Wrong Things

Wrong Things This 2001 collection brings together works from horror authors Poppy Z. Brite and Caitlin R. Kiernan, featuring three stories and an afterword. The book was published by Subterranean Press with cover art and illustrations by Richard A. Kirk. The collection contains Brite's "The Crystal Empire," Kiernan's award-winning "Onion," and their collaborative story "The Rest of the Wrong Thing." The collaboration takes place in Missing Mile, the fictional setting of several other Brite works, creating connections to the author's wider literary universe. The stories in Wrong Things explore themes of darkness, outsider perspectives, and the blurred boundaries between reality and nightmare. The combination of two distinct authorial voices - working both separately and together - creates a reading experience that shifts between different approaches to horror and dark fantasy.

Reader reviews underscore the book's dark, erotic tone while noting it feels more like an experimental fragment than a complete work. Readers highlight: - The collaboration between Brite and McNair results in seamless prose - Strong character development of the gay protagonists - Effective building of tension and dread - Sharp, visceral descriptive passages - The Louisiana setting feels authentic Common criticisms: - The story feels incomplete or rushed - Plot threads are left unresolved - The price is high for a 106-page novella - Some find the violent/sexual content gratuitous Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (250+ ratings) Amazon: 3.5/5 (15 ratings) "The writing sucks you in but the ending leaves you hanging" notes one Goodreads reviewer. Several Amazon reviews mention feeling frustrated by the abrupt conclusion despite strong opening chapters. The limited print run makes reviews sparse compared to other Brite works.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt A group of college students descend into darkness through obsession, murder, and destructive relationships.

Twilight of the Dogs by Kenton Adler Five friends participate in increasingly violent rituals that bind them together through blood and death.

Dream Boy by Jim Grimsley Two young men in the rural South form a connection that leads to consequences both tender and brutal.

Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z. Brite Serial killers in New Orleans pursue their desires through murder, cannibalism, and twisted romance.

The Basic Eight by Daniel Handler A high school student's diary reveals the events leading to murder within an elite social circle.

⚜️ Published in 2003, this was the first and only collaboration between Poppy Z. Brite and Caitlin R. Kiernan, despite both being prominent figures in the Southern Gothic horror scene. ⚜️ Missing Mile, North Carolina, where one of the stories is set, is a fictional town that appears in several of Brite's works, most notably in "Lost Souls" (1992) and "Drawing Blood" (1993). ⚜️ Author Poppy Z. Brite has since transitioned and now goes by Billy Martin, retiring from fiction writing to focus on cooking and food writing under his new name. ⚜️ Subterranean Press, known for their high-quality limited editions, produced "Wrong Things" as a numbered edition of 1,500 copies and a lettered edition of 52 copies. ⚜️ Illustrator Richard A. Kirk's distinctive style, which combines elements of botanical illustration with surrealist imagery, was chosen specifically to complement the book's dreamlike narrative tone.