The Destroying Angel, amanita virosa, is among the most toxic of fungus. This brilliant white mushroom was the initial idea behind "Destroying Angel".Originally, the plot was to be poisonous mushrooms against edible/medicinal mushrooms...the problem was that there were only a hand full of really toxic mushrooms, and the number of edible and medicinal shrooms far outnumbered them, then there were non-edible, but non-toxic mushrooms to account for...
I quickly changed the characters in the story to be based on the actual characteristics and environments of the individual species they were based on.
And so, Destroying Angel became the main hero character, rather than a villain.
Chantrelle, Boletus, Matsutake, and other well known mushrooms had soon changed sides, and insects and slugs were introduced as characters playing major roles in the relationships mushrooms have with one another, and their environments...
Following this change to the story, I found myself suddenly immersed in mushroom research...for the next two years!
Days were spent hunting and photographing mushrooms and their surroundings on a Macro level. Nights consisted of researching the comparisons and differences and where and why and HOW these amazing organizms live and thrive.
By 2009, I had written a story in Ten Volumes, and created eight Hero characters, and as many villainous fungi...along with insect and various other forest creatures who play a part in this world beneath our feet, and are involved in lies, deceipt, war and love...the concept was far from what I had envisioned initially...I quickly changed the characters in the story to be based on the actual characteristics and environments of the individual species they were based on.
And so, Destroying Angel became the main hero character, rather than a villain.
Chantrelle, Boletus, Matsutake, and other well known mushrooms had soon changed sides, and insects and slugs were introduced as characters playing major roles in the relationships mushrooms have with one another, and their environments...
Following this change to the story, I found myself suddenly immersed in mushroom research...for the next two years!
Days were spent hunting and photographing mushrooms and their surroundings on a Macro level. Nights consisted of researching the comparisons and differences and where and why and HOW these amazing organizms live and thrive.
