Title: Flesh Gothic
Author: Edward Lee
First published January 1, 2004
404 pages, Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 9780843954128 (ISBN10: 0843954124)
Rating: 3.77
Overview
Flesh Gothic is a tale of terror that will leave you gasping for breath. The Hildreth House is a place of unspeakable horror, where twenty-seven people met their gruesome end during a night of debauchery.
The screams still echo through the halls, and the blood stains the walls. But the evil that lurks within the house has not been vanquished.
It waits patiently for its next victim, hungry for the taste of flesh and the thrill of carnage. Will you dare to enter the House of Sin and face the horrors that await you?
Or will you run in terror and become just another victim of the House of Hell?
About the Author
Meet Edward Lee, an American horror novelist with more than 40 books under his belt. Most of his work has been published by major New York paperback companies like Leisure/Dorchester, Berkley, and Zebra/Kensington.
He’s been nominated for a Bram Stoker award for his story “Mr. Torso,” and his short stories have been featured in over a dozen mass-market anthologies, including “The Best American Mystery Stories of 2000,” Pocket’s “Hot Blood” series, and the award-winning “999.”
Lee’s novels have been translated into German, Greek, and Romanian, and he’s active in the small-press/limited-edition hardcover market, with many of his works becoming collector’s items. While several of his projects have been optioned for film, only one has been made – “Header,” which was released on DVD to mixed reviews in 2009.
Lee is known for his over-the-top occult concepts, as well as his graphic depictions of sex and violence. He was born on May 25, 1957, in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Bowie, Maryland.
After serving in the U.S. Army’s 1st Armored Division in West Germany, he worked as a police officer in Cottage City, Maryland, before attending the University of Maryland as an English major. He quit school during his last semester to pursue his dream of becoming a horror novelist.
For over 15 years, Lee worked as a night manager for a security company in Annapolis, Maryland, while writing in his spare time. In 1997, he became a full-time writer, spending several years in Seattle before moving to St. Pete Beach, Florida, where he currently resides.
Lee counts horror legend H.P. Lovecraft as his biggest influence and embarked on a “Lovecraft kick” in 2007, writing a string of novels and novellas paying homage to Lovecraft’s 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.” Fans can look forward to more Lovecraftian works from Lee in the future.
Editoral Review
Edward Lee has never been known for shying away from taboos or subjects that would make most readers uncomfortable, and his 2004 book “Flesh Gothic” is no exception. Lee is a prolific horror author whose writing is known for its brash, unapologetic style that often skims the line of what is acceptable to write about.
“Flesh Gothic” is no exception to this trend. The book follows the story of a small group of people who are lured to a remote medieval castle in the Czech Republic purportedly for a lavish dinner party.
As the evening progresses, however, the guests begin to realize that something is not quite right about the castle or the behavior of their hosts. The book is filled with gore, sexual content, and disturbing imagery that is sure to unsettle even the most seasoned horror reader.
At its heart, “Flesh Gothic” is a book about power and control, and the lengths that some people will go to in order to maintain it. The characters in the book are all struggling with their own demons, and their attempts to assert themselves only serve to make their situation worse.
Lee does an excellent job of exploring the psychology behind these characters’ actions, painting a picture of desperation and despair that is both horrifying and compelling. The writing in “Flesh Gothic” is excellent, with Lee’s signature style on full display.
The pacing is spot-on, with the tension building gradually until the final, gruesome climax. The descriptions of the castle and its inhabitants are vivid, and the book is sure to leave a lasting impression on readers long after they finish reading.
That being said, “Flesh Gothic” is not without its flaws. Some readers may find the graphic content and language to be too much to handle, and the book’s themes of power and control may be too dark for some.
Overall, however, “Flesh Gothic” is an expertly-crafted piece of horror fiction that will satisfy fans of the genre. It may not be for everyone, but for those who are looking for a book that pulls no punches and is willing to explore the darkest corners of the human psyche, “Flesh Gothic” delivers in spades.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
