A Botanical Daughter

By: Noah Medlock

Narrated by: Keval Shah

It is an unusual thing, to live in a botanical garden. But Simon and Gregor are an unusual pair of gentlemen. Hidden away in their glass sanctuary from the disapproving tattle of Victorian London, they are free to follow their own interests without interference. For Simon, this means long hours in the dark basement workshop, working his taxidermical art. Gregor's business is exotic plants-lucrative, but harmless enough. Until his latest acquisition, a strange fungus which shows signs of intellect beyond any plant he's seen, inspires him to attempt a masterwork: true intelligent life from plant matter.

Driven by the glory he'll earn from the Royal Horticultural Society for such an achievement, Gregor ignores the flaws in his plan: that intelligence cannot be controlled; that plants cannot be reasoned with; and that the only way his plant-beast will flourish is if he uses a recently deceased corpse for the substrate.

The experiment-or Chloe, as she is named-outstrips even Gregor's expectations, entangling their strange household. But as Gregor's experiment flourishes, he wilts under the cost of keeping it hidden from jealous eyes. The mycelium grows apace in this sultry greenhouse. But who is cultivating whom?

©2024 Noah Medlock (P)2024 Tantor

Makes your imagination wonder!

I enjoyed it! It took a bit to get into it and once I did I was hooked!!

I liked the Frankenstein-esque being, set up by plants this time

For what it was, it was well written and a nice story, though it did not suit the genre it’s been placed in. Nothing “horror” about it.

Highs and Lows (Spoilers) 4/10

I really enjoyed the narrator's performance but the plot lost me when Jenny and Chloe are intimate. The descriptions of the act are vile and took away from the book. Also, Gregor was just a terrible partner all around.

Comforting, beautiful, strange horror

Really good. A beautiful and horrifying story. I love horror like this that you can read or listen to over and over.

Odd….

This sounded to me like a bit of a botanical Frankenstein but it took a weird turn with not just necrophilia, but also dendrophilia. Overall, this story is a bit bizarre and kind of gross.