Suddenly felt the urge to revive this thread, don't quite know why
I was recently in the mood for some serious decadence, so I read the kind of book I'd normally never even look at twice - rather trashy BL (if you can even call it that - almost all those guys would do anyone, anywhere, at any time...regardless of gender >_<); and found that it wasn't as god-awful as I'd first imagined; mostly because the "descriptions" are so...matter-of-fact. And so completely devoid of passion that I can't seriously imagine the author meant it to be erotic in any way.
Don't expect there to be anything really romantic, though. Lust = lust and sex = sex in these novels. There's no way anyone could confuse them with love stories; but you know, I find it more believable that way.
All 3 titles are by
Poppy Z. Brite and are an odd mixture of horror, veeery angsty drama, supernatural, coming-of-age and slice-of-life. Lots of drugs, drinking, and people who do nothing other than sleep around. But it's not as bad as all that, 'cause I actually found myself interested enough to keep reading to the end;
Drawing BloodThe setting is the early 90s, and the protagonists Zach and Trevor each find themselves in the small country town of Missing Mile through a series of coincidences. Zach, errant computer hacker on the run from the law is fleeing New Orleans after the early computer crime squad starts to track him. Trevor, only survivor of Missing Mile's famous tragedy, where his famed comic-writer father suddenly murdered his family in cold blood, has returned to the old house in search of resolution and inspiration to draw something to match his father's iconic Birdland. As Zach joins Trevor in a world of delusions and half-imaginings, it becomes less and less clear what exactly real means when you're living in a haunted house under the influence of hallucinogens.Weird story, this. Really mind-numbing at times, and more psycho-horror than supernatural-horror, if you know what I mean.
Lost SoulsNot easy to describe the plot, so just take a look at the
wiki if you're interested.
Actually, I read this story just for Ghost (the secondary protagonist) I adore that boy. In a world full of sex-crazed weirdos, he's so totally pure and so utterly devoted to Steve (the primary protagonist) that it's sad. Steve isn't much to write home about; he's totally taking advantage of Ghost's friendship to help get over his cheating ex-girlfriend, and even at the end...but I'm ranting; read it and see for yourself ^_^
Exquisite CorpseThe novel unfolds in alternating chapters from the points of view of the four main characters. Andrew Compton, a convicted serial killer (based on real life serial killer Dennis Nilsen), leaves his prison cell as a dead man in a self-induced cataleptic trance and rises again to build a new life. His journey takes him to New Orleans' French Quarter-- to the decadent bars and frivolous boys that haunt the luscious dark corners of a town brought up on Voodoo and the dark arts. Anticipating a willing victim, he finds an equal in Jay Byrne, a decadent artist (based on real life serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer), who shares the same dangerous desires--torture, murder and cannibalism. They fixate on Tran, a young Vietnamese runaway, as their perfect victim. As Tran's long-standing attraction to Jay threatens to lead him straight to his demise, Tran's estranged older gay lover, Lucas Ransom (pirate talk radio personality "Lush Rimbaud"), seeks to find and reunite with him. The four collide in a horrific climax.Violent and crazy. I haven't finished this yet, but the fun thing about it is that it has
a sadist x sadist pairing. Not a scenario you see very often
Last edited by calstine at 9:09 am, Jun 8 2011
But now I'm going to read other books by Ellen Kushner 
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