| |||||||||||||||
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best of extreme horror,
This review is from: The Ushers (Paperback)
If you enjoy extreme horror, you simply can't do any better than Edward Lee. Many authors try to outgross him, but Lee manages to also get in a serious amount of genuine suspense, great dialogue, and original stories. Sick, not for the kids, but a terrific gift for anyone who loves real horror fiction.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
No pulled punches here.,
By
This review is from: The Ushers (Paperback)
This book is just raw and in your face. It's a Willy Wonka tour of horror, sex, blood, filth, rape, dismemberment, and human depravity.When you get done with this book you'll probably think, "I can't believe I just read that." As sick as it can be, you'll keep turning the pages wondering what else Lee could possibly do next. If you like your stories tight, blunt, and graphic, this book is definitely one to have on your shelf.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lee is a Master!,
By
This review is from: The Ushers (Paperback)
I am an Edward Lee fan. Although I have only read a few of his novels, his smorgasbord of unsettling violence, intense erotica, and whiplash prose make his writings enormous fun for a dedicated horror fan. The biggest problem facing a reader is how to acquire many of his books and short stories. Nearly all of his mass-market efforts are out of print, many other novels and collections are available only through wallet crushing small press editions, and the subject matter of a majority of his tales virtually insures much of his work will remain in at least partial obscurity. In other words, I am an Ed Lee fan insofar as my meager funds allow. That is why I was very happy to stumble over a copy of "The Ushers," a 1999 collection of Ed's short stories. A reasonable price permitted me to pick this one up, and I am glad I did! My opinion of Lee as a writer shot into the stratosphere after I explored the depths of this impressive anthology. In fact, I simply couldn't put this book down after I started reading it.Lee is primarily a horror writer, but as "The Ushers" aptly proves, he can write as effectively in other genres as well. For example, "Grub Girl in the Prison of Dead Women" shows the author easily pulling off a plot that is as much science fiction as it is horror. Then there is "The Decortication Technician," a groovy yarn about space exploration and a most unusual discovery found in an abandoned alien spacecraft. Again, this tale is just as effective as a sci-fi story. Another tale dealing with science fiction elements is "Secret Service," a primer about the dangers of protecting a former president suffering from mental decline. After reading the stories in this book, I have few illusions that Ed can write just about anything he wants if he puts his mind to it. Of course, horror is Lee's forte. "The Ushers" overflows with gruesome tidbits while offering personal revelations about why the author wrote a particular story. Fans of "The Bighead" or "Monstrosity" have recognized Lee's fascination with backwoods folk. Ed's the "redneck" guy, the horror author who frequently inserts rural yokels with a penchant for gory violence into his stories. In a personal note at the end of "The Man Who Loved Clichés," we finally discover why this author relies so heavily on these character types. According to Lee, James Dickey's novel "Deliverance" had a deleterious effect on him, as the book and subsequent film version reminded him of particular "outer elements" he recognized from his youth. Finally discovering the reasons for this author's love of country bumpkins is worth the price of the book alone. His statement that he will continue to write stories about hillbillies is great news for his fans. "Mr. Torso," a Bram Stoker Award nominated story written in 1994 and containing one of these beloved rural types also makes an appearance in this collection. Do you like reading about sociopaths, psychotics, and serial killers? Pull up a chair and get ready to read some crime thrillers. In "Hands," we get a grim whodunit about a murderer who likes to collect trophies from his victims. This one is a gem of a yarn with a great big twist at the end that's sure to please. "Scriptures" delves into the world of a family plagued by sociopathy and is particularly forbidding in its mix of religion and violence. And don't forget to read "Please Let Me Out," about an aging female lawyer and her seemingly foolproof plan to keep her young boyfriend from straying far from home. Ed Lee definitely has little aversion to writing a thriller once in awhile, although his versions always stray far from the mainstream with politically incorrect dialogue, over the top scenery, and wacky characters. In my opinion, the absolute best story in the book is the one that describes why Lee writes horror. Split into two separate stories in this collection, Lee describes the horrors of everyday life in vivid detail, the shocking, sad, nauseating inhumanity man shows towards fellow man. The author's fascination with the dark side of reality informs his horror stories, which usually deal with the pettiness of mankind and the resulting disaster that befalls those who are vain, greedy, evil, and self-righteous. Ed Lee argues that there is a relevancy in studying the nether regions of the human spirit, and several of these stories accomplish that quite nicely. This story should have won a Bram Stoker Award. If I seem overly enthusiastic about "The Ushers," it is because these are entertaining stories from a maturing master in the horror genre. I'm still hoping most of Lee's works will find mass-market release soon, but even if they don't I am more inclined to shell out a few dollars more to get them after reading this collection. Yes, he is that good. Oh, I almost forgot: this book also includes an Ed Lee bibliography stretching back to his first stories and novels. It should go without saying how helpful this is to those fans who wish to obtain more books written by this author.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
|
