Botanica Fantastica

Description

Botanica Fantastica brings to life the astonishing fictional plant and fungi creations of some of the world's favourite authors and creators.

Every self-respecting fantasy or supernatural imagining has its own botanical world full of characterful species, with powers and features that have become iconic. Join culture writer Alison Flood on a journey around Middle Earth, Panem, Sunnydale, the Upside Down and more, discovering the origins of 50 curious creations, from ents and mandrakes to triffids and nirnroot.

Over 100 beautiful illustrations of these fantastical species by artist Emma Tudor-Bloch are accompanied by expert text and historical images from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, exploring the real-life plants and fungi that inspired the fantasy.

CONTENTS INCLUDE:
– Nightlock, The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
– Weirwood trees, A Song of Ice and Fire, George R.R. Martin
– Firemoss, Cosmere universe, Brandon Sanderson
– Ents, Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien
– Lethe's bramble, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
– Tesla trees, Hyperion Cantos, Dan Simmons
– Redweed, The War of the Worlds, H.G. Wells
– Vines, Zahrah, Nnedi Okorafor
– Wheel trees, The Amber Spyglass, Philip Pullman
– The World Tree, The Broken Kingdoms, NK Jemisin
– Moly, Circe, Madeleine Miller
– Fungus, The Last of Us
– Vines, Stranger Things
– Nirnroot, Elder Scrolls