A cosmic tale about metaphysical existentialism, body horror and a lot of mold. 

• Entertainment factor: ★★★★★
• Gross factor: ★★★★★
• Cosmic horror factor: ★★★★★
• Body horror factor: ★★★★★
• Symbolism factor: ★★★★★
• Originality factor: ★★★★★

House of Rot is a cosmic horror novella with fungi horror, body horror and existential horror with characters that serve the plot. It’s an entertaining, gross read, but has more to say when you read between the lines.

It consists of 125 pages

Plot

Elenya and Myles move into the only apartment they could afford. When they are bringing their stuff in everything seems okay. But in a kitchen cabinet they find mold. That night Elenya hears footsteps and thinks there’s someone in their apartment but there’s nobody. 

The next day the mold from the kitchen seems to have spread through the house. There is even fungus growing everywhere, and when they want to leave, the lock of the door has been overgrown by fungus and mold without any possibility to open it. They try to clean it, scrub all the mold and fungus away but it’s no use. The windows are also overgrown with mold and fungus and they are trapped. Their whole apartment is consumed by mold. 

They reach out to their apparently only neighbor Brad to get help. But he is acting like a nuisance. Though he says he has called the emergency number, nobody shows up. They have no other option than to wait while slowly the mold and fungus starts to consume them as well. 

Continue reading below this announcement.

Short Review

It is  story that unravels in a quick but unlikely way. The mold and fungus spreads fast, unstoppable and unremovable. It isolates them quickly from the outside world, leaving them on their own, creating a claustrophobic and fatalist feels, with no help in sight. This isolation creates an apocalyptic feel. 

Both Elenya and Myles seem to be very passive, like they are embracing their fate. They quickly accept what is going on, likely because as soon as the apartment is being taken over, it’s also already happening to them. The neighbor Brad is also a strange man. He doesn’t feel like a man at all. He sits by their window outside talking and drinking beer, like it’s a normal day and nothing weird is happening. The mold and fungus is unremovable and takes over their apartment, their lives and their bodies and their minds. 

It creates an uncanny, weird cosmic horror atmosphere that often feels gross and sometimes frustrating because of the apathy. It also does have some dark humorous tone, mainly because of what is happening is too crazy, too absurd.

But above all it’s a metaphysical and existential story about existence itself. While they worry about not being able to afford anything nicer and bigger and dream of their dream house and dream life, their own existence is being questioned in the whole scheme of things. It’s about creating your own identity, surrendering to it and being led to freedom. 

While the fungus that is ever consuming and controlling can be a symbol for capitalism, ever wanting more, like Elenya and Miles, they now themselves are being consumed by that dream. When they however let go of that dream of capitalism, they are set free and eventually get what they want. Or do they? 

What is happening is a real phenomenon in nature. Fungal symbiosis is a mutual beneficial relationship where fungi colonize plant roots. It is called mycorrhiza. Elenya and Myles become symbiotic with the mold, when realizing this, it results in a horrifying ending.

House of Rot offers a cosmic horror story, with body horror and characters that are a plot device for a deeper meaning concerning existentialism.