Poppy Z. Brite’s Exquisite Corpse
Happy Transgender Awareness Week, horror fam! To celebrate we’re doing a look back at a book by one of horror’s iconic trans authors, Poppy Z. Brite (Lost Souls, Wormwood, Drawing Blood).
If you’ve ever played a game of exquisite corpse where one artist or writer starts a picture or story and another adds to it to inevitably end up with something that’s both terrifying and surreal, odds are you’ve still probably never wondered what would happen if that artistic method was applied to serial killers. Well, you’re about to find out.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Exquisite Corpse is a no bars tour de force of the physiological depravities, gore, immorality, debauchery, and fatalism of two horrifying serial killers in the early 1990s gay scenes of London and New Orleans. Not only a horrifying portrait of heinous evil, but also a lushly crafted imagining of the serial killer’s victim. Deemed too extreme for publication at first, it got tossed around to different publishing houses before finally getting a release in the UK and the US in 1996.
The book switches between four uniquely intimate points of view.
The Players
Andrew Compton
“My name is Andrew Compton. Between 1977 and 1988 I killed twenty-three boys and young men in London. I was seventeen years old when I began, twenty-eight when they caught me. All the time I was in prison, I knew if they ever let me out I would continue killing boys.”
Andrew Compton should be a name as infamous as Hannibal Lector, only necrophilia isn’t quite as sexy as cannibalism (but more on that later). Compton has already been languishing in jail for 5 years for his crimes when we first meet him. But, rest assured, he’s not there for long. In what may be one of the most tense first chapters of any horror novel ever written, his break out and subsequent flight to America leaves a ghastly trail of blood-soaked victims in its wake. With nothing to lose, and a vow to die before he’d ever go back to prison, he quickly becomes one of the most dangerous men in the world. Compton is disturbingly smart and extremely self-aware, making his tightly controlled manner and homicidal personality that much more frightening to read about. He’s also always on the lookout for his next victim. In New Orleans he’s about to find that, so much more.
Tran
“How could he die in the middle of his great adventure?”
A young Vietnamese-American man living in two worlds entirely different worlds in early 1990s New Orleans. In one world Tran is the proper son of his traditional Vietnamese parents; helping at his parents’ café, spending time studying computer programming, and writing in his notebooks. In the other world, his world, he’s a drug dealer in the seedier parts of the French Quarter; going to raves and picking up men in the gay clubs. He’s living life on the edge without wanting to know whether or not he’s living or dying. He’s also got exceedingly bad taste in men, which makes him a perfect target for a particular type of bad man.
Luke Ransom
“He figured Lush Rimbaud was insane, probably had been for some time. But he was starting to wonder about Luke Ransom, too.”
30 year old writer, ex-lover of Tran, AIDS patient, and nightly shock jock Lush Rimbaud on pirate radio station WHIV broadcasting from the bayou spreading the truth of the Gay Plague; Luke couldn’t be more pissed at the world if he tried, and he does try. Everything he does comes with the caveat of not having enough time left. Not enough time to write his book. Not enough time to get Tran to forgive him. Or to forgive himself for trying to kill him. There’s some things though he’s not willing to let go of yet, and that includes Tran.
Jay Byrne
“His guests turned into friends after they were dead, but those friends were fathomable: they would always belong to him, because they could never leave.”
The playboy old money creep of the French Quarter. Jay enjoys his hobbies (exotically photographing boys, butchery and math) a little too much. Even though his money and being as careful as possible allows him to indulge his vices to his heart’s content, he knows something is missing. If only there was someone out there who could understand his proclivities the way he does. . . .
When a necrophiliac and a cannibal love each other very much . . . no babies, but lots and lots of bodies.
This book will absolutely be too much for some people. It’s and unforgiving at it is unforgettable. Not the kind of thing you can recommend to other people because that would be admitting you’ve read it yourself. It’s so hard to stomach in part because of the extreme content and brutality, but also because it’s so engrossing with its ability to unnerve you with wholly unsympathetic characters that are terribly flawed, yet understandable. You come to see how every character is fighting for survival in their own way. There’s an overriding theme of loneliness throughout the book that looms over all the actions people attempt in order to elevate it. Perhaps the most interesting part of the book is when Andrew and Jay finally meet and sense, for the first time in their lives, the mortifying ordeal of being known. Then there’s the other silent killer in the book, AIDS, which takes a fair share of victims. It may sound like a clique in 2020 to have a book about gay men dealing with serial killers and AIDS, but it lends a true sense of realism to the book in this case. Imagine a book set in 2020 that didn’t mention COVID. Exactly. This book truly is a snapshot in time.; a time where gay killers stalked gay men on the streets of New Orleans and London along side the looming threat of the AIDS virus.
If you’re a fan of the show Hannibal, if torture porn is your favorite genre of horror, if you would love a truly fascinating yet horrifying look into the minds of gay serial killers and their victims, or if you just love some messed up shit, then this might be a book for you. 4.5 out of 5 Cthulhu. Exquisite Corpse won’t be one you forget any time soon.
(4.5 / 5)
Ever wonder what would happen if a witch, a mythological dreamscape, and a kitchen disaster collided at full speed? Jennifer Weigel’s Let’s Do Lunch (Witch Hayzelle’s Recipes for Disaster Book 1) doesn’t just answer that question—it serves it up on a flaming silver platter with a side of snarky humor and alliterative goodness.
This fast-paced, genre-blending novella is part mythological adventure, part obsessive investigation (Moby Dick style), and part cookbook. Yes, you read that right. The book sprinkles in recipes—some of which might be surprisingly edible (looking at you, tofu dish). I think the mix of this worked really well. At times, and this might be because of my background, I thought that the book was pushing into Gargantuan territory and then it slipped back into a real recipe.
Where Let’s Do Lunch really shines is in its world-building. The mythology of dreams is an intriguing and immersive element that keeps the story grounded in a unique and whimsical lore. The characters, while more like vehicles for humor than deep personalities, fit well within the book’s quick and quirky style. There’s also a delightful meta-layer to the storytelling, making it feel self-aware in the best possible way.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Weigel, Jennifer (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Last update on 2025-01-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Another thing that worked really well, even on Kindle, is the art the author produces. The drawings really do make a lot of the book pop and work remarkably well in black and white (or paperwhite, as the case may be). Even the cover is a mix of void space set aside by white–the creation of art through erasure of darkness.
Kindle Caveat:
One small hiccup–if you’re reading the Kindle version, be prepared for footnotes that don’t always play nice with e-readers. They can be tricky to navigate, making it tough to appreciate some of the book’s side notes without breaking the flow. This is something the publisher seems to agree with (as the amazon page has a similar warning).
Overall and Score
Overall, Let’s Do Lunch is a light, fun read perfect for anyone who enjoys their fantasy with a heavy dose of humor and a sprinkle of culinary catastrophe. If the rest of the Recipes for Disaster series keeps up this level of playful mayhem, fans are in for a treat (or at least a hilarious food-related accident).
(4 / 5)
“It’s the thing they say about Tome. Everyone returns in the end-“
Lucy Foley’s 7th and newest page-turner was released in June 2024. The Midnight Feast, demonstrates to readers why her name keeps appearing on the New York Times best sellers list. Blending a mystery/ thriller story with folkloric horror, Foley had me sitting up past my bedtime and considering moving Tome.
- Audible Audiobook
- Lucy Foley (Author) – Joe Eyre, Sarah Slimani, Roly Botha (Narrators)
- English (Publication Language)
Last update on 2025-01-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Plot.
The Manor, an exclusive retreat nestled deep within the woods, opens its doors on a weekend of glitzy chaos. Founder Francesca Meadows, is the picture of serene wellness. A meditating, green juice-drinking, organic linen-wearing type, at least on the surface. The Manor was left to her by her Grandfa (no this is not a typo!) and she summered here as a teen.
Francesca is rather stressed because it is opening night and the construction is still in progress. The next stage in the renovation is the building of treehouses for guests to stay in. Inspired by one that Francesca had as a child. However, this means cutting down trees in the woods. Though this part of the woods is technically private property the locals are not happy, and neither are the strange bird-like creatures in the woods. These are Elder trees after all, and cutting them down would be bad luck without asking the trees’ permission first…
As a diverse cast descends upon The Manor, each harboring concealed pasts, the idyllic facade begins to crumble. Locals, masquerading as glamorous outsiders, mingle with the elite, revealing a web of interconnected secrets and unspoken resentments.
Beneath the veneer of tranquility lies a simmering undercurrent of tension, fueled by unspoken desires, long-buried grudges, and the unsettling feeling that everyone, in their own way, is seeking redemption at The Manor.
Highlights.
The Midnight Feast brims with subtle and insightful social commentary. One of the most compelling aspects is Foley’s ingenious portrayal of the affluent imitating the pagan, and vice versa. The elite, led by Francesca Meadows, strive to embrace “natural living” with white robes, floral headpieces, and a veneer of eco-consciousness. Ironically, they are aping the very rituals of the local townsfolk, who hold deep-rooted pagan beliefs. Meanwhile, these locals are donning formal attire and dropping their accents to navigate the social circles of The Manor. This fascinating dynamic, presented with understated humor, highlights the performative nature of social identity and the blurred lines between genuine connection and superficial imitation.
On a more profound level, Foley grapples with the complex issue of land ownership and the historical injustices it can perpetuate. Francesca Meadows, with her inherited wealth and privileged position, asserts absolute dominion over the land. She views it as her exclusive domain. She attempts to restrict access to the woods, a vital thoroughfare for the local community, sparking a conflict that raises important questions about land rights, historical dispossession, and the inherent unfairness of a system that allows a few to claim ownership over land that has been traditionally used and revered by others for generations.
Drawbacks.
My only criticism of this book is for something Foley is known for doing; 5+ points of view. There’s Bella, Owen, Francesca, Eddie, DI Walker, and local fishermen, then add to this journal entries from the summer of 2010 and it really does feel like you are drowning in the beginning. Despite this overwhelm, as you become more familiar with the characters it becomes easier to follow. Foley is excellent at making her characters’ voices distinct from one another. So much so that you almost don’t need the names at the top of the chapters. But buyer beware.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Foley, Lucy (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Last update on 2025-01-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Final Take.
Having thoroughly enjoyed all of Foley’s novels that I’ve read, I can confidently say that The Midnight Feast is a standout. The seamless integration of folkloric elements – a personal favorite – truly elevates the narrative. From the enigmatic markings to the otherworldly creatures lurking within the forest and the intriguing use of solstice as chapter markers, Foley masterfully weaves a captivating and atmospheric tale that kept me utterly engrossed. This is a true page-turner that I wholeheartedly recommend.
(5 / 5)
Published in January of 2024, This Wretched Valley is Jenny Kiefer’s debut novel and is a horror written for hikers, campers, and all of your general outdoorsy type people. Reminiscent of Scott Smith’s The Ruins, with a healthy helping of Adam Nevill’s The Ritual, This Wretched Valley is a story of restless and vengeful spirits with some spectacular body horror scenes you will not forget.
The Plot.
Set in Kentucky, This Wretched Valley’s main plot covers a week in March of 2019. The time-stamped chapters follow four college friends and their faithful Australian Shepherd. One of the four friends, Clay, has discovered a rock formation that appears to have never been climbed or explored. The group embark on an expedition that is part rock climbing exploration and part scientific research. From the moment they enter the valley at the base of the rock things don’t feel right. Their dog, Slade, is acting funny and the plant life grows in unusual varieties and patterns for this part of Kentucky.
After an accident climbing the rock things go from bad to worse, with strange apparitions appearing before them and dead animals being left at the edges of the camp. The worst thing is that despite following their GPS, they can’t seem to find their way back to the car. Tempers flare, but is it because of the situation they find themselves in, or is something influencing their emotions?
Highlights.
One of the highlights of This Wretched Valley is the short chapters that are dotted throughout the book. These chapters tell the stories of other people who came before our hikers, from other centuries, that suffered due to their presence in the valley. As the main chapters culminate the characters from the historical chapters begin to pop up in the present.
The descriptions of the injuries the hikers suffer, real and imagined, are excellent. Kiefer really knows how to make a reader squirm, if you enjoy blood and gore this book is for you. There is one scene in particular with a swarm of flies that I read twice.
Drawbacks.
I know it is a necessary evil in horror, that the main characters must miss things that may seem obvious to the reader for the story to build. I mean, if the hikers in This Wretched Valley picked up on how the dog was acting in the first chapter and left we wouldn’t have this excellent book. That being said, so many things begin to go wrong, but each is shrugged off or explained away. The ignorance of huge things that were happening right in front of them seemed a little too wilful. Perhaps we can give Kiefer the benefit of the doubt and assume that maybe this was the point, the wilfully ignorant get what they deserve.
Another grip I have with this book is the head-hopping. Rather than focus on one character in a chapter and reading their point of view, Kiefer has head hopped. Delivering various points of view within a chapter, sometimes within a paragraph. And that’s fine, many authors do this. However, at times it was hard to figure out who was seeing or thinking a particular thing. Going back to reread some paragraphs did help, but stopping in the middle of the action to reread is not ideal.
The Final Take.
While I’m not an avid outdoorsman myself – camping, hiking, and climbing aren’t my passions. I found myself thoroughly engaged with the descriptions of the natural world in this novel. Kiefer, a rock climbing enthusiast, clearly brings a genuine passion and expertise to her depictions of This Wretched Valley. I believe any reader who enjoys these pursuits will find a particular resonance in her writing.
For those interested, I discovered that Jenny Kiefer owns Butcher Cabin Books, a unique horror bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky. If you’re in the area perhaps pop in and explore a book store dedicated to the world of horror literature.
(4 / 5)
