Doomtime

Far in the future, the numbers of mankind have dwindled. One small population lives in a cave-ridden cliff, their needs supplied by machines they no longer understand. Strange red and green trees, all named either Tedron or Krake, begin springing up nearby, promising healing and refreshment for the mind and body...for a price. Tree-dipping: the total immersion of one's body in the trunk of the tree, leaves the human's mind vulnerable to the vegetable force. What are the original Tedron and Krake up to? And what can humans do against the arborified forces of Nature? This is one of the weirdest of Piserchia's books, and depicts a druid's worst nightmare. Great reading, though. I wish I had a tame Tedron or Krake nearby, and a friendly bug-snapper (who was no doubt inspired by Birdman's sidekick/eagle Avenger, who can be seen in reruns on CArtoon Network). I still get a chill every time I pass by a dying, red-needled lodgepole pine.