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Terra Insanus
From the most disturbing mind in modern horror, Edward Lee, comes four stories of extreme perversion and visceral horror. THE STICK WOMAN - Priscilla has been held hostage, physically mutilated, and fed feces for years. And her situation is about to get much, much worse. SHIT-HOUSE - How bad is the world around you? How much worse could it get? How far would you go to fix it? THE USHERS - They are always there - somewhere in the background and just out of sight. A force of violence and lust. They are the ushers... THE SEA-SLOP THING - June needs a new job - and she's found it, along with something from the deepest depths of the sea.
108 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2015
9 people are currently reading
208 people want to read
About the author
Edward Lee
269 books1,456 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Edward Lee is an American novelist specializing in the field of horror, and has authored 40 books, more than half of which have been published by mass-market New York paperback companies such as Leisure/Dorchester, Berkley, and Zebra/Kensington. He is a Bram Stoker award nominee for his story "Mr. Torso," and his short stories have appeared in over a dozen mass-market anthologies, including THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES OF 2000, Pocket's HOT BLOOD series, and the award-wining 999. Several of his novels have sold translation rights to Germany, Greece, and Romania. He also publishes quite actively in the small-press/limited-edition hardcover market; many of his books in this category have become collector's items. While a number of Lee's projects have been optioned for film, only one has been made, HEADER, which was released on DVD to mixed reviews in June, 2009, by Synapse Films.
Lee is particularly known for over-the-top occult concepts and an accelerated treatment of erotic and/or morbid sexual imagery and visceral violence.
He was born on May 25, 1957 in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Bowie, Maryland. In the late-70s he served in the U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division, in Erlangen, West Germany, then, for a short time, was a municipal police officer in Cottage City, Maryland. Lee also attended the University of Maryland as an English major but quit in his last semester to pursue his dream of being a horror novelist. For over 15 years, he worked as the night manager for a security company in Annapolis, Maryland, while writing in his spare time. In 1997, however, he became a full-time writer, first spending several years in Seattle and then moving to St. Pete Beach, Florida, where he currently resides.
Of note, the author cites as his strongest influence horror legend H. P. Lovecraft; in 2007, Lee embarked on what he calls his "Lovecraft kick" and wrote a spate of novels and novellas which tribute Lovecraft and his 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." Lee promises more Lovecraftian work on the horizon.
Edward Lee is an American novelist specializing in the field of horror, and has authored 40 books, more than half of which have been published by mass-market New York paperback companies such as Leisure/Dorchester, Berkley, and Zebra/Kensington. He is a Bram Stoker award nominee for his story "Mr. Torso," and his short stories have appeared in over a dozen mass-market anthologies, including THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES OF 2000, Pocket's HOT BLOOD series, and the award-wining 999. Several of his novels have sold translation rights to Germany, Greece, and Romania. He also publishes quite actively in the small-press/limited-edition hardcover market; many of his books in this category have become collector's items. While a number of Lee's projects have been optioned for film, only one has been made, HEADER, which was released on DVD to mixed reviews in June, 2009, by Synapse Films.
Lee is particularly known for over-the-top occult concepts and an accelerated treatment of erotic and/or morbid sexual imagery and visceral violence.
He was born on May 25, 1957 in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Bowie, Maryland. In the late-70s he served in the U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division, in Erlangen, West Germany, then, for a short time, was a municipal police officer in Cottage City, Maryland. Lee also attended the University of Maryland as an English major but quit in his last semester to pursue his dream of being a horror novelist. For over 15 years, he worked as the night manager for a security company in Annapolis, Maryland, while writing in his spare time. In 1997, however, he became a full-time writer, first spending several years in Seattle and then moving to St. Pete Beach, Florida, where he currently resides.
Of note, the author cites as his strongest influence horror legend H. P. Lovecraft; in 2007, Lee embarked on what he calls his "Lovecraft kick" and wrote a spate of novels and novellas which tribute Lovecraft and his 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." Lee promises more Lovecraftian work on the horizon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
October 1, 2019
The first story is Lee at his most insane. The next two show what he can really do as a writer and I thought they were among the most mature things I have read by him. The fourth story is a campy and low-brow but fun mix of all that he does well. This was a fun way to spend a hundred pages and if you haven't read anything by him yet you might want to check this out as it ranges across a few of his styles.
July 4, 2015
Horror is often divided into camps. There is the mainstream camp. Then there is the hardcore camp. Then there are lots of lots of sub-genres and marketing divisions: vampire, zombie, body horror, psychological, cyber-punk. You name your poison and horror has a label for it. The only thing I can tell you for sure is that if it sparkles, it isn’t horror.
Then there is Edward Lee. He is often described as a hardcore horror writer. That is like saying death metal is grumpy music. Lee writes prose that begs to be kicked out of class then burns the school down with the teachers and students still in it. He’s the party guy who turn the volume up to 11 when you asks him to turn it down to 7. If there is a taboo Lee hasn’t written about I haven’t heard of it yet. Lee isn’t just his own camp. He is his own wilderness.
Terra Insanus from Deadite Press is a good example. It is a collection of four pieces of short fiction. The title is just a hint of the madness between the pages. Three stories were originally published in the 90s while one, “The Sea-Slop Thing”, is published in this book for the first time. If you have read Lee before, you pretty much know what you are getting into although two of the stories caught me by surprise. But let’s take them in order.
“The Stick Woman” starts the collection and immediately tells you that the author is not going to play nice. It is about the wife of very rich man who finds herself in a terrible situation. Let’s just say she has bitten off more than she can chew. It is Lee pushing the boundaries of horror into the grotesque, the extreme and the scatological. It is repulsive but mesmerizing. But it also shows that Lee is not one who writes just for the shock, the buildup is perfect giving the reader the sense of a car crash that he cannot turn away from. I may have felt like I need a 100% bleach and lye shower after reading it but I can’t deny the emotional impact.
The next two pieces are quite different than what I’ve read by Lee in the past even though they were written in the 90s. “Shit-House” and “The Ushers” are very angry works flowing with a free association style. “Shit-House” seems more political than the two; essentially a diatribe of rage and discontentment with the world and mankind. “The Ushers” is a first person account of a writer struggling with his own demons and I do not necessarily mean that figuratively. It may be the most frightening of the four stories since it places the horrors in a par with real and existential fears we all struggle through. It is an exquisite downer of a tale.
Which leaves the one new story. “The Sea-Slop Thing” is the headliner and shows something I do not see much from this author; a raucous sense of humor. It is a bawdy tale featuring unmentionable things done with sausages and escapades with strange sea monsters. Like the first work, Lee is crossing boundaries but here he is doing it with joy and abandonment. It is dark erotic comedy at its best. The author may show a lot of rage in his stories but “The Sea-Slop Thing” is evidence that behind the rage is an amused smirk that is able to laugh at humankind’s strange perversions and antics. Edward Lee may be odd reading for some readers who think “hardcore” is Stephen King. Those readers will be in for a shock and hopefully close to someone who knows how to use a defibrillator. But for those adventurous readers who realize horror is that thing that breaks into your home and doesn’t apologize but flips you the finger…they will be quite elated with Lee’s brand of terror.
Then there is Edward Lee. He is often described as a hardcore horror writer. That is like saying death metal is grumpy music. Lee writes prose that begs to be kicked out of class then burns the school down with the teachers and students still in it. He’s the party guy who turn the volume up to 11 when you asks him to turn it down to 7. If there is a taboo Lee hasn’t written about I haven’t heard of it yet. Lee isn’t just his own camp. He is his own wilderness.
Terra Insanus from Deadite Press is a good example. It is a collection of four pieces of short fiction. The title is just a hint of the madness between the pages. Three stories were originally published in the 90s while one, “The Sea-Slop Thing”, is published in this book for the first time. If you have read Lee before, you pretty much know what you are getting into although two of the stories caught me by surprise. But let’s take them in order.
“The Stick Woman” starts the collection and immediately tells you that the author is not going to play nice. It is about the wife of very rich man who finds herself in a terrible situation. Let’s just say she has bitten off more than she can chew. It is Lee pushing the boundaries of horror into the grotesque, the extreme and the scatological. It is repulsive but mesmerizing. But it also shows that Lee is not one who writes just for the shock, the buildup is perfect giving the reader the sense of a car crash that he cannot turn away from. I may have felt like I need a 100% bleach and lye shower after reading it but I can’t deny the emotional impact.
The next two pieces are quite different than what I’ve read by Lee in the past even though they were written in the 90s. “Shit-House” and “The Ushers” are very angry works flowing with a free association style. “Shit-House” seems more political than the two; essentially a diatribe of rage and discontentment with the world and mankind. “The Ushers” is a first person account of a writer struggling with his own demons and I do not necessarily mean that figuratively. It may be the most frightening of the four stories since it places the horrors in a par with real and existential fears we all struggle through. It is an exquisite downer of a tale.
Which leaves the one new story. “The Sea-Slop Thing” is the headliner and shows something I do not see much from this author; a raucous sense of humor. It is a bawdy tale featuring unmentionable things done with sausages and escapades with strange sea monsters. Like the first work, Lee is crossing boundaries but here he is doing it with joy and abandonment. It is dark erotic comedy at its best. The author may show a lot of rage in his stories but “The Sea-Slop Thing” is evidence that behind the rage is an amused smirk that is able to laugh at humankind’s strange perversions and antics. Edward Lee may be odd reading for some readers who think “hardcore” is Stephen King. Those readers will be in for a shock and hopefully close to someone who knows how to use a defibrillator. But for those adventurous readers who realize horror is that thing that breaks into your home and doesn’t apologize but flips you the finger…they will be quite elated with Lee’s brand of terror.
February 6, 2017
I definitely want a visit from The Sea-Slop Thing.
June 19, 2015
Warning: I'm a big Edward Lee fan so this review may not be totally objective. This short collection gives a good overview of various kinds of stories that Mr. Lee is known for. "The Stick Woman" is dark, bleak, and over-the-top disgusting. "The Sea-Slop Thing" gives the lighter side of the gross-out and contains some of the author's trademark explicit and unnatural sex scenes. What really got me excited about Terra Insanus are the reprints of the hard to find linked stories "Sh*t-house" and "The Ushers." These pieces are not typical of Edward Lee, but they seem to be his most personal. These angry and nihilistic stream-of-consciousness tales are just as effective and unsettling as when I first read them years ago. Unfortunately they have been updated a bit with some modern references (I hate when authors feel they have to do this), but they have lost none of their impact. Obviously fans will be getting this regardless, but new readers should do themselves a favor and discover the different facets of a modern master of horror. 5 stars (obviously!).
May 24, 2019
I was feeling low and needed the literary equivalent of that comment that gets you thrown out of church. Then I started cleaning my email and found a digital copy of Edward Lee’s Terra Insanus and immediately started devouring it. It’d been sitting there for a while because, as any serious reviewer will tell you, books pile up faster than we can read them. In any case, I dug in with a grin on my face. You see, Lee is somewhat like my favorite taco joint in terms of hardcore horror: yes, I go to other places once in a while, but when I’m craving something very specific, something greasy and perfect, I go straight to the place I know makes some of the best tacos in town.
You can read Gabino's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Gabino's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
September 8, 2015
This recent offering from Edward Lee, Terra Insanus, is a collection of four short stories. Reader beware: this is Edward Lee at his foulest, most depraved, and perverse and it’s important that you know that going in! The whole collection is a pretty quick read.
The Stick Woman: This is a strong opening to the collection. A sadistic husband forces his wife to do the unthinkable to protect their son. It’s fascinating, brutal and you might just lose the contents of your stomach. I’ve never read so much shit related content in such a short story. If you’re thinking of something gross that can be done with shit, it’s in this book, and there’s a lot worse than that. This is classic Lee. Vile but enjoyable.
Shit-House & The Ushers: I’ll cover these two stories in one. These are not typical Edward Lee stories that we’d expect. They are more like stream of consciousness pieces about the horrors in the world. As such, they are a bit hard to read because of the style in which they are written. They make very depressing reading. What’s horror without some fun? These are too dark, no fun, and don’t have much plot – just disturbing imagery in a ripped from the headlines style. If I’m honest, they were bland and a chore to get through.
The Sea-Slop Thing: June doesn’t have a great life. She works long lonely hours in a deli, in a painfully redneck dump of a town. Then she gets fired and things get worse. Just when she’s at rock bottom she’s offered a new well-paying job as a boat painter working for salty Captain Kupjack. Captain Kupjack is a perfect caricature of a wizened sailor. The job is not what she expected, but for this lady, every cloud has a silver lining. This is a funny, outlandish, and of course pretty demented story, with a sex scene much longer than you’d ever wish to read.
The first and the last stories in the collection are great fun, despite the vulgarity and obscene imagery that is Edward Lee’s calling card. If only the other two stories had followed in a similar vein. They let down what would be an otherwise excellent collection.
The Stick Woman: This is a strong opening to the collection. A sadistic husband forces his wife to do the unthinkable to protect their son. It’s fascinating, brutal and you might just lose the contents of your stomach. I’ve never read so much shit related content in such a short story. If you’re thinking of something gross that can be done with shit, it’s in this book, and there’s a lot worse than that. This is classic Lee. Vile but enjoyable.
Shit-House & The Ushers: I’ll cover these two stories in one. These are not typical Edward Lee stories that we’d expect. They are more like stream of consciousness pieces about the horrors in the world. As such, they are a bit hard to read because of the style in which they are written. They make very depressing reading. What’s horror without some fun? These are too dark, no fun, and don’t have much plot – just disturbing imagery in a ripped from the headlines style. If I’m honest, they were bland and a chore to get through.
The Sea-Slop Thing: June doesn’t have a great life. She works long lonely hours in a deli, in a painfully redneck dump of a town. Then she gets fired and things get worse. Just when she’s at rock bottom she’s offered a new well-paying job as a boat painter working for salty Captain Kupjack. Captain Kupjack is a perfect caricature of a wizened sailor. The job is not what she expected, but for this lady, every cloud has a silver lining. This is a funny, outlandish, and of course pretty demented story, with a sex scene much longer than you’d ever wish to read.
The first and the last stories in the collection are great fun, despite the vulgarity and obscene imagery that is Edward Lee’s calling card. If only the other two stories had followed in a similar vein. They let down what would be an otherwise excellent collection.
August 30, 2023
TERRA INSANUS
⭐⭐ 2/5
Honestly, I DNF'd this book halfway on the third story. I told myself that I had enough because I am not interested anymore on the last two stories. The military things that the author threw in the book disinterested me. My head was spinning each time I read terminologies or things like M3 or any shit related to firearms.
Don't get me wrong, because I tried to finish the book. I just couldn't anymore. It feels like I'm torturing myself on reading things that my head refuses to absorb.
The first story though, THE STICK WOMAN, damn I love that one! I feel for Priscilla. I'm so sad for her, for her situation, for having a fucked up husband. I wish Edward Lee made that a full lenght novel because I want to read more of that story.
The second story, SHIT-HOUSE, it feels like I am thrown into a dump full of nasty, unhinged shits. It was like watching MDPOPE (Most Disturbed Person On Planet Earth) all over again. Have you watched these video compilations? If you do, you'll know what I am talking about.
The third story, THE USHERS, good heavens I got dizzy and decided to dnf it. I can't for the life of me read anymore of army terminologies. I'm sorry.
The fourth story, THE SEA-SLOP THING, I decided I am not interested in it. But who knows, maybe I'll get back to it at some point and read it. But for now, I got to dnf this, or I'll be having a slump which is not good.
Gave this 2 stars. But this doesn't mean that I will not try other Edward Lee's books. I liked The Stick Woman, maybe I'll find something that I would like on his works. But for now this wasn't it.
🖤
⭐⭐ 2/5
Honestly, I DNF'd this book halfway on the third story. I told myself that I had enough because I am not interested anymore on the last two stories. The military things that the author threw in the book disinterested me. My head was spinning each time I read terminologies or things like M3 or any shit related to firearms.
Don't get me wrong, because I tried to finish the book. I just couldn't anymore. It feels like I'm torturing myself on reading things that my head refuses to absorb.
The first story though, THE STICK WOMAN, damn I love that one! I feel for Priscilla. I'm so sad for her, for her situation, for having a fucked up husband. I wish Edward Lee made that a full lenght novel because I want to read more of that story.
The second story, SHIT-HOUSE, it feels like I am thrown into a dump full of nasty, unhinged shits. It was like watching MDPOPE (Most Disturbed Person On Planet Earth) all over again. Have you watched these video compilations? If you do, you'll know what I am talking about.
The third story, THE USHERS, good heavens I got dizzy and decided to dnf it. I can't for the life of me read anymore of army terminologies. I'm sorry.
The fourth story, THE SEA-SLOP THING, I decided I am not interested in it. But who knows, maybe I'll get back to it at some point and read it. But for now, I got to dnf this, or I'll be having a slump which is not good.
Gave this 2 stars. But this doesn't mean that I will not try other Edward Lee's books. I liked The Stick Woman, maybe I'll find something that I would like on his works. But for now this wasn't it.
🖤
June 25, 2015
Edward Lee is sick I tell you. Sick. Did I mention how sick this man is? No? Well then check out this newest title, which is actually some older tales plus a new one tacked on. There is an event called the gross out contest or something like that, and Edward Lee has one many of those, and between these pages you can see why.
Though a fan, I was unfamiliar with the stories in here, so it was an added bonus that I would get to read four new (to me) novellas by the author of Header. They are have Edward Lee's distinct disdain for humanity as well as his perverse imagination. The last tale has all these plus a healthy dose of humor. Recommended for fans of Lee and extreme horror only.
Though a fan, I was unfamiliar with the stories in here, so it was an added bonus that I would get to read four new (to me) novellas by the author of Header. They are have Edward Lee's distinct disdain for humanity as well as his perverse imagination. The last tale has all these plus a healthy dose of humor. Recommended for fans of Lee and extreme horror only.
June 10, 2017
These are not happy stories...well, the last one is, actually, kind of...but look, let's be honest, almost no one paints the dark heart of worst case scenarios quite like Edward Lee. So these are so dark you keep reading, appalled and outraged and unable to look away. I think i read it as a black comedy, above all, and he manages to tell horrific stories with surprising depth, eloquence and empathy. They're good stories, but they are still horror. I feel like i'm trying to justify reading this, that isn't fair - these are good, but naturally these won't appeal to everyone, and that's a good thing too.
March 14, 2016
Typical
Two good stories and two stories hard to follow. Typical ed lee one gross out and one steamy creature sex. 2 out of 4.
Two good stories and two stories hard to follow. Typical ed lee one gross out and one steamy creature sex. 2 out of 4.
June 1, 2021
This booked sucked. Don't waste your time.
February 24, 2024
Edward Lee has written just as many short stories as well as novels and novellas throughout his career and has released a few collections compiling them all together. Terra Insanus is I believe his shortest one with only 4 different stories to choose from. This collection has some of his most personal short stories as well as some of his most grotesque.
The Stick Woman:
Priscilla didn't know what she was in for when she married an insane millionaire. But when she's mutilated and left to rot down in a basement for 6 years with only a television and a few cans of spaghetti for company, she finally realizes what true evil really is. Snuff films and violence are a part of her everyday life now. But she won't die not yet, not until the monster that has imprisoned her for all these years is gone.
The Stick Woman is one of Edward Lee's shortest and simplest stories but one that's very effective all the same. It's a horrific and gruesome tale, all about the sheer evil of violent misogyny and the minds of insecure men who have to inflict pain onto others to get their sick little kicks. It's a very disturbing story with a shocking twist. 9/10
Shit-House:
The world has become an unjust and cruel place where millions of lives across the world suffer at the hands of murders, famine, drugs, politicians, and so on. How much worse can it get? How far would you be willing to go to fix it?
This is a very different offering from Edward Lee. It is a story with some gruesome imagery and violence, but you can tell this is a very personal story from the author himself. This is very much a reflection of just how harsh and horrible our world has become. While also giving us a sense of understanding why some people commit horrible crimes to try and make our world a little easier to live in. It's a grim little story that leaves you with a lot to think about. 8/10
The Ushers:
Everybody has their demons but some more than others. The Ushers are a force of violence and lust and their hold over an author's psyche is a strong one.
This is one of the strangest, eeriest, and most unique stories I've ever read from Edward Lee. It's very much a story about an author who is suffering from his demons that come back to haunt him throughout his life. It is a story that is fragmented, psychological, at times biographical, and unsettling. It's an eerie read that is unlike anything I've ever read before. I'm still getting my head around it. It's a terrific piece of horror literature but at the same time, it's such a mind-bending story that it takes you a while to piece it all together. 10/10
The Sea-Slop Thing:
June after the sausage incident needs a new job. So when she gets hired to paint a small boat for 50 dollars an hour it seems she's found it. But something else lurks on the boat with her, something from the deepest depths of the sea.
This was definitely my least favorite story in this collection, I really wasn't keen on this story. It has a sense of humor that I'll admit at times I did find quite funny, but at the same time, it is one of Edward Lee's grotesque and bizarre sex-filled stories where all it has to say for itself is just sex, sex, and more sex. I don't mind sex-related horror, but when that's all a story has to say for itself I find it hard to engage with. I can see why some people enjoy this since it is a bizarre Lovecraftian comedy, but all the same, it's not for me. 2/10
Overall: 29/40
The Stick Woman:
Priscilla didn't know what she was in for when she married an insane millionaire. But when she's mutilated and left to rot down in a basement for 6 years with only a television and a few cans of spaghetti for company, she finally realizes what true evil really is. Snuff films and violence are a part of her everyday life now. But she won't die not yet, not until the monster that has imprisoned her for all these years is gone.
The Stick Woman is one of Edward Lee's shortest and simplest stories but one that's very effective all the same. It's a horrific and gruesome tale, all about the sheer evil of violent misogyny and the minds of insecure men who have to inflict pain onto others to get their sick little kicks. It's a very disturbing story with a shocking twist. 9/10
Shit-House:
The world has become an unjust and cruel place where millions of lives across the world suffer at the hands of murders, famine, drugs, politicians, and so on. How much worse can it get? How far would you be willing to go to fix it?
This is a very different offering from Edward Lee. It is a story with some gruesome imagery and violence, but you can tell this is a very personal story from the author himself. This is very much a reflection of just how harsh and horrible our world has become. While also giving us a sense of understanding why some people commit horrible crimes to try and make our world a little easier to live in. It's a grim little story that leaves you with a lot to think about. 8/10
The Ushers:
Everybody has their demons but some more than others. The Ushers are a force of violence and lust and their hold over an author's psyche is a strong one.
This is one of the strangest, eeriest, and most unique stories I've ever read from Edward Lee. It's very much a story about an author who is suffering from his demons that come back to haunt him throughout his life. It is a story that is fragmented, psychological, at times biographical, and unsettling. It's an eerie read that is unlike anything I've ever read before. I'm still getting my head around it. It's a terrific piece of horror literature but at the same time, it's such a mind-bending story that it takes you a while to piece it all together. 10/10
The Sea-Slop Thing:
June after the sausage incident needs a new job. So when she gets hired to paint a small boat for 50 dollars an hour it seems she's found it. But something else lurks on the boat with her, something from the deepest depths of the sea.
This was definitely my least favorite story in this collection, I really wasn't keen on this story. It has a sense of humor that I'll admit at times I did find quite funny, but at the same time, it is one of Edward Lee's grotesque and bizarre sex-filled stories where all it has to say for itself is just sex, sex, and more sex. I don't mind sex-related horror, but when that's all a story has to say for itself I find it hard to engage with. I can see why some people enjoy this since it is a bizarre Lovecraftian comedy, but all the same, it's not for me. 2/10
Overall: 29/40
November 9, 2022
3,5/5. Lee is the literary version of extreme gore. over the top, transgressive, offensive, no-holds barred. He probably is the go-to author for creators like Fred Vogel or Stephen Biro, fathers of some of the most deranged extreme gore films available. The first tale, The Stick Woman is the most brutal tale I've read so far in my life. The next two stories are told in a Ballard way, snippets of shocking scenes, but taken to its most gruesome extreme; however, the disgusting melt with some great narrative in between. The last one is an lovecraftian porn tale, very vivid, illogical and hilarious. The great mistery of reading Lee is how he makes so compelling the extremely brutal. I'm still figuring out that.
January 29, 2022
Weird and wonderful
My heading days it all really, a great read, with weird and wonderful stories. Each with their own unique style. And as with most of Mr Lee's work, an amazing quality and way with words. Bringing out a horror and brutal nature with characters that you find yourself immersed within the story and part of the horror. Loved it and recommend it without hesitation.
My heading days it all really, a great read, with weird and wonderful stories. Each with their own unique style. And as with most of Mr Lee's work, an amazing quality and way with words. Bringing out a horror and brutal nature with characters that you find yourself immersed within the story and part of the horror. Loved it and recommend it without hesitation.
July 7, 2025
There is a reason that Lee is the best in the horror genre and this short story collection was nothing short of perfection. I’ve read some gross out, and violent stuff from him but this was one of the more brutal ones i’ve read. This was non stop gore, violence, and gross out. Definitely ranking as one of the most extreme things that i’ve read, he does gore with sustenance in the best way possible.
April 6, 2019
A collection of 4 short stories, Edward Lee delivers again. What can I say that hasn’t already been said?
I loved all 4 tales.
Especially “The Sea-Slop Thing”, which I’d love to chat about, but that would result in unintentional spoilers.
4 Skulls for stories 1-3
5 Skulls for story 4.
☠️
I loved all 4 tales.
Especially “The Sea-Slop Thing”, which I’d love to chat about, but that would result in unintentional spoilers.
4 Skulls for stories 1-3
5 Skulls for story 4.
☠️
September 4, 2018
Two stories in this collection were also in The Usher. First and forth were new to me. My favourite was the forth story. The first story was very sick. The next two very disturbing.
August 27, 2021
Gross, with a surprising ending.
August 4, 2023
Great book 📖
December 31, 2016
More for Edward Lee's hardcore fans, this short collection give you a good idea of what Edward Lee is capable of. Wildly insane descriptions of sex and over-the-top violence are the norm in this book. He writes with a constant wink to the audience to let you know he is very aware of how silly everything is, but yet how fun it is to write it. The nice thing about this book is that the last story (The Sea-Slop Thing), which is also the most enjoyable, appears here for the first time in publication, so fans who are familiar with Lee's work will have at least one new story to look forward to. While the book is a bit too short, I was glad I picked it up. Edward Lee is always a good time if you have the stomach for it and a good sense of humor.
July 7, 2015
I've been a huge fan of Edward Lee for some years now and have always had a special love for his shorter work. This four-story collection was another hit, though I didn't think the stories matched up evenly as to previous collections such as Brain Cheese Buffet and Bullet Through Your Face which in my eyes are undead classic compilations. However, Terra Insanus was a great, enjoyable read for those other than myself who enjoy sick stuff. My grade of the including stories are:
THE STICK WOMAN: 4/5
SHIT-HOUSE: 3/5
THE USHERS: 3/5
THE SEA-SLOP THING: 5/5
THE STICK WOMAN: 4/5
SHIT-HOUSE: 3/5
THE USHERS: 3/5
THE SEA-SLOP THING: 5/5
July 4, 2015
Three of the four stories are reprints from 1997, so it's no surprise that these shorts are reminiscent of Lee's earlier work(likely at the peak of his career). These stories are sick, perverted, and wholly entertaining, which proves a breath of fresh air compared to his latest releases. I'd like to see more short fiction from Lee, though I'm certainly content with the re-emergence of his early work. The book contained a fair amount of typos and spelling/grammar errors, but aside from that, it was a quick and easy read. Prepare for debauchery on a grand scale.
September 2, 2018
FULL REVIEW HERE
Overall, I can’t say this was an awful collection. Three of the four stories are spot on, and the worst story’s worst flaw is that it belongs somewhere else. Still, this one is for people who are already big fans of Edward Lee. For everyone else, I’d recommend one of his novels instead. Most of his mass market novels are back in print through Necro Publications. I’d recommend Gast (previously published as The Black Train) especially.
Overall, I can’t say this was an awful collection. Three of the four stories are spot on, and the worst story’s worst flaw is that it belongs somewhere else. Still, this one is for people who are already big fans of Edward Lee. For everyone else, I’d recommend one of his novels instead. Most of his mass market novels are back in print through Necro Publications. I’d recommend Gast (previously published as The Black Train) especially.
January 5, 2017
Lets start with the good.
The Stick Woman - A brutal tale that is hard to read and unrelenting. A little predictable but totally depraved fun.
The Sea-Slop Thing - When the most normal thing about a story is when a woman has sex with a sausage you know you are in for a wild ride. Totally bizarre but so out there that you find yourself chuckling!
Shit-House and The Ushers - WTF are these? Are they autobiographical? Are they stream of consciousness? They aren't enjoyable and dont make any sense. No good at all.
So 2 great, 2 crappy. 3 Stars.
The Stick Woman - A brutal tale that is hard to read and unrelenting. A little predictable but totally depraved fun.
The Sea-Slop Thing - When the most normal thing about a story is when a woman has sex with a sausage you know you are in for a wild ride. Totally bizarre but so out there that you find yourself chuckling!
Shit-House and The Ushers - WTF are these? Are they autobiographical? Are they stream of consciousness? They aren't enjoyable and dont make any sense. No good at all.
So 2 great, 2 crappy. 3 Stars.
December 31, 2016
This is a book with four short stories. The first and last are good dark erotica. The middle two are like random convoluted thoughts quickly jotted down. If the last story had sucked, this would be getting a 2 out of 5 from me, but since the last one was good, I'm giving it 3. The last story contained monster sex.
December 29, 2024
The Stick Woman: 5 Stars. Damn this was one of his sicker short stories and I loved it.
Shit House: 4 Stars. Nice perspective on how fucked up the world is.
The Ushers: 3 Stars. Didn't do anything for me.
The Sea-Slop Thing. 5 Stars. A love story Edward Lee style. Very awesome.
Overall, nice little collection with two great stories that are sure to be lapped up by Lee fans.
Shit House: 4 Stars. Nice perspective on how fucked up the world is.
The Ushers: 3 Stars. Didn't do anything for me.
The Sea-Slop Thing. 5 Stars. A love story Edward Lee style. Very awesome.
Overall, nice little collection with two great stories that are sure to be lapped up by Lee fans.
July 7, 2015
I like extreme horror. I can't really say I like this. If you're looking for extreme, ridiculous, disgusting horror, it'll fill that gap, I suppose. I need more ... "meat". Interpret that how you will. Maybe I just don't "get it".
+1 star for sea slug sex.
+1 star for sea slug sex.
October 28, 2015
Not for the faint of heart
This is hardcore horror at it's best, if you like laymon read this more hardcore the best I have had the pleasure to read in a while
This is hardcore horror at it's best, if you like laymon read this more hardcore the best I have had the pleasure to read in a while
April 22, 2017
Four short stories; the first and last are gross and/or hilarious, so five stars for those, but the more experimental stream-of-consciousness bits in the middle just aren't for me.
Read
May 15, 2018Decent
Decent but far from his best. The Stick Woman was good. The next two were mediocre at best. Sea Slop was good.
Decent but far from his best. The Stick Woman was good. The next two were mediocre at best. Sea Slop was good.
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