Weed Species [Deluxe Edition] [Hardcover]

Jack Ketchum (Author), Alan M. Clark (Painter)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 30, 2006

WEED SPECIES: In ecology. An invasive species, also called an invasive exotic, is an organism that is intentionally or accidentally introduced to an area where it is not native, and where it successfully invades and disturbs natural ecosystems, displacing native species. The term is most often applied to, but not limited to, plants. See also kudzu, water hyacinth, zebra mussel, Burmese python, eco-tourism, sociopath.

Weed Species is a brand new novella from award-winning author Jack Ketchum, and this is a Cemetery Dance exclusive title there are currently no other editions of this book planned for anywhere in the world!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Gratuitous sex and violence overwhelm the slight plot of this shocker about sociopaths and their malignant influence. Its principal characters, Sherry Jefferson and Owen Delassandro, are a pair of perverts who get their kicks from kidnapping, raping, torturing and occasionally killing young female victims before a brush with the law predictably ends their spree. Ketchum (Off Season), who is usually more adroit at using hardcore horror as a vehicle for social commentary, spends most of the story describing the couples' exploits with pornographic abandon. His half-hearted efforts to show how problems ranging from domestic violence to depraved social indifference stem from the same root cause as Sherry and Owen's kinks get totally lost in the story's excesses.
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 86 pages
• Publisher: Cemetery Dance Publications; 1st edition (October 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587671549
• ISBN-13: 978-1587671548
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,351,061 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Disgusting, but worth a read, September 17, 2007

By 

Princess of Powder (Boston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Weed Species (Hardcover)

I have to disagree with the reviewer from Publisher's Weekly who says that Ketchum's attempt to show that "how problems ranging from domestic violence to depraved social indifference stem from the same root cause" is half-hearted and unsuccessful. I found myself strangely moved by this mean, blood-spattered little story. The problem for most people, I imagine, is that they find themselves so distracted by the viscera and sexual depravity that practically is dripping from the pages that they overlook the subtle ways in which Ketchum ties everything together. The story about the family pet ignored and neglected, the story about the men who propelled the Dodo bird toward extinction for sport---- when you consider that these are acts of sheer cruelty enacted out of selfishness with no provocation, you can see the connection that Ketchum is drawing between all forms of sadism and depravity, not just the kind involving the two perverts in this story.

The illustrations in this book are a very nice touch--- they are black and white drawings depicting the events of the story, but at the edge of the drawing is always a tenebrous figure of a weed monster. At first I was nonplussed by the appearance of these monsters, since there is no mention of them in the story, however, I have come to believe that they are meant to be the physical manifestation of the root cause of all cruelty that lies at the base of this story.

Sadistic, brutal, and wet, this story is absolutely NOT for the faint of heart (or even the casual horror fan), however, it's an absolute must-read for any Ketchum fan along with any horror fan who is looking for something more unusual, esoteric, or cerebral.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Karla rip off, October 13, 2008

By 

angelatheangel "Ed Lee fan" (Manitoba CANADA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Weed Species (Hardcover)

This book was O.K. However it was very much like the true story of Paul Bernardo and his wife Karla Holmoka.
The infamous couple sometimes callled the Ken and Barbie killers, kidnapped, raped, and killed school girls, and video taped everything.
The characters in this book do the same things. So much was the same,like, the rape and murder of Karla's little sister, Tammy, the rapes of many women, and then the rapes and murders of 2 innocent school girls.
The video tapes is what convicted Paul,with the help of Karla's testimony(just like the book!)
He was sentenced to life, and she got 12 years. She is now a free woman. Pretty sick huh?
If you want to read the REAL story instead of" weed species", don't buy this book, buy the Karla Holmoka story, or buy the dvd " Karla".

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "A GOOD BOOK?", March 29, 2008

By 

Andrew Frame (sherwood park,alberta canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Weed Species (Hardcover)

this book could have been better, it's not very long,and it leave's you wanting more,some people say this book is bordering on pornography, thats just a load of crap!. it's no worse than "openseason",or "offspring", tho i did enjoy reading this book, you should know that books like this are always not very long and usually quite pricey. the book has a few, very graphic rape scenes in it, if you are offened by this ,then you should'nt buy this book.