Polish Extreme

by Edward Lee, Tomasz Czarny, Karolina Kaczkowska

Grab your air-sick bag and get ready to sample some of the goriest gore and grossest grossness that the great country of Poland has to offer. This ain’t Harry Potter, folks, this is a gleeful bacchanal blood-squirting, gut-flinging, erection-throbbing FUN! There’s more to Poland than sausages and perogies and thousand-year-old churches; there’s a hardcore horror movement that’s blowing the rest of Europe out of the water, and here are the four authors leading the pack. Plus an intro and new short novel (set in Poland) by Edward Lee!

Genres: Horror

115 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 3, 2019

About the author

Librarian 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.

Reviews

[Hail Hydra! ~Dave Anderson~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most interesting, however, was the demoniacal notion that skulls—the skulls of not the condemned nor the impious but of the innocent and the sacrificed—were highly regarded implements of the satanic practitioner. The skull would be skinned and flensed of all flesh, and then set down in the woods. After a year or so, moss and lichens would grow on said skull, and then be removed and used an ingredient for deviltry, witchery, and corpse-sorcery.

[Sharon Leung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow loved it!

This was truly one obscene , grotesque, wicked and sickening books I've read. One that you sit and cringe at but can't help to carry on reading. Truly brutal and full of gore that has you wondering how do they come up with these ideas. A compelling read and absolute must read to any extreme horror fans.

[Shadow Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cover dragged me in - I had to read it!
It was a touch less extreme than I expected, but loved it nonetheless!

[Brandy Brusseau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stories that are well-written and graphic. Extreme horror at its finest.

[Karisa Sortor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Polish Extreme

Im looking for this book. Any ideas? A few of us in my horror group have not read this book and cant find it anywhere to purchase. I found it on Valore and habitatforbooks. I ordered it from both sites however both sites seem sketchy and it hasnt shipped yet so who knows. I would read even an ebook, I don't need a paper copy but if I can find one I would prefer it.

I know the publishing company no longer exists. Here is the ISBN: paperback 9781944703776 ebook 9781944703776

Side note: I know someone who is amazing at finding books for me that are hard to find and even she can't find this book

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me just say......THE COVER!!! I love the cover art of this book!!

Now....The inside. Jesus Christ and 3 bears on a bicycle. Yep.......Splatterpunk

Pussy Plant. Yea, you read that right. Its the title of one of the stories in the book. Pussy Plant.
For sale: a pubic hair with a fertile root. What is a fertile root you ask? Read this wonderful nasty packed, grossed out, sexual, monster of a book and find out. I always read this stuff and ask myself how do the authors come up with this stuff? How are they sane and a normal functioning person roaming around in society? Who knows what state of mind they are in but i really don't care as long a they keep publishing this stuff!! I am hooked and I can't stop. Now on to the next stomach turning book.........

Happy Reading and Edward Lee on.........

[Damion Postlewaight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great to taste some extreme horror of another culture.

Can of Coke is cool as workplace horror feels at home in the average (or at least me) joe.

Lee's story is why I don't trust strange girls who make a pass at me. Still, kinda makes me want to travel.

[James Nealon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

I fell in love with each and every one of the authors and their stories. Very clean writing, lovely use of imagery, highly recommended for the extreme horror connoisseur

[Rachel M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok………. I put this one off for ages because I read Czech extreme and while I found it good it wasn’t as good as I was expecting. But polish extreme I loved all the splattery stories!

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so let me preface this with the statement that I don't really read much (if any) 'extreme horror.' A friend was doing a contest on Instagram (Z.Reads.Stuff) for a digital copy of "Polish Extreme" and I figured that if I won it, this would be my entry into its gritty world.

Here's how it went: I read it all in one day. I had to stop reading it when I was eating because it was just too gross at times to allow for a pleasant meal-time experience Every story was quite brutal and I found it more interesting knowing that the authors of the stories were all Polish (presumably excluding Edward Lee). They felt like strange forays into mini-versions of "Saw," "Hostel," maybe even "A Serbian Film."

I found myself laughing out loud at "Pussy Plant" by Tomasz Siwiec, as it was kind of hilarious in addition to being gross.

"Mother's Milk" by Karolina Mangusta Kaczkowska was more cosmic than I would have expected, and that turned a well-known trope for me on its head in a new way.

I liked Edward Lee's "An American Tourist in Poland" story the most. It felt more like an unrated scary movie (leaning "Hostel"-esque) with a lot of surprisingly fun travel information packed into it. I've been to Poland myself, so I especially enjoyed the presence of historical facts, descriptions of the city itself and its inhabitants, and really just Edward Lee's jaunty writing style. His story was the least 'offensive' of the bunch, but I fully understand that it is the nature of extreme horror to be repulsive and disturbing.

I have to laugh because Z.Reads.Stuff mentioned that I'd need a bath after reading these stories, and boy was she right. I'm glad that I entered this realm through a short story collection like this so that I am prepared for the next 'extreme horror' book I read... whenever I recover.

[Siobhan Falen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 Stars

In a country discovering its path of extreme horror, an anthology of gory stories emerge.

Admittedly, I had a hard time reading this. I went in blind and tried to take that Poland is exploring the realm of extreme horror in mind as I read this, but it was still rough.

Much of the extreme felt like brutality against women for the sake of brutality against women. Almost like I was watching the extreme shockers of the 70s. Knowing that is how extreme horror tends to be given birth to, I tried to read it with an open mind, but it was rough.

The very last story was more widespread and more engaging, but it stood out awkwardly compared to the other tales. The other short stories were quick, brutal, and well, torture prn. This one was much longer, purple prose-ish, and although it was still in that torture p-arc, it spread it to both genders.

It was an interesting read and if you like to explore other cultures' takes of extreme horror, it is an adventure to read through. I just don't think this is a book I would pick up again.

[Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, Polish Extreme hit me like a kielbasa to the gut—in the best way. Edward Lee's new short novel is peak him: twisted fun, loaded with cool Polish history and spots that make you feel like you're there, all while serving up that nasty splatter he's famous for.
But the real kickers are the stories from the Polish crew—Czarny, Radecki, Siwiec, and Kaczkowska. These guys (and gal) go HARD, way beyond what I expected, with raw, no-mercy gross-outs that left me wincing and laughing. It's like discovering a whole new level of extreme horror from across the pond.
If you're down for blood-squirting, gut-churning madness that doesn't pull punches, snag this anthology. Grab an air-sick bag, crack a beer, and dive in—you won't regret it. Pure filthy joy!

[Cozy Ginger · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF’d around 14% which was a bit into the second story. I realized soon in that this was just going to be a hot mess of either poorly translated work, poorly written work, poorly edited work or just the same rehash of shock scenes. I was excited to read it but I can’t justify spending anymore energy shuffling through yet another splatterpunk book hinged on assaulting women while they barely use any effort in making a story actually good.

- I’m choosing to review it without finishing it since the opening story, the story that’s supposed to ‘grab’ you, was… *use literally any negative adjective, it’ll be appropriate*.

[Carina Stopenski · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up. while i’m glad to have had the opportunity to read some international names in the extreme horror genre here, this could have benefited from massive edits. lots of typos and formatting issues here, which may have been due in part to the four short stories being polish translations to english. the prose here is grody and fleshy and repulsive in a good way, but a lot of the text felt half-baked and like the stories could be extended into much larger works to be further explained. i do commend edward lee for gathering up some polish voices for this collection because i probably would have never encountered these authors otherwise, and i’m grateful for that.

[Roy Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biased review, but I love this stuff.

Lots of good, grimy gore from a country I’ve recently fallen in love with. I read this while living in Warsaw and studying the language so I’m a bit of a perfect target audience, but I thoroughly enjoyed the sick and depraved stories offered up here.

Touched on many of my favorite topics and there was one story that took a music genre I loved and made it the basis for a truly original and entertaining bit of hyper gore and savage cruelty.

Loved it.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of the best extreme books I've read...there's far better out there,I found the stories in this book rather slow and a little juvenile at times,even quite stupid.Not one of Edward Lee's best I'm afraid to say...he's produced much better reading.All In All boring and not worth the battery use on my Kindle,5 out of 10

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first experience with “Extreme Horror.” It was something else, for sure. All of the stories were very well written and graphic, though I’m fairly certain this genre ultimately isn’t for me.