Blurbs for Cage of Bones

    "This collection launches a blazing new voice into the realm of modern horror."

    — Edward Lee, author of The Ushers and The Stickmen.

     

    "Cage of Bones drops us into a dark and claustrophobic world of obsession and dementia."

    — David G. Barnett, Editor and Publisher, Necro Publications

    "Romantically inclined gourds, genetically created love machines, see-through chests, succubus roadkill, self-imposed moralists, killer television, real 'boners,' demonic possessions, freaks, geeks and forlorn rotting vampires seeking revenge...

    Regardless of the diverse (and remarkable) settings, these are stories of obsession, the kind that will crawl under your skin and make themselves at home."

    — P. D. Cacek, author of Night Prayers, from the Introduction

     

Cage of Bones & Other Deadly ObsessionsCAGE OF BONES
& Other Deadly Obsessions
By John Everson

(Delirium Books)
$29.00, 192 pages
ISBN 1-929653-07-7
SOLD OUT

his is the first book collection of my short fiction, and focuses on my more extreme "erotic horror" oriented pieces. Debuted on Friday the 13th of October 2000, this limited edition hardcover includes stories that had previously appeared in magazines like Grue, Bloodsongs, Delirium, Into The Darkness, Dead of Night, Nasty Snips, Terminal Fright and Outer Darkness as well as eight stories original to the collection.

The story "Pumpkin Head" is available to read online. The Reviews it garnered are also still available.

The book includes an Introduction by P. D. Cacek, author of Night Players; color dustjacket artwork by Andrew Shorrock, and a gold embossed cover logo by Colleen Crary. This was the first Delirium release to include a dustjacket (which actually debuted several weeks after the initial release of the book - the first copies shipped without a dustjacket).

Table of Contents :

  • Yellow
    The cave held the seed of ancient gods...their vacation provided the climax of despair.

  • Long Distance Call
    There are some calls you should never answer.

  • Cage of Bones
    It was beautiful. After weeks of preparation it was finished. A full body restraint. Made of steel. Wood. Leather. And bones.

  • Dead Girl On The Side of The Road
    Her body was his, unchanging, for 25 years to enjoy whenever he chose.

  • Pumpkin Head
    She held the browning vine up from her belly, and with squeamish understanding, he dug through his clothes for his pocketknife.

  • Direkit Seed
    Her name was Ceiran, with a C. She sang sexy Barry Manilow songs and worked in a club. And she was a witch.

  • Every Last Drop
    Tony couldn't resist the promise of the perfect blowjob. But more than his orgasm was being sucked away.

  • When Barrettes Brought Justice To A Burning Heart
    The derelict with the milky white eyes promised revenge, and that was something Bill wanted more than life itself.

  • The Mouth
    The defining evidence that separates sex and murder is really only the amount of blood left behind on the bed.

  • Creaks
    Sometimes the most frightening parts of growing up are the discoveries of our own nature.

  • Remember Me, My Husband
    Ella Marie had been dead for 100 years when she gave him her ring.

  • Wooden
    "Tonight," she promised, "I'll be back. I'll bring some matches. We'll have a bonfire, you and I. Dead wood burns best."

  • Swallowing The Pill
    Some pills get easier to swallow...with practice.

  • Broken Window
    In giving him entrance to her soul, had Katrina given too much?

  • Tomorrow
    He was a bored child prodigy who could use his will to make his pets and parents do whatever he chose. What will he do tomorrow?

  • Mirror Image
    The mirror reflects his true nature. Or is it someone else?

  • Murdering The Language
    Gretta only wanted to protect the library's patrons from smut and filth. But some lessons in literature are painful.

  • Anniversary
    Margaret lived for the nights of the full moon. And she wanted this night to be perfect; it was their first anniversary.

  • The Last Plague
    When nothing else is left, what is there left to lose?

  • Bloodroses
    She was blinded by lust and razored by marriage. But at least she had the thorns of her rose garden to soothe her.