BOOK CLUB - Group discussion of five fungal short stories

Let's meet for a book club, this time chatting about five short stories from different authors, genres, and times. They are all very different from one another, yet have something hidden in common...

The only preparation you need ahead of the event is that you read the five short stories (about 60 pages in total), or at least a few of them. The organiser will introduce the stories and the context, and help guiding the discussion.

The five short stories we will discuss are:

• "The Purple Pileus" (1896) by H.G Wells (fiction, 10 pages)
  Mr. Coombes is really unhappy with his life and with his wife. Then he finds a strange mushroom in the woods. Will it help him?
• "The Voice in the Night" (1907) by William Hope Hodgson (mystery/horror, 15 pages)
  A rawboat carrying a strange passenger approaches a sailing ship on a dark, starless night. Perhaps there is a reason why the passenger do not want to leave the boat? The story inspired the Japanese Sci-Fi/horror movie Matango (1963)
• "The Millennium of Systematic Mycology - A Phantasy" (1924) by Louis CC Krieger (comedy, 8 pages)
  To name living beings with their scientific name is not easy. So when a systematic mycologist falls into a deep coma, he wakes up in what might be his own personal paradise.
• "Come into My Cellar" (1962) by Ray Bradbury (science fiction, 14 pages)
  Hugh Fortnum is having a weird day. The neighbour behaves oddly and his friend is being paranoid. But what he should be really worrying about is his own son, growing some weird stuff in the cellar...
• "Gray Matter" (1973) by Stephen King (horror, 10 pages)
  Richie is not a very social type. But his habit to drink the cheapest beer is not helping, either. His son finally decides to do something about it.

Yes, you guessed right, the stories all have something to do with fungi (jamur jamur). The organiser is slightly obsessed about fungi, and is always happy to learn something new. He has a PhD in fungal ecology and research experience in fungal biotechnology, and is curious to see what other think about these stories.

No previous knowledge about fungi is needed, and all the stories are short and fun to read.

If you need help finding these stories, just DM the organiser indicating your email address, and he will send them to you as Pdf!

The book club will be at Dia.Lo.Gue, a café, restaurant, and art space in Kemang. The event is free of charge. Just pay what you order at the bar.