Gwendolyn Kiste is an incredible author whose talent shines through in her story chilling and world altering story Flesh, Fungi, and Farewell. This story has a bitterness to it that lounges right above the sweetness and mystery carrying the story along, making you beg for more, waiting to see what happens.
“She was best at night, the glint in her eye sparking once the sun went down.”
“Mushrooms. They’re everywhere, growing faster by the moment. That’s the music I’m hearing.”
Flesh, Fungi, & Farewell by Gwendolyn Kiste, featured in Dark Spores by Crone Girls Press.
Q (Crone Girls Press): What inspired your story in this anthology? Tell us the “story behind the story.”
A (Gwendolyn Kiste): My tale in the anthology is “Flesh, Fungi, & Farewell.” The story plays out almost as something of a fever dream. I wanted it to feel like a sequence out of a David Lynch movie or even the weird party scene in Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut. A strange and forbidden place where our narrator should never go. But of course, she goes anyway, because otherwise, we wouldn’t have a story. And not to spoil it or anything, but she runs into some very serious mushrooms along the way. So many mushrooms.
Q: Why do you write horror? What about the genre appeals to you as an author?
A: The world is such a scary place, and horror is a truly cathartic outlet for exploring that. We’re all haunted in our own ways, and horror gives us a way of dealing with our own ghosts.
Q: There are a number of different flavors of horror. Where does your story fit, and what drew you to this particular category?
A: My story definitely lives more in the quiet horror or even weird fiction category. Mushrooms are such unusual vegetation to begin with, so it seemed only fitting that my story would be as weird as the fungi that inspired it! There are also some hints of body horror in there as well; body horror has long been one of my favorite subgenres of horror, so anytime I can work it in, I always do!
Q: What do you love about mushrooms? What drew you to this anthology?
A: Honestly, my favorite thing about mushrooms is eating them! I’m definitely not brave enough to forage for them myself, but I’m more than happy to buy them at the store and cook them up for a burger or a side dish. In terms of what drew me to the anthology, I love the imagery of mushrooms and how they’ve been used in literature. My favorite book is We Have Always Lived in the Castle, and the story opens with Merricat describing how much she loves the deathcap mushroom. I was most certainly thinking of her when I was writing this story.
Q: When you’re not writing, what might we find you doing? (Free time or for a day job?)
A: Staring into the void mostly. After all, it’s an election year in America, so what else are any of us doing? In all seriousness, it’s been a long, strange year for me, so in my spare time, you can usually find me building puzzles or playing board games with my husband. More than ever, this year has taught me to enjoy the simpler things.
Q: What’s next in your writing journey?
A: I’m currently at work on several new books, including a novel, a short story collection, and a novella. I’ve also got several short stories coming out soon in anthologies. And as always, my nonfiction articles about the horror genre appear regularly at The Lineup. Basically, I’m always busy doing something horror-related, and I hope that’s true for a very long time to come.
About The Author
Gwendolyn Kiste is the author of The Rust Maidens, Reluctant Immortals, Boneset & Feathers, Pretty Marys All in a Row, and The Haunting of Velkwood. She’s a Lambda Literary Award winner as well as a three-time Bram Stoker Award winner. Originally from Ohio, she now resides on an abandoned horse farm outside of Pittsburgh with her husband, their excitable calico cat, and not nearly enough ghosts. Find her online at gwendolynkiste.com
Or on her Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky
Be sure to check out their story in Dark Spores
Crone Girls Press 