By Matthew J. Barbour
In the 1990s, Poppy Z. Brite’s stories defined sub-genres such as erotic horror, slasher punk, and Southern Gothic. Brite wrote stories of extreme violence and sex centered in the American South. Filled with bisexual, gay, and trans characters, Brite’s work went far beyond the boundaries of mainstream horror.
Bright’s first novel, Lost Soulsreleased in 1992. It combines Interview with the VampireBy Ann Rice, with The light at the endwritten by John Skipper and Craig Spector. Like its predecessor, this is a vampire novel. However, unlike many other authors’ interpretations, the vampires in the book are Lost Souls It is not a modified human being, but a species different from humans.
Lost Souls Numerous characters are featured in the book, including the infamous Steve and Ghost, who play a major role in many of Bright’s stories. The duo form the band Lost Souls, after which the novel is named. The story follows the duo’s encounter with a young fan named “John Doe”.
Nothing was born a vampire. Abandoned by his own kind, Nothing is an outsider among humans, but he is also a blank slate. He sets out to discover who he is and where he comes from. This leads him to the Lost Souls concert and to his birthplace in the French Quarter of New Orleans. During his journey, Nothing will come face to face with his ancestors and the humans he longs to befriend.
Nothing and the humans and vampires he encounters are the engine for the author’s exploration of the complexities of identity, relationships, and Brite’s own gender ambiguity. This is a story about how alienation and acceptance go hand in hand. Key to this discussion is Nothing’s incestuous relationship with his father, the vampire Zillah. Zillah, born evil, is the reason for Nothing’s birth and the cause of his mother’s death. To Nothing, Zillah is a lover and a father. To Zillah, Nothing is a pet and a curiosity.
When Steve’s ex-girlfriend Ann becomes pregnant with Zira, Steve and Ghost find themselves intertwined with the fate of these two vampires. It’s a death sentence. Vampires aren’t born, but begin to devour and kill their hosts from the womb. Can Steve and Ghost save Ann from such a fate? The ending will surprise you.
too much, Lost Souls This was Poppy Z. Brite’s greatest achievement before she retired in 2010. While those claims are certainly debatable, it remains a classic. It’s one of the most memorable vampire novels ever written. The only question is whether we’ll ever see Lost Souls II?
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score: 5/5
