Sporeville.

Anne Hutchings is a public-school teacher and librarian in Ajax,
Ontario.

Dr. Graven has unexpectedly decided to relocate from Kingston to the small village of Spohrville, Nova Scotia. The reasons given for his hasty decision are that the sea air will improve his son Elliott’s health and a change of scenery will help them both cope with the loss of Elliott’s mother.

Elliott expects to be bored in Spohrville. What he does not anticipate is the strange behaviour of the townspeople who, with their unseeing eyes, appear to be sleepwalking, the proliferation of mushrooms growing in the area, and the higher than normal incidence of flesh wounds, broken bones, and even deaths among the population. Only the DeLoups, whose home is a fort overlooking Spohrville and who are themselves a rather unusual family, seem unaffected.

Soon Dr. Graven’s behaviour begins to mimic that of the townsfolk. Concerned and curious, Elliott enlists the help of Paisley DeLoup to solve the mystery.

Even for a science fiction story, the plot of Sporeville seems a bit far-fetched. The reason for the bizarre behaviour of the good folk of Spohrville lies with Professor Heywood Strange, perhaps more mad than strange. It seems that he has been releasing mushroom spores into the atmosphere, which, when inhaled, make people more suggestible. In this manner, the professor has gained control over the townsfolk, forcing them to do his bidding.

The portrayal of Elliott is less than believable. At just 15, it would seem unlikely that he would act as his father’s assistant. Certainly, his use of vocabulary such as “heterochromia iridum” and “blepharospasm” is highly unusual.

Sporeville will undoubtedly appeal to many junior and intermediate grade level lovers of sci-fi. With its numerous historical references, such as the Civil War era Andersonville Camp and Fort Henry, further research is a definite possibility.

Sporeville, we are told, is the first book in the series “The Wellborn Conspiracy.” The first chapter of Book 2 is included at the end as a bonus feature along with an excerpt from another book from the same publisher. Recommended with reservations.