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Header #1
Header
What is a Header?
In the dark backwoods, where law enforcement doesn't dare tread, there exists a special type of revenge. Something so awful that it is only whispered about. Something so terrible that few believe it is real.
Stewart Cummings is a government agent whose life is going to Hell. His wife is ill and to pay for her medication he turns to bootlegging. But things will get much worse when bodies begin showing up in his sleepy small town. Victims of an act known only as "a Header."
Deadite Press is proud to bring back the notorious inspiration for the hit cult film - a splatterspunk classic of twisted sex, booze, and revenge.
In the dark backwoods, where law enforcement doesn't dare tread, there exists a special type of revenge. Something so awful that it is only whispered about. Something so terrible that few believe it is real.
Stewart Cummings is a government agent whose life is going to Hell. His wife is ill and to pay for her medication he turns to bootlegging. But things will get much worse when bodies begin showing up in his sleepy small town. Victims of an act known only as "a Header."
Deadite Press is proud to bring back the notorious inspiration for the hit cult film - a splatterspunk classic of twisted sex, booze, and revenge.
100 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 1995
77 people are currently reading
1940 people want to read
About the author
Edward Lee
262 books1,436 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Edward Lee is an American novelist specializing in the field of horror, and has authored 40 books, more than half of which have been published by mass-market New York paperback companies such as Leisure/Dorchester, Berkley, and Zebra/Kensington. He is a Bram Stoker award nominee for his story "Mr. Torso," and his short stories have appeared in over a dozen mass-market anthologies, including THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES OF 2000, Pocket's HOT BLOOD series, and the award-wining 999. Several of his novels have sold translation rights to Germany, Greece, and Romania. He also publishes quite actively in the small-press/limited-edition hardcover market; many of his books in this category have become collector's items. While a number of Lee's projects have been optioned for film, only one has been made, HEADER, which was released on DVD to mixed reviews in June, 2009, by Synapse Films.
Lee is particularly known for over-the-top occult concepts and an accelerated treatment of erotic and/or morbid sexual imagery and visceral violence.
He was born on May 25, 1957 in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Bowie, Maryland. In the late-70s he served in the U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division, in Erlangen, West Germany, then, for a short time, was a municipal police officer in Cottage City, Maryland. Lee also attended the University of Maryland as an English major but quit in his last semester to pursue his dream of being a horror novelist. For over 15 years, he worked as the night manager for a security company in Annapolis, Maryland, while writing in his spare time. In 1997, however, he became a full-time writer, first spending several years in Seattle and then moving to St. Pete Beach, Florida, where he currently resides.
Of note, the author cites as his strongest influence horror legend H. P. Lovecraft; in 2007, Lee embarked on what he calls his "Lovecraft kick" and wrote a spate of novels and novellas which tribute Lovecraft and his famous Cthulhu Mythos. Among these projects are THE INNSWICH HORROR, "Trolley No. 1852," HAUNTER OF THE THRESHOLD, GOING MONSTERING, "Pages Torn From A Travel Journal," and "You Are My Everything." Lee promises more Lovecraftian work on the horizon.
Edward Lee is an American novelist specializing in the field of horror, and has authored 40 books, more than half of which have been published by mass-market New York paperback companies such as Leisure/Dorchester, Berkley, and Zebra/Kensington. He is a Bram Stoker award nominee for his story "Mr. Torso," and his short stories have appeared in over a dozen mass-market anthologies, including THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES OF 2000, Pocket's HOT BLOOD series, and the award-wining 999. Several of his novels have sold translation rights to Germany, Greece, and Romania. He also publishes quite actively in the small-press/limited-edition hardcover market; many of his books in this category have become collector's items. While a number of Lee's projects have been optioned for film, only one has been made, HEADER, which was released on DVD to mixed reviews in June, 2009, by Synapse Films.
Lee is particularly known for over-the-top occult concepts and an accelerated treatment of erotic and/or morbid sexual imagery and visceral violence.
He was born on May 25, 1957 in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Bowie, Maryland. In the late-70s he served in the U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division, in Erlangen, West Germany, then, for a short time, was a municipal police officer in Cottage City, Maryland. Lee also attended the University of Maryland as an English major but quit in his last semester to pursue his dream of being a horror novelist. For over 15 years, he worked as the night manager for a security company in Annapolis, Maryland, while writing in his spare time. In 1997, however, he became a full-time writer, first spending several years in Seattle and then moving to St. Pete Beach, Florida, where he currently resides.
Of note, the author cites as his strongest influence horror legend H. P. Lovecraft; in 2007, Lee embarked on what he calls his "Lovecraft kick" and wrote a spate of novels and novellas which tribute Lovecraft and his famous Cthulhu Mythos. Among these projects are THE INNSWICH HORROR, "Trolley No. 1852," HAUNTER OF THE THRESHOLD, GOING MONSTERING, "Pages Torn From A Travel Journal," and "You Are My Everything." Lee promises more Lovecraftian work on the horizon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews
December 6, 2022
Full review available at The Mort Report:
https://www.uncomfortablydark.com/bla...
What is a Header?
You know when you get really drunk, so much so that you lose all control of your body, and you fall forward in a face-plant, and the dog just so happens to be running in front of you at that very moment, and you meet head to head, cracking each other’s skulls, and the dog retaliates by ripping your throat out as its final act of vengeance, and you both die in what will later be ruled a murder-suicide by the dog, because you couldn’t possibly rip your own throat out with your teeth, and they cremate you but bury the dog, and it comes back to haunt those who so erroneously blamed it for your death?
Yeah, it’s not that.
You know when you jump out of a plane and your parachute won’t open, so you see a river and dry land, and even though you know at the speed at which you are falling the water will probably just as hard as the ground, but you have to try your luck, so you point your head in the direction of the river, and just before you hit the water the crocodile jumps out and snags you, killing you instantly, and since your name is written on the unopened parachute that the crocodile chokes on, your family gets a nature preservation fine for what will be called a botched attempt at illegal crocodile hunting?
Yeah, not that either.
You know when you get drunk at a party and you lose your glasses, and foolishly decide to drive home, and you lose control of your car, and in a last ditch effort to minimize the damage, head toward the cows grazing in the field, realizing too late that there are no fields in the city, and smash into this mural against a building where homeless people take shelter, and the story goes down as a hate-crime in the media and you get sued posthumously by an entire city?
Still no.
You are overthinking it.
Take some hill folk and a drill…and you still can’t imagine what happens. So just read this damn story.
WARNING: Extreme horror warning!
5 STARS
https://www.uncomfortablydark.com/bla...
What is a Header?
You know when you get really drunk, so much so that you lose all control of your body, and you fall forward in a face-plant, and the dog just so happens to be running in front of you at that very moment, and you meet head to head, cracking each other’s skulls, and the dog retaliates by ripping your throat out as its final act of vengeance, and you both die in what will later be ruled a murder-suicide by the dog, because you couldn’t possibly rip your own throat out with your teeth, and they cremate you but bury the dog, and it comes back to haunt those who so erroneously blamed it for your death?
Yeah, it’s not that.
You know when you jump out of a plane and your parachute won’t open, so you see a river and dry land, and even though you know at the speed at which you are falling the water will probably just as hard as the ground, but you have to try your luck, so you point your head in the direction of the river, and just before you hit the water the crocodile jumps out and snags you, killing you instantly, and since your name is written on the unopened parachute that the crocodile chokes on, your family gets a nature preservation fine for what will be called a botched attempt at illegal crocodile hunting?
Yeah, not that either.
You know when you get drunk at a party and you lose your glasses, and foolishly decide to drive home, and you lose control of your car, and in a last ditch effort to minimize the damage, head toward the cows grazing in the field, realizing too late that there are no fields in the city, and smash into this mural against a building where homeless people take shelter, and the story goes down as a hate-crime in the media and you get sued posthumously by an entire city?
Still no.
You are overthinking it.
Take some hill folk and a drill…and you still can’t imagine what happens. So just read this damn story.
WARNING: Extreme horror warning!
5 STARS
June 5, 2021
Well… that's a book that I've read now.
"What's a Header?" you may be asking. Well, it seems like it's borderline tradition now for reviews to ask that question and then tell you to find out you'll have to read it yourself (hell, Jack Ketchum does the same in his introduction to the book). I'll add on to that just a bit… if you don't know, you likely don't want to know and shouldn't read this book under any circumstances. Now, if you reacted to that with "now I need to know" the book is for you. I'm sorry, but you're in my company as well.
I've been hearing about Lee for years as one of the better extreme horror authors. I've only read his Brides of the Impaler before this (and that was years ago back when Leisure fiction was still a regular publisher). That novel was entertaining, but not one I felt any strong reaction to one way or another. It wasn’t a great story and it certainly wasn’t as horrific as I expected. This one is far more extreme and far more entertaining. It's… funny. Don't get me wrong, the content in this book is disturbing, but Lee tells it in such a joking way, that it seems like an extended horrific joke (cue "ARISTOCRATS!").
It’s grotesque. It’s disgusting. I can recommend this book to absolutely no one with good taste in literature.
Apparently I no longer have good taste. 4/5 stars.
"What's a Header?" you may be asking. Well, it seems like it's borderline tradition now for reviews to ask that question and then tell you to find out you'll have to read it yourself (hell, Jack Ketchum does the same in his introduction to the book). I'll add on to that just a bit… if you don't know, you likely don't want to know and shouldn't read this book under any circumstances. Now, if you reacted to that with "now I need to know" the book is for you. I'm sorry, but you're in my company as well.
I've been hearing about Lee for years as one of the better extreme horror authors. I've only read his Brides of the Impaler before this (and that was years ago back when Leisure fiction was still a regular publisher). That novel was entertaining, but not one I felt any strong reaction to one way or another. It wasn’t a great story and it certainly wasn’t as horrific as I expected. This one is far more extreme and far more entertaining. It's… funny. Don't get me wrong, the content in this book is disturbing, but Lee tells it in such a joking way, that it seems like an extended horrific joke (cue "ARISTOCRATS!").
It’s grotesque. It’s disgusting. I can recommend this book to absolutely no one with good taste in literature.
Apparently I no longer have good taste. 4/5 stars.
February 28, 2021
What is a header? I had no idea. Every guess I took was wrong. It's a good thing I'm not squeamish, because once I found out what it was, there was no end to them in the book. This is Edward Lee at his nauseating best, with two engrossing stories playing out simultaneously. Splatterpunk has never been so much fun and so gory. So, go get you some. Just make sure y'all are ready for some grafickerly brutal entertainment.
June 6, 2015
Golly.
I was going to leave the above as my entire review, and though I still figure it captures how the book made me feel, let me just add a little bit so folks will know what they're getting into if they decide to read HEADER.
Hilarity. Stunning violence. Aberrant sex and nonchalant depravity.
In other words, if you're easily offended, get out now. I mean it. Don't even look at the rest of this review.
But if you're like me, you'll love the book, feel guilty for loving it, and marvel at Edward Lee's skill.
HEADER is a sadistic, sickening classic.
I was going to leave the above as my entire review, and though I still figure it captures how the book made me feel, let me just add a little bit so folks will know what they're getting into if they decide to read HEADER.
Hilarity. Stunning violence. Aberrant sex and nonchalant depravity.
In other words, if you're easily offended, get out now. I mean it. Don't even look at the rest of this review.
But if you're like me, you'll love the book, feel guilty for loving it, and marvel at Edward Lee's skill.
HEADER is a sadistic, sickening classic.
March 2, 2021
When I started this Edward Lee’s book, I didn’t know what a Header was . And like Travis and Stewart , i was very curious about it .
What is a Header ?
And then I found out what it is, and that made me laugh so much. I wasn’t expecting that, at all .
This story is weird, but I liked it. In fact , I like it, because it’s weird. 😂
I will read more Edward Lee’s books in the futur !
I highly recommend it to readers who enjoys bizarre, extreme horror’s stories !
What is a Header ?
And then I found out what it is, and that made me laugh so much. I wasn’t expecting that, at all .
This story is weird, but I liked it. In fact , I like it, because it’s weird. 😂
I will read more Edward Lee’s books in the futur !
I highly recommend it to readers who enjoys bizarre, extreme horror’s stories !
April 30, 2022
I have been searching for a copy of this novella for years and finally found an affordable copy-- the 15th anniversary motion picture edition of the film of the same name. This has an intro by Jack Ketchum and several stills from the movie at the end, along with an afterward by Lee.
So whats a header? As many others have commented, you will have to read this to find out. First published in 1996 or so, this was Lee's first foray into publishing with a small horror press. Lee published several novels with mass market labels like Zebra and Berkley, but you have to seek out the small horror press releases to find Lee off the chain. I place this alongside The Bighead as Lee's most depraved work.
Several of Lee's novels take place along 'the route', or SR 154, in rural Virginia and involve depraved rednecks and Header fits in nicely among them. This features one crooked DEA agent, two rednecks (grandpappy and grandson), some sleazy drug dealers and moonshiners, and assorted 'hill folk' to round out the cast. Make no mistake-- this is a really nasty piece of work, but also laced with Lee's trademark dark humor. I am still stunned they actually made a movie out of this! So, if you are in the mood for something raunchy that will still make you laugh out loud, look no further. Brian Keene blurbs on the back cover that "Header is the seminal work of hardcore horror by which all other works are judged. Required reading for fans of Edward Lee and absolutely essential reading for any true horror fan..." 4.5 depraved stars, rounding up!
So whats a header? As many others have commented, you will have to read this to find out. First published in 1996 or so, this was Lee's first foray into publishing with a small horror press. Lee published several novels with mass market labels like Zebra and Berkley, but you have to seek out the small horror press releases to find Lee off the chain. I place this alongside The Bighead as Lee's most depraved work.
Several of Lee's novels take place along 'the route', or SR 154, in rural Virginia and involve depraved rednecks and Header fits in nicely among them. This features one crooked DEA agent, two rednecks (grandpappy and grandson), some sleazy drug dealers and moonshiners, and assorted 'hill folk' to round out the cast. Make no mistake-- this is a really nasty piece of work, but also laced with Lee's trademark dark humor. I am still stunned they actually made a movie out of this! So, if you are in the mood for something raunchy that will still make you laugh out loud, look no further. Brian Keene blurbs on the back cover that "Header is the seminal work of hardcore horror by which all other works are judged. Required reading for fans of Edward Lee and absolutely essential reading for any true horror fan..." 4.5 depraved stars, rounding up!
February 12, 2025
WOW...JUST BLOODY...WOW!! I couldn't stop reading this book, as soon as I started it, I needed to know what happened next and how it ended and I wasn't disappointed at all, another gory, sick, grotesque and brilliant book from the fantastic Mr Edward Lee...the ending wasn't what I was expecting but it was perfect...and to top it all just as I was finishing the last page my next door neighbour honestly started drilling what I believe to be his kitchen wall??? Maybe I was wrong and he was just getting himself a good old "HEADER"??? Warning...if you are not familiar or are new to Edward Lee's work this might not be the book for you...check out the contents first as "A HEADER" has nothing at all to do with football!!! An excellent read for me...Thanks Mr Lee. 😊
March 7, 2023
Just when I was thinking extreme horror is decidedly not for me, Edward Lee delivers a hot, steaming load of hideously hypermasculine, highly inventive, and joyously macabre hardcore violence the likes of which would make any BookTok reader within a 20-mile radius implode like the baboon from the Fly remake.
Penetration—what is it all really about? What is this psychosexual need to defile, hurt, and mangle that has historically cursed male artistic expression? I don’t think Ed Lee has answers, but he’s got plenty of grotesque examples—all delivered with tons of glee and zero pretense.
Penetration—what is it all really about? What is this psychosexual need to defile, hurt, and mangle that has historically cursed male artistic expression? I don’t think Ed Lee has answers, but he’s got plenty of grotesque examples—all delivered with tons of glee and zero pretense.
February 26, 2021
I finally got to read Header. Jesus fucking Christ Almighty it was awesome. Better late than never, thats for sure. This book, well, you know. Devoured in one big fat reading session with a few bongs sprinkled in. Whooo doggie.
5/5 Skulls
☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️
5/5 Skulls
☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️
December 15, 2024
HEADER [2012] By Edward Lee
My Review 4.0 Stars
The book cover carries a quote: “The living legend of literary mayhem” ---RICHARD LAYMON.
This hardcore horror classic was first published by Necro Publications August 1, 1995. The original title was “Header” and it was #1 in a series. This 4th edition courtesy of Header, LLC was published August 14, 2021. In effect this short work of Edward Lee was released three decades ago. It is the original story that started Lee’s Header book series and the one that inspired the film adaptation. The cult-classic film HEADER is available for interested parties. Information on how to acquire the movie can be found on Amazon. This special kindle edition includes the Foreword by Jack Ketchum, and the Afterword by author Edward Lee. This Special 15th Anniversary Motion Picture Edition includes a movie production image gallery.
This novella is set in the scenic backwoods of West Virginia. In any case Ed Lee’s “Header” is special for a number of reasons. I suppose right out of the gate I could honestly tell you that the concept of the plotline is nothing if not original. Secondly, it was inspired that Lee switched his voice and dialect each time he changed characters. Imitating how a specific population of people speak and injecting recognizable idiosyncrasies cannot have been easy, and it was one of the reasons I enjoyed the story. Third, I know Ketchum did a memorable foreword and allowed the reader to glimpse Ed Lee in an unguarded and candid period of time enjoying himself and his smiles all reaching his eyes. Lee loved what he was doing, and he had fun working at a craft that genuinely made him happy.
The plot is simple with two primary or main characters, namely an ATF Agent named Stewart Cummings and a boy from the hills of West Virginia named Travis Clyde Tuckton. He was behind bars for 11 years, so he seems younger to me when he talks with Pappy Martin. It is Pappy who fills in all the blanks for Travis, including how the men of West Virginia evened the score with their enemies. The ATF Agent Stewart Cummings is a crooked cop looking for a big score because everybody knows that cops on the take always get caught. It’s Stew’s sickly wife that puts him on the dangerous path of trafficking in drugs because her medical bills are sinking him fathoms deep.
Lee manages to successfully relate the complete stories of two different characters with their respective narratives dovetailing at the end. Clyde and his Grand Pappy Martin are simple folk and to be candid, they are likeable. Clyde has been locked up for over a decade and he is happy to be back in the hills with his kin, no matter it is a dilapidated shack in the woods. Pappy is glad to explain the meaning of a “Header” to the kid, and to expound upon situations that warranted if not guaranteed a Header would be in order. Pretty shortly Clyde and his wheelchair bound Granddad are talking about grievances that involved many of the other families in the hills. Doggone if a lotta “headers” started happenin’ in them hills. I will not elaborate but just say that the bodies of women start piling up with the victims all meeting their end the same way, through an especially revolting and gruesome manner. This extreme form of getting even and exacting revenge was called a “header” in the hills.
Stewart Cummings is our stressed-out ATF Agent who is paying attention to the ME’s reports on the female victims being located all over the place. His boss keeps telling him to leave it alone that it was just families settling feuds in the hills. The reader figures that Stewart would never have become a dirty cop if he had not been desperate. His beloved wife was medically ill and required medical professionals and pharmaceuticals to treat her and restore her vitality. Initially he was involved with the bootlegging that was going on, but the return on this venture was insufficient to pay the increasing price of his wife’s care. He knew the big money was in dope and that dirty cops always got nabbed. It was a question of when to get out and call it a day. It occurred to me to wander how that Stewart could be so shrewd in one area and well dumber than a box of rocks in another.
So, as we are in the closing stretch of the novel, the hillbilly duo of Clyde and his Grandpap are still exclaiming it was time for another “header”, albeit the pair were getting a little confused about the grievances back a long time because of Grandpap’s less than perfect memory of events.
As the storylines were beginning to converge Stewart was solving the murders but was flummoxed by the increasing amount of money needed from him for medical care for his beloved wife. He finds himself at the juncture of committing murder to get out from under the dope distributers and disappear with the cash from a mega load just delivered. Would he be capable of more murders to save his beloved wife?
The ending was downright perfect I thought. I did guess the ending, which did not make it any less satisfying. It is the story of two men who both commit heinous murders, but for vastly different motives. I would argue that Clyde was deluded by his granddaddy into believing that the ritual acts of getting even for dirty deeds done unto their family was not only the right thing to do but sanctioned by the Bible. But when you look deeper, it is troublesome but altogether likely that Clyde’s Grand Pappy believed what he was telling the grandson the gospel truth.
Unfortunately, ignorance (while being absolute bliss in their case) is not a defense for murder. While the topic of ignorance is being bandied about, does anyone else think that Stewart was not particularly astute? He murdered several people to get the cash he needed to restore his wife’s health and allow them to live in harmony again. Stewart was getting pretty sick and tired of satisfying himself while his wife was so sick. It is my opinion that Cummings was likeable enough too. In a sense both the lawman and the hillbilly were killers because of strange circumstances.
Lastly, I did love the color photos of Ed Lee and Jack Ketchum on the set of the film adaptation of “Header”. They looked like they were having the time of their lives.
I really enjoyed this novella even more than I thought I would. I am looking forward to reading more from Edward Lee.
HARDCORE HORROR CULT CLASSIC
My Review 4.0 Stars
The book cover carries a quote: “The living legend of literary mayhem” ---RICHARD LAYMON.
This hardcore horror classic was first published by Necro Publications August 1, 1995. The original title was “Header” and it was #1 in a series. This 4th edition courtesy of Header, LLC was published August 14, 2021. In effect this short work of Edward Lee was released three decades ago. It is the original story that started Lee’s Header book series and the one that inspired the film adaptation. The cult-classic film HEADER is available for interested parties. Information on how to acquire the movie can be found on Amazon. This special kindle edition includes the Foreword by Jack Ketchum, and the Afterword by author Edward Lee. This Special 15th Anniversary Motion Picture Edition includes a movie production image gallery.
This novella is set in the scenic backwoods of West Virginia. In any case Ed Lee’s “Header” is special for a number of reasons. I suppose right out of the gate I could honestly tell you that the concept of the plotline is nothing if not original. Secondly, it was inspired that Lee switched his voice and dialect each time he changed characters. Imitating how a specific population of people speak and injecting recognizable idiosyncrasies cannot have been easy, and it was one of the reasons I enjoyed the story. Third, I know Ketchum did a memorable foreword and allowed the reader to glimpse Ed Lee in an unguarded and candid period of time enjoying himself and his smiles all reaching his eyes. Lee loved what he was doing, and he had fun working at a craft that genuinely made him happy.
The plot is simple with two primary or main characters, namely an ATF Agent named Stewart Cummings and a boy from the hills of West Virginia named Travis Clyde Tuckton. He was behind bars for 11 years, so he seems younger to me when he talks with Pappy Martin. It is Pappy who fills in all the blanks for Travis, including how the men of West Virginia evened the score with their enemies. The ATF Agent Stewart Cummings is a crooked cop looking for a big score because everybody knows that cops on the take always get caught. It’s Stew’s sickly wife that puts him on the dangerous path of trafficking in drugs because her medical bills are sinking him fathoms deep.
Lee manages to successfully relate the complete stories of two different characters with their respective narratives dovetailing at the end. Clyde and his Grand Pappy Martin are simple folk and to be candid, they are likeable. Clyde has been locked up for over a decade and he is happy to be back in the hills with his kin, no matter it is a dilapidated shack in the woods. Pappy is glad to explain the meaning of a “Header” to the kid, and to expound upon situations that warranted if not guaranteed a Header would be in order. Pretty shortly Clyde and his wheelchair bound Granddad are talking about grievances that involved many of the other families in the hills. Doggone if a lotta “headers” started happenin’ in them hills. I will not elaborate but just say that the bodies of women start piling up with the victims all meeting their end the same way, through an especially revolting and gruesome manner. This extreme form of getting even and exacting revenge was called a “header” in the hills.
Stewart Cummings is our stressed-out ATF Agent who is paying attention to the ME’s reports on the female victims being located all over the place. His boss keeps telling him to leave it alone that it was just families settling feuds in the hills. The reader figures that Stewart would never have become a dirty cop if he had not been desperate. His beloved wife was medically ill and required medical professionals and pharmaceuticals to treat her and restore her vitality. Initially he was involved with the bootlegging that was going on, but the return on this venture was insufficient to pay the increasing price of his wife’s care. He knew the big money was in dope and that dirty cops always got nabbed. It was a question of when to get out and call it a day. It occurred to me to wander how that Stewart could be so shrewd in one area and well dumber than a box of rocks in another.
So, as we are in the closing stretch of the novel, the hillbilly duo of Clyde and his Grandpap are still exclaiming it was time for another “header”, albeit the pair were getting a little confused about the grievances back a long time because of Grandpap’s less than perfect memory of events.
As the storylines were beginning to converge Stewart was solving the murders but was flummoxed by the increasing amount of money needed from him for medical care for his beloved wife. He finds himself at the juncture of committing murder to get out from under the dope distributers and disappear with the cash from a mega load just delivered. Would he be capable of more murders to save his beloved wife?
The ending was downright perfect I thought. I did guess the ending, which did not make it any less satisfying. It is the story of two men who both commit heinous murders, but for vastly different motives. I would argue that Clyde was deluded by his granddaddy into believing that the ritual acts of getting even for dirty deeds done unto their family was not only the right thing to do but sanctioned by the Bible. But when you look deeper, it is troublesome but altogether likely that Clyde’s Grand Pappy believed what he was telling the grandson the gospel truth.
Unfortunately, ignorance (while being absolute bliss in their case) is not a defense for murder. While the topic of ignorance is being bandied about, does anyone else think that Stewart was not particularly astute? He murdered several people to get the cash he needed to restore his wife’s health and allow them to live in harmony again. Stewart was getting pretty sick and tired of satisfying himself while his wife was so sick. It is my opinion that Cummings was likeable enough too. In a sense both the lawman and the hillbilly were killers because of strange circumstances.
Lastly, I did love the color photos of Ed Lee and Jack Ketchum on the set of the film adaptation of “Header”. They looked like they were having the time of their lives.
I really enjoyed this novella even more than I thought I would. I am looking forward to reading more from Edward Lee.
HARDCORE HORROR CULT CLASSIC
March 23, 2014
Header is a story of depravity set in Russell County, centred on the hill folk or rednecks of Kentucky and the actions of family revenge going back decades.
Travis Tuckton finishes a lengthy prison sentence and returns home, there’s not much of his family left and the only place left to turn is his Grandpappy and his dilapidated cabin. Two more insanely immoral characters you will not come across again as they reminisce over the past and embark on a campaign of vengeance for all the slights done to their family over the years.
The story also follows federal cop Stew Cummings, whose sick girlfriends medical bills force him to turn against the law but he starts investigating a series of murders where bodies are dumped in the local area victims of a Header. Cummings & the rednecks are destined to meet and it’s not going to be pretty.
What’s a Header – seriously you don’t want to know, sick, twisted, yes definitely.
Repulsive, disgusting, there’s loads of words of similar ilk to describe the goings on in this novella but Lee captures the atmosphere, the setting and the almost hypnotic characters perfectly, the dialect adds to the mix to create an absorbing read but it’s not for everyone, in fact unless you like the sicker side of horror give this a miss.
A 3.5 Rating
Travis Tuckton finishes a lengthy prison sentence and returns home, there’s not much of his family left and the only place left to turn is his Grandpappy and his dilapidated cabin. Two more insanely immoral characters you will not come across again as they reminisce over the past and embark on a campaign of vengeance for all the slights done to their family over the years.
The story also follows federal cop Stew Cummings, whose sick girlfriends medical bills force him to turn against the law but he starts investigating a series of murders where bodies are dumped in the local area victims of a Header. Cummings & the rednecks are destined to meet and it’s not going to be pretty.
What’s a Header – seriously you don’t want to know, sick, twisted, yes definitely.
Repulsive, disgusting, there’s loads of words of similar ilk to describe the goings on in this novella but Lee captures the atmosphere, the setting and the almost hypnotic characters perfectly, the dialect adds to the mix to create an absorbing read but it’s not for everyone, in fact unless you like the sicker side of horror give this a miss.
A 3.5 Rating
July 23, 2022
I thought I had read this a lifetime ago. I realized quickly I was wrong and had no idea wtf a header was. Didn’t take long to find out . I should be ashamed at saying I laughed so hard at this story I cried but I’m not. This story was absolutely disgusting, immorally wrong and one of the funniest books I’ve read this year. Lee still holds strong as master of gore. Highly recommend if you like extreme.
October 15, 2013
Wow. This was pretty freakin' crazy even for Edward Lee. Strangely enough I think he maybe even toned it down at bit in parts...then I read on...maybe not. Good times! 3.5*
I almost hate to say it, but now that I have read this, I really want to see the movie! I may be sicker than I think I am. Damn.
I almost hate to say it, but now that I have read this, I really want to see the movie! I may be sicker than I think I am. Damn.
May 23, 2014
3.5 stars.
Wow--I actually had some idea of what a "header" was from another book that I had read by Lee, so I did have some idea what I was getting into here. Full of everything you would expect from Ed Lee--over the top gore, sexual depravity, and backwoods humor (yes, I admit to laughing at several of the comments!) Lee writes a story like few others. Alongside the the "main" storyline, is a parallel one that really worked well when blended into the first stream. The ending--shockingly--took me by complete surprise.
Now I hear that Header 2 is worth looking into....... ;)
Recommended to fans of extreme horror, without sensitive stomachs. :)
Wow--I actually had some idea of what a "header" was from another book that I had read by Lee, so I did have some idea what I was getting into here. Full of everything you would expect from Ed Lee--over the top gore, sexual depravity, and backwoods humor (yes, I admit to laughing at several of the comments!) Lee writes a story like few others. Alongside the the "main" storyline, is a parallel one that really worked well when blended into the first stream. The ending--shockingly--took me by complete surprise.
Now I hear that Header 2 is worth looking into....... ;)
Recommended to fans of extreme horror, without sensitive stomachs. :)
August 21, 2021
So good, plain and simple. Lee writes in a way that makes others look silly. His characters are great, the gore is perfect and the bit of comedy is always appreciated. This is one of my top picks for his books and the hook at the end was excellent. Check this out.
March 6, 2021
Well, that was one crazy, disgusting, completely bonkers and utterly gross ride!! I loved it....bring on Header 2 🤯
July 5, 2022
A new use for power tools and revenge. Sick, twisted, and gory. Great read.
May 17, 2020
The Bible does say an eye for an eye right? Does that also mean header for header?
I loved this book so much. At first, the redneck language was hard to decipher, but a few pages in and it was easy to read.
Recap: Travis gets out of prison. He goes to stay with his Granddad, who teaches him what a header is.
Meanwhile, a crooked cop on the take (drugs) wants to find the murderers.
This book was so much fun. The end was the best part! I cannot praise this book enough. If you like the stuff that makes nightmares, I recommend you read this book
I loved this book so much. At first, the redneck language was hard to decipher, but a few pages in and it was easy to read.
Recap: Travis gets out of prison. He goes to stay with his Granddad, who teaches him what a header is.
Meanwhile, a crooked cop on the take (drugs) wants to find the murderers.
This book was so much fun. The end was the best part! I cannot praise this book enough. If you like the stuff that makes nightmares, I recommend you read this book
October 4, 2017
If you challenged someone to come up with the most disgusting thing you could think of, and if you then wrote a novella with that disgusting thing as the central premise, you'd have something like the beginnings of Header.
I put this one in the category of gross horror. The premise and execution are pretty grimy, and the descriptions don't back down. But it's all more gross than it is frightening. Or maybe it's frightening in that it's so gross.
Really, the weirdest part of this whole thing is reading it at the bus stop, being involved in this fictional world while everyone else around you is seemingly going about their normal business in a normal way. It's like you found this little pocket of total fucked-up-ness, and you're in it while the rest of the world is completely unaware.
It's good to be in those spots now and then. I like to compare it to the first time I rode a motorcycle out on the road. It's fun, but it's pretty weird the first time you come to a stoplight. You're sitting there on a bike while everyone else is in a car. Your feet are touching the ground while you wait, and you feel the heat from the blacktop through the bottoms of your shoes. You're all of a sudden in this weird, parallel dimension where things are mostly the same, but not quite.
I put this one in the category of gross horror. The premise and execution are pretty grimy, and the descriptions don't back down. But it's all more gross than it is frightening. Or maybe it's frightening in that it's so gross.
Really, the weirdest part of this whole thing is reading it at the bus stop, being involved in this fictional world while everyone else around you is seemingly going about their normal business in a normal way. It's like you found this little pocket of total fucked-up-ness, and you're in it while the rest of the world is completely unaware.
It's good to be in those spots now and then. I like to compare it to the first time I rode a motorcycle out on the road. It's fun, but it's pretty weird the first time you come to a stoplight. You're sitting there on a bike while everyone else is in a car. Your feet are touching the ground while you wait, and you feel the heat from the blacktop through the bottoms of your shoes. You're all of a sudden in this weird, parallel dimension where things are mostly the same, but not quite.
April 23, 2025
I can honestly say this with my whole entire chest, WTF did I just read !?!? Because what !!!?? Did was a buddy read I did with my IG book friend and he selected this book and of course I said sure let’s do it. This was a blind read for me, I knew nothing about the book or its meaning. I just knew the author which I am a huge fan of.
This book is about a man name Stewart “Stew” Cummings he is an ATF agent and he does things that are not law abiding to help with his girlfriend’s medicine since she is sick. Little does he know how his life will change.
Travis Clyde Tuckton just did a bid and he is out. Unfortunately he doesn’t have a home to go back to so he goes to stay with his Grandpa. While living in the hills there is a certain way they do their justice.
It was at page 23 I realized what a Header was and I have been scarred for life. This book was a non stop ride the action started from the first page. This book is full of gore, graphic scenes, and all the Header you can take. Definitely give this book a read you won’t be disappointed at all. I am looking forward to book 2.
This book is about a man name Stewart “Stew” Cummings he is an ATF agent and he does things that are not law abiding to help with his girlfriend’s medicine since she is sick. Little does he know how his life will change.
Travis Clyde Tuckton just did a bid and he is out. Unfortunately he doesn’t have a home to go back to so he goes to stay with his Grandpa. While living in the hills there is a certain way they do their justice.
It was at page 23 I realized what a Header was and I have been scarred for life. This book was a non stop ride the action started from the first page. This book is full of gore, graphic scenes, and all the Header you can take. Definitely give this book a read you won’t be disappointed at all. I am looking forward to book 2.
March 27, 2013
"We gonna have us a header!" Go on, say it with all the gusto of an old grizzly redneck because you'll be repeating that phrase over and over in your daily life to clueless folks around you. And when they look at you like the crazy person you know you are you can stand proud knowing your one of the elite who even knows what a header really is. So it goes with Edward Lee's classic HEADER.
Edward Lee is one of the godfathers of splatterpunk/extreme horror. HEADER represents one of the earliest stories by Lee to write a little bit too far. Originally published as a small press chap book and later as part of a small press anthology, HEADER pushed the limits of acceptability in publishing. By today's standards perhaps not as hardcore, it still stands as a great story to school your ass on how its done.
As always, Lee shines in his ability to not just take it too far but to also not write extreme just for the sake of writing extreme. Nothing in HEADER is gratuitous. This is pure captivating, action driven suspenseful storytelling. A skill all too often forgotten nowadays.
Read HEADER because its classic. Read HEADER because its Edward Lee. Read HEADER because you need to know where you come from in order to know where you're going. Just read HEADER!
Edward Lee is one of the godfathers of splatterpunk/extreme horror. HEADER represents one of the earliest stories by Lee to write a little bit too far. Originally published as a small press chap book and later as part of a small press anthology, HEADER pushed the limits of acceptability in publishing. By today's standards perhaps not as hardcore, it still stands as a great story to school your ass on how its done.
As always, Lee shines in his ability to not just take it too far but to also not write extreme just for the sake of writing extreme. Nothing in HEADER is gratuitous. This is pure captivating, action driven suspenseful storytelling. A skill all too often forgotten nowadays.
Read HEADER because its classic. Read HEADER because its Edward Lee. Read HEADER because you need to know where you come from in order to know where you're going. Just read HEADER!
January 23, 2018
Edward Lee's infamous novella, and it's extremely disgusting titular depravity, may not deliver on "scares" through atmosphere and suspense, but most will be horrified by Lee's delight in molesting many of the trigger warnings we hold so dear. Header is a backwoods cartoon that slums for shocks and laughs through outlandish acts of physical and sexual violence, and most of them against women. But Lee's cheery tone and his consistently juvenile characterization of his dumb male characters keeps the novella from ever feeling pointed at anyone or anything, other than rednecks and concerns of political correctness. Though certainly tasteless and guaranteed to offend most (and with good reason), it's obvious Lee had a blast writing every unhinged and nauseous sentence of this novella, and it's hard not to admire that kind of chutzpah, even if it comes at the expense of your lunch.
May 5, 2017
I'm breaking a law of common human decency when I bypass my four star rating and shoot for five but Lee is the godfather of hillfolk horror.
When the good Lord sends me to hell and I ask "Why ya done gone done that fer?" He'll say "cuz you was laffin when youz red them there Header werds in that book a yers." I'll say "yeah, that seems like a right proper re'percussion."
I'd recommend it but the unfriended notifications would fall like twin towers.
What's wrong with you? Why in the everlasting nine holy fucks would you read this?
Let's have ourselves a header whilest we cont'm'plate that thar snario.
Get yer hole saws ready.
When the good Lord sends me to hell and I ask "Why ya done gone done that fer?" He'll say "cuz you was laffin when youz red them there Header werds in that book a yers." I'll say "yeah, that seems like a right proper re'percussion."
I'd recommend it but the unfriended notifications would fall like twin towers.
What's wrong with you? Why in the everlasting nine holy fucks would you read this?
Let's have ourselves a header whilest we cont'm'plate that thar snario.
Get yer hole saws ready.
December 30, 2016
I CANNOT believe that somewhere out there, a movie of this story exists- I mean, it was hard enough to READ and imagine some of these scenes, they're so graphically violent + brutal, so a FILM??! Craziness. I read this on a recommendation from a fellow horror fan, and it is SO horrific that you can either choose to vomit from the thought of it, or treat it like a very dark comedy and laugh maniacally. I chose to laugh. And laugh. And continued laughing all the way to the sobering ending. You wind up feeling sorry for the character of the cop, even though he WAS a law breaker himself. I did not see THAT ending coming, and I will not spoil it. Obviously, this book is not for everyone. It deals with horrible 'rednecks' who perform terrible acts of sexual violence. But, as a story, it comes around full circle in the end, which I appreciated. Also, the rednecks speak in a very 'hick' dialogue that some readers might have trouble deciphering. Overall? One of the strangest, wildest rides I have ever had in a book. -Jen from Quebec :0) (PS- fair warning- this book is rated R, or NC17, or whatever the highest rating IS, anyways!)
February 11, 2023
The little graphics of power drills that separate the sections were a dead giveaway -- or so I thought. But it was much more atrocious than I had imagined. Yes, I was shocked, but Grandpap and Travis are too cartoonish for me to be seriously horrified. In fact, there is a comic book version of Header in Verotika #14.
Rednecks having headers are the madcap, screwball interludes. The main story is about a hard-luck ATF agent versus bootleggers and drugrunners. Lee ties both threads together with a dynamite ending.
Rednecks having headers are the madcap, screwball interludes. The main story is about a hard-luck ATF agent versus bootleggers and drugrunners. Lee ties both threads together with a dynamite ending.
October 15, 2021
What the actual fuck😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆 golly dir dir dir... The dialogue ,the story, the grossness what's not to like about this. Bring on header 2. On a side note I've been noticing lately that Amazon has pulled a lot of Edward Lee books off of kindle to buy, so go to godless.com and get Edward Lee digital copt Also have noticed his paperbacks have become harder to find on Amazon as well just a heads up.
February 18, 2021
This is my second time reading this book! Just as good as the first time!! I'm sure I will read it again before I die. Header 2 and Header 3 are coming right up next. Yep, there is more of this wonderful literature. Lee is the Bomb Diggity of Extreme Horror/Splatterpink Horror.
As I first say to anyone when I recommend Lee's work. If you are sensitive to certain triggers, well, don't read any of Lee. Because you never know what splendid gore he is gonna slap down on the pages.
As for Header.....It will Get'cher bone up!! Give ya a good head-humpin'!!
What is a Header? "A header's the worst thing these rubes out here could think of. It's like the law of the hills. Someone does ya wrong bad enough, than yer justified ta do the worse thing imaginable fer yer revenge. That's what a header is." There is a lot more to it than that, much, much more!! I don't want to spoil your reading adventure. You will have to read it to find out. I love Lee's stories! I am making my way back thru some of the stuff I read years ago and I am loving every word as much as the first time.
Happy Reading and Splatter On.....
As I first say to anyone when I recommend Lee's work. If you are sensitive to certain triggers, well, don't read any of Lee. Because you never know what splendid gore he is gonna slap down on the pages.
As for Header.....It will Get'cher bone up!! Give ya a good head-humpin'!!
What is a Header? "A header's the worst thing these rubes out here could think of. It's like the law of the hills. Someone does ya wrong bad enough, than yer justified ta do the worse thing imaginable fer yer revenge. That's what a header is." There is a lot more to it than that, much, much more!! I don't want to spoil your reading adventure. You will have to read it to find out. I love Lee's stories! I am making my way back thru some of the stuff I read years ago and I am loving every word as much as the first time.
Happy Reading and Splatter On.....
March 4, 2021
What a mind fuck! 😂 Fun and crazy, I loved it.
February 7, 2017
Another great "redneck legend from the hills" story, with extreme gore, violence and sex which means it is as awesome as "Bighead" or "Minotauress". A must for hardcore Lee fans!
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„Header” Edwarda Lee, podobnie jak „Bighead”, czy „Minotauress”, to jedna z tych opowieści w jego dorobku, które zaliczyć można do historii z okolicznych wzgórz, redneckich opowiastek, którymi straszy się dzieci białej hołoty, opartych o zmyślone legendy, o zdziwaczałe, hardcorowe koncepty, które ocierają się o grozę, ale jednocześnie bawią na swój wyjątkowy sposób. Oczywiście, wykraczają drastycznie poza granicę dobrego smaku. Tutaj rządzi kanibalizm, zwierzęcy seks, który nawet seksem nie jest, ale jakąś wymyślną walką na śmierć i życie. Przemoc tak jaskrawa i przerysowana, że w zasadzie od razu można założyć, że czytelnika otoczy morze flaków, gore, różnorodnych płynów ustrojowych, a całość spowije smród gnijącego mięsa i krwi. Dla fanów grozy ekstremalnej „Header” to kolejna pozycja obowiązkowa.
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„Header” Edwarda Lee, podobnie jak „Bighead”, czy „Minotauress”, to jedna z tych opowieści w jego dorobku, które zaliczyć można do historii z okolicznych wzgórz, redneckich opowiastek, którymi straszy się dzieci białej hołoty, opartych o zmyślone legendy, o zdziwaczałe, hardcorowe koncepty, które ocierają się o grozę, ale jednocześnie bawią na swój wyjątkowy sposób. Oczywiście, wykraczają drastycznie poza granicę dobrego smaku. Tutaj rządzi kanibalizm, zwierzęcy seks, który nawet seksem nie jest, ale jakąś wymyślną walką na śmierć i życie. Przemoc tak jaskrawa i przerysowana, że w zasadzie od razu można założyć, że czytelnika otoczy morze flaków, gore, różnorodnych płynów ustrojowych, a całość spowije smród gnijącego mięsa i krwi. Dla fanów grozy ekstremalnej „Header” to kolejna pozycja obowiązkowa.
February 16, 2018
I'd heard so much about this book that I was almost worried that it wouldn't live up to it's legendary status. For me, though, it was a wonderful trip through hillbilly hell and I relished every page of it, even when I felt like gagging. I absolutely enjoyed the way the story is told from two different POVs, each with it's own distinct voice. The redneck characters were endearing to me because, even though their actions could be considered generally reprehensible, they believe so strongly that they're right that it's almost hard to fault them for doing what they do. And, just like Ryan Harding's Von and Greg, they're just so darn sincere and likeable. I give these book ten severed thumbs up!!
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