The Devil You Know

In her first new collection in a couple of years, Poppy Z. Brites "The Devil you Know" focuses many of its stories in and around her beloved New Orleans and often travels in the restaurant world (her husband is a chef). Less gothic than her previous works, one might even consider "The Devil You Know" somewhat whimsical in certain spots. She certainly is prone to using humor and irony more so than in the past. But don't think that Brite has lost her edge. While she continues to explore new avenues she can still hit you right between the head although she does so with a skillful, subtle hand in this collection of 13 stories. Several of the tales feature Poppy's alter ego, Coroner Dr. Brite such as the black humor tale "Marisol" about a restaurant critic who writes an unflattering review of a restaurant and then promptly disappears as the chef introduces his newest dish. The "Ocean" brazenly shows the high cost of fame in a story about a dysfunctional, drug addicted rock band, being fed upon by their fans. "System Freeze" seems a bit out of place with the other stories in the book, being as much a Sci-fi story as anything else. After a fatal fall from a mountain during a climb, a woman finds she's been given a second chance at life by the mysterious Agent Fine, as long as she completes the new AI program that she is working on. The story is supposed to be a Matrix-esque type tale and is short but effective "Burn Baby Burn" will have people thinking of Stephen King's "Firestarter" with its tragic tale of pyrokinetic Liz Sherman (of Hellboy fame) and the destruction she causes to friends and family...not to mention her entire neighborhood when her powers go out of control. Liz finds her only place of comfort and safety is at the governments Bureau of Paranormal Research---with the other freaks. My favorite story was "Lantern Marsh" as it evoked the feelings of youth when our own little worlds and suburbs were filled with mystery and enchantment. We firmly believed that the big old house down on the corner was home to a mad scientist. Set again in the Deep South, three young friends frequent a local swamp where odd lights are seen to float and dance about. Noel especially us drawn to the area over and over, even after he's warned to stay out by the man who owns part of the land it rests on. Years later, Noel returns home from college to find that Mr. Prudhomme now owns all of the land and plans to fill in the swamp for development. Noel knows he'll have to do something drastic to save the swamp, and whatever it is that lives there. This diverse collection of short tales shows Poppy's development and comfort with various forms and settings as well as her enormous skill as a storyteller. A must have for her fans and a great place to start for new Brite readers! Reviewed by Tim Janson

I bought this collection because I am a Rickey and G-Man completist, and I was anxious to read "Bayou De La Mere" and "A Season In Heck." Of course both stories turned out to be excellent little windows into other aspects of the ever-growing Liquor milieu (particularly "A Season In Heck," which is a little more tangental as it deals with the travails of a young inexperienced Liquor cook), but fortunately this book also introduced me to Doc Brite, Brite's maverick foodie medical examiner alter-ego. With all these stories, Brite (the author) manages both to write great food porn and give lively insight into the intricate workings of New Orleans society and culture. Brite is, simply, a terrific writer.

Anyone who's ever read anything by Poppy Z. Brite knows that she's a sorceress of words, mesmerizing her readers with language, drawing them into her dark webs of storytelling. She is also a born native of New Orleans who eschews the typical trappings that plague much of the literature about the city, which mostly relies upon cliches involving Voodoo, decadence and Mardi Gras. The city and its inhabitants are so much more than that, she says, and so much stranger. And so, in this, her third short story collection, you'll be escorted into the real New Orleans and meet the hardworking, hard-partying people who make up the unusual fabric of a town that is just...well, different. These stories range from sad to shocking to uproariously funny, but the writing is always dead-on and in-your-face and jaw-dropping gorgeous. Even when she's writing within the proscribed universes of Hellboy ("Burn, Baby, Burn") or The Matrix ("System Freeze"), she makes these worlds her own rather than becoming subsumed by them, as often happens with a less talented writers. No matter the subject, no matter the style or structure, these stories are quintessentially Poppy, and you will love them. Sadly, they've been made even more poignant by the damage done by the recent hurricanes, but, as Poppy's characters will assure you, New Orleans will rise and rebuild. It's the character of the people, and the magic of the place. Immerse yourself in these stories. They are wondrous and satisfying, each and every one.

Poppy Z. Brite has moved away from the horror genre in recent years, and in doing so has found an electrifying new voice. "The Devil You Know" is Brite's third collection of short stories, a style in which she excels. It is the best of her collections so far in that there are really no weak points to be found. The stories are incredibly diverse, some introducing new characters and others revisiting old favorites. Here's a rundown of the stories themselves: "Dispatches From Tanganyika" is a delightful foreward by Brite, in which she discusses her move away from horror and how each story came to be written. "The Devil You Know" is an interesting, slightly creepy/comic appetizer which features briefly a charcter from "Exquisite Corpse." "O Death, Where Is Thy Spatula?" reintroduces the character of Dr. Brite, Poppy's alter-ego first seen in her previous collection, "Are You Loathsome Tonight?" A great fun read. "Lantern Marsh" is an old style Brite tale, much more on the supernatural side than the others. "Nothing of Him That Doth Fade" is simply one of the saddest, most depressing things that Brite has ever written. It can also be seen as a final farewell to the angsty gay characters that she made her name on in her early work. "The Ocean" is, as Poppy herself says, her last story about rock stars. Quite disturbing it is too, and no, it's not about vampires. "Marisol" is another great Dr. Brite story, and also a love letter to Poppy's favorite restaurant. "Poivre" is a true restaurant story by Poppy, very light and humorous. "Pansu" is an over the top demonic possession tale, and you can tell Brite had a good time writing it. "Burn, Baby, Burn" contains probably the most interesting female character Poppy has written about to date, even though the character is not of her creation. A troubled girl who starts fires with her mind. "System Freeze" is an eerie story set in the world of the movie "The Matrix." "Bayou de la Mere," which stars "The Value of X" characters Rickey and G-man, and "The Heart of New Orleans," which stars Dr. Brite, compete to be the best pieces of fiction that Poppy Z. Brite has ever written. Together they are so honest, real, and beautiful. Well done. "A Season in Heck" is the novella that concludes the collection, and it deals with Paul, a young gay cook who works for Rickey and G-man. Also incredibly honest about New Orleans and its people. To conclude, "The Devil You Know" contains some of Poppy Z. Brite's most original, honest work to date. She is my favorite author, and I have no doubt that she will continue to grow into exciting new directions.

After a hiatus of a few years, Poppy is back with a brilliant new short story collection, through Subterranean Press. There's no picture of the book here, so I will give a short description of it: Teal. It's teal. It's very, very teal. The dustjacket shows a very *odd* looking cat (you can see it at the Subterranean Press Website), and the interior pages are oddly textured, giving the book an overall quirky and endearing feel. Like all of her books through Subterranean, the front page is signed.And as for the stories...Dispatches from Tanganyika: A Foreword--Reminds me of the forward to Neil Gaiman's "Smoke And Mirrors." Here you will find brief notes Poppy has written on many of her stories, as well as an...explaination for her new (remarkable) writing style. The Devil You Know--Cute. This story is nowhere near as "horrific" as many of her earlier short stories. Instead, it wonderfully reflects the front cover's "quirkiness." O Death, Where Is Thy Spatula?--Reintroducing Dr. Brite, coroner of New Orleans and Poppy's alter-ego. (You may remember Dr. Brite from "In Vermis Veritas" in her previous short story collection.) Lantern Marsh--Very sweet, and vaguely Ray Bradbury-esque. An odd story of childhood and change. Not scary at all. Nothing Of Him That Doth Fade--This is the only story that really left me cold. It's definately not one of her best--Brite admits as much in the forward. The Ocean--A dark story of Orpheus in modern times. Poppy's kind of, um, *intense* about people who think that this is a vampire story. Because it's not. Marisol--More fun and games with Dr. Brite in the kitchen of New Orleans. This story gives a strong message out to all us reviewers out there...be careful what you say! Poivre--Not really fiction at all. This is more of an anecdote about an incident that happened at one of the author's favorite restaurants. Very cute, really. Pansu--Hysterical. Just very, very funny. Spoofs "The Exorcist." When I first heard descriptions of this story ("An ancient demon from the East seeks the pleasures of the flesh...") I thought that this would be a serious story. It's really definately NOT. Burn, Baby, Burn--I forget what this story was based on, but it was good. Very "Firestarter." System Freeze--Written in the same world as "The Matrix." It's okay. Not being a big fan of the movie, I'm not one to judge. Bayou de la Mère--We get to see Rickey and G-Man (of "The Value of X" fame) on vacation in this short piece. G-Man is still trying to reconcile Catholisism and his sexuality, making this a very poignant piece. The Heart of New Orleans--Probably one of the BEST things Poppy has ever written, and the last Dr. Brite story in here. This story is humerous and sad and really, really shows the true heart of New Orleans. Anne Rice, eat your heart out. A Season in Heck--A little taste of what's to come, methinks. This story takes place at Rickey and G-Man's restaurant, Liquor. However, Our Couple is not the