This is a book about fungi, a biological Kingdom of equal status to the Kingdoms of animals and plants, but one that has never attracted blockbuster television treatments accompanied by a full symphony orchestra. Richard Fortey will focus on a selection of the larger fungi (macrofungi), the kind that might be spotted on a country walk. He will delve into a handful of microfungi that have particularly caught his attention – focuses on just a few of those species that have made him think or wonder – his own Close Encounters – on a lifetime’s journey through a vast Kingdom. Some science will be introduced, particularly where DNA sequencing has cast new light on old problems, but it is the unique charm of the mushrooms themselves that is centre stage.