A spider seized by a Cordyceps fungus infection becomes a chilling emblem of parasitic domination in the natural world! Cordyceps—renowned for its grim mastery over insects and arachnids—invades the spider’s body, infiltrating its nervous system and rewriting its instincts. No longer in control, the spider is compelled to climb—to seek out a high or hidden place, such as the shadowy corner of a basement ceiling—and anchor itself in place. What follows is a slow, grotesque metamorphosis. As the f