In Poppy Z. Brite's first stories, collected here in WORMWOOD (pub’d in hardcover as Swamp Foetus), there is no real sense of good or evil, just the aesthete's pose of worldliness and boredom. She was concerned not with morality but with sensuality and brought a sort of fin de siecle decadence to the genre just as its paperback popularity seemed to be fizzling out. This approach was something horror mostly lacked in the era, concerned as it was with middle American families, or children and teen...

Good imagery, but not the best Brite.

Some of these stories I really enjoyed and some of them were just ok and some of just didn't do anything for me. On the other hand, I found the prologue by Dan Simmons highly entertaining. Dan Simmons showed that he was arrogant old kook, and I'm exceptionally curious as to why he has/had such a boner for Poppy Z. Brite...

a really impressive introduction to Poppy Z Brite-some stories here have become instant favorites for me namely “A Georgia Story” “His Mouth Will Taste of Wormwood” and “The Sixth Sentinel”-while unfortunately a few others do fall a bit short, i think the strengths really outweigh the weaker works here, and I can’t wait to dig into another one of his books soon

Poppy Z. Brite, Wormwood (Dell, 1994)This relatively early collection of stories (her first collection, and third published work, previously known as Swamp Foetus), collects stories written between 1986 and 1992. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the book is watching the progression between the earlier and the later stories; you can tell before getting to the end (each is dated) which are which, after an example or two of each.This isn't to say the earlier stories are bad, they're just ra...

Every once in a while you stumble across an artist who is in the wrong time… Poppy is one of those authors, and artist who seems as if she was born too late to be happy. From reading her stories you can envision her walking with the likes of Lovecraft and Poe. I assume they would discuss language, the beauty of the written word and the terrors of their hearts. Brite has a style that harkens back to the 1800’s when flowing language and beauty could be found in even the darkest of tales. This coll...

I enjoyed this collection of short stories and was interested to see that Steve and Ghost from Lost Souls were in some of them. I need to re-read Lost Souls and Drawing Blood to see if I like them as much as I did when I was younger.

This was my first Poppy Z. Brite read.There were some excellent stories here, my favorites being Calcutta, Lord of Nerves and The Sixth Sentinel.Great collection, and I'm glad I finally gave this author a read.

If you still haven't ready any PZB, what are you waiting for? It's raw sex, ultra violence, painful loneliness and an exquisite array of sights sounds and odours all wrapped into one.This collection of their earliest short stories is above and beyond a lot of the stuff you read today from ANY author. PZB is the master. This is likely the last book I read for 2021 and I can't think of a better way to top the year! PURE FIRE.

Really brilliant horror stories. The kind you get jealous of. They tread the lines between horrors, they're subtle and rich and tactile. They're never ever predictable or stale. Of particular interest is "His Lips Will Taste of Wormwood," which uses Lovecraft's "The Hound" blueprints and constructs a startingly good yarn with. Exciting prose, sensuality, good macabre notes for us death-centric types. I'd never read Brite/Martin before but I've got other paperbacks coming and look forward with in...

Plague Review 29: Swamp Foetus by Poppy Z. Brite Poppy Z. Brite (Now living as Billy Martin) was one of the authors in the much-touted Dell Abyss Line. The following elements characterize his writing: 90s nihilistic angst, graphic sexuality and violence, quirky and damaged characters, and the haunting presence of his native New Orleans. I can say that I enjoy his writing style; it is artful in its descriptions while still finding a way to move the story forward. There might be some disappointin

Gross, indecent, obscene. I loved it.

I actually have the original version of this, called 'Swamp Foetus'. Yes, I'm gloating.

This was a tricky one to rate, as it earned another star in the last hour. I'll try and be as honest as possible here.First off, clearly, Brite can write the hell out of anything. I feel a shot of reader's adrenaline when something's a bit more nuanced than the mainstream, not in content/plot, but delivery. Barker had it. I love that thrill when it hits, and recall in the last 10 years feeling it with writers such as Matthew Tait and Autumn Christian (both of whom I cannot recommend enough).Here...

Gorgeous prose, unforgettable images. These stories are very dark, heartbreaking and visceral.

I really enjoyed this book, which has it's own unique feel to it, which I liked.I also found the characters Steve and Ghost interesting and thought at the time I'd like to hear more from them, as it turns out they are from Lost Souls, which I have not read as yet, so I will have to track it down.

I rescued this book at the Calgary Horror Con because I couldn't stand to see it sitting there like an orphaned puppy, waiting for someone to pick it up. This kind of puppy, however, is for very special owners. It drinks human blood and shifts in and out of reality like a shadow in a strobe light.For those who have not been exposed to Poppy's work, this is an excellent primer for what is to come. And, honestly, if you haven't read at least something by Poppy Z. Brite,your horror education is sor...

Usually when I rate a short story collection five stars it's an average. It can't be possible to hit the mark with every single story. There are always stories that I'm lukewarm to, stories that while interesting just don't appeal to me. They are outweighed by the especially great stories, and so I give the entire collection a five star rating.With Wormwood it isn't an average. Every single story in this collection is worthy of a five star rating.I've always been interested in this feeling of de...

Once again how can any one person write like this? It has to be witchcraft or a pact with the devil or something going on...

Poppy Z. Brite is the only published fiction author I have read that I have actually met. She came to Holy Cross High School because one of her fans (David Leonard, class of 1999, where are you?) invited her. She was nice, open, weird, unpretentious, and seemed uncomfortable. This now seems obvious after reading Wormwood. I too would feel weird speaking with a bunch of horny teenage boys. If the administrators had paid attention they certainly would not have allowed her in, so it was quite a cou...