Quest for Sex, Truth & Reality

Rating:
Summary: Every Truth Has its Price
Review: An author finds himself close to death and followed by a ghost that tells him to 'make her real.' So, his quest for enlightenment, to find the becoming mentioned before his terminal illness catches him begins. A town that is going mad, filled with horrific events that consume mind after mind, and a writer that thinks of himself as 'a seeker' journeying through it. Along the way he hears a voice, a voice that tells him not to turn away but to seek out what is real. A man listening to a voice inside his head journeys into a 'seedy' part of town, into a bar offering 'live shows,' finding someone he once loved in the process and also finding that, in time, truth is relative and it all changes. Every truth has a price.

Three stories, one chapbook, and the label out-of-print on all this beast's previous release. That is what this work, by Edward Lee, comprises on its Quest For Sex, Truth, and Reality. It also entails something that's well written in its short, 35-page run, something that reflects upon its author while the main character's ' all reflecting on bits of Edward's internal struggle ' search for something more, and a more meaningful side of the gore writer's persona. Personally, I find this time period in his writing life an interesting one, filled with reflections of what is going on in the author's mind after each tale told, letting you into the painter's mindset as the scene was crafted. To me, that is an important keyhole to sometimes peek through because knowing the author, its knowing something behind-the-scenes.

For fans of Lee's writing, this is something that you'll want to definitely procure because the alternative to picking it up here is paying way too much for the out-of-print volumes of this, his first chapbook. Also, Pay Me, the third story in the book, is also listed as exclusive to the volume, so that makes it a nice find, too. Included herein is Goddess of a New Dark Age, The Seeker, and the before-mentioned piece, evening it out as something that is worth picking up. For anyone that has yet to check out Lee, you should bear in mind that he is a horror creator and incorporates the spilling of internal stimuli to get his message across. If this works for you and you want a tale coated in the renditional imagery of terror, then this is worth picking up.

Rating:
Summary: Every Truth Has its Price
Review: An author finds himself close to death and followed by a ghost that tells him to �make her real.� So, his quest for enlightenment, to find the becoming mentioned before his terminal illness catches him begins. A town that is going mad, filled with horrific events that consume mind after mind, and a writer that thinks of himself as �a seeker� journeying through it. Along the way he hears a voice, a voice that tells him not to turn away but to seek out what is real. A man listening to a voice inside his head journeys into a �seedy� part of town, into a bar offering �live shows,� finding someone he once loved in the process and also finding that, in time, truth is relative and it all changes. Every truth has a price.

Three stories, one chapbook, and the label out-of-print on all this beast�s previous release. That is what this work, by Edward Lee, comprises on its Quest For Sex, Truth, and Reality. It also entails something that�s well written in its short, 35-page run, something that reflects upon its author while the main character�s � all reflecting on bits of Edward�s internal struggle � search for something more, and a more meaningful side of the gore writer�s persona. Personally, I find this time period in his writing life an interesting one, filled with reflections of what is going on in the author�s mind after each tale told, letting you into the painter�s mindset as the scene was crafted. To me, that is an important keyhole to sometimes peek through because knowing the author, its knowing something behind-the-scenes.

For fans of Lee�s writing, this is something that you�ll want to definitely procure because the alternative to picking it up here is paying way too much for the out-of-print volumes of this, his first chapbook. Also, Pay Me, the third story in the book, is also listed as exclusive to the volume, so that makes it a nice find, too. Included herein is Goddess of a New Dark Age, The Seeker, and the before-mentioned piece, evening it out as something that is worth picking up. For anyone that has yet to check out Lee, you should bear in mind that he is a horror creator and incorporates the spilling of internal stimuli to get his message across. If this works for you and you want a tale coated in the renditional imagery of terror, then this is worth picking up.

Rating:
Summary: Lee's Upsetting Quest
Review: Ed Lee is best known for spectacularly gruesome books like "The Bighead," or sick short stories like "Header." This little chapbook, entitled "Quest for Sex, Truth, and Reality" marks a significant departure for Lee. While the three stories included here still contain Lee's usual warped outlook on modern day society, the stories are much deeper than mere blood and guts tales. The three stories in this booklet are not easy to decipher, but in that respect they mirror our own individual search for truth and reality.

The first story, "Goddess of the New Dark Age," concerns a washed up writer dying of cancer and his attempt to seek the meaning of reality. He goes to the usual sources one would consider in such a quest, heading down to the university to talk to a philosophy professor. The professor gives him a long, academic rant that is neither illuminating nor coherent. The author turns to sex, finding nothing lurking there that reveals reality. Only when he recognizes that the reality of our time is horror heaped upon horror, the reality of man's cruelty and endless heartbreak, does he discover what is real.

Lee moves down darker trails in "The Seeker," a tale even more obscure than the previous story. A writer wonders into a strange town, encountering several weird people in a local bar while the army searches for something strange in the surrounding environs. A few stomach churning scenes later finds the writer encountering what the army is looking for. What it is and what it means is unclear, but the man discovers the object has bigger plans than corrupting the local townspeople. Lee writes that the symbolism of this story is that the things we seek out because we believe it is the truth often turn out to be something completely different. Hmmm.

"Pay Me" unavoidably deals with the quest for sex. In this pornographic yarn, a man named Smith runs across Lisa, an old school chum, in a seedy bar. She is even more attractive than he remembers, and the two make small talk over drinks for a time. Regrettably for Smith, he soon sees what her job is in this type of bar. The descriptions here are graphic in a tone that suggests certain magazines available only to those over eighteen. Smith and Lisa do spend the night together, resulting in Smith's incorporation into the stage show at the bar. Lee claims this story deals with the biggest fear of the 1980's, namely the shroud of sexual terror that descended over the country due to the AIDS virus.

Ed Lee fans will want to pick this slim book up quickly, since small press stuff tends to quickly fade from view. I do not pretend to understand these mysterious stories, but they are quite different from the usual Ed Lee fare. For instance, I do not remember any rednecks or hillbillies turning up in any of the stories, definitely a rare and noticeable occurrence for this author. Ultimately, it is nice to see a writer in the grue genre attempt to stretch his talents now and again even if he does not necessarily pull it off.

Rating:
Summary: This meat is sliced too thin'
Review: I'm really glad that Edward Lee is better than this tiny chapter book. (and I do mean tiny, very thin) In my opinion, horror should be in-your-face; a fast, slap-happy read that leaves no doubts about what just happened. Lee gets a little bit, well, ethereal in this chapter book. A kind of wandering, dreamlike prose that belongs in space-type SF and not flat horror; for this book does contain some of the most gruesomely described horror I have ever encountered, definitely not for the faint of heart. The stories are still good, and the book is thin enough to read while waiting for a dentist appointment, but if you want something juicier in content and not just an indistinct wade through knee-high gore and splatter, pick up a different Lee and save this one for the waiting room.

Goddess of the New Dark Age: A story of a man dying of cancer, and of the ghost who follows him , whispering to him, as he seeks the meaning of what is real. Only in death will the ghost make reality clear to him. This is the best story of the three.

The Seeker: A man wanders through a quarantined zone, seeking truth and finding only revolting people and horrific acts of violence. When he does find what the army and he himself has been seeking, he discovers that he is capable of handling it when others are not. This is the most vague, and yet the goriest, of the three.

Pay Me: A man finds an old school mate in a Live-Sex bar, and witnesses her involvement in a pornographic stage show. Still wanting to see her, he gets involved with her only to find out she will recruit him for the show in horrible fashion. This is the most sexually graphic of the three, better than The Seeker but not as good as Goddess.

Rating:
Summary: This meat is sliced too thin�
Review: I�m really glad that Edward Lee is better than this tiny chapter book. (and I do mean tiny, very thin) In my opinion, horror should be in-your-face; a fast, slap-happy read that leaves no doubts about what just happened. Lee gets a little bit, well, ethereal in this chapter book. A kind of wandering, dreamlike prose that belongs in space-type SF and not flat horror; for this book does contain some of the most gruesomely described horror I have ever encountered, definitely not for the faint of heart. The stories are still good, and the book is thin enough to read while waiting for a dentist appointment, but if you want something juicier in content and not just an indistinct wade through knee-high gore and splatter, pick up a different Lee and save this one for the waiting room.

Goddess of the New Dark Age: A story of a man dying of cancer, and of the ghost who follows him , whispering to him, as he seeks the meaning of what is real. Only in death will the ghost make reality clear to him. This is the best story of the three.

The Seeker: A man wanders through a quarantined zone, seeking truth and finding only revolting people and horrific acts of violence. When he does find what the army and he himself has been seeking, he discovers that he is capable of handling it when others are not. This is the most vague, and yet the goriest, of the three.

Pay Me: A man finds an old school mate in a Live-Sex bar, and witnesses her involvement in a pornographic stage show. Still wanting to see her, he gets involved with her only to find out she will recruit him for the show in horrible fashion. This is the most sexually graphic of the three, better than The Seeker but not as good as Goddess.

Rating:
Summary: Best look elsewhere
Review: This is a small collection of three stories dealing with the theme of a search for truth. All three involve a writer as the main character, presumably Lee's alter ego.

In the first story, "Goddess of the New Dark Age," a cancer-stricken author is literally haunted by his life's failures. He consults people of various stripes - a priest, a professor, a call girl - in an attempt to answer the question "what is real?"

The second story, "The Seeker," is essentially a rehash of the first, with added gore and the revolting acts that Lee is infamous for. It is perhaps meant for those who couldn't hold their attention on the previous story.

In the final story, "Pay Me," a writer visits a sex club and encounters an acquaintance he carried a torch for in high school. He soon finds she has changed in unspeakable ways. Lee tries to add weight to the story by telling us (in his afterword) that it is a philosophical tale. It's really just a soulless piece of pornography, and the inexplicable ending seems like a lame attempt to root it in the horror genre.

The first story is recommended. It is deep and surreal and the only well-written piece of the three, and earns this publication three stars. The others aren't worth the time it took to read them.

Rating:
Summary: Best look elsewhere
Review: This is a small collection of three stories dealing with the theme of a search for truth. All three involve a writer as the main character, presumably Lee's alter ego.

In the first story, "Goddess of the New Dark Age," a cancer-stricken author is literally haunted by his life's failures. He consults people of various stripes - a priest, a professor, a call girl - in an attempt to answer the question "what is real?"

The second story, "The Seeker," is essentially a rehash of the first, with added gore and the revolting acts that Lee is infamous for. It is perhaps meant for those who couldn't hold their attention on the previous story.

In the final story, "Pay Me," a writer visits a sex club and encounters an acquaintance he carried a torch for in high school. He soon finds she has changed in unspeakable ways. Lee tries to add weight to the story by telling us (in his afterword) that it is a philosophical tale. It's really just a soulless piece of pornography, and the inexplicable ending seems like a lame attempt to root it in the horror genre.

The first story is recommended. It is deep and surreal and the only well-written piece of the three, and earns this publication three stars. The others aren't worth the time it took to read them.

Rating:
Summary: Edward Lee's Quest for Sex, Truth & Reality, by Ed Lee
Review: What is wrong with the world?

Ed Lee is writing serious fiction.

Edward Lee's Quest for Sex, Truth & Reality isn't a new book--originally published in 1992 by Tal Publications in fact--but the three stories in here mark a significant point in Lee's writing. This is some mature stuff, the kind of writing that actually intimidates other writers. In this new book, really an old book, Ed Lee's all growed up.

What we've got here is a collection of three short stories, each chronicling a search of one kind or another.

First is "Goddess of the New Dark Age" in which a writer (they're all writers in this book, and for the most part, they're named Smith) is trying to figure out "What is real?"

The horrors in this story don't come from Lee's fiction, they're pulled from our world into his, instead of the other way around, and that's what sets this story apart.

This was something I never expected, a heavy story from Ed Lee, the man who gave us Header and Mr. Torso.

Next we come to "The Seeker", a story that never once lets you know what is going on--even after I was done I was thinking, "That was one HECK of a story--what happened?"

The writer comes to town and all he wants is to know when the next bus arrives to take him out.

This is one weird story but it's not one that'll put you off with it's weirdness, you welcome it because coming in Ed Lee's words, the weirdness takes on a whole new level of "what the heck?" that sucks you in and forces you to keep reading. I was actually upset when the story was over because I was so enjoying his prose here.

Last is "Pay Me", probably the weakest and most old-school horror story of the three. That's not to mean bad, just more simple. What compels the Smith of this story into The Anvil, a live sex show club, he doesn't know.

Remember Nicholson's line in As Good As It Gets, "You make me want to be a better man"? That's what this book does, it makes you want to be a better writer. I mean, not to discredit Ed Lee, the man is GREAT at what we all know and love him for, but if the man who wrote "Mr. Torso" can also write work like this . . . anything's possible and I've still got a LOT of work to do.

And let's not forget to mention Erik Wilsons' wonderful interior art. The Seeker illustration was just plain great.

My personal opinion--and isn't that what reviews are, really--if this book gets out to the non-hardcore fans, it could bring a whole new audience to Lee's work, the people who wouldn't normally go for "Header" or "The Dritiphilist". It's got Lee galore in it, but the main point of these stories are character and plot, not gore and gross. They read like "regular" horror stories, taken up a notch or two by a man who knows what he's doing, but isn't trying to be over the top.

Rating:
Summary: SEEK THIS OUT
Review: When I ordered this Necro chapbook, I didn't realize that I'd already read 2 of it's three stories ("The Goddess Of The Dark Age" and "The Seeker" were both in the author's 1st collection of short fiction - The Ushers). Knowing that now, I would still order this book as it is the only place (besides the original out of print chapbook by Tal) to get the 3rd story, "Pay Me". Having just finished Lee's Sex, Drugs & Power Tools, I had to shift gears a little bit as this collecion isn't as hardcore/in your face as S,D&PT. Don't take that the wrong way. If you like Edward Lee, you'll like this collection. Just don't go looking for a header. Be sure to check out the afterword that follows each story (and the picture of Lee smiling at the end). Seek out this chapbook now before it joins the Tal edition.