#IMMORTAL fathergod who hijacks his children's bodies

[silverspleen]

Read BOTH What Moves the Dead AND Mexican Gothic recently, and I have transcended into the mushroom horror zone, don’t talk to me unless it’s about fungus body horror.

I’ve manhandled Mexican Gothic in the store like...... a dozen times over the past year, and What Movies the Dead has a little ending essay talking about how it’s a very, very similar premise so like. I had to get it and read it next obviously.

I think most likely, that What Moves the Dead aka Fall of the House of Usher But Fungus is probably a bigger crowd pleaser. It’s a novella, short, to the point, good build, queer, and Kingfisher (Vernon) knows how to blend horror and humor well. In high school I was super upset that I had to do a class project on Usher, since nothing happens in that story (I wanted The Masque of the Read Death), but honestly I’m going to read it again after reading this, and I will find it lacking again lol. Excellent modern adaptation. The various horrific fungus descriptions had me drooling. Reads exactly like watching a fun horror movie.

But Mexican Gothic has my heart. All of the criticisms are very true, it’s a very slow burn, doesn’t delve into some of the themes enough, and the romance feels like it happened somewhere offscreen, but I like vaguely purple prose and the imagery (time is a circle and the cycle of violence is a circle snake that eats it’s own tail dreamer dreams the dream wake up sleepwalker I’m in the GLOOM BYE etc etc) and it goes to that “oh no it’s worse actually” place at the end where it turns out that like at least a dozen terrible things have happened in the creepy evil house by the end. Love a headstrong lady trapped in a fucked up house with a fucked up family.

Anyway they were both excellent. If you want good smooth horror, read What Moves the Dead.

If you want slow burn into Uh Oh Girl Get Out, read Mexican Gothic.

Triggers available on request as they’re both fresh in my mind, there are plenty.

...

I think I’m gonna draw some guys infested with mushrooms.

#The Dragoon Diaries #I should watch Matango #mushrooms #body horror lite #mexican gothic #what moves the dead #dissection scene in WMtD very good #BUT..... spoilers #what with the mushroom incest family who also do cannibalism sometimes #and their fathergod's dead not dead mushroom infested first wife rotting in the basement forever and always #IMMORTAL fathergod who hijacks his children's bodies #is infinitely more fucked up and I like it better