The stories in What Blooms in the Dark imagine worlds where nature is magic, queer love transcends universes, and relationships pulse with the fear of inevitable grief. Capitalism preserves ghosts and produces cyborgs. Women are inspired by cicadas' screaming songs and sparrows that transform into light. Each story puts into question the circumstances of the character's life and what that means about their connections with everything around them, from the minutiae of flora and fauna to the very mechanics of the universe itself.