Fruiting Bodies

Stories

By: Kathryn Harlan

Narrated by: Heather Masters

This genre-bending debut collection of stories constructs eight eerie worlds full of desire, wisdom, and magic blooming amidst decay.

In stories that beckon and haunt, Fruiting Bodies ranges confidently from the fantastical to the gothic to the uncanny, as it follows characters—mostly queer, mostly women—on the precipice of change. In “The Changeling”, two young cousins wait in dread for a new family member to arrive, convinced that he may be a dangerous supernatural creature. In “Endangered Animals”, Jane prepares to say good-bye to her almost-love while they road trip across a country irrevocably altered by climate change. In the title story, partners Agnes and Geb feast peacefully on the mushrooms that sprout from Agnes’s body—until an unwanted male guest disturbs their cloistered home.

For listeners of Carmen Maria Machado and Karen Russell, Fruiting Bodies offers stories about knowledge in a world on the verge of collapse, knowledge that alternately empowers or devastates. Pulling beautifully, brazenly, from a variety of literary traditions, Kathryn Harlan firmly establishes herself as a thrilling new voice in fiction.

©2022 Kathryn Harlan (P)2022 OrangeSky Audio

thought provoking

all of the stories in this collection are beautifully crafted. The story fruiting bodies in particular gave me a new perspective into Jealousy. Harlan unfolds this concept in a way that has opened my understanding into the other half of my relationships. Thank you for this gift. I will be reading it again.

Beautiful queer life experience + climate grief

I enjoyed the beauty and poignant imagery of these stories. Evocative. Fascinating in the grossness and unpleasant aspects. Good narration for Audible.

I so enjoyed this

I’m not usually into short stories but these kept me burning through them! Narration is also very captivating and well done.