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Scabs
A man haunted by the children that teased him when he was young destroys anyone who tries to love him. An OBGYN has a religious conversion that leads to an act of terrorism. A promiscuous man tries desperately to hold onto a woman. A former drug dealer runs from the demons of his past. The ghost of a former classmate visits the one boy who was kind to her when she was alive. The daughter of a mafia hit man uses her skills of persuasion to get a former lover to acknowledge his son.
These are tales of pain and regret, revenge and redemption. Blending the emotional with the extreme, the perverse with the profound, the violent and visceral with the philosophical and the socio-political, these stories epitomize the controversial style that has made Wrath James White a genre favorite.
These are tales of pain and regret, revenge and redemption. Blending the emotional with the extreme, the perverse with the profound, the violent and visceral with the philosophical and the socio-political, these stories epitomize the controversial style that has made Wrath James White a genre favorite.
- GenresHorrorAdultSplatterpunk
148 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 28, 2010
3 people are currently reading
172 people want to read
About the author
Wrath James White
129 books1,182 followersWrath James White is a badass motherfucker who writes baddasss books for other badass motherfuckers. He is a J.F. Gonzalez Lifetime Achievement Award winner and a Bram Stoker Award nominee with over two dozen books in print.
Wrath is the author of RABBIT HUNT, THE BUG COLLECTOR, and such extreme horror classics as THE RESURRECTIONIST (now a major motion picture titled "Come Back To Me") SUCCULENT PREY, it's sequel PREY DRIVE, 400 DAYS OF OPPRESSION, and many others.
To follow his Substack, purchase books, get the latest updates about upcoming releases, signed books, merchandise, and more, go to:
https://linktr.ee/wrathjameswhite
Wrath is the author of RABBIT HUNT, THE BUG COLLECTOR, and such extreme horror classics as THE RESURRECTIONIST (now a major motion picture titled "Come Back To Me") SUCCULENT PREY, it's sequel PREY DRIVE, 400 DAYS OF OPPRESSION, and many others.
To follow his Substack, purchase books, get the latest updates about upcoming releases, signed books, merchandise, and more, go to:
https://linktr.ee/wrathjameswhite
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 6, 2023
She could hear all the souls in Hell join her chorus, the sounds of their annihilation adding to the symphony of destruction. The earth cracked wide and bled its molten blood onto the surface, scorching the world barren. Lisa continued to play.
Her latest composition… Creation’s end, Armageddon. Lisa set the apocalypse to notes and strides, screaming and shrieking a melodious death knell until her own soul danced off into the ether and the earth returned to a state of utter silence.
Her latest composition… Creation’s end, Armageddon. Lisa set the apocalypse to notes and strides, screaming and shrieking a melodious death knell until her own soul danced off into the ether and the earth returned to a state of utter silence.
April 29, 2021
This is a collection of eight short stories by Wrath James White. I'm pointing this out because I didn't realize it at first. Sometimes I simply get a book because of the author and because it was a good deal. To be honest, I do not remember getting this book but considering it is an author I like, that was probably reason enough. I am also pointing this out so that you don't do what I did and think it was one novel with titles for each chapter. Looking back, I was kind of lame for thinking that but it is what I did. Anyway, the stories. Usually, I list out my favorites from a collection so that the stories will hopefully grab you enough for you to read them. The remaining stories tend to be either good but not standout or less than good. This time I can't do that. This time the less than good stories didn't exist; the stories that were not favorites or not good-enough were actually good enough, stand out solid stories that left an emotional impact. The problem was that the emotion was uncomfortable and awkward and ill at ease. "Scab", "No Pain", and "Perdition's Flame" were those stories. Emotionally they struck at me in a similar manner to White's YACCUB'S CURSE. I felt what it was like to be African American and to be targeted because of it. But I also knew that I felt only a small amount of what it really was like. That what I felt was nothing compared to these characters. The feeling was powerful, scary, intense, uncomfortable, sad, and more that I don't know how to describe. While I picked the final three stories in the collection as my favorites, those first three left a more emotional impact. I'm probably going to remember those more than the ones listed below.
"Best Friends" - A teen makes friends with a bullied female classmate.
"Pressure" - A woman uses torture to get what she wants from a man: an admission and a statement.
"Talent Does What It Can" - The end of the world comes and fights against a pianist.
"Best Friends" - A teen makes friends with a bullied female classmate.
"Pressure" - A woman uses torture to get what she wants from a man: an admission and a statement.
"Talent Does What It Can" - The end of the world comes and fights against a pianist.
November 24, 2024
A short story collection ranging from a woman who knows how to torture just about anyone, to a girl who plays music for hells spawn. This collection was genuinely beautiful and such a good read.
July 28, 2022
Love nearly all of them. Great read.
July 15, 2014
Review of Scabs by Wrath James White
So to further my descent into extreme horror I figured it was time to read something by Wrath James White. After looking at the works he’s done I thought I’d go with a short story collection as it matches the kind of entertainment that I wanted to have waiting for my last class in the middle of the student center. So I settled on the collection Scabs and will be looking at each of the stories individually.
Scabs: The first story of the collection and also its namesake is a tale of discrimination and prejudice and scabs that just don’t heal. The interplay between the characters and speed of the narrative with the mixed in thoughts of Malik with his actions starts it at a brisk pace. Later the everlasting mark of the two girls and the cartoonish argument continues it along as the climax of the story approaches. It wasn’t that extreme of a story but it was a damn good one and strangely enough had a moral almost which is something I’m not used to. I have no idea how it feels to contemplate the facts presented in the story but it was surely horrifying to read about. Easily 4.5/5.
No Pain: A lot less thinking and a lot more violence, this is the kind of story I was interested in reading most when I started reading extreme horror. Torture is not necessary to have a lot of bloodshed and broken bodies and the violence in here is as mutual as it is fierce. I could see the events happening in my thoughts and almost feel the pain of the combatants. Definitely recommend this even more so than the first story 5/5.
Perditions Flame: A spooky haunting account of what happens in one of the most controversial places of business in the world. Short and to the point, it has a satisfying ending no matter what stance you might have on the issue at hand. 4/5
Perpetual Motion: Not even a horror story but a reflection on life as a whole. Not a whole lot I can say without giving it away but it was good and even moving to a degree. 3.5/5
Run Away: A gigantic metaphor for the impact of someone’s personal choices on themselves and others. As the name implies it’s a brisk run through a hellish vision of the world we currently live in. The inhabitants however are were the author gets you. 4/5
Best Friends: A high school setting provides a very heartfelt but still disturbing story about friendship with people who don’t have anyone else. The author gives great insight into the main characters feelings in combat with his actions, and finally it goes full circle. 5/5
Pressure: So I figured this story was coming eventually, just a hardcore torture porn impersonating story about domestic bliss. That’s all. 4/5
Talent Does What It Can: An interesting juxtaposition of a story to end a great collection. A woman inadvertently causes the end of the world and plays it out. Great stuff 5/5.
So from all of this it’s obviously a 5/5 collection, the writing is strong and visceral but easy to read and flows nicely along. He makes reading about the most disgusting things as beautiful as the good things in his works. My favorite is No Pain but none of the stories are real clunkers, I just felt that perpetual motion was a little bit on the long side without a whole lot happening during it.
Previously posted at http://darkeclectictastes.blogspot.com/
So to further my descent into extreme horror I figured it was time to read something by Wrath James White. After looking at the works he’s done I thought I’d go with a short story collection as it matches the kind of entertainment that I wanted to have waiting for my last class in the middle of the student center. So I settled on the collection Scabs and will be looking at each of the stories individually.
Scabs: The first story of the collection and also its namesake is a tale of discrimination and prejudice and scabs that just don’t heal. The interplay between the characters and speed of the narrative with the mixed in thoughts of Malik with his actions starts it at a brisk pace. Later the everlasting mark of the two girls and the cartoonish argument continues it along as the climax of the story approaches. It wasn’t that extreme of a story but it was a damn good one and strangely enough had a moral almost which is something I’m not used to. I have no idea how it feels to contemplate the facts presented in the story but it was surely horrifying to read about. Easily 4.5/5.
No Pain: A lot less thinking and a lot more violence, this is the kind of story I was interested in reading most when I started reading extreme horror. Torture is not necessary to have a lot of bloodshed and broken bodies and the violence in here is as mutual as it is fierce. I could see the events happening in my thoughts and almost feel the pain of the combatants. Definitely recommend this even more so than the first story 5/5.
Perditions Flame: A spooky haunting account of what happens in one of the most controversial places of business in the world. Short and to the point, it has a satisfying ending no matter what stance you might have on the issue at hand. 4/5
Perpetual Motion: Not even a horror story but a reflection on life as a whole. Not a whole lot I can say without giving it away but it was good and even moving to a degree. 3.5/5
Run Away: A gigantic metaphor for the impact of someone’s personal choices on themselves and others. As the name implies it’s a brisk run through a hellish vision of the world we currently live in. The inhabitants however are were the author gets you. 4/5
Best Friends: A high school setting provides a very heartfelt but still disturbing story about friendship with people who don’t have anyone else. The author gives great insight into the main characters feelings in combat with his actions, and finally it goes full circle. 5/5
Pressure: So I figured this story was coming eventually, just a hardcore torture porn impersonating story about domestic bliss. That’s all. 4/5
Talent Does What It Can: An interesting juxtaposition of a story to end a great collection. A woman inadvertently causes the end of the world and plays it out. Great stuff 5/5.
So from all of this it’s obviously a 5/5 collection, the writing is strong and visceral but easy to read and flows nicely along. He makes reading about the most disgusting things as beautiful as the good things in his works. My favorite is No Pain but none of the stories are real clunkers, I just felt that perpetual motion was a little bit on the long side without a whole lot happening during it.
Previously posted at http://darkeclectictastes.blogspot.com/
August 4, 2013
You can only keep up the charade for so long.
A closet can only hold so many secrets.
The baggage you carry will eventually wear you down.
What's in the rear-view is closer than it appears.
The past has a way of effecting your future.
A cut will scab and eventually heal.
Open yourself up.
You can't escape it.
Be real.
By Nikki (add to later?)
5 Stars - Scabs - Malik is a guy who couldn't let go of the taunting he received as a youngster for being black.
4 Stars - No Pain - A guy feels no pain ends up working in a circus and becomes a monster.
3 Stars - Perdition's Flame- Aborted kids never forget.
4 Stars- Perpetual Motion- Took me a minute to figure out what the point of all these women were.
4 Stars - Run Away- Your past catches up to you.
5 Stars- Best Friends - A really good story.
2 Stars- Pressure -A torture story.
3 Stars- Talent Does What It Can - Keep playing that music...or else.
A closet can only hold so many secrets.
The baggage you carry will eventually wear you down.
What's in the rear-view is closer than it appears.
The past has a way of effecting your future.
A cut will scab and eventually heal.
Open yourself up.
You can't escape it.
Be real.
By Nikki (add to later?)
5 Stars - Scabs - Malik is a guy who couldn't let go of the taunting he received as a youngster for being black.
4 Stars - No Pain - A guy feels no pain ends up working in a circus and becomes a monster.
3 Stars - Perdition's Flame- Aborted kids never forget.
4 Stars- Perpetual Motion- Took me a minute to figure out what the point of all these women were.
4 Stars - Run Away- Your past catches up to you.
5 Stars- Best Friends - A really good story.
2 Stars- Pressure -A torture story.
3 Stars- Talent Does What It Can - Keep playing that music...or else.
April 8, 2011
Pretty good collection of short stories by Wrath James White. I especially liked "Perdition's Flame" and "Talent Does What It Can" - excellent stories. "Scab" was okay but a bit predictable, the characters in "No Pain" reminded me a bit of "Sin City" and I would have liked for the author to explore that story a bit more. The others were all fairly good.
Overall the book has a "Tales From The Hood" feel to it with there being a moral to every horrific story.
Overall the book has a "Tales From The Hood" feel to it with there being a moral to every horrific story.
August 19, 2013
One of the better collection of horror short stories that I have read in recent times. Some of the stories are towards the extreme side of horror spectrum so if that's the sort of horror you like, well worth a read.
February 15, 2015
3.5
Horror short stories.
I particularly liked Scabs and loved Best Friends. They were both really sad and made you reflect on the impact your actions can cause on someone's life and scar them forever.
Horror short stories.
I particularly liked Scabs and loved Best Friends. They were both really sad and made you reflect on the impact your actions can cause on someone's life and scar them forever.
May 14, 2012
Not as disturbing as some of White's previous works, but still an excellent collection.
August 14, 2012
he has definitely done better work but still not too bad for a short story anthology.
January 3, 2017
A nice collection of short stories. Some brutal ones and some hauntingly beautiful (especially the closing one).
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews