The Hungry Earth is no doubt a homage to the small-town horror novels of the '80s and early '90s. If I hadn't known when it was published, I would think that I would have picked up this novel at a thrift shop or used bookstore. It's that kind of good. The synopsis is straightforward and you won't find very many surprises when it comes to the fate of characters or the plot, but that's the beauty of it. It's a mycelium Invasion of the Body Snatchers when the townspeople are overrun by the fungus. It's a mycologist's nightmare and one with its basis in science fiction, or is it? There's nothing scarier than fiction with its basis in fact and The Hungry Earth is a suspenseful, eco-horror that turns into the best kind of '80s horror at its core.