Lost Souls (novel)
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| Author | Poppy Z. Brite |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Horror novel |
| Publisher | Dell |
| Released | 1992 |
| Pages | 384 pages (Paperback edition) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-44-021281-2 (Paperback) |
Lost Souls is a 1992 horror novel, the first written by Poppy Z. Brite. It is the first and only novel-length adventure of Brite's Steve and Ghost characters, popularized in her numerous short stories. The novel is an extended version of the short story "The Seed of Lost Souls".
Several characters introduced in the novel make appearances in Brite's second novel, Drawing Blood, though it is not a direct sequel.
Contents |
[edit] Characters
[edit] Steve
Steve was raised in Missing Mile, North Carolina. He works in a record shop in his home town called the Whirling Disc. Steve is proud and stubborn, a man who drinks too much and has a bad temper when provoked, and he is haunted throughout the novel by memories and fleeting glimpses of his ex-girlfriend, Ann.
[edit] Ghost
Ghost is Steve's best friend, and although they are not lovers and never have been, their relationship often has homoerotic undertones. Kind and compassionate, Ghost often has unexplainable visions, and sometimes they are even a foreshadowing of things to come.
[edit] Ann
Ann, Steve's ex-girlfriend, plays an ambiguous role throughout much of the novel, but she becomes helplessly intertwined in the plot once Zillah, Twig, Molochai and Nothing roll into Missing Mile, North Carolina.
[edit] Lost Souls?
Steve and Ghost's band. Ghost is the vocalist, and Steve plays guitar. Lost Souls? has toured across the United States, and they frequently perform at the local club in Missing Mile, North Carolina, a place called The Sacred Yew.
[edit] Other Appearances
- "Angels" (printed in Wormwood)
- "The Seed of Lost Souls" (short story of which Lost Souls is an expansion)
- "The South Central Rain Story"
- "Stay Awake"
- "America" (printed in "Are You Loathsome Tonight?)
- "How to Get Ahead in New York" (printed in Wormwood)
[edit] Vampires
The vampires of this novel are quite dissimilar to those of traditional lore. Rather than being a human changed to the undead, these people are another race entirely, born as vampires instead of being sired. While many feed on blood, this is not always the case (e.g. feeding on love and beauty). Those who do drink blood do not even have naturally sharp teeth, due to their inbreeding with humans. They file their teeth to sharpen them. Another thing about Brite's vampires is that they do not seem to have many supernatural powers. Immortality is vaguely hinted at, but these vampires can be killed in any number of ways that traditional vampires cannot, despite the fact that they have heightened abilities, including great strength and quicker healing processes than humans have. The vampires are shockingly mortal in many ways - they can walk about during the day, although they do seem to be sensitive to sunlight and are more prone to a nocturnal schedule, and they eagerly consume human food and drink.
[edit] Nothing (aka Jason)
A teenage vampire taken in by humans as a baby. Born in New Orleans, he was taken (by Christian) to a small town in Maryland after he was born, left on the doorstep of an unsuspecting couple. The story is centered around him and his journey to find his real family. It should also be noted that Nothing's name means that he is a blank slate, and can write anything down on it he wants to, making himself whatever he wants, as noted in the novel. This is a main part of the larger Existential/Nihilist themes running through the novel.
[edit] Zillah
Zillah is Nothing's father as well as his lover. His distinguishing features include his mesmerizing green eyes and the purple, green, and gold-dyed streaks in his hair - the colors of Mardi Gras. He is described as being incredibly beautiful - androgynous, slender, and shorter than Molochai and Twig, with hoops through his nipples and sharp, glossy, black-lacquered nails. He is portrayed throughout the novel as cruel, insensitive, and violent (sexually and otherwise), the obvious leader of the pack, but he has a sensitive side when it comes to Nothing.
[edit] Twig and Molochai
Zillah's gluttonous companions, both very much alike. They are rarely found apart from one another.
[edit] Christian
Bartender in New Orleans who looks after Nothing's mother through the duration of her pregnancy, and the one responsible for taking him away from the city after his birth. He is the oldest vampire in the novel.
[edit] External links
| Poppy Z. Brite |
| Bibliography |
|---|
| Novels and Novellas: Lost Souls | Drawing Blood | Exquisite Corpse | The Lazarus Heart | Plastic Jesus | The Value of X | Liquor | Triads | Prime | Soul Kitchen | D*U*C*K |
| Short Story Collections: Wormwood | Are You Loathsome Tonight? | Wrong Things | The Devil You Know | Antediluvian Tales |
| Chapbooks R.I.P. | The Seed of Lost Souls | Stay Awake | Would You? | Pansu | Con Party at Hotel California | The Feast of St. Rosalie | Used Stories | Crown of Thorns |
| Nonfiction Courtney Love: The Real Story | Guilty But Insane |
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