Little Mushroom: Chapters 1-3 (EN) or 1-4 (CH)

[x_los]

Welcome to week 1's "Little Mushroom" (小蘑菇) discussion for English chapters 1-3 of Book 1 and Chinese chapters 1-4 (inclusive). This spreadsheet contains the schedule and concordances of the chapter endings across the Chinese and English versions. There's an associated Discord server (ask superborb for an invite if you'd like one), and we'll be running comment posts here.

This discussion will wrap up and next week's will begin on April 17th.

Chinese text
English text

SPOILER POLICY: I personally don't give a fuck or even like to give unearned credence to the concept, so since I'm writing the post, anything's fair game.

Comments

Chapter 1, EN

[x_los]

This doesn't sound as though decomposition is proceeding at the normal speed. This flora is working overtime.

The time jump is very rough. I expect this now with translated Chinese prose, but it's still a wincer.

It's interesting that the proximity of this piece (in terms of its initial posting/production conditions and reception space) to xuanhuan, et al., gives the premise a shape and the story a choice of POV character that analogous Western texts don't readily arrive at. This set up is reminiscent of fantasy scenarios wherein a plant cultivates and, en route, develops a human form.

Chapter 2, EN

[x_los]

I wanna say this is like "Annihilation", but "Annihilation" is itself kind of reminiscent of source-texts like "The King of Elfland's Daughter". I wonder what influences, if any, this shares with Vandermeer.

Chapter 3, EN

[x_los]

It's a little surprising that An Zhe has a conception of non-reproductive human sexuality and a specific distaste for this instance of it as an invasion of his person. What's leading him to kind of replicate human chastity norms? Is that all just borrowed from An Zhe's consciousness? I could see him having his own reasons for this aversion, but it'd be good to learn a bit more about those.

Re: Chapter 3, EN

[satbiym]

Interesting catch! I tried to go back to chap 3 and couldn't find this hint in the text. What tipped you off?

There is A Reason I can think of that is revealed later in the second book (which speaks more of... inherent familiarity with the opposite, so it's like - he never contemplated any alternatives to his own life experiences - which is an interesting parallel to his outside-looking-in observations on human behavior).

But I think just based on An Ze's memories (+his probably similar interactions with people similar to Hosen) and Hosen's general bad touch vibes and actions, since An Zhe seems to be forming generalizations about humans and human experiences based on his first interaction with humans, it makes some kind of sense - where he sees Hosen as being "greedy" and taking things which aren't his to take and he thinks maybe all non-reproductive human sexuality is like that since it's his only frame of reference.

Re: Chapter 3, EN

[x_los]

Mm, I think more--why has something that's only become human a few minutes ago internalised 'sexual assault' as a possible and special category of violence, I guess? Like why does he know not to want this advance? Maybe it's something An Zhe 1.0 wouldn't have desired, but does it follow that this An Zhe would care? It's like he understands sexual assault like a socialised human would, and idk why a fungi would have that as a baseline understanding of the situation.

Re: Chapter 3, EN

[satbiym]

ah, got what you mean.

I don't think he explicitly knew what was happening or what Hosen wanted to do. Through all his interactions with Hosen, An Zhe kept thinking of Hosen acting like a predator who wanted to eat him ("But humans don't eat each other" was something he thought).
And all he says is "Don't." when Hosen approached him

I see it more as prey instinct of danger or some kind of subconscious sense that something is not quite right. As a sentient mushroom who has lived in the abyss his whole life and seen predators of the highest degree. He kinda knew to be on guard.

I don't think he saw it as sexual assault per say, with all the context that requires. I bet if Hosen hadn't given off those bad touch vibes and just normalized his actions without his monologuing An Zhe wouldn't have seen it as something which was an invasion of his person.

Chap 3 | EN

[satbiym]

I find it interesting + realistic the subtle ways in which it is communicated that when it comes to survival, the surviving humans are able to ignore their distaste for certain behaviors.

Like with Hosen. Vance hinted he knew what kind of crimes Hosen was capable of, how Hosen had picked out An Zhe and yet. He didn't do anything to prevent it from happening?? he even said "what did Hosen do? did he bully you?" and followed it with "his death was not unjust"

And Vance mentioned that were there any other options he wouldn't have chosen to work with Hosen

There is this sentiment of: when there are no choices, even the devil can become your comrade and also a kind of. pretending not to see what's right in front of you.

It's realistic in some ways. Because humans can adapt to anything when it becomes a matter of survival.

There is the obvious question of: if you let go of everything that makes you human, what is now worth preserving? and is your species's way of life worth protecting?