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Swamp Witch Piquante and Scream Queen Bisque
From the backwoods of a rural Louisiana parish to the French Quarter of New Orleans, these two short novels detail separate journeys through the mysterious, frightening, and unpredictable world of the Occult.
In the first short novel a man becomes embroiled in a seemingly whimsical but very interesting world of rural Louisiana Witches and whammies while in the other a man pursues an elusive interview with a legend: the retired and elusive Queen of cult B-horror movies living reclusively in the Garden District of uptown New Orleans.
The two novel journeys diverge when life becomes a nightmare for one and the fulfillment of a surreal dream for the other.
In the first short novel a man becomes embroiled in a seemingly whimsical but very interesting world of rural Louisiana Witches and whammies while in the other a man pursues an elusive interview with a legend: the retired and elusive Queen of cult B-horror movies living reclusively in the Garden District of uptown New Orleans.
The two novel journeys diverge when life becomes a nightmare for one and the fulfillment of a surreal dream for the other.
- GenresHorror
156 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
348 people want to read
About the author
M.F. Korn
22 books10 followersAuthor of twelve novels, 245 short stories.
Three of Michael Korn's books, CONFESSIONS OF A GHOUL AND OTHER STORIES, and ALIENS, MINIBIKES AND OTHER STAPLES OF SUBURBIA, and SKIMMING THE GUMBO NUCLEAR were mentioned in The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror: Fifteenth Annual Edition.
CONFESSIONS OF A GHOUL AND OTHER STORIES and RACHMANINOFF'S GHOST and SWAMP WITCH PIQUANTE AND SCREAM QUEEN BISQUE were mentioned in The Mammoth Book of New Horror.
A story "The Strange Case of the Lovecraft Cafe" cowritten with D.F. Lewis and Jeff VanderMeer was mentioned in the Year's Best Fantasy & Horror: Twenty First Annual Edition.
Three of Michael Korn's books, CONFESSIONS OF A GHOUL AND OTHER STORIES, and ALIENS, MINIBIKES AND OTHER STAPLES OF SUBURBIA, and SKIMMING THE GUMBO NUCLEAR were mentioned in The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror: Fifteenth Annual Edition.
CONFESSIONS OF A GHOUL AND OTHER STORIES and RACHMANINOFF'S GHOST and SWAMP WITCH PIQUANTE AND SCREAM QUEEN BISQUE were mentioned in The Mammoth Book of New Horror.
A story "The Strange Case of the Lovecraft Cafe" cowritten with D.F. Lewis and Jeff VanderMeer was mentioned in the Year's Best Fantasy & Horror: Twenty First Annual Edition.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 28, 2024
This was two stories together into one book. The first story had an overall good concept, but wasn’t executed very well. I started off a bit confused on how these two characters got acquainted so fast. Overall, it was confusing, and just seemed very unrealistic of how people would normally act. The ending came on really quickly, and just seemed rushed and not quite finished. And then there were two characters, the daughters, that we were reading about in alternating chapters that never got a proper ending. It was very strange.
The 2nd story was also a pretty decent concept, but executed poorly. Not enough of the mystical element was really explored and it was focused way too much on the character that the story was kind of about but it wasn’t focused on the right things and it was very repetitive, which made for a boring read. The end was also quite predictable. They’re definitely could’ve been some kind of twist added to it to make it a little bit more interesting.
Overall two not terrible stories, just not great. I would not recommend this to anyone.
*** Thank you NetGalley and M.F. Korn for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ***
The 2nd story was also a pretty decent concept, but executed poorly. Not enough of the mystical element was really explored and it was focused way too much on the character that the story was kind of about but it wasn’t focused on the right things and it was very repetitive, which made for a boring read. The end was also quite predictable. They’re definitely could’ve been some kind of twist added to it to make it a little bit more interesting.
Overall two not terrible stories, just not great. I would not recommend this to anyone.
*** Thank you NetGalley and M.F. Korn for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ***
August 13, 2013
This is a re-edited new release of M.F. Korn's best quiet horror.
The first novella, "White Trash Witches Coven" is most remarkable for its humor. Woven in and around the story of Keith Ogden's journey into a coven, the lives of Gretchen and Quince, two young sorceresses in training, veer from having their mother place a whammy on a schoolyard bully to ferreting out a werewolf and seeking contact with Martians. This light comic relief is the perfect foil for the insidious, creeping horror of the backwoods, country coven in all its fanaticism and ritualistic evil.
The book's second novella, "Pavane for a Scream Queen" takes us into the world of Aurora Sterling, the cult queen of B-horror movies. Jeff, an intrepid freelance reporter who is drawn by Aurora's mystery and enraptured with her films, finds himself chosen to write Aurora's memoirs. What begins as the chance of a lifetime winds through a road of strangeness. The impossible becomes fact and no one must ever know it.
The first novella, "White Trash Witches Coven" is most remarkable for its humor. Woven in and around the story of Keith Ogden's journey into a coven, the lives of Gretchen and Quince, two young sorceresses in training, veer from having their mother place a whammy on a schoolyard bully to ferreting out a werewolf and seeking contact with Martians. This light comic relief is the perfect foil for the insidious, creeping horror of the backwoods, country coven in all its fanaticism and ritualistic evil.
The book's second novella, "Pavane for a Scream Queen" takes us into the world of Aurora Sterling, the cult queen of B-horror movies. Jeff, an intrepid freelance reporter who is drawn by Aurora's mystery and enraptured with her films, finds himself chosen to write Aurora's memoirs. What begins as the chance of a lifetime winds through a road of strangeness. The impossible becomes fact and no one must ever know it.
December 4, 2013
I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
The first story in this book is brilliant - entertaining, amusing, well written. Unfortunately, it's also far too short.
For me, as a reader, I would have liked the story to be bulked up.
Despite being the main character, Keith was dull, boring and I couldn't care less what happened to him... However, I'm hoping that M. F. Korn is planning a whole series based on the lives of the old woman, Sally, Quince, Gretchen and the cats - particularly, Mr Electrico!
The second story felt like a real let down after the first one. Although the story line is more solid and the writing just as good, I wasn't ready to leave the world of the first story.
Overall, "Swamp Witch Piquante and Scream Queen Bisque" is worth a read... I would leave a week or so between finishing the first half and going on to the second though.
The first story in this book is brilliant - entertaining, amusing, well written. Unfortunately, it's also far too short.
For me, as a reader, I would have liked the story to be bulked up.
Despite being the main character, Keith was dull, boring and I couldn't care less what happened to him... However, I'm hoping that M. F. Korn is planning a whole series based on the lives of the old woman, Sally, Quince, Gretchen and the cats - particularly, Mr Electrico!
The second story felt like a real let down after the first one. Although the story line is more solid and the writing just as good, I wasn't ready to leave the world of the first story.
Overall, "Swamp Witch Piquante and Scream Queen Bisque" is worth a read... I would leave a week or so between finishing the first half and going on to the second though.
November 4, 2013
The brief descriptions of Miss Eileen's secret altar and unauthorized ritual are especially vivid and convincing.
Recommended for devotees of the horror genre and readers drawn to eccentric local color.
Help ot
Recommended for devotees of the horror genre and readers drawn to eccentric local color.
Help ot
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews