are the lucky ones. Those who survive infection by the fungus will be transformed into something unthinkably monstrous ...

I want to read EVERYTHING by this author! 🎇 What an incredible journey! 10 Pages in and there's already lots of action. The book is a perfect mix of cheeky humor, thrilling suspense, and a fast-paced plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The characters are unflinching and not too hesitant to use their weapons. It was a very fast-paced, high-tension, breathtaking read! I liked the ending, really coherent with both the characters and the situation.

I loved the author's writing style - it was witty, engaging, and kept me hooked from start to finish. The book had just the right amount of suspense and humor, making it a great read for anyone who enjoys a good sci-fi thriller.

TW: There's some brutal scenes in this, don't read if you're squeamish; it's just ultra-violent at times. 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.

Overall, I highly recommend "The Fungus" to anyone looking for a fun, fast-paced read. show less

There are essentially two different kinds of B-movie horror, a genre I'm terribly fond of. The first kind is the so called creature-feature, wherein oversized animals go on the rampage eating lots of people until a handsome but gruff hero with a painful past, and an attractive but snarky heroine with a painful past team up and not only destroy the oversized rats/cats/bats/marmots/whatever, but also destroy their own inner demons. And they all live happily ever after. Except for the large show more animals. They don't live happily ever after because they're dead.

The second kind of B-movie horror is the splatterfest. In these the foe isn't a gerbil of epic proportions with a taste for human blood, instead it's usually just a plain old person, but with a taste for human blood. Armed with a hacksaw and a hammer and a bevel edged chisel, they'll amble slowly after screaming cheerleaders in dark forests before killing them in some suitably gruesome fashion. Occasionally there's a supernatural air to the whole thing, the killer is really a demon or a ghost or zombie-grandma.

When it comes to films I prefer the creature-feature. B-movies are supposed to be fun, something you watch with friends and enjoy because they're so bad that they're actually good. It's easy to laugh at and enjoy the antics of a fifty foot long salamander whose diet consists of extras who can't act. It's often less fun to laugh at the antics of a sadistic serial killer whose victims are extras who can't act.

However, when it comes to books my experience with B-movie-esque fiction was limited to the outstandingly terrible [b:Slugs|3836481|Slugs|Shaun Hutson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1248256416s/3836481.jpg|907812] by Shaun Hutson. This was for a long time the Worst Book I'd Ever Read. And not in any "so bad it's good" kind of way, the book was unmitigated feculence. I believe it got turned into a movie too, maybe that would be better, but the book broke my willing suspension of disbelief (and my willing suspension of disbelief is made of veritable adamantium, fact fans) and didn't even have a decent story to make up for it.

Bedlam is the second B-movie book I've read, and this one is definitely of the splattery variety. It starts in pretty grim fashion, with the antagonist – a rather distasteful serial killer – tricking a lady into killing her boyfriend then dealing with her himself. And it doesn't really pause for breath much thereafter. A third of the way into the book it suddenly makes a rather bold plot-shift which works out nicely, turning the book very much into a supernatural gore-fest. The area of London the book is set in literally becomes hell on Earth for the latter half of the book, and Harry Adam Knight is happy to shift his perspective from the two heroes (gruff male cop and hot female scientist) to the other residents of the area to show some of the gruesome fates that they're being forced to experience.

Suffice it to say that if you're squeamish about anything then this book really isn't for you. There's cannibalism, skinning alive, animal cruelty, necrorape, knitting, and more besides. And while I probably wouldn't have enjoyed a film of this (they didn't make one, fortunately), the book was surprisingly enjoyable. It certainly restored my faith in B-movie fiction, which after Slugs was no mean feat at all. show less

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 show more 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 THE FUNGUS 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.* show less