Edward Lee and John Pelan have cooked up yet another tasty treat. They will whet your appetite with a delectable trip to the Pacific Northwest in search of the rare Crackjaw Eel. This romp through the woods is flavored with inbred rednecks, sauced with generous helpings of sex, and topped with an ending that’s sure to have food critics raving the world over. Only those with strong stomachs and a taste for heavy spice should attempt this meal.
In FAMILY TRADITION, Lee and Pelan show that there are far more terrible things lurking in the rain forests of the Pacific Northwest than amphetamine-crazed rednecks...secrets man was not meant to sample.
Indulge yourself and enjoy the sumptuous haute cuisine served up by these two masters of guerilla gastronomic outrage. Not only will you think twice before visiting the woods again, you just might never look at food in quite the same way.
From the duo that brought you Goon, Shifters, and the cult favorite Splatterspunk, FAMILY TRADITION is a feast of the senses that is best devoured before it devours you.
Edward Lee is an American novelist specializing in the field of horror, and has authored 40 books, more than half of which have been published by mass-market New York paperback companies such as Leisure/Dorchester, Berkley, and Zebra/Kensington. He is a Bram Stoker award nominee for his story "Mr. Torso," and his short stories have appeared in over a dozen mass-market anthologies, including THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES OF 2000, Pocket's HOT BLOOD series, and the award-wining 999. Several of his novels have sold translation rights to Germany, Greece, and Romania. He also publishes quite actively in the small-press/limited-edition hardcover market; many of his books in this category have become collector's items. While a number of Lee's projects have been optioned for film, only one has been made, HEADER, which was released on DVD to mixed reviews in June, 2009, by Synapse Films.
Lee is particularly known for over-the-top occult concepts and an accelerated treatment of erotic and/or morbid sexual imagery and visceral violence. He was born on May 25, 1957 in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Bowie, Maryland. In the late-70s he served in the U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division, in Erlangen, West Germany, then, for a short time, was a municipal police officer in Cottage City, Maryland. Lee also attended the University of Maryland as an English major but quit in his last semester to pursue his dream of being a horror novelist. For over 15 years, he worked as the night manager for a security company in Annapolis, Maryland, while writing in his spare time. In 1997, however, he became a full-time writer, first spending several years in Seattle and then moving to St. Pete Beach, Florida, where he currently resides.
Of note, the author cites as his strongest influence horror legend H. P. Lovecraft; in 2007, Lee embarked on what he calls his "Lovecraft kick" and wrote a spate of novels and novellas which tribute Lovecraft and his famous Cthulhu Mythos. Among these projects are THE INNSWICH HORROR, "Trolley No. 1852," HAUNTER OF THE THRESHOLD, GOING MONSTERING, "Pages Torn From A Travel Journal," and "You Are My Everything." Lee promises more Lovecraftian work on the horizon.
Bibliography
Nightbait (1982) written under the pseudonym Philip Straker Nightlust (1982) written under the pseudonym Philip Straker Ghouls (1988) Coven (1991) Incubi (1991) Succubi (1992) The Chosen (1993) Creekers (1994) Sacrifice (1995) written under the pseudonym Richard Kinion Header (1995) Goon (1996) with John Pelan The Bighead (1997) Shifters (1998) with John Pelan Portrait of the Psychopath as a Young Woman (1998) with Elizabeth Steffen Splatterspunk: The Micah Hays Stories (1998) with John Pelan "Masks" (1999) "Operator B" (1999): Cemetery Dance Publications. Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover and 450-copy limited hardcover. "Dahmer's Not Dead" with Elizabeth Steffen (1999): Cemetery Dance Publications. Published as a 52-copy leather-bound hardcover and 1000-copy limited hardcover. "The Stickmen" (1999): Cemetery Dance Publications. Published as a 52-copy leather-bound hardcover and 1000-copy limited hardcover. "The Deaths of the Cold War Kings: The Assassinations of Diem & JFK" with Bradley O'Leary (2000): Cemetery Dance Publications. "City Infernal" (2001): Cemetery Dance Publications. Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover and 1000-copy limited hardcover. (April 2002): Leisure Books. Published as a Mass Market Paperback. "Mr. Torso" (2002): Published as a 52-copy hardcover and 300-copy limited softcover. "Sex, Drugs and Power Tools" (2002) "Family Tradition" (2002) with John Pelan "Monstrosity" (2002): Cemetery Dance Publications. Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover and 1000-copy limited hardcover. Leisure Books. Published as a Mass Market Paperback. "Ever Nat" (2003): Published as a 52-copy hardcover and 300-copy limited softcover. "The Baby" (2003): Published as a 52-copy hardcover and 300-copy limited softcover. "Teratologist" (2003) with Wrath James White "Incubi" (2003): Necro Publications. "Infernal Angel" (2003): Cemetery Dance Publications. Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover and 750-copy limited hardcover. (January 2004): Leisure Books. Published as a Mass Market Paperback. "Messenger" (August 2004): Leisure Books. Published as a Mass Market Paperback. "The Backwoods" (October 2005): Leisure Books. Published as a Mass Market Paperback. (December 2005): Cemetery Dance Publications. Published as a 52-copy leather-bound hardcover and 750-copy limited hardcover. "Monster Lake" (2005). Necro Publications. First book for young readers. "Flesh Gothic" (February 2005): Leisure Books. Published as a Mass Market Paperback. "Slither" (2006: Necro Publications.) "Gast" (2007) (October 2009): Leisure Books. Revised, retitled "Black Train", and published as a Mass Market Paperback. "House Infernal" (October 2007): Leisure Books. Published as a Mass Market Paperback. (February 2008): Cemetery Dance Publications. Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover and 1000-copy limited hardcover. "Minotauress" (December 2008): Necro Publications. Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover and 300-copy limited hardcover. "Brides of the Impaler" (September 2008): Leisure Books. Published as a Mass Market Paperback. (May 2011): Cemetery Dance Publications. Published as Hardcover Limited Edition of 1000 signed copies bound in full cloth and Smyth sewn and Traycased Hardcover Lettered Edition of 52 signed and lettered copies bound in leather with a satin ribbon page marker. "Golemesque" (March 2009): Necro Publications. Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover and 300-copy limited hardcover. (April 2009): Leisure Books. Published as "Golem" as a Mass Market Paperback. "Trolley No. 1852" (May 2009): Bloodletting Press. Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover and 300-copy limited hardcover.(October 2010) Deadite Press, Trade Paperback. "Haunter of the Threshold" (Summer 2009) Bloodletting Press. Exclusive limited-edition. (December 2010) Deadite Press, Trade Paperback. "City of Sixes" (2009) Necro Publications. Exclusive limited-edition chapbook included with copies of "Infernally Yours". "You are My Everything" (January 2010) Necro Publications. "Going Monstering" (January 2010) Bloodletting Press. Exclusive limited-edition. "Header 2" (June 2010) Camelot Books. Exclusive limited-edition. "The Innswich Horror" (Summer 2010) Cemetery Dance. Exclusive limited-edition (Club Members Only), (July 2010), Deadite Press Trade paperback. "Lucifers Lottery" (October 2010) Leisure Books. Currently eBook only, possible release date of July 2011 for physical book. "Pages Torn From a Travel Journal" (January 31, 2011) Bloodletting Press. "Vampire Lodge" (January, 2011) Necro Publications. E-Book only (second book for young readers) "Witch Water" (Spring 2011) Bloodletting Press. Limited edition hardcover "The Dunwich Romance" (tbd) "Header 3" (Heads) (tbd) Bloodletting Press. Limited edition
Collections The Ushers (1999) Of Pigs and Spiders (1999) with John Pelan, Brett Alexander Savory and David Niall Wilson Partners in Chyme (2001) with Ryan Harding Sleep Disorder (2003) with Jack Ketchum Haunted House (2007) Brain Cheese Buffet (2010) Deadite Press Bullet Through Your Face (2010) Deadite Press Carnal Surgery (April 2011) Deadite Press
Anthologies Infernally Yours (2009) 'The Senery' by Edward Lee Necro Publications, a limited-edition hardcover. Dark Seductions: Tales of Erotic Horror (1993) 'Private Pleasures' by Edward Lee Bizarre Sex and Other Crimes of Passion (1994) 'I'd Give Anything for You' by Edward Lee & Jack Ketchum Deadly After Dark: The Hot Blood Series (1994) 'Mr. Torso' by Edward Lee Seeds of Fear: The Hot Blood Series (1995) 'Grub Girl' by Edward Lee Stranger By Night: The Hot Blood Series (1995) 'Dead Girls in Love' by Edward Lee & Gary Bowen Darkside: Horror for the Next Millennium (1996) 'The Stick Woman' by Edward Lee Fear the Fever: The Hot Blood Series (1996) 'Love Letters from the Rain Forest' by Jack Ketchum & Edward Lee White House Horrors (1996) 'Night of the Vegetables' by Edward Lee The UFO Files (1997) 'Secret Service' by Edward Lee Inside The Works (1997) 'The Pig' by Edward Lee Whitley Strieber's Aliens (1998) 'Scripture Girl' by Edward Lee 999 (1999) 'ICU' by Edward Lee Graven Images (2000) 'Masks' by Jack Ketchum & Edward Lee Triage (2001) 'In the Year of Our Lord 2202' by Edward Lee Excitable Boys (2002) 'The McCrath Model SS40-C, Series S' by Edward Lee Damned: An Anthology of the Lost (2004) 'Angel' by Edward Lee Small Bites (2004) 'The Room' by Edward Lee
Movies Edward Lee's story "Header" has been made into the film Header. Edward Lee and Jack Ketchum are featured in cameo roles in the movie.
Wow! Let me say that again this time with feeling. Wowww!!! The following is a true statement if I've ever heard one. This book Family Tradition by Edward Lee and John Pelan is awesome and great and sickening and repulsing and brutal and nasty and disgusting and grotesque and violent and amazing and vomit inducing and stomach churning and gruesome and........well you get the idea. I've read probably a thousand or more books in my life and this little darling goes in my top 10 without a doubt. I won't give away the plot or any other details about it except look out for the fat guy in the canoe when you read this book. Oh my!!! That scene still makes me squirm and wiggle all over. Disturbing stuff! You need to pick this book up and read it. Now!!! This is one of those rare gems that I'll keep in my treasure chest of great books for many many years to come to read and read again and again. The book is so fast paced and flowing and interesting that you'll go through it in no time. It's about 220 pages long. Which leads me to my only complaint! It wasn't long enough! I want more! I want a sequel! Ed Lee and John Pelan are you listening??? This is the first book by either of these two outstanding authors that I have read but I definitely plan to read more of them. I have read some of there short stories and they're just as great. If you want to read a brutally disturbing and gross short story by Ed Lee read The Stick Woman. Its in a collection edited by Pelan called Darkside. Outlandish stuff dear Watson!!! But back to Family Tradition, don't let the number of pages keep you from purchasing it. It's pricey at $30 but Amazon runs $20 specials on it sometimes. It was worth every plug nickel and red cent I paid for it and would have paid more! Wait a minute I did!!! I have 2 copies of it. The trade edition and the limited edition which I paid $45 for. Anyways enough from me chaps. Now, quickly type in Family Tradition under books in the Amazon search engine and order this friggin spectacular book already! Now! Ed Lee and John Pelan demand it of you! And deserve it for there hard work and creative awesomeness!!! Nuff said!
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As a fan of horror movies, novels, etc., very little shocks me, but this book had my jaw dropped within the first few pages. There were actually parts of this book that made me want to vomit, no joke. I won't be specific as to give anything away, but this is one disgusting novel. I did not find it "disturbing", like some parts of The Bighead (by the same author), which were downright horrific in their content. Instead, Family Tradition hits the reader hard with utter "grossness", for lack of a better term.
My only complaint with the book was the ending, which left alot to be desired; everything resolves very quickly, and not in a very satisfying way.
The story itself was not bad, but not great either. The only reason I give it four stars instead of three is because of its originality, and the fact that you really never know what to expect. Family Tradition is definitely a page-turner, not because of an excellent story or feeling of suspense, but because the reader can't stop delving ahead toward the next disgusting tidbit.
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Ok, I liked Goon alot and so I read this with much anticipation. This book was great. It was really fun and gross and I could hardly put it down. It was too short really, but that's no way to judge a book. It reads well with the same twisted sense of humour as The Bighead and Goon. Anyone who likes anything Lee has written would probably like this. I like my horror hard and in your face, and Ed Lee delivers everytime. I am impressed with the team of him and John Pelan. I also recently read their comic Transcendence and loved it as well. I guess I can just really connect with the way they write because I read this and Goon back to back in a short amount of time and I am dissapointed I don't have more by these two to read. Oh well I have a couple of Edward Lee books which I haven't read yet. I recommend this book highly.
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