Fascinated by Fungi After Watching The Last of Us? Read These Books.
Mushrooms are so hot right now. In 2023, mushrooms are trending in a big way, from the culinary scene to major hit TV shows and everywhere in between. Those in the know are calling the explosion of mushroom love the “mycelium movement,” fueled by a rising focus on sustainability and nature, retro nostalgia, and Gen Z. And of course, the mushroom madness can also be embraced by book lovers! From mycological nonfiction to psychedelic fantasy and trippy sci-fi, mushrooms are popping up on bookstores shelves. If you’re ready to hop aboard the mycelium movement, check out these books about mushrooms.
Nonfiction Books About Mushrooms
Today, Ian Purkayastha runs a foraging and exotic food supply company that provides fresh truffles and other delicacies to over 90% of Michelin starred restaurants in the U.S. But his mushroom-based empire comes from humble beginnings, when he learned to forage for mushrooms as a teenager with his uncle in Fayetteville, Arkansas. In this memoir, Purkayastha tells the story of his obsession with exotic ingredients, how he became a supplier for some of the biggest chefs in the country, and the unexpected secrets of the truffle industry.
In recent years, foraging has become a hugely popular hobby (partially in thanks to TikTok foraging sensation Alexis Nikole). But while there are many benefits to foraging for mushrooms, there are also risks. How can someone new to foraging make sure the mushrooms they find are safe to eat? Many foraging guides are written by mycologists, for mycologists. That’s why author Frank Hyman created this guide for foraging beginners. He introduces readers to 29 of the most commonly found wild mushrooms and provides easy rules of thumb like, “If it’s hollow, you can swallow.”
While this book may not be solely about mushrooms, its discussion of fungi in alcoholic spirits and cocktails will definitely show you just how versatile mushrooms can be. Through a fascinating blend of chemistry, biology, history, and mixology, author Amy Stewart takes readers on a tour of the many trees, fruits, flowers, and other plants that help create liquors and cocktails. If you’re interested in the many unexpected ways plants and fungi impact our lives, and especially if you appreciate a fancy drink, this is a must-read.
If you’re reading about mushrooms, decorating with mushrooms, and watching tv shows about mushrooms, you should probably learn to cook with them too! This cookbook is full of delicious wild and cultivated mushroom recipes for appetizers, soups, salads, entrées, and sauces. Whether you find your mushrooms through foraging or on grocery shelves, Rita Rosenberg has great tips for tasty creations.
Fiction Books About Mushrooms
Part of the fun of today’s mushroom madness is the nostalgia from mid-century fungi fascination. If you enjoy some retro sci-fi, the 1950s Mushroom Planet series by Eleanor Cameron is a total joy to read. When two boys build a homemade rocket ship, they ride it to a small moon orbiting the Earth that they’re surprised to find covered with enormous mushrooms as big as trees. Can the Mushroom Planet and its strange fungi help them save Earth?
All I can say without spoilers here is: there’s a fungus among us. This dystopian horror novel isn’t your average zombie story. It’s told from the perspective of Melanie, an exceptionally smart and talented little girl in a strange post-apocalyptic school for children infected with a zombie-like disease who retain human intelligence. The school is the only place Melanie and her classmates have ever known. But as more and more of her fellow students disappear to “the lab” and never come back, she wonders if she’ll be next.
Susie Dumond is a senior contributor at Book Riot and the author of Queerly Beloved. You can find her on Instagram at @susiedoom.