I am, as you know a great fan of Ed.
Love his novels, the gore, the humour etc.
Some novels are much harder to read, like mr. Torso and the other novels, containing the redneck language.
Don't get me wrong, i like those books / stories as well, but they are much more difficult to read.
The only strange thing i find is that the spoken language as well as the other text are often in redneck.
Why is that ?
It's much more difficult to read, but on the other hand, you spend more time with the novel.
Sometimes, Englisch isn't my major language, i have to reread somethings twice.
With a novel like messenger, it was like cutting through butter, that was an easy one (favorite of mine).
But, although some books are harder to read, i perfectly understand everything.
Well done Ed.

Yes, regrettably, when I write a book in dialect, there are plenty of folks that simply don't get into that. It's more of a nuisance than a nuance. I doubt that I'll do anymore Lovecraft pieces in his style. But I gotta admit, sometimes it's a TON of fun to write. Future stuff I think you'll like much better. Thanks for your support!

Edward Lee

It's a bit harder to follow, but like i said, in the end i have a fun time wich almost each book you write.
I tend to read the redneck language out loud, helps very much.

Can't wait for a new novel to come.
Just recieved Witch water by jizzlefinger.
Extremely nice cover , love redheads

By the way : i think it's so cool, you participate in discussions, you are very close with your fans.

English isn't my first language and I'll freely admit that it took some getting used to the redneck slang when I picked up THE BIGHEAD, my first Ed Lee novel. I always found it highly amusing and never thought of it as a distraction or annoyance. It definitely takes me longer to read those parts but I never minded that in the least.

As for the books written in Lovecraft's style, those are favorites of mine and it'd be unfortunate if we didn't get another one or two sometime down the line.

Mainstream that stuff may not be but it's a treat I can't get anywhere else. Things like these are major reasons I'm a fan of Ed's work.

Hell English IS my first language but even I had a hard time figuring out some of what was being said in Dunwich Romance, but I found that was the fun part, reading that shit out loud and trying to put a rednecky twist on it.

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Come see Jack Staynes fine selection of horror http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Jizzlefingers-Horror-books

The redneck dialogue is one of my favourite aspects of Lee's writing, although I struggled with it in Haunter because they weren't southern rednecks. I can't remember offhand where Haunter was set but I'm unfamiliar with the dialect of the area so I couldn't hear it in my head properly.

But as far as the Southern rednecks go, I'll read that stuff til the cows come home. It's better still when the narrative and internal dialogue of characters is in dialect to, like The Bighead and Refrigerator Full of Sperm, for example. It all adds to the comedy, which is one of the main things about Ed Lee that I love. Almost all of his hardcore stuff is comedy, to me, and I'm always suprised that this seems to fly over peoples' heads.

I've got some distant family from the Deep South who I can't understand at all on the rare occasions that my mom hands the phone off to me when she's talking to them. Compared to listening to them talk, piecing together written dialogue is a piece of cake. Plus it's an added element of fun to read the bits aloud when you don't understand them the first time.

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He thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts

Since I just read it, HAUNTER was set mostly in New Hampshire, so the redneck dialect is sort of a New England one...

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http://horrorgasms.blogspot.com/

yeah, that reminds me now. Unfortunately, as a Brit I have no idea what the New England accent is like.

I have to agree being from the UK I have no idea about half of the accents, but have to say the Redneck books are very high on the favourite list of Ed Lee reads.

Family Traditions, Header series, Bighead, Ever Nat the list goes on

love them all

I am hoping HEADS (Header 3) is full of crazy Redneck speak!

For New England backwoods, this works as an example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gP7zXMGMiHE

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He thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts

I love the redneck dialogue in Ed's books and don't have too much trouble deciphering it. I tried to get my husband to read some of Ed's shorts (stories, not undies), namely The Torso's because they're as funny as fuck but he had a really hard time with it....stupid brain injury.
I grew up in the UK and my first real exposure to challenging dialect in books were written by Irvine Welsh. I must have read the first three pages of Trainspotting approximately 4000 times before it finally clicked, and I have friends from Scotland! I think dialect adds authenticity and makes the experience that much more immersive for me. It almost makes me want to get abducted by Dicky and Balls! (almost )

Heh, that's funny. If you think it's hard to follow the redneck dialect in written form, try LIVING with it and trying to decipher it while having a conversation! I went to two separate colleges, one in southern KY and then Eastern KY, and let me tell you - it's not easy at all.

Actually though, and Ed feel free to use this one, the most unusual and ABSOLUTELY MOST DIFFICULT dialect I have ever encountered is Japanese hillbilly. Yes, I'm not lying. When I transferred to Morehead State (yes, haha), I met a Japanese girl who had been an exchange student in high school in Eastern Kentucky. She learned "English" in the most backwoods, redneck high schools imaginable with some of the deepest hick accents possible. When I first heard this girl talk, I honestly thought it was a joke! "Is this for REAL!?" was all I kept asking myself. Luckily, several years of her encountering people that either had less harsh accents or none at all greatly improved her ability to speak (and me to understand her). However... after all these years, there are times I wish I could have recorded her when I first met her - it was that unbelievable.

Japanese hillbilly! Wow, I didn't know they existed. Gotta hear it! (I know three people who went to Morehead.) I tbhink I've mentioned in the past that every time I decide to stop doing the redneck dialect, I get pulled back in. Jeez, I'm gonna HAVE to tone that down a little!

Edward Lee

I like the redneck stuff. Sometimes it seems a bit much, but I feel an author's duty is to find real voice for the characters. This was Zane Grey's strong suit. Having people talk in books just they talk in life.
One of the funniest voices I ever heard was a gas station attendant in Norhtern Minnesota. It was a skinny, wanna be Goth girl with the dyed black hair. She had vocal mannerisms right out of the movie Fargo. But her Goth thing, for whatever reason made her throw in lots of Valley Girl stuff. Absolutely unreal.
"You know, like, gag me. Eh?"

Please please please Mr. Lee don't tone down anything! Maybe crank it up to 11 if you can but don't hold back on the redneck!!!

I too love the redneck stuff.

I also don't think that a writer should change what they do based on a small amount of fan feedback. We are Lee fans because of what he's done so far and the only thing I want him to do is to write what he honestly wants to write for himself. There will always be books that some of us won't like as much as others but we as fans should not be influencing Lee's choice of direction.

Exactly. Never change what you do, Mr Lee.
I DVRd a show last night on Discovery, or something like that, called Moonshiners because I need a bit of a Hillbilly fix

By now, the redneck dialogue just comes second nature to me but I remember first reading Lee and having a hard time getting into the groove of it. But now it's my favorite parts to read. And being from Texas helps too. But I can't even imagine reading it when English isn't a first language.

The think New England accent from the most recent works is a little different for me though. It's still a little weird to read and not as enjoyable as the redneck accent but I make do.

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"The Living Dead and the dying living are all the same. Cut from the same cloth. But disposing of dead people is a public service, whereas you're in all sorts of trouble if you kill someone while they're still alive."

Just finished my signed edition of "You Are My Everything.". Pricey for a short story, but redneck enough for anyone here to enjoy it. Cameo appearance from the Crafter House from The Minotauress, and leaves the door open for more fun and mayhem. Definitely recommended.

Keep doing what you do Edward, its why we love your books so much!

I'm definitely going to be more disciplined with dialect in future. Thanks, Jamey, for the support, and, yes, DaFratho, I do plan to return to the Crafter House in the distant future. Westmore's investigation will lead to his suicide, and an unlikely character from Header 2 will play a major part!

Later!
Edward Lee

Edward, do you have a list of what you're currently working on?

I know a lot of it is just a jumble in your head - lots of things that you'd like to do, random thoughts about what would make a good story (sometime...), and things you're actually getting paid to do. Could you update us, maybe even in its own separate thread? (can't believe I missed this posted 10 day ago!)