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The Book of a Thousand Sins
Delve into the tantalizing works of Wrath James White with this thrilling romp through 15 of his most disturbing stories. Devilishly thought-provoking, this collection explores some of the darkest aspects of humanity. Travel with the downtrodden and the disillusioned through personal hells of their own making, populated by terrifying monsters and skulking demons. Not for the feint of heart, this collection is a wild ride.
247 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2010
29 people are currently reading
738 people want to read
About the author
Wrath James White
130 books1,202 followersWrath James White is a badass motherfucker who writes baddasss books for other badass motherfuckers. He is a J.F. Gonzalez Lifetime Achievement Award winner and a Bram Stoker Award nominee with over two dozen books in print.
Wrath is the author of RABBIT HUNT, THE BUG COLLECTOR, and such extreme horror classics as THE RESURRECTIONIST (now a major motion picture titled "Come Back To Me") SUCCULENT PREY, it's sequel PREY DRIVE, 400 DAYS OF OPPRESSION, and many others.
To follow his Substack, purchase books, get the latest updates about upcoming releases, signed books, merchandise, and more, go to:
https://linktr.ee/wrathjameswhite
Wrath is the author of RABBIT HUNT, THE BUG COLLECTOR, and such extreme horror classics as THE RESURRECTIONIST (now a major motion picture titled "Come Back To Me") SUCCULENT PREY, it's sequel PREY DRIVE, 400 DAYS OF OPPRESSION, and many others.
To follow his Substack, purchase books, get the latest updates about upcoming releases, signed books, merchandise, and more, go to:
https://linktr.ee/wrathjameswhite
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
February 16, 2026
THE BOOK OF 1000 SINS (2005) by Wrath James White
My Review 5 Stars
--- Couch Potato
I finished reading this book of short stories last night. This work by Wrath James White was a treat and I feel confident that this sentiment will be “seconded” by my friend and Buddy Reader. Okay, okay. Tell the truth and shame the devil. She loves WJW as much as I do!
Seriously, though, this is truly an excellent work of solid short stories. The title is derived from the crown jewel of the collection, the novella at the end THE BOOK OF 1000 SINS . The reader finds himself submerged and fighting for air in the dark world of S&M. The numerous and varied supporting characters that appear in this odyssey of the ominous are surprisingly well fleshed out by the author for a novella. The two main antagonists are sufficiently colorful and commanding enough that just their evil intentions and perversions make you flinch while their gruesome and sadistic torture deaths make you gasp as they paint the pages red.
Lord was an ebony Adonis and the most beautiful man Anja had ever seen. His ebon flesh looked as if it had been chiseled out of living night. It rippled with hard muscle and glistened liquid black like a pool of oil. They become lovers and the carnal chemistry is as powerful and volatile as liquid nitroglycerin. Anja walks away from Lord because she is unable to dominate him and make him scream. She becomes one of the area’s most infamous dominatrices, but ultimately, she becomes jaded, unfulfilled, and the most extreme torture she could inflict became mundane. One day a patron gifts her with a copy of The Book of a Thousand Sins . Lord had mentioned the book to her when they had been together.
The remainder of the story is fascinating as the two sadists vie for possession of the infamous book. The operating theory of both sadistic torturers is that who so owns the book and follows its instructions will result in a privileged position in Hell’s pecking order. It would not surprise me if WJW deployed every inhuman sexual perversion in his quiver for this one. The suicidal sexual torture recipes in this ancient and rumored book of sins are the most pathological perversions I have ever read, period. It was somewhat surprising that this battle for the book between the two evil pain masters was immensely entertaining despite the definitely disturbing sex and gore.
There are fourteen short stories in addition to the novella described above. They were all solid entries in my opinion.
He Who Increases Knowledge is about a man with a scientific mind who spent his time “looking for God in all the wrong places”. His motive was not pure which allows for a wry smile when he learns the truth about God’s existence. Rated 5 Stars.
Don’t Scream is about a man who reaches his breaking point and while filled with rage murders his frigid wife. She rises from the dead and astonishingly exhibits no cosmetic flaws from her brutal demise and burial. The homicidal husband is shocked by her return but delirious with his wife’s newfound lust for sex in all ways and on all days. It just goes to show that “Too much of a good thing can be Hell”! Rated 5 Stars.
Resurrection Day is about a miracle. And I don’t mean When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth . How would you feel if you looked out your screen door and your deceased wife was walking up the sidewalk, looking beautiful and happy in the dress your mother-in-law helped you pick out for the funeral? Me? My heart would beat so hard I would feel faint and take her in my arms with tears raining from my eyes and drops hitting the grass as I twirled her. Loved ones, like the best buddy you loved like a brother before his jeep ahead of the convoy hit a concealed land mine. Everywhere you looked up and down your neighborhood streets people you know are rushing out their doors and greeting their kinfolk, best friends, workplace acquaintances… It’s a miracle! You drop to your knees to pray and give thanks! What happens in the long run? Rated 5 Stars.
The Myth of Sisyphus is about the trials of a City Building Inspector named Todd. He’d been out testing the retaining walls along the top of the basin when a torrential downpour dragged him under and part of his body got lodged in a drainage pipe underwater. Amidst this disastrous accident Todd mentally compares his plight to Sisyphus and the boulder. He had in fact been repeatedly attempting to extricate himself from the pipe to no avail. Most everyone has a passing knowledge of “The Myth of Sisyphus”. He is the figure from Greek mythology who was condemned to an eternity of rolling a boulder up a hill only to inevitably watch it roll back down the hill. Sisyphean, then symbolizes futile, repetitive, endless labor. I know exactly how that feels because my first job out of high school was a filing clerk at an advertising agency. I would yearn to be “downhill” (bottom two filing cabinets) and then be hysterical to get “uphill” (top two filing cabinets). Meanwhile, back at the farm, Todd has an epiphany that he is in fact, in Hell. Oh, yes, he drowned and is dead, sentenced to continually struggle to get free from the drainage pipe. The author plays with the reader a bit in this one. It is tricky. First, is Todd a good man? Does he deserve the fate he imagines for himself? The answer to both questions is the same. If you have figured out, I am avoiding spoilers you are right. Surprises in this one are devious and gratifying. Rated 5 Stars.
A Dialogue Between a Priest and a Dying Man Father O’Reilly delivers his own version of last rites to a mortally wounded Islamic Terrorist Sharod Abdin, as the latter lies dying peacefully in his hospital bed. Rated 5 Stars. Absolutely diabolical. My favorite story in the short story collection.
The Sooner They Learn is a story that examines corporal punishment through the lens of a microscope. No. Maybe the story dissects the state of affairs we would have if there is a complete absence of paddling and everybody Spares the rod… . Maybe, just maybe we glean something about both approaches to bad behavior. The neighborhood kids and even the youthful wanna be gangbangers talk about an urban legend haunting their streets, usually just to scare a younger kid or one who frightens easily. What if? What if the story is true? A man is paroling the sidewalks, the alleys, the grocery stores, the laundromats…looking for bad behavior…and correcting it whenever and wherever he finds it…because the sooner they learn… Rated 5 Stars.
Munchausen by Proxy is a story which features a character named Ellie, later referred to as El. She is meandering through an acute care hospital seeing different patients who are afflicted with various ailments and diseases. It appeared that she was deciding the fate of the patients when she made her rounds and was abruptly called out by a protestor alleging that she was afflicted with “Munchausen by Proxy”. Most readers are familiar with the syndrome. The mother deliberately makes one (or more) of her own children ill for the attention of the medical community, who in turn will watch her act the part of a diligent, loving, and selfless mother to the child. I thought this story was ingenious. It was a unique, albeit ruthless assessment of God as worshipped in the Christian Faith. There are a number of interesting aspects to this story that you will read that I consider spoiler territory. Rated 5 Stars.
Couch Potato is the story of a man whose mind snapped when his wife was killed in a vehicular collision. The car had been a prized possession and he had been the negligent driver. He loved his wife devoutly and watched her death unfold in real time. The narrative really “starts” in the psychiatrist’s office where our central character is ranting and raving like the unhinged psychotic he was at that point. The law ordered psychiatric follow up following his shocking sexual assault on a Priest. There is a statement to the effect “Life isn’t worth living anymore” which seems apropos to this gentleman’s extreme mental distress. The therapist talked about Hemingway’s “Opium of the people” and the prescription from our scared-nearly-to-death psychiatrist was to “lose (himself) in commercial reality”. Read this existentialist horror story for the understandingly bleak outcome and outburst. Rated 4 Stars,
More Maggots I like to think of this clever tale as “Modern Science vs. Voodoo” or “Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures”. The story? Well, just one of the things I love about WJW’s works is his tendency to use real world horrors in his stories. Introduce a sympathetic protagonist and a backstory, and his work is done. In this case, the non-fiction horror is more terrifying than Jason Vorhees, Michael, Freddy, and Victor Crowley comprising a gang of thugs. The street name is “Flesh Eating Bacteria” and our nice guy has been afflicted with it. Initially he procrastinates a little but does take off to the medical center when his fear level escalates exponentially. There is an ancient Mama Luanda who helped him and his mother when he was boy. She does not call what she does black magic or voodoo. She practices treating illnesses and other ailments with her herbs and salves. This is a terrific little tale. Gag-worthy and (to me) scary as hell. Rated 5 Stars.
Awake I call this one “Philosophical Psychosis” or “Delirious on Descartes”. It is about a serial murderer who is capable of what we would ordinarily term supernatural abilities. The subject of the story became convinced that he was dreaming and that he was the only thing in it that was real. Then whatever he extrapolated became true. It was truly frightening from that perspective. Rated 4 Stars.
A Friend In Need This story is about a werewolf named Walter and an old friend of his in the ‘hood named Jerry. The tension in the story is created by a mythical monster of gigantic proportions that was tracking Walter through the woods to eat him in order to acquire his essence. The moral of this tale is suggested to be that man is the most dangerous and the most vicious predator on Earth. This was a well written and gory tale to make the point. Rated 4 Stars.
My Very Own features a main character who has a back story to support extreme isolation and a pathological need for an anchor to prevent a full psychotic break. Of course, the protagonist is crazy at baseline level of functioning with his “experiments”. This was a 5-Star read for me because I love it when WJW incorporates real life horrors life serial killer Dahmer and intriguing deadly toxins like Tetrodotoxin. The author uses Dahmer for the misguided psychotic’s inspiration to drill skulls to create zombies for company. The very real and deadly tetrodotoxin extracted from the blowfish as a component (along with PCP) to create a zombie provided a recipe for some really extreme horror. The ending to this tale would be spoiling a potential reader’s fun. Suffice it to say that it is hardcore extreme horror to please the most discriminating fan. Rated 5 Stars.
Fly Well, I loved it. The author exercises his creative muscles with some really hot dialogue and descriptions of foreplay and sex. The story’s plot is about a serial murderer named Mike whose gig was having sex with his target and immediately afterwards throwing her off the top of a high building, with the final imperative to her “Fly”. Yeah, right. The story has a fantastic plot twist and my fingers are not tapping out what it happens to be. You will have to read it. It was really good, also showcases WJW’s sensational sense of humor. Rated 5 Stars.
No Questions Unanswered This final short story immediately followed the novella, but I chose to include it with the other short tales. This is another story about a man who was obsessed with knowing whether God existed. Ironically, this man was a scientific genius who was capable of performing an experiment to determine the answer to the presence or absence of a caring God. It was definitely a good story and smacked of originality to me. Rated 5 Stars.
In the final analysis this was a really good book of entertaining, original, and well written horror stories. I was already a big fan of WJW but this collection of stories should earn him some new readers. His works have never let me down. This author will not let YOU down either. He was awarded the J.F. Gonzalez Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024 and previously a SPLATTERPUNK HALL OF LEGENDS INDUCTEE in 2022.
SHORT STORY COLLECTION FROM WRATH JAMES WHITE IS OUTSTANDING
My Review 5 Stars
Death is the period at the end of the sentence that does not just punctuate or conclude but erases all that proceeded it. It’s the delete button on your computer and there isn’t even the option to save!
--- Couch Potato
I finished reading this book of short stories last night. This work by Wrath James White was a treat and I feel confident that this sentiment will be “seconded” by my friend and Buddy Reader. Okay, okay. Tell the truth and shame the devil. She loves WJW as much as I do!
Seriously, though, this is truly an excellent work of solid short stories. The title is derived from the crown jewel of the collection, the novella at the end THE BOOK OF 1000 SINS . The reader finds himself submerged and fighting for air in the dark world of S&M. The numerous and varied supporting characters that appear in this odyssey of the ominous are surprisingly well fleshed out by the author for a novella. The two main antagonists are sufficiently colorful and commanding enough that just their evil intentions and perversions make you flinch while their gruesome and sadistic torture deaths make you gasp as they paint the pages red.
Lord was an ebony Adonis and the most beautiful man Anja had ever seen. His ebon flesh looked as if it had been chiseled out of living night. It rippled with hard muscle and glistened liquid black like a pool of oil. They become lovers and the carnal chemistry is as powerful and volatile as liquid nitroglycerin. Anja walks away from Lord because she is unable to dominate him and make him scream. She becomes one of the area’s most infamous dominatrices, but ultimately, she becomes jaded, unfulfilled, and the most extreme torture she could inflict became mundane. One day a patron gifts her with a copy of The Book of a Thousand Sins . Lord had mentioned the book to her when they had been together.
The remainder of the story is fascinating as the two sadists vie for possession of the infamous book. The operating theory of both sadistic torturers is that who so owns the book and follows its instructions will result in a privileged position in Hell’s pecking order. It would not surprise me if WJW deployed every inhuman sexual perversion in his quiver for this one. The suicidal sexual torture recipes in this ancient and rumored book of sins are the most pathological perversions I have ever read, period. It was somewhat surprising that this battle for the book between the two evil pain masters was immensely entertaining despite the definitely disturbing sex and gore.
There are fourteen short stories in addition to the novella described above. They were all solid entries in my opinion.
He Who Increases Knowledge is about a man with a scientific mind who spent his time “looking for God in all the wrong places”. His motive was not pure which allows for a wry smile when he learns the truth about God’s existence. Rated 5 Stars.
Don’t Scream is about a man who reaches his breaking point and while filled with rage murders his frigid wife. She rises from the dead and astonishingly exhibits no cosmetic flaws from her brutal demise and burial. The homicidal husband is shocked by her return but delirious with his wife’s newfound lust for sex in all ways and on all days. It just goes to show that “Too much of a good thing can be Hell”! Rated 5 Stars.
Resurrection Day is about a miracle. And I don’t mean When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth . How would you feel if you looked out your screen door and your deceased wife was walking up the sidewalk, looking beautiful and happy in the dress your mother-in-law helped you pick out for the funeral? Me? My heart would beat so hard I would feel faint and take her in my arms with tears raining from my eyes and drops hitting the grass as I twirled her. Loved ones, like the best buddy you loved like a brother before his jeep ahead of the convoy hit a concealed land mine. Everywhere you looked up and down your neighborhood streets people you know are rushing out their doors and greeting their kinfolk, best friends, workplace acquaintances… It’s a miracle! You drop to your knees to pray and give thanks! What happens in the long run? Rated 5 Stars.
The Myth of Sisyphus is about the trials of a City Building Inspector named Todd. He’d been out testing the retaining walls along the top of the basin when a torrential downpour dragged him under and part of his body got lodged in a drainage pipe underwater. Amidst this disastrous accident Todd mentally compares his plight to Sisyphus and the boulder. He had in fact been repeatedly attempting to extricate himself from the pipe to no avail. Most everyone has a passing knowledge of “The Myth of Sisyphus”. He is the figure from Greek mythology who was condemned to an eternity of rolling a boulder up a hill only to inevitably watch it roll back down the hill. Sisyphean, then symbolizes futile, repetitive, endless labor. I know exactly how that feels because my first job out of high school was a filing clerk at an advertising agency. I would yearn to be “downhill” (bottom two filing cabinets) and then be hysterical to get “uphill” (top two filing cabinets). Meanwhile, back at the farm, Todd has an epiphany that he is in fact, in Hell. Oh, yes, he drowned and is dead, sentenced to continually struggle to get free from the drainage pipe. The author plays with the reader a bit in this one. It is tricky. First, is Todd a good man? Does he deserve the fate he imagines for himself? The answer to both questions is the same. If you have figured out, I am avoiding spoilers you are right. Surprises in this one are devious and gratifying. Rated 5 Stars.
A Dialogue Between a Priest and a Dying Man Father O’Reilly delivers his own version of last rites to a mortally wounded Islamic Terrorist Sharod Abdin, as the latter lies dying peacefully in his hospital bed. Rated 5 Stars. Absolutely diabolical. My favorite story in the short story collection.
The Sooner They Learn is a story that examines corporal punishment through the lens of a microscope. No. Maybe the story dissects the state of affairs we would have if there is a complete absence of paddling and everybody Spares the rod… . Maybe, just maybe we glean something about both approaches to bad behavior. The neighborhood kids and even the youthful wanna be gangbangers talk about an urban legend haunting their streets, usually just to scare a younger kid or one who frightens easily. What if? What if the story is true? A man is paroling the sidewalks, the alleys, the grocery stores, the laundromats…looking for bad behavior…and correcting it whenever and wherever he finds it…because the sooner they learn… Rated 5 Stars.
Munchausen by Proxy is a story which features a character named Ellie, later referred to as El. She is meandering through an acute care hospital seeing different patients who are afflicted with various ailments and diseases. It appeared that she was deciding the fate of the patients when she made her rounds and was abruptly called out by a protestor alleging that she was afflicted with “Munchausen by Proxy”. Most readers are familiar with the syndrome. The mother deliberately makes one (or more) of her own children ill for the attention of the medical community, who in turn will watch her act the part of a diligent, loving, and selfless mother to the child. I thought this story was ingenious. It was a unique, albeit ruthless assessment of God as worshipped in the Christian Faith. There are a number of interesting aspects to this story that you will read that I consider spoiler territory. Rated 5 Stars.
Couch Potato is the story of a man whose mind snapped when his wife was killed in a vehicular collision. The car had been a prized possession and he had been the negligent driver. He loved his wife devoutly and watched her death unfold in real time. The narrative really “starts” in the psychiatrist’s office where our central character is ranting and raving like the unhinged psychotic he was at that point. The law ordered psychiatric follow up following his shocking sexual assault on a Priest. There is a statement to the effect “Life isn’t worth living anymore” which seems apropos to this gentleman’s extreme mental distress. The therapist talked about Hemingway’s “Opium of the people” and the prescription from our scared-nearly-to-death psychiatrist was to “lose (himself) in commercial reality”. Read this existentialist horror story for the understandingly bleak outcome and outburst. Rated 4 Stars,
More Maggots I like to think of this clever tale as “Modern Science vs. Voodoo” or “Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures”. The story? Well, just one of the things I love about WJW’s works is his tendency to use real world horrors in his stories. Introduce a sympathetic protagonist and a backstory, and his work is done. In this case, the non-fiction horror is more terrifying than Jason Vorhees, Michael, Freddy, and Victor Crowley comprising a gang of thugs. The street name is “Flesh Eating Bacteria” and our nice guy has been afflicted with it. Initially he procrastinates a little but does take off to the medical center when his fear level escalates exponentially. There is an ancient Mama Luanda who helped him and his mother when he was boy. She does not call what she does black magic or voodoo. She practices treating illnesses and other ailments with her herbs and salves. This is a terrific little tale. Gag-worthy and (to me) scary as hell. Rated 5 Stars.
Awake I call this one “Philosophical Psychosis” or “Delirious on Descartes”. It is about a serial murderer who is capable of what we would ordinarily term supernatural abilities. The subject of the story became convinced that he was dreaming and that he was the only thing in it that was real. Then whatever he extrapolated became true. It was truly frightening from that perspective. Rated 4 Stars.
A Friend In Need This story is about a werewolf named Walter and an old friend of his in the ‘hood named Jerry. The tension in the story is created by a mythical monster of gigantic proportions that was tracking Walter through the woods to eat him in order to acquire his essence. The moral of this tale is suggested to be that man is the most dangerous and the most vicious predator on Earth. This was a well written and gory tale to make the point. Rated 4 Stars.
My Very Own features a main character who has a back story to support extreme isolation and a pathological need for an anchor to prevent a full psychotic break. Of course, the protagonist is crazy at baseline level of functioning with his “experiments”. This was a 5-Star read for me because I love it when WJW incorporates real life horrors life serial killer Dahmer and intriguing deadly toxins like Tetrodotoxin. The author uses Dahmer for the misguided psychotic’s inspiration to drill skulls to create zombies for company. The very real and deadly tetrodotoxin extracted from the blowfish as a component (along with PCP) to create a zombie provided a recipe for some really extreme horror. The ending to this tale would be spoiling a potential reader’s fun. Suffice it to say that it is hardcore extreme horror to please the most discriminating fan. Rated 5 Stars.
Fly Well, I loved it. The author exercises his creative muscles with some really hot dialogue and descriptions of foreplay and sex. The story’s plot is about a serial murderer named Mike whose gig was having sex with his target and immediately afterwards throwing her off the top of a high building, with the final imperative to her “Fly”. Yeah, right. The story has a fantastic plot twist and my fingers are not tapping out what it happens to be. You will have to read it. It was really good, also showcases WJW’s sensational sense of humor. Rated 5 Stars.
No Questions Unanswered This final short story immediately followed the novella, but I chose to include it with the other short tales. This is another story about a man who was obsessed with knowing whether God existed. Ironically, this man was a scientific genius who was capable of performing an experiment to determine the answer to the presence or absence of a caring God. It was definitely a good story and smacked of originality to me. Rated 5 Stars.
In the final analysis this was a really good book of entertaining, original, and well written horror stories. I was already a big fan of WJW but this collection of stories should earn him some new readers. His works have never let me down. This author will not let YOU down either. He was awarded the J.F. Gonzalez Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024 and previously a SPLATTERPUNK HALL OF LEGENDS INDUCTEE in 2022.
SHORT STORY COLLECTION FROM WRATH JAMES WHITE IS OUTSTANDING
November 26, 2023
“If God is dead than what happens when we die?”
The pastor smiled at me. The expression was about as far from holy as you could get.
“Why don’t you find out?”
“You first, charlatan.”
I pulled the trigger and so did they.
The pastor smiled at me. The expression was about as far from holy as you could get.
“Why don’t you find out?”
“You first, charlatan.”
I pulled the trigger and so did they.
May 11, 2022
This was a great collection of short stories revolving the belief of God. Its twisted and dark and its unholy in all the right ways. Really makes you think about religion......
January 2, 2019
This is some of the best disturbing erotic horror one can find. If you are not trying to defrag the contents of your mind after reading only a couple of these stories, perhaps you have become the virus itself. Perhaps Wrath needs to write you into a story. You have all the parts...
April 14, 2017
Wrath James White is one of the virtuosos of hardcore horror, and this collection further proves his proficiency with the genre. These stories, though varied in quality, are messed-up enough to make even the most hardened horror readers squirm.
Most of the fifteen tales collected here combine the macabre sense of justice of Tales from the Crypt with the sexual violence of the Verotika comics. The collection is underscored by a theme of blasphemy, with most of the tales offering a twisted interpretation of popular religious and philosophical ideas. Some of the highlights include:
More Maggots: a solid little slice of body horror involving a flesh eating disease and maggot treatment. This one works because it manages to be shocking and disturbing without the brutal sexual violence of the other stories.
Awake: a murderer’s disillusionment with reality takes on substance, allowing him to shape the world to his will. This one is horrifying in its implications.
The Myth of Sisyphus: a claustrophobic portrayal of cyclical punishment.
The Book of a Thousand Sins: The titular novella uses Wrath’s entire toolbox of perversions to tell the story of a dominatrix bored with her professional. She finds hope in a grimoire filled with the most depraved sexual acts imaginable. According to legend, if she is able to perform them all she will earn a place in hell as one of its torturers. This one is ultimately a demented, supernatural love story, with a porno version of the Necronomicon.
A Friend in Need: A story about werewolves in the ghetto that proves (like most stories in this collection, actually) that humankind is far more perverse and terrifying than any supernatural monster. This one is probably the most “entertaining” in the collection because, honestly, it’s hard to say that reading the others was an “enjoyable” experience. These stories are like a cold glass of water to the face, but that’s the point.
I liked the direction Wrath took with these stories, especially the ones I mentioned above. The collection as a whole, though, was a little uneven for my tastes and there were a few distracting grammatical and typographical errors. But, if you’re a fan of hardcore horror, it’s worth picking up. This collection answers the question: how far can horror go? And if you’re interested in finding out, then give it a shot.
Most of the fifteen tales collected here combine the macabre sense of justice of Tales from the Crypt with the sexual violence of the Verotika comics. The collection is underscored by a theme of blasphemy, with most of the tales offering a twisted interpretation of popular religious and philosophical ideas. Some of the highlights include:
More Maggots: a solid little slice of body horror involving a flesh eating disease and maggot treatment. This one works because it manages to be shocking and disturbing without the brutal sexual violence of the other stories.
Awake: a murderer’s disillusionment with reality takes on substance, allowing him to shape the world to his will. This one is horrifying in its implications.
The Myth of Sisyphus: a claustrophobic portrayal of cyclical punishment.
The Book of a Thousand Sins: The titular novella uses Wrath’s entire toolbox of perversions to tell the story of a dominatrix bored with her professional. She finds hope in a grimoire filled with the most depraved sexual acts imaginable. According to legend, if she is able to perform them all she will earn a place in hell as one of its torturers. This one is ultimately a demented, supernatural love story, with a porno version of the Necronomicon.
A Friend in Need: A story about werewolves in the ghetto that proves (like most stories in this collection, actually) that humankind is far more perverse and terrifying than any supernatural monster. This one is probably the most “entertaining” in the collection because, honestly, it’s hard to say that reading the others was an “enjoyable” experience. These stories are like a cold glass of water to the face, but that’s the point.
I liked the direction Wrath took with these stories, especially the ones I mentioned above. The collection as a whole, though, was a little uneven for my tastes and there were a few distracting grammatical and typographical errors. But, if you’re a fan of hardcore horror, it’s worth picking up. This collection answers the question: how far can horror go? And if you’re interested in finding out, then give it a shot.
July 8, 2023
Another win from White
The stories in this collection will make you uncomfortable and will make you think. He takes religious themes, turns them upside down, rips them apart and puts them back together in the most blasphemous way. Erotic, disturbing, and grotesque imagery will keep you turning the pages.
Besides the titular story, my favorites of this collection are Munchausen By Proxy, Resurrection Day, The Sooner They Learn and Fly.
The stories in this collection will make you uncomfortable and will make you think. He takes religious themes, turns them upside down, rips them apart and puts them back together in the most blasphemous way. Erotic, disturbing, and grotesque imagery will keep you turning the pages.
Besides the titular story, my favorites of this collection are Munchausen By Proxy, Resurrection Day, The Sooner They Learn and Fly.
June 28, 2011
Wrath James White is known for his outrageously graphic, over-the-top, violent sexual imagery. So, yes, this collection has that, but it has much more as well. He delves into religion, spirituality, psychology, and other planes of existence. A lot of thought went into this work and it really showcases his talent not just to shock his audience, but as a great writer with something to say.
My favorites include "He Who Increases Knowledge", "The Sooner They Learn", "The Myth of Sisyphus", and "No Questions Unanswered". The main story, "The Book of a Thousand Sins", is novella length and very strong as well -- Wrath's fans will certainly get their money's worth.
Finally, as much as I enjoy seeing small press publishers do well, I was very suprised to see this edition by Two Backed Books have so many spelling errors. For a company only a year old, you would think they would try extra hard to present a perfect product, error free... I mean, come on, the book isn't even 200 pages guys. Still, I definitely recommend this collection to those that enjoy a walk on the darkest side of humanity.
My favorites include "He Who Increases Knowledge", "The Sooner They Learn", "The Myth of Sisyphus", and "No Questions Unanswered". The main story, "The Book of a Thousand Sins", is novella length and very strong as well -- Wrath's fans will certainly get their money's worth.
Finally, as much as I enjoy seeing small press publishers do well, I was very suprised to see this edition by Two Backed Books have so many spelling errors. For a company only a year old, you would think they would try extra hard to present a perfect product, error free... I mean, come on, the book isn't even 200 pages guys. Still, I definitely recommend this collection to those that enjoy a walk on the darkest side of humanity.
February 7, 2022
Captivating
Great read, the more you read the more you want, and the further you delve into the mind of this author. With each story there is a captivating character that the story evolved around. This then grabs you and takes you to their world of wonder. Whether this be macabre, sickening, or just great horror. But every single story has you engrossed and envisioning it all like film. My favourite had to be the book of a thousand sins. This is so engorged with brutal sexual concept and characters all with the same cravings. Anya being my favourite character in this story as she learns from one extreme to the other. Her character out growing herself. But each story is equally as good. I look forward to reading more from this author and definitely recommend this to any extreme horror reader
Great read, the more you read the more you want, and the further you delve into the mind of this author. With each story there is a captivating character that the story evolved around. This then grabs you and takes you to their world of wonder. Whether this be macabre, sickening, or just great horror. But every single story has you engrossed and envisioning it all like film. My favourite had to be the book of a thousand sins. This is so engorged with brutal sexual concept and characters all with the same cravings. Anya being my favourite character in this story as she learns from one extreme to the other. Her character out growing herself. But each story is equally as good. I look forward to reading more from this author and definitely recommend this to any extreme horror reader
June 1, 2015
I am sorry to throw-off White's rating average with my two stars. I suspect that those who come to his work already know what they're in for, and almost all (I've noticed here and elsewhere) are very happy with what they find. I grabbed a copy of this book after receiving a publisher's call for submissions "in the style of Wrath James White." I had never heard of him--something which always bothers me. ha I knew that it would be visceral, hard stuff, so I expected that much--and that aspect of it didn't bother me at all. It's fairly well-written, creative, and interesting for what it is. It's simply not my cup of tea. I found that much of it seemed crafted in such a way as to "shock." I like content similar to this in my movie selections occasionally and enjoy how Barker often presents something somewhat like it in his work (although in a less 'centralized' fashion); however, this collection did nothing for me. I don't want to discourage anyone from reading White, though. I suspect my response is purely a matter of taste rather than substance.
June 8, 2021
Horrible, horrible book. I admit that I picked it up mainly because of the cover, but yeah, huge mistake. 😅
First of all, the writer needs to do some f research. The medical inaccuracies are so annoying (and I'm not even a doctor). Does he even know what a tracheostomy is? You're breathing through a tube, no air reaches your vocal cords so you can not speak immediately following a tracheostomy. It takes a lot of time and practice to regain your speach. It doesn't happen immediately. But nobody cares about such technicalities apparently. 🙄 So the character still manages to have an articulate conversation after a tracheostomy, while suffering 3rd degree burns. Ffs, dude, you couldn't google it?! Or at least watch some episodes of House MD or something. 🙄
Anyway, I gave up half way through 'cause I couldn't stand the ridiculousness anymore. Some stories were tolerable at best, but for the most part, I'd say the book is just plain garbage.
First of all, the writer needs to do some f research. The medical inaccuracies are so annoying (and I'm not even a doctor). Does he even know what a tracheostomy is? You're breathing through a tube, no air reaches your vocal cords so you can not speak immediately following a tracheostomy. It takes a lot of time and practice to regain your speach. It doesn't happen immediately. But nobody cares about such technicalities apparently. 🙄 So the character still manages to have an articulate conversation after a tracheostomy, while suffering 3rd degree burns. Ffs, dude, you couldn't google it?! Or at least watch some episodes of House MD or something. 🙄
Anyway, I gave up half way through 'cause I couldn't stand the ridiculousness anymore. Some stories were tolerable at best, but for the most part, I'd say the book is just plain garbage.
January 5, 2021
If you haven't read anything by this author yet this short story (and one novella) collection is a great place to start. The stories are almost all excellent with only a few so-so inclusions.
These stories are an excellent example of Wraths work and if you this collection you'll love his novels too.
These stories are an excellent example of Wraths work and if you this collection you'll love his novels too.
June 22, 2022
Writing style's fine and there are some interesting ideas, but there are pretty obvious flaws in a lot of the stories, which I think are caused by them being written to promote the author's views rather than to necessarily just be a story. Like...
[[SPOILERS AHEAD]]
He Who Increaseth Knowledge - would be fine if the guy was supposed to have suffered what he got because everyone saw what they expected to see, but why are we supposed to think what he saw was the objectively correct thing other than "because the author agrees with him"? He could just as easily have denied/not processed the presence of God as he claims the other people denied/not-processed the absence of same, and there was no evidence that his view was in any way clearer or better.
Don't Scream - hooray, opening with misogyny. Okay, the character is supposed to be a horrible person, not a problem. Then...
"I’d always suspected that The New Testament and the Old Testaments were two entirely separate and unique documents referring to two entirely separate and unique gods. There’s Elohim who was the destroyer of Sodom and Gomorrah, the god who drowned the earth and saved only a boat full of his creations, who killed the first born sons of Egypt, who relished the idea of sending those who did not love and obey him to suffer eternal torment at the hands of the first of his creations to betray him. Then there was Yahweh who sacrificed his only begotten son so that man would not die but would know eternal life so long as they believed in him. No way these were the same cats."
... Mr White, do you have even the faintest idea how anti-Semitic that is?
https://realsocialskills.tumblr.com/p...
Or that Hell as modern American Christians conceive of it is not actually in either book of the Bible?
http://www.thehypertexts.com/No%20Hel...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q5vG...
If we weren't supposed to agree with the character, that would be different, but we clearly are. I'm not exactly a theologist myself, but if you're going to rail against something, can you at least know what that something even IS?
Resurrection Day - pretty fun idea, good creepy execution, but is mass resurrection of all life supposed to somehow demonstrate that the hypothetical resurrection of one solitary person was just as bad and dangerous? One line suggests it is. What? How does that work? Did Mr White confuse Jesus with Moses?
Myth of Sisyphus - story itself is fine, but is the implication that he's been reborn into a life of upcoming abuse? Because the way it's been phrased is that merely being born female is the equivalent of Hell, which... probably wasn't what you were going for, Mr White. Not a massive problem, just maybe could have been put slightly better.
Dialogue Between a Priest and a Dying Man - arguing about "oh you need your body parts to perceive so you couldn't after you were dead TAKE THAT BELIEVER" is about the first thing believers have a comeback for, specifically the transmitter theory of consciousness: https://theconversation.com/spiritual... If a five-year-old could think of it, your average believer of the opposite isn't going to be persuaded by it. (For the record, I'm a hopeful agnostic and I'd be just as annoyed by easy conversion of an atheist in fiction. It's all just the author going "look how clever I am!" whatever form it takes.)
I'm also pretty sure no interpretation of Islam would condemn someone to Hell for having pig's blood dumped in their IV when they couldn't prevent it, any more than pro-lifers hate sufferers of natural miscarriages. I know both Christianity and secular law make allowances based on intention. Again, can you at least rail against beliefs the people you don't like ACTUALLY hold? Also, didn't the priest just argue that there can't possibly be a Hell since you wouldn't have any sensory perceptions without a body? Which is it?
On top of that, lovely ableism. Yeah. being an artist who gets blinded sucks a lot, but I've known blind people who are very happy and comparing it to being a dying quadriplegic in constant agony from burns is a bit much. For fuck's sake, teach the kid to sculpt or sing instead!
The Sooner They Learn - are we supposed to agree with the point of view character here? Because that gives me concern about Mr White's view on the Sixth Amendment.
Munchausen by Proxy - actually pretty damn good! Interesting concept, and it's benefitted by not railing about how stupid people are for thinking otherwise. There are obvious comebacks to the idea but it's presented more as a thought experiment than a sermon, so it works.
Couch Potato - "religion is the opium of the people" was said by Marx, not Hemingway. Misattribution of a quote is not a good sign unless the writer is Andrew Hussie. He also didn't get the original's context right (opium as painkiller, not as life-destroyer), but then nobody does. More to the point, what the hell kind of therapist would prescribe endless TV to CURE depression?
More Maggots - it was at this point I noticed there were an awful lot of ugly/mutilated/diseased women used for fear/disgust in this, but mutilated/diseased men were the POV characters who we're supposed to pity. Not nice, man. Also, streptococcus isn't a virus, and I'm not sure how "guy uses maggots instead of surgery" is supposed to be a slight on faith rather than the idiot who left a sanitary hospital to have someone stick maggots on him. Maggots actually do work for some cases of infection, but not when it's spread into the body cavity, and their failure is a sign you need to do something different, not keep doing the same thing and complain it doesn't work.
Awake - the character argues against belief without evidence but believes without evidence that he should start killing people? Yet more unnecessary misogyny. And what happened to the detective?
A Friend in Need - more misogyny and several missing commas, but okay, I laughed out loud at this line, it's awesome:
“First off, you can’t just jam a stake through a vampire’s chest with your bare hands you need to hammer it in. There are layers of fat, and muscle, and a goddamned ribcage to get through for Christ’s sake! Second of all, that wouldn’t kill him anyway. That’s movie shit. The whole point of the stake is to nail the vampire to his coffin so he can’t rise at night to hunt and he’ll just starve to death in his grave. Stabbing one with a stake when he’s up and walking around wouldn’t do shit but piss him off! Oh, and third, and most important, I’m not a fucking vampire!”
Just that (oh, and being introduced to the concept of the Isawiyya sect, that's a neat idea, though I've not been able to confirm if the sect actually exists as described, outside the imaginations of Western werewolf writers) made the book worth it. I like this one a lot.
My Very Own / Fly - pretty regular murder/zombie stories, nothing objectionable.
Book of a Thousand Sins - can we maybe NOT have a character described solely as "the fat lesbian"? Such respect for women you have, Mr White. At least in this one we finally get an ugly male character mentioned, though not in nearly as much detail as the ancient/diseased/mutilated women who keep cropping up. Lord is a blatant Gary Stu, and I'm not personally involved in the BDSM scene but I do know that shaming people for being into a milder version of it than you, especially when your idea of it involves major physical damage, is widely considered a dick move and this guy would be blacklisted pretty much immediately in real life. I thought for a moment the book was called The Book of Peaches, but confusing "péchés" for "pêches" is all on me. I would rather like to see him try to spread this new religion and have people react to it how people normally react to physically implausible violence and bragging cult leaders, though (i.e. laughter).
No Questions Unanswered - for the record, scientists HATE the term "God particle", because it has nothing to do with God, it's just a physical building block: https://www.livescience.com/17489-god... As for killing God with a particle accelerator, I'm just going to quote from this review of a different book which was also a good concept ruined by preachiness:
http://divinemisconceptions.blogspot....
"If [this portrayal of God] accurately reflects the God of Christianity, then if anyone kills Him, [White] screws up by having something impossible happen; do note that “immortal” means by definition “impossible to be killed”. If, on the other hand, [this God] is a sufficiently low being that He can be killed, then He is not a good reflection of the God of Christianity, which makes His defeat a failure compared to the actual goal that [White] seems to be trying to accomplish."
"What's God's favourite colour?" is the most infantile way of denying His hypothetical existence I've ever seen. Christians do not believe that God is a literal man sitting on a cloud with a human personality and traits like favourite colours, and if He was, why the hell should He tell you? Also, why call the priest a charlatan when you just, supposedly, demonstrated that God did, until recently, exist?
In short, a book of interesting concepts turned into an inconsistent mishmash by the author's desperate urge to prove himself right. I have read some of his less preachy material and that's not bad, this just has too many obvious holes in it to be enjoyable.
[[SPOILERS AHEAD]]
He Who Increaseth Knowledge - would be fine if the guy was supposed to have suffered what he got because everyone saw what they expected to see, but why are we supposed to think what he saw was the objectively correct thing other than "because the author agrees with him"? He could just as easily have denied/not processed the presence of God as he claims the other people denied/not-processed the absence of same, and there was no evidence that his view was in any way clearer or better.
Don't Scream - hooray, opening with misogyny. Okay, the character is supposed to be a horrible person, not a problem. Then...
"I’d always suspected that The New Testament and the Old Testaments were two entirely separate and unique documents referring to two entirely separate and unique gods. There’s Elohim who was the destroyer of Sodom and Gomorrah, the god who drowned the earth and saved only a boat full of his creations, who killed the first born sons of Egypt, who relished the idea of sending those who did not love and obey him to suffer eternal torment at the hands of the first of his creations to betray him. Then there was Yahweh who sacrificed his only begotten son so that man would not die but would know eternal life so long as they believed in him. No way these were the same cats."
... Mr White, do you have even the faintest idea how anti-Semitic that is?
https://realsocialskills.tumblr.com/p...
Or that Hell as modern American Christians conceive of it is not actually in either book of the Bible?
http://www.thehypertexts.com/No%20Hel...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q5vG...
If we weren't supposed to agree with the character, that would be different, but we clearly are. I'm not exactly a theologist myself, but if you're going to rail against something, can you at least know what that something even IS?
Resurrection Day - pretty fun idea, good creepy execution, but is mass resurrection of all life supposed to somehow demonstrate that the hypothetical resurrection of one solitary person was just as bad and dangerous? One line suggests it is. What? How does that work? Did Mr White confuse Jesus with Moses?
Myth of Sisyphus - story itself is fine, but is the implication that he's been reborn into a life of upcoming abuse? Because the way it's been phrased is that merely being born female is the equivalent of Hell, which... probably wasn't what you were going for, Mr White. Not a massive problem, just maybe could have been put slightly better.
Dialogue Between a Priest and a Dying Man - arguing about "oh you need your body parts to perceive so you couldn't after you were dead TAKE THAT BELIEVER" is about the first thing believers have a comeback for, specifically the transmitter theory of consciousness: https://theconversation.com/spiritual... If a five-year-old could think of it, your average believer of the opposite isn't going to be persuaded by it. (For the record, I'm a hopeful agnostic and I'd be just as annoyed by easy conversion of an atheist in fiction. It's all just the author going "look how clever I am!" whatever form it takes.)
I'm also pretty sure no interpretation of Islam would condemn someone to Hell for having pig's blood dumped in their IV when they couldn't prevent it, any more than pro-lifers hate sufferers of natural miscarriages. I know both Christianity and secular law make allowances based on intention. Again, can you at least rail against beliefs the people you don't like ACTUALLY hold? Also, didn't the priest just argue that there can't possibly be a Hell since you wouldn't have any sensory perceptions without a body? Which is it?
On top of that, lovely ableism. Yeah. being an artist who gets blinded sucks a lot, but I've known blind people who are very happy and comparing it to being a dying quadriplegic in constant agony from burns is a bit much. For fuck's sake, teach the kid to sculpt or sing instead!
The Sooner They Learn - are we supposed to agree with the point of view character here? Because that gives me concern about Mr White's view on the Sixth Amendment.
Munchausen by Proxy - actually pretty damn good! Interesting concept, and it's benefitted by not railing about how stupid people are for thinking otherwise. There are obvious comebacks to the idea but it's presented more as a thought experiment than a sermon, so it works.
Couch Potato - "religion is the opium of the people" was said by Marx, not Hemingway. Misattribution of a quote is not a good sign unless the writer is Andrew Hussie. He also didn't get the original's context right (opium as painkiller, not as life-destroyer), but then nobody does. More to the point, what the hell kind of therapist would prescribe endless TV to CURE depression?
More Maggots - it was at this point I noticed there were an awful lot of ugly/mutilated/diseased women used for fear/disgust in this, but mutilated/diseased men were the POV characters who we're supposed to pity. Not nice, man. Also, streptococcus isn't a virus, and I'm not sure how "guy uses maggots instead of surgery" is supposed to be a slight on faith rather than the idiot who left a sanitary hospital to have someone stick maggots on him. Maggots actually do work for some cases of infection, but not when it's spread into the body cavity, and their failure is a sign you need to do something different, not keep doing the same thing and complain it doesn't work.
Awake - the character argues against belief without evidence but believes without evidence that he should start killing people? Yet more unnecessary misogyny. And what happened to the detective?
A Friend in Need - more misogyny and several missing commas, but okay, I laughed out loud at this line, it's awesome:
“First off, you can’t just jam a stake through a vampire’s chest with your bare hands you need to hammer it in. There are layers of fat, and muscle, and a goddamned ribcage to get through for Christ’s sake! Second of all, that wouldn’t kill him anyway. That’s movie shit. The whole point of the stake is to nail the vampire to his coffin so he can’t rise at night to hunt and he’ll just starve to death in his grave. Stabbing one with a stake when he’s up and walking around wouldn’t do shit but piss him off! Oh, and third, and most important, I’m not a fucking vampire!”
Just that (oh, and being introduced to the concept of the Isawiyya sect, that's a neat idea, though I've not been able to confirm if the sect actually exists as described, outside the imaginations of Western werewolf writers) made the book worth it. I like this one a lot.
My Very Own / Fly - pretty regular murder/zombie stories, nothing objectionable.
Book of a Thousand Sins - can we maybe NOT have a character described solely as "the fat lesbian"? Such respect for women you have, Mr White. At least in this one we finally get an ugly male character mentioned, though not in nearly as much detail as the ancient/diseased/mutilated women who keep cropping up. Lord is a blatant Gary Stu, and I'm not personally involved in the BDSM scene but I do know that shaming people for being into a milder version of it than you, especially when your idea of it involves major physical damage, is widely considered a dick move and this guy would be blacklisted pretty much immediately in real life. I thought for a moment the book was called The Book of Peaches, but confusing "péchés" for "pêches" is all on me. I would rather like to see him try to spread this new religion and have people react to it how people normally react to physically implausible violence and bragging cult leaders, though (i.e. laughter).
No Questions Unanswered - for the record, scientists HATE the term "God particle", because it has nothing to do with God, it's just a physical building block: https://www.livescience.com/17489-god... As for killing God with a particle accelerator, I'm just going to quote from this review of a different book which was also a good concept ruined by preachiness:
http://divinemisconceptions.blogspot....
"If [this portrayal of God] accurately reflects the God of Christianity, then if anyone kills Him, [White] screws up by having something impossible happen; do note that “immortal” means by definition “impossible to be killed”. If, on the other hand, [this God] is a sufficiently low being that He can be killed, then He is not a good reflection of the God of Christianity, which makes His defeat a failure compared to the actual goal that [White] seems to be trying to accomplish."
"What's God's favourite colour?" is the most infantile way of denying His hypothetical existence I've ever seen. Christians do not believe that God is a literal man sitting on a cloud with a human personality and traits like favourite colours, and if He was, why the hell should He tell you? Also, why call the priest a charlatan when you just, supposedly, demonstrated that God did, until recently, exist?
In short, a book of interesting concepts turned into an inconsistent mishmash by the author's desperate urge to prove himself right. I have read some of his less preachy material and that's not bad, this just has too many obvious holes in it to be enjoyable.
December 11, 2013
This book served as my introduction to Wrath James White’s work, and I want to begin by saying that White delivered exactly what I wanted; I’ve heard a lot about this man’s work, and this lived up to the expectations and hype.
I think the best way to review this book is to analyze what other reviewers have discussed. First, I want to tackle the idea that the stories are nihilistic/hopeless. I think perhaps if you read the back of the book, there’s a huge caption that tells you exactly what you’re in for. As a reader, I did not expect a glimmer of hope or light in the darkness. Indeed, many of the stories have the same themes, but I argue that most horror novels, especially those written by the popular writers, all share similar themes and are rarely divergent. If you’re a fan of hardcore horror, this is what you want to read… Wrath James White.
One reviewer complained that Wrath James White does not use a varied vocabulary. As a writer, I have discovered that you can’t please everyone, and I would also argue that the majority of readers might not understand some of the words Wrath James White uses. I’m not going to suggest that Wrath James White is poetic, but I will insist that his work is hardly simple, and a variety of the words present are words you would never see in a Stephen King novel (but you would see them in a Clive Barker novel). If you’re a fan of Edward Lee’s work, Wrath James White offers something a bit different in the hardcore-horror genre; why would you want to read the same thing anyway?
In any collection, there will be standouts. I personally enjoyed “Resurrection Day” in addition to the titular short story. I squirmed a bit while reading “The Book of a Thousand Sins.” One story that will stay with me forever is “The Never Learn.” As a parent, I can say the impressions and overall emotions I felt while reading that story are something deep and dreadful, something sacred and profane. This is the kind of story most famous authors would be afraid to publish (the entire collection notwithstanding).
Wrath does not hold back. These stories are just as brutal as the title suggests; there is no “ray of hope,” and there is a sense of doom and gloom. I disagree that all of the characters are “musuclar, well-endowed black men”, because the majority of the characters aren’t muscular at all, and I never had the impression that all the characters had the propensity to pick up women. I mention this because it seems as if some of the reviews for this book… don’t make any sense, as if someone bought a different book than the one I read. Wrath James White does not ask for you to “agree” with his stories, but there is a dark philosophy here, and he acknowledges the psychological development of these characters and “how” they became the monstrosities that they are.
This collection is only for fans of the genre. It’s obscene and daring, thought-provoking and disgusting. A brutally honest work; there are terrifying people in our world who commit actions that are just as atrocious as the ones mentioned here.
I think the best way to review this book is to analyze what other reviewers have discussed. First, I want to tackle the idea that the stories are nihilistic/hopeless. I think perhaps if you read the back of the book, there’s a huge caption that tells you exactly what you’re in for. As a reader, I did not expect a glimmer of hope or light in the darkness. Indeed, many of the stories have the same themes, but I argue that most horror novels, especially those written by the popular writers, all share similar themes and are rarely divergent. If you’re a fan of hardcore horror, this is what you want to read… Wrath James White.
One reviewer complained that Wrath James White does not use a varied vocabulary. As a writer, I have discovered that you can’t please everyone, and I would also argue that the majority of readers might not understand some of the words Wrath James White uses. I’m not going to suggest that Wrath James White is poetic, but I will insist that his work is hardly simple, and a variety of the words present are words you would never see in a Stephen King novel (but you would see them in a Clive Barker novel). If you’re a fan of Edward Lee’s work, Wrath James White offers something a bit different in the hardcore-horror genre; why would you want to read the same thing anyway?
In any collection, there will be standouts. I personally enjoyed “Resurrection Day” in addition to the titular short story. I squirmed a bit while reading “The Book of a Thousand Sins.” One story that will stay with me forever is “The Never Learn.” As a parent, I can say the impressions and overall emotions I felt while reading that story are something deep and dreadful, something sacred and profane. This is the kind of story most famous authors would be afraid to publish (the entire collection notwithstanding).
Wrath does not hold back. These stories are just as brutal as the title suggests; there is no “ray of hope,” and there is a sense of doom and gloom. I disagree that all of the characters are “musuclar, well-endowed black men”, because the majority of the characters aren’t muscular at all, and I never had the impression that all the characters had the propensity to pick up women. I mention this because it seems as if some of the reviews for this book… don’t make any sense, as if someone bought a different book than the one I read. Wrath James White does not ask for you to “agree” with his stories, but there is a dark philosophy here, and he acknowledges the psychological development of these characters and “how” they became the monstrosities that they are.
This collection is only for fans of the genre. It’s obscene and daring, thought-provoking and disgusting. A brutally honest work; there are terrifying people in our world who commit actions that are just as atrocious as the ones mentioned here.
August 20, 2023
"The Book of a Thousand Sins" by Wrath James White.
This fifteen story collection explores some of the darkest sides of humanity. Atheism, domestic abuse, and necrophilia are just a few topics explored inside. You may have to wade through genitals and intestines to complete this collection, but anyone who's a fan of Wrath's writing has come to expect this. In fact, many of us enjoy the wade.
Out of these fifteen stories, I chose a top three, and these were my favorites:
"Don't Scream" follows a man who murdered his wife. What he doesn't anticipate from her death, though, is her constantly reappearing every night to enact her own personal hell on his body. She ravages his body, requiring nightly ER trips. This one makes for a chilling read.
"Resurrection Day" really reminded me of Wrath's story "The Resurrectionist." It follows people who have died that are now returning, and it's incredibly spooky and thought-provoking.
"A Dialogue Between a Priest and a Dying Man" is about existence and religion. This one was definitely my favorite. It's very bleak and hopeless.
For any lover of fast-paced, disturbing, and tantalizing writing in horror, this collection is one million percent for you.
This fifteen story collection explores some of the darkest sides of humanity. Atheism, domestic abuse, and necrophilia are just a few topics explored inside. You may have to wade through genitals and intestines to complete this collection, but anyone who's a fan of Wrath's writing has come to expect this. In fact, many of us enjoy the wade.
Out of these fifteen stories, I chose a top three, and these were my favorites:
"Don't Scream" follows a man who murdered his wife. What he doesn't anticipate from her death, though, is her constantly reappearing every night to enact her own personal hell on his body. She ravages his body, requiring nightly ER trips. This one makes for a chilling read.
"Resurrection Day" really reminded me of Wrath's story "The Resurrectionist." It follows people who have died that are now returning, and it's incredibly spooky and thought-provoking.
"A Dialogue Between a Priest and a Dying Man" is about existence and religion. This one was definitely my favorite. It's very bleak and hopeless.
For any lover of fast-paced, disturbing, and tantalizing writing in horror, this collection is one million percent for you.
May 2, 2008
Wrath James White is a bad dude. That's clear right away when you meet him. He's tall, with a boxer's build and a subtle but clear command of any room he enters. That's probably natural, since he's a champion kickboxer and a personal trainer for some of the heavy hitters in the mixed martial arts world. Under that tough exterior, Wrath is an interesting paradox. On one hand, his stories dig deep into the horrid and grotesque extremes of the human mind. On the other, they're often based on ideas culled right from the classics of literature and philosophy.
For instance, his story "Munchausen's by Proxy" is centered around the idea that the Old Testament God is suffering from this malady. In psychological terms, Munchausen's is a syndrome in which care givers and first responders create scenarios that put people in grave danger, so that they may be saved and thus become "heroes". His stories are rife with these high-brow thoughts, yet generally descend into the depths of depravity.
If you can stomach visceral, "extreme" horror, wherein people are eaten alive and otherwise mutilated and debased, Wrath's stories can be a fascinating journey. Not perfect, they are yet fascinating and an worthy read.
If the last really wild horror you read was say, early Clive Barker, this will be a step further than you've gone before.
For instance, his story "Munchausen's by Proxy" is centered around the idea that the Old Testament God is suffering from this malady. In psychological terms, Munchausen's is a syndrome in which care givers and first responders create scenarios that put people in grave danger, so that they may be saved and thus become "heroes". His stories are rife with these high-brow thoughts, yet generally descend into the depths of depravity.
If you can stomach visceral, "extreme" horror, wherein people are eaten alive and otherwise mutilated and debased, Wrath's stories can be a fascinating journey. Not perfect, they are yet fascinating and an worthy read.
If the last really wild horror you read was say, early Clive Barker, this will be a step further than you've gone before.
September 30, 2021
I found The Book of a Thousand Sins extremely cheesy, crude, graphic, overly indulgent, and a heck of a fun read!
The theme of each of these stories very obviously center around religion. As expected of an extreme horror novel these themes are twisted and distorted in a way to create extra discomfort for the reader. I am not someone who grew up with religion, and I don't have many religious ties so I did not find myself very offended. I think it's a really fun idea to mix religion and horror, not only because much of religion can be quite horrific on it's own. But also religion being such a powerful part of our society, I feel it grounded the stories in a way.
I certainly would not want to be friends with any of these characters, I don't agree with their thoughts or actions. And I don't believe Wrath James White does either. I like books with unsympathetic characters. I like reading about twisted people doing twisted things. I like books that get a strong emotional reaction out of me. Even if it's stomach churning, discomfort. I dunno I just find it fun, so that makes it five stars for me. If that's also your thing, I think you should give it a read.
If you don't like reading books that make you feel uncomfortable, I think you should give it a pass.
The theme of each of these stories very obviously center around religion. As expected of an extreme horror novel these themes are twisted and distorted in a way to create extra discomfort for the reader. I am not someone who grew up with religion, and I don't have many religious ties so I did not find myself very offended. I think it's a really fun idea to mix religion and horror, not only because much of religion can be quite horrific on it's own. But also religion being such a powerful part of our society, I feel it grounded the stories in a way.
I certainly would not want to be friends with any of these characters, I don't agree with their thoughts or actions. And I don't believe Wrath James White does either. I like books with unsympathetic characters. I like reading about twisted people doing twisted things. I like books that get a strong emotional reaction out of me. Even if it's stomach churning, discomfort. I dunno I just find it fun, so that makes it five stars for me. If that's also your thing, I think you should give it a read.
If you don't like reading books that make you feel uncomfortable, I think you should give it a pass.
November 28, 2011
These are all tales of dark eroticism, strange violence, the hypocrisies of religious faith, and the horrors of life in an empty cosmos. Although repetitive, White's passion gives them such narrative drive and intensity that they are never dull. His fierce indignation at our predicament suggests a strong moral foundation underneath all the sadism and gore; unlike some other writers of "extreme horror", White is not a mere sensationalist or pornographer. "Munchausen by Proxy" is my pick of these intelligent exercises in blasphemy. Incidentally, the, um, striking cover has nothing to do with the contents of the book, although it accurately reflects the helplessness and pain of White's protagonists.
August 22, 2008
The story in here titled "Couch Potato" was what first got me hooked on Wrath's work. I'd met him at the World Horror Convention in 2005 (New York City) and had a great conversation with him. He was deep, highly intelligent, and frightening in his description of current projects.
Then I sat in to hear him read the above-mentioned short story and was completely blown away. In this book especially, Wrath manages to horrify and disturb you with incredible imagery, but at the same time makes you think. He mixes gore with philosophy flawlessly. Where else would you find a tale of discovering God through a withered-up prostitute?
Then I sat in to hear him read the above-mentioned short story and was completely blown away. In this book especially, Wrath manages to horrify and disturb you with incredible imagery, but at the same time makes you think. He mixes gore with philosophy flawlessly. Where else would you find a tale of discovering God through a withered-up prostitute?
March 13, 2013
A disturbing journey into the hellish depths of true human depravity, the words coming together like a cat o nine tails across your brain leaving the reader scarred emotionally.
You enter into an unknown house of freaks and debauchery to be trapped by the unimaginable evil that runs this sideshow from hell. This book made me sad that it was such a quick read for me, I devoured it in an hour and than re-read it to really appreciate the twisted world it had served to me. Still one of my favorite books Wrath has published, Not recommended for the innocent or easily offended.
You enter into an unknown house of freaks and debauchery to be trapped by the unimaginable evil that runs this sideshow from hell. This book made me sad that it was such a quick read for me, I devoured it in an hour and than re-read it to really appreciate the twisted world it had served to me. Still one of my favorite books Wrath has published, Not recommended for the innocent or easily offended.
July 14, 2019
Needs work but interesting
Lots of typos and overused phrases throughout the book. A good editor should have caught them. The stories were extreme to a point with the graphic sex and fire but again some of it overused and repetitive. That being said, overall content was good, not your typical horror collection. Some truly ghastly images are created within these stories and I do plan on reading more by this new author. Strongly suggest a new editor of obtaining some beta readers.
Lots of typos and overused phrases throughout the book. A good editor should have caught them. The stories were extreme to a point with the graphic sex and fire but again some of it overused and repetitive. That being said, overall content was good, not your typical horror collection. Some truly ghastly images are created within these stories and I do plan on reading more by this new author. Strongly suggest a new editor of obtaining some beta readers.
July 18, 2020
I adore Wrath James White's writing. This book is no exception. Out of all the short stories, there was only one that was a miss for me. The thing that got me the most was the feeling that I should probably pray after reading this......Jesus forgives ;)
January 1, 2009
A treatise on the shitpile that is religion, in the form of very entertaining short horror stories.
July 7, 2020
A collection of short stories by one of the presiding masters of splatterpunk. Most of the stories relate to religion and most of them have something negative to say about it . . . namely that God doesn't care or is cruel. For instance, "Munchausen by Proxy" introduces a character who inflicts extreme pain and suffering on others to bring attention to himself. That character turns out to be God. Nevertheless, most of the stories are entertaining, though "Fly," about a serial killer who tosses his victims off balconies, contains far too much gratuitous sex.
Favorites include the following: "He Who Increases Knowledge," about a man who discovers rapture in a prostitute's nether regions; "The Sooner They Learn," about a man who determines to teach children lessons through extreme violence; "Coach Potato," in which a man quotes famous shows and movies during a killing spree after his therapist advises that he spend more time watching TV; and the entertainingly ridiculous titular story, about two sadists and a group of eccentric masochists.
Favorites include the following: "He Who Increases Knowledge," about a man who discovers rapture in a prostitute's nether regions; "The Sooner They Learn," about a man who determines to teach children lessons through extreme violence; "Coach Potato," in which a man quotes famous shows and movies during a killing spree after his therapist advises that he spend more time watching TV; and the entertainingly ridiculous titular story, about two sadists and a group of eccentric masochists.
July 16, 2018
A sick, vile, collection of amazing short stories.
January 1, 2020
One of my favorite extreme horror novelists by far! I want to read all of his books!
February 6, 2022
Not his best
Certainly not his worst either. Leave that to poisoning of Eros. Also then/than. Really needs to be fixed, sorry.
Thanks.
Certainly not his worst either. Leave that to poisoning of Eros. Also then/than. Really needs to be fixed, sorry.
Thanks.
April 26, 2022
A collection of gross out BDSM stories. Every story has an impossibly strong man and an impossibly stacked woman in it. A little repetitive.
November 28, 2022
DNF. sorry 😬
January 30, 2024
Awesome creative original horror concepts. Couple stories fall flat at the end but each story has such a unique premise.
June 8, 2024
Not as intriguing as horrible gods and some stories are in both books. Still a decent read just not my favorite.
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