Customer Reviews

GOON - Micah Hayes Illustrated Edition

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This exercise in hardcore grossout horror, originally published in 1996, may contain more scenes of carnal grotesqueries in its 138 pages than most horror writers publish in a lifetime. Any effort to do so usually comes off as a pale imitation of these two fine writers, who are kind enough to return us to some familiar territory here as well as introduce some new aspects to the genre that none of have ever imagined before. In this volume, we have the return of Philip Straker (Lee's pseudonym he used on his first two novels and the main character in his novel Creekers), we have the return of PFC Micah Hayes (who also illustrated this edition) and Chief Richard Kinion (another Lee pseudonym), and we have a parody of virtually ever professional wrestler in the business.

The book is about a police officer and a reporter who go undercover as ringrats, or wrestling groupies, to try to catch Goon, a heel wrestler who can take a fatal blow to the head without batting an eye and who may be responsible for the murders of several ringrats. To say more would spoil the story, which may be the most unique piece you've ever read. It may not be Faulkner, or even Stephen King, but it will remain in your mind (in a dark corner filled with memories of other things you will never speak of in certain company) long after you've read it.

Fans of the Lee and Pelan team are encouraged to track down copies of Shifters, Splatterspunks, Family Tradition (especially this one, I can't stress enough), and whatever short stories you can find. Fans of Lee should read anything and everything he's written, especially over the last decade. See also the Excitable Boys anthology edited by Kelly Laymon and Santa Steps Out by Robert Devereaux.

I'm not a wrestling fan but I enjoyed this book. There's some brutal stuff in here, extreme sexual violence that may turn some people off. If you like this stuff, though, get this book.

The one thing that I had a slight problem with were the illustrations. The cover of the book is awesome but the illustrations are sort of cartoonish. It just made the content of the book less horrifying. When I read hardcore horror, I want to be disgusted or horrified.. but I can't if I get the impression that everything is happening in a sort of comic book world.

Anyway, that's my only criticism. Other than that, its excellent. Buy this before it goes out of print!

Ed Lee has done it again and in combination with Phelan,I just sit here shaking my head in awe. Short and sweet (LOL) this book will gross you out and make you smile. Easily on par with The Bighead, I couldn't put it down.

First off, I love Edward Lee. He is a black comic genius. The Pig, The House, The Bighead, The Minotauress. All genius that had me laughing all the way.

Goon is generally boring. It seems like a very basic story written by someone other than Lee (Pelan) where Lee has added several sections of gross sex. Lee is usually very good and very funny at this stuff but on this occasion it comes off as a half arsed effort that probably took him a couple of hours to write.

There is one piece of classic Lee in this novel, a conversation between two police officers. The rest? Sorry, glad this was not my first Lee book.

Not worth the $20 asking price. Sorry Ed. Love your work but this is lacklustre.

I really like Edward Lee. I know I am not alone in this thought. I enjoy what he writes and I have started to spend the money in order to read some of his harder to find books. This book cost forty dollars and it was only about 140 pages, but it was worth it. It was worth it because I really enjoy his writing. This was the first Pelan collaboration I have read and I look forward to reading the rest. If you are not sure about Ed Lee try ordering City Infernal for a few dollars and maybe you too will become hooked.

This is a sick, twisted, don't let it near you kids book thats great but too short (thats why 4 stars not 5). This book is really just the appetizer for "FAMILY TRADITON" GET THIS BOOK, READ IT, AND THROW-UP (in a good way).

This was the first purchase I made for the kindle and was amazed at the simplicity of it. This particular story from Edward Lee is not as strong as his other works but still leaves that goofy sick grin on your face. You get a murder mystery wrapped in with some wrestling add a heapin' of violence and layer on some insane sex and this is what you get. Also, if you get the paperback you get some illustrations and a great cover but if you order the kindle version you get just the text and no cover or inside illustrations.

"Goon" follows Detective Phillip Straker and Super-Sexy reporter Melinda Pierce as they try to infiltrate the Deep South Wrestling Conference after a local wrestling groupie is found brutally murdered. Goon, a wrestling-juggernaut that is shrouded in complete mystery, is their prime suspect and both will stop at nothing to locate him. All matters of sick, twisted depravity await them as they venture into the world of the wrestler ringrats.

Edward Lee's novel is full of violence and gross-out sex; it is definitely not for the squeamish. "Goon" is a short novel, running at 138 pages, so it will be easy to finish in a few nights; which might not justify the cost for some.

Goon is as much fun a dirty gorehound could possibly have reading a book. There are not words to describe how pleased I am with the authors. The contents of this book contain sheer brilliance and are full of dark, vulgar comedy, action (not to mention an extensive knowledge for wrestling), intresting, colorful characters, and some of the most vile, stomach-spilling, sex acts ever captured on paper( YOU ARE WARNED!). Mr. Lee and Mr. Pelan have tag teamed again and will surley NOT dissapoint their readers with this little gem. Any reader of the hardcore horror genre who has not read this book should stop wasting their time with my review and get it NOW! A pleasant ride through an extremely perverse*, laugh out loud!, are you kidding me?, fast paced rollercoaster of a book. My hat goes off to these two masters of the macabre, GREAT JOB!!!

The best thing about "Goon" is its cover art: massive and still, his head down, his face covered by a mask, Goon suggests pure malevolence. Unfortunately, one of the biggest flaws about "Goon" is that he's never around. Though he is the titular character, we never really get to see Goon in action. Considering how thin this book is, it doesn't make sense to me why Lee couldn't include one chapter showing us Goon's ghastly deeds. He has no problem including a pointless scene involving police detective Straker getting it on with a witness, which features all areas of the female anatomy described as food.

In fact, about eighty percent of this book is taken up with Straker's juvenile sexual musings about reporter Melinda. It feels like the entire middle of the book is her prattling on about why women sleep with these sleazy wrestlers and describing the culture while he internally drools over her legs.

I know you're not exactly supposed to expect total coherency while dealing with this type of story, but it's pretty ridiculous. All the evidence clearly points to Goon. So instead of Straker going undercover with a reporter (!) why doesn't he just bring Goon in for an interview, which any sensible law-enforcement agent would?

There are two great, disgustingly hilarious scenes in the book -- one involving a redneck cop detailing various trysts and the other featuring Straker in a most unerotic sexual encounter -- but overall the novel (which, at 128 pages with plenty of blank space, is really a short story) felt slapdash. You don't expect Fitzgerald-like prose from Lee, but he has shown he has a better command of language than this. When describing one female, he lists her cup size. Phrases and words are often repeated, literally on the same page, by different characters.

While the cover art is brilliant, the illustrations inside are childish and annoying; they look like something a bored teenager might doodle in his notebook. They also come before their appearance in the text, which, at one point, ruins a "surprise" in the plot. It should also be noted that the main story of "Goon" is basically the same one used for "The Bighead," which is superior to this in every way.