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by Poppy Z. Brite is currently what pops up when the Kindle app is opened. I am going to have to brush over this one a little lighter than I normally do as this novel is NSFL (Not Safe For Life).

While I highly recommend the book, I must warn you:
Strong scenes of sexual violence and language, murder, r*pe, adult scenes, gore, and use of drugs and alcohol.

Ironically, the title, Exquisite Corpse, is a phrase used in French culture to describe a game that had been referred to as picture consequences. In this game, a piece of paper is folded, and someone writes a word on the paper and folds it. Based on what the next person can see, they add their own part to the picture. This keeps continuing until everyone has had a turn writing or drawing on the paper. It is then unfolded, and the result is known as the Exquisite corpse.

The premise behind the novel is fairly straightforward – there are several main characters and in King-esque fashion, and each character is a murderer in some capacity. The idea behind each story is that they commit murder for romantic and sexual reasons.

I know that sounds like an awful book to read, but it has been highly enlightening to gain perspective on this topic. As a horror writer, it is important to understand all facets of the genre for the effective production of horror that grips the reader. Writing controversial topics is one of the primary goals that I have as an author. I want to press the boundaries of the genre and see how far I can push it until the bubble pops.

When I write, I enjoy using language that turns the stomach and grips the mind. Reading extreme horror is a way of studying the diction of the writing. It enhances my diction when writing any horror.

Exquisite Corpse certainly provides me with enough material in that aspect. Poppy has done a wonderful job capturing the mind of the readers in a trap and releasing it into a chamber of horrors. Each character’s story is just as, if not more, shocking than the last. The stories are something off of America’s Most Wanted.

While I highly recommend the book, I must warn you:
Strong scenes of sexual violence and language, murder, r*pe, adult scenes, gore, and use of drugs and alcohol.