Laura Smith
Little Mushroom is a Chinese sci-fi and danmei novel by Shisi. It is set in a world where humanity is nearly wiped out by cosmic radiation, and the remaining humans struggle to survive in man-made bases. The novel follows the story of a sentient mushroom, An Zhe, who takes on a human form and seeks to retrieve his spore from a human base. As he gets closer to the base, his risk of death increases as he tries to keep his non-human nature hidden from the Judges, whose job is to eliminate xenogenics like himself. The novel explores themes of human survival, mutation, and the fleetingness of life. With its unique premise and exploration of human nature, Little Mushroom has gained a following among readers, leaving them to wonder if the story is truly complete.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sci-fi and danmei novel |
| Author | Shisi |
| Plot | A sentient mushroom, An Zhe, takes on a human form and name after being nourished by the blood and flesh of a deceased human. An Zhe seeks to retrieve his spore from a human base, but his risk of death increases as he gets closer. |
| Themes | Dark and depressing undertones, death, human survival, romance, and human emotions |
| Mood | Emotional |
| Tone | Serious, with some teasing and subtle affection |
| Setting | A decaying universe, over a century after the apocalyptic disappearance of Earth's geomagnetic field |
| Publication Date | May 2026 |
| Price | $19.99 (standard edition), $29.99 (special edition) |
| Language | English, French, Chinese |
| Format | Paperback and ebook |
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What You'll Learn
- Little Mushroom is a sci-fi and danmei novel by Shisi
- The story is set in a world where humanity is nearly wiped out by cosmic radiation
- An Zhe is a sentient mushroom who takes on a human form
- An Zhe seeks to retrieve his spore, which was harvested by humans
- The novel explores themes of human survival, mutation, and interspecies romance
Little Mushroom is a sci-fi and danmei novel by Shisi
An Zhe's journey is filled with challenges and dangers. He embarks on a mission to infiltrate the Northern Base, the human base that An Ze originally belonged to, in search of his spore, which was taken by humans. However, the Northern Base is under the watchful eye of the Trial Court's judges and their Arbiter, Lu Feng, a merciless soldier who executes anyone suspected of being a mutant without hesitation. An Zhe must navigate this treacherous landscape, keeping his non-human identity a secret while facing the ever-present risk of discovery and death.
The novel delves into themes of human survival, morality, and the indomitable human spirit. It explores the fine line between resisting foreign genes to preserve uniquely human qualities and the animalistic methods employed by humans to ensure their survival. Little Mushroom is a Silver Award winner at the 12th Chinese Nebula Awards for Chinese Science Fiction. It has captivated readers with its emotional depth, unique protagonist, and exploration of the fleetingness and fragility of life.
Little Mushroom has also sparked discussions about its genre classification. While it falls under the danmei category, some readers expected a stronger focus on romance. The novel features subtle romantic elements, with teasing and subtle affections between An Zhe and Lu Feng, adding a layer of complexity to the story. The ending of the novel is described as happy, providing a sense of closure to readers.
Little Mushroom has been praised for its well-crafted world-building, pacing, and writing. It has gained a dedicated following, with readers expressing their love for the story and its ability to evoke a range of emotions. The novel has been adapted into Chinese audio dramas, enhancing the experience with high-quality production, voice acting, and background music. The audio format has added another dimension to the story, allowing listeners to immerse themselves in the captivating world of Little Mushroom.
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The story is set in a world where humanity is nearly wiped out by cosmic radiation
Little Mushroom is a novel set in a world where humanity has been nearly wiped out by cosmic radiation. The story takes place over a century after the Earth's geomagnetic field disappeared, causing radical climate change and exposing humans to deadly levels of radiation. As a result, the remaining humans struggle to survive in man-made bases, now under constant threat from mutated xenogenics.
Down in the Abyss, a home to these mutated xenogenics, there lives a sentient mushroom named An Zhe. An Zhe came to be when a regular mushroom was nourished by the flesh and blood of a deceased human named An Ze, causing it to take on a human form and name. An Zhe is determined to venture to the human base to retrieve his spore, which was harvested by humans. However, the closer he gets to the base, the higher his risk of death becomes as he tries to keep his non-human identity a secret from the Judges, whose sole purpose is to inspect and eliminate xenogenics.
An Zhe's mutation initially goes undetected by Colonel Lu Feng, the most perceptive and merciless of the Judges. Lu Feng knows that An Zhe is different and keeps him under constant watch, even as the two develop an interspecies romance. An Zhe is unique in that he appears to be immune to infection and his spore remains unchanged, even when scientists attempt to mutate it. This immunity proves crucial as it allows him to transmit his immunity to all life on Earth, ultimately saving humanity from extinction.
The novel explores themes of human survival, death, and the fleetingness and fragility of life. It is a story of how a little mushroom gradually acquires more human emotions and learns about what it means to be human. With its dark and depressing undertones, Little Mushroom takes readers on an emotional journey, making them laugh and cry while pondering the nature of humanity.
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An Zhe is a sentient mushroom who takes on a human form
In the sci-fi and danmei novel Little Mushroom, An Zhe is a sentient mushroom who takes on a human form. The story is set in a world where, in the year 2020, humanity was nearly wiped out by cosmic radiation. Over the next century, living creatures mutated, and the remaining humans struggled to survive in man-made bases.
An Zhe, a tiny white mushroom, absorbs the genes of a dying human named An Ze, taking on his form and adopting a similar name. An Zhe's human form looks almost identical to An Ze, with soft black hair and eyes of the same colour. However, there are some differences in their appearances, such as An Zhe lacking An Ze's gentle and calm expression.
As a result of absorbing An Ze's genes, An Zhe also gains his memories and a human consciousness. He inherits An Ze's skills and knowledge, including the ability to describe things "based on human aesthetics." An Zhe's curiosity and naivete lead him to explore the human world, specifically the Northern Base, a foreign place to him. He embarks on a journey to find his missing spore, which was taken from him by humans.
An Zhe's quest takes place amidst the backdrop of a decaying universe, where humanity is facing its final trial. The Northern Base is under threat from mutated animals and xenogenics, and An Zhe must keep his true identity hidden from the Judges, who are tasked with eliminating non-humans. Despite the risks, An Zhe perseveres, and his interactions with the other characters, particularly Colonel Lu Feng, an Arbiter and Judge, drive the narrative forward.
The novel explores themes of human survival, emotion, and the fleetingness of life. It has been described as a bittersweet ending and a happy ending, with a subtle romance between An Zhe and Lu Feng.
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An Zhe seeks to retrieve his spore, which was harvested by humans
In the year 2020, humanity was nearly wiped out by cosmic radiation. Over the next hundred years, the remaining humans struggled to survive in man-made bases as living creatures began to mutate and turn on each other. In the Abyss, a home to mutated xenogenics, there lived a sentient mushroom. This mushroom, named An Zhe, took on a human form and a human name, An Ze, after being nourished by the blood and flesh of its deceased host.
An Zhe is determined to retrieve his spore, which was harvested by humans from the Northern Base. To do so, he must venture into the human base, putting himself at risk of discovery and death. The further he ventures, the higher his risk of death becomes. An Zhe must keep his non-human nature hidden from the Judges, whose responsibility it is to inspect and eliminate xenogenics like himself.
Of all the Judges, Colonel Lu Feng is the most perceptive and merciless. He knows there is something off about An Zhe and refuses to let him out of his sight. Despite this, An Zhe's mutation goes undetected by Lu Feng, and he manages to escape the human base. However, with the retrieval of his spore, An Zhe is now closer than ever to being discovered as a xenogenic.
As dissident thorns borne from the Garden of Eden pierce through civilization's peaceful facade, An Zhe seizes the opportunity to flee the human base. He takes on a human form thanks to the genes of An Ze, whose life he had tried to save. An Zhe's journey is a tale of humans and xenogenics, love and survival, in a decaying universe.
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The novel explores themes of human survival, mutation, and interspecies romance
Little Mushroom is a sci-fi and danmei novel by Shisi. It is set in a world where, in the year 2020, humanity was nearly wiped out by cosmic radiation. In the following century, living creatures began to mutate, and the few remaining humans struggled to survive in man-made bases.
An Zhe is unique in that he appears to be immune to infection and mutation, even when exposed to the harsh post-apocalyptic environment. This immunity plays a crucial role in the novel's exploration of human survival, as it ultimately allows him to transmit his immunity to all life on Earth, preventing humanity's complete extinction.
The theme of mutation is central to the plot, as the loss of the Earth's geomagnetic field has led to radical climate changes, cosmic radiation exposure, and genetic mutations. An Zhe himself is a product of this mutated world, having transformed into a human-like form due to nourishment from the flesh and blood of a deceased human, An Ze.
Interspecies romance develops between An Zhe, a mushroom xenogenic, and Lu Feng, a human Judge. Despite Lu Feng's role as a merciless eliminator of xenogenics, he finds himself drawn to An Zhe, unable to reveal his true nature even as he suspects that An Zhe is not entirely human. Their relationship adds complexity to the themes of human survival and mutation, blurring the lines between humans and mutated life forms.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Little Mushroom is a completed novel.
Little Mushroom is a sci-fi and danmei novel by Shisi. It is set in a world where humanity is nearly wiped out by cosmic radiation and surviving humans struggle to survive in man-made bases. The story follows a sentient mushroom, An Zhe, who takes on a human form and seeks to retrieve his spore from a human base.
The main conflict in Little Mushroom arises as An Zhe tries to keep his non-human nature hidden from the Judges, who are responsible for inspecting and eliminating xenogenics like himself.
Little Mushroom has a bittersweet ending. While humanity avoids complete extinction and xenogenics become accepted, countless lives have been lost, and human civilization cannot return to its former glory.
