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The Television
Burnstow is an ordinary little town populated by ordinary people. Farthing is an ordinary guy and he has just inherited an ordinary mobile home in an ordinary trailer park. Farthing looks forward to a nice, quiet, ordinary life.
But in the back room of that ordinary mobile home, there’s an ancient television that’s anything but ordinary. It doesn’t broadcast sitcoms, sports games, news shows, or movies.
No.
It broadcasts only the very worst atrocities in human history.
Follow Farthing down, deeper and deeper as he struggles to reveal the appalling secrets of...
THE TELEVISION
*Trigger All of them. This is a book of extreme horror, not for the faint of heart or stomach*
“Lee has managed to string together the most gruesome atrocities of our history into a cohesive story. And he describes them in cold graphic detail. I had to go intellectual to stay sane. It's the most ... I don't know ... horrifying thing. It's true evil. Factual evil.” -- Lisa Tone, Editor in Chief, Madness Heart Press
"Okay, so, I just read a paragraph, consisting of but three sentences. I had to put down the Kindle and go into the bathroom, rinse my damn face off. Then I looked at myself in the mirror, and questioned everything about myself, I laughed maniacally for a couple of seconds. I think it's a coping mechanism. But that didn't work so now I'm gonna go for a ride with Birdie and get some fresh air. For real. Three sentences. FML. I Love The Edward Lee." -- Brad Tierny, Extreme Horror book reviewer
But in the back room of that ordinary mobile home, there’s an ancient television that’s anything but ordinary. It doesn’t broadcast sitcoms, sports games, news shows, or movies.
No.
It broadcasts only the very worst atrocities in human history.
Follow Farthing down, deeper and deeper as he struggles to reveal the appalling secrets of...
THE TELEVISION
*Trigger All of them. This is a book of extreme horror, not for the faint of heart or stomach*
“Lee has managed to string together the most gruesome atrocities of our history into a cohesive story. And he describes them in cold graphic detail. I had to go intellectual to stay sane. It's the most ... I don't know ... horrifying thing. It's true evil. Factual evil.” -- Lisa Tone, Editor in Chief, Madness Heart Press
"Okay, so, I just read a paragraph, consisting of but three sentences. I had to put down the Kindle and go into the bathroom, rinse my damn face off. Then I looked at myself in the mirror, and questioned everything about myself, I laughed maniacally for a couple of seconds. I think it's a coping mechanism. But that didn't work so now I'm gonna go for a ride with Birdie and get some fresh air. For real. Three sentences. FML. I Love The Edward Lee." -- Brad Tierny, Extreme Horror book reviewer
Kindle Edition
First published November 22, 2022
38 people are currently reading
657 people want to read
About the author
Edward Lee
271 books1,462 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 68 reviews
August 21, 2025
So disappointed that I couldn't vibe with the writing style. Though the gore exceeded my expectations and stunned me.
Hence the 3 stars.
Hence the 3 stars.
August 10, 2025
THE TELEVISION [2024] By Edward Lee
My Review 4.0 Stars
From JF Gonzalez Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
I am a participating member of the horror book club “HGW”, and I took an interest in the polling for the “Group Read of the Month” for September 2025. It included a nomination for Ed Lee’s “The Television” which snagged my attention. Several members who had voted for Lee’s novel channeled their collective disappointment into agreeing with the Moderator Ian to arrange a Buddy Read.
I daresay that there is not a reader of Extreme Horror/Splatterpunk that does not recognize the name Edward Lee. It follows that many of these readers are also fans of Ed Lee. Personally, I have read perhaps a handful of his novels. One would think I am at least basically familiar with what Ed Lee is known for in his books. It so happens that is an accurate assumption. I am using a quote because it is a succinct statement which is straightforward and well written.
“Lee is particularly known for over-the-top occult concepts and an accelerated treatment of erotic and/or morbid sexual imagery and visceral violence.”
“Incubi” and “Succubi” (both of which I enjoyed a lot) were perfect examples of this verbal “snapshot” of what one could realistically expect from a Lee novel. Speaking only for myself I felt this book was different somehow and not in line with the “usual” formula.
So, let’s just take a look at “The Television”. Edward Lee is an Award-Winning Author and a prolific writer. “The Television” was first published in December 2022 by Madness Heart Press and received recognition in 2023 at the Splatterpunk Awards by being nominated for Best Novel 2023. I checked because I was curious, and Aron Beauregard’s phenomenal book “Playground” won the Award for Best Novel 2023.
I looked at the Customer Reviews with some interest since the sales were low on Amazon for a new novel by a recognized legend in the horror industry, less than 200 novels, all formats included, purchased in around 9 months. Rating 3.9 on Amazon. Comparatively more action on Goodreads but 350 is not that impressive for a new novel by a highly regarded author who has won an impressive number of book awards and other accolades. Rating of 3.7 Stars is decent for Goodreads although ordinarily those numbers are evaluated by considering the number of readers. These stats may not mean as much as they might with another writer because diehard fans love to buy hard copies and have them shipped, ideally autographed.
The description of the book on Amazon is scant. It tells the potential reader that the little town of Burnstow is populated by average, ordinary people. This sits fine with Farthing who is about as ordinary as it goes. He has been living in an ordinary trailer park with few amenities and about as ordinary a man as one could meet. It is a surprise when he learns that an uncle in England has passed away, a relative he has never met in person, and said Uncle has bequeathed all his earthly belongings to Farthing, to include a monthly stipend which is more money than he is able to bring home on his job. He is a bit reserved about the notion of moving to England but particularly the mandate that he reside in his deceased uncle’s trailer for the remainder of his life. This might have been a deal breaker, but his Uncle Eldred’s double wide mobile home was a mansion compared to his own living quarters back home.
Farthing signs his life away and moves in, but he has signed on the dotted line for much more than he has bargained for when he signed the binding paperwork. Farthing goes about acquainting himself with his surroundings. In my reading of the early part of the book there were indicators that Farthing was in a predicament and that many of his “discoveries” about his uncle Eldred, the man’s lifestyle, and the quaint community, all suggested that he had stepped foot in a world he did not know. One of the more intriguing and interesting discoveries was the “Aromatherapy Shop” and its dominatrix Mal. Obviously I suspected witchcraft, the occult, and much more based upon the clues and Lee’s own predilection for occult novels. Initially I guessed the main theme to be one of an occult nature, and that the prostitution was involved and that the answer would be revealed.
The highlight of this story is of course “The Television”. It sits in an empty room (with only a chair). Farthing notes that it is the old analog model, a real antique. Obviously, he knew that there were no analog signals broadcast anymore. So how the hell could it be “screening images”? There is a score of fascinating and horrifying capabilities of the television, so I will not elaborate here since it may spoil some of the mystery for a new reader.
Lee’s genius is in weaving all of these separate parts into one complete and terrifying plot, the premise of which is both incredible and horrifying beyond belief, even in an Ed Lee novel. He is a master storyteller, the “prose flows”, and the narrative is articulate, descriptive and exceptionally well written. I love the stories of Satanism, the occult, “black magic” and demons. “The Television” is like a rose with thorns that ripens to the point of opening its seductive bloom and releases a toxic perfume which all inhale and become lost to sanity, to honesty, to normalcy, and to God.
I have thought about it over the past few days, and like the book more in retrospect than fresh after reading it. I would not change the Rating of 4 since I believe that it is fitting. But since I do not mind novels with Devil Worship and I could not pick at flaws, I had to conclude that it left a bad taste in my mouth because there were one or two tripwires I had to run into and get stunned. The most obvious is being hit squarely between the eyes with the true evil in this world. I found it fascinating, yes, but I feel like it struck a blow to my subconscious.
The second reason I was well aware bothered me, but perhaps not beyond the range or level where my rational mind should have ratcheted it down. I liked the crotchety Farthing and atheist or not he did not want the Devil Worshipers to fulfill their prophecy on Earth. He forfeited his life to stop the advance of evil Armageddon. It was a downer that his supreme sacrifice had to fail to halt the madness. I hated that their collective bribery, manipulation, and abuse was gradually usurping his will. I never lost sight of the gem of humanity that burned inside the minions fashioned by the Devil’s worshippers.
EXPERIENCE ED LEE’S LATEST FORAY INTO SATAN WORSHIP; TASTELESS BUT THE POWERHOUSE OF LEE PULLS YOU THROUGH IN ONE PIECE.
My Review 4.0 Stars
From JF Gonzalez Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
I am a participating member of the horror book club “HGW”, and I took an interest in the polling for the “Group Read of the Month” for September 2025. It included a nomination for Ed Lee’s “The Television” which snagged my attention. Several members who had voted for Lee’s novel channeled their collective disappointment into agreeing with the Moderator Ian to arrange a Buddy Read.
I daresay that there is not a reader of Extreme Horror/Splatterpunk that does not recognize the name Edward Lee. It follows that many of these readers are also fans of Ed Lee. Personally, I have read perhaps a handful of his novels. One would think I am at least basically familiar with what Ed Lee is known for in his books. It so happens that is an accurate assumption. I am using a quote because it is a succinct statement which is straightforward and well written.
“Lee is particularly known for over-the-top occult concepts and an accelerated treatment of erotic and/or morbid sexual imagery and visceral violence.”
“Incubi” and “Succubi” (both of which I enjoyed a lot) were perfect examples of this verbal “snapshot” of what one could realistically expect from a Lee novel. Speaking only for myself I felt this book was different somehow and not in line with the “usual” formula.
So, let’s just take a look at “The Television”. Edward Lee is an Award-Winning Author and a prolific writer. “The Television” was first published in December 2022 by Madness Heart Press and received recognition in 2023 at the Splatterpunk Awards by being nominated for Best Novel 2023. I checked because I was curious, and Aron Beauregard’s phenomenal book “Playground” won the Award for Best Novel 2023.
I looked at the Customer Reviews with some interest since the sales were low on Amazon for a new novel by a recognized legend in the horror industry, less than 200 novels, all formats included, purchased in around 9 months. Rating 3.9 on Amazon. Comparatively more action on Goodreads but 350 is not that impressive for a new novel by a highly regarded author who has won an impressive number of book awards and other accolades. Rating of 3.7 Stars is decent for Goodreads although ordinarily those numbers are evaluated by considering the number of readers. These stats may not mean as much as they might with another writer because diehard fans love to buy hard copies and have them shipped, ideally autographed.
The description of the book on Amazon is scant. It tells the potential reader that the little town of Burnstow is populated by average, ordinary people. This sits fine with Farthing who is about as ordinary as it goes. He has been living in an ordinary trailer park with few amenities and about as ordinary a man as one could meet. It is a surprise when he learns that an uncle in England has passed away, a relative he has never met in person, and said Uncle has bequeathed all his earthly belongings to Farthing, to include a monthly stipend which is more money than he is able to bring home on his job. He is a bit reserved about the notion of moving to England but particularly the mandate that he reside in his deceased uncle’s trailer for the remainder of his life. This might have been a deal breaker, but his Uncle Eldred’s double wide mobile home was a mansion compared to his own living quarters back home.
Farthing signs his life away and moves in, but he has signed on the dotted line for much more than he has bargained for when he signed the binding paperwork. Farthing goes about acquainting himself with his surroundings. In my reading of the early part of the book there were indicators that Farthing was in a predicament and that many of his “discoveries” about his uncle Eldred, the man’s lifestyle, and the quaint community, all suggested that he had stepped foot in a world he did not know. One of the more intriguing and interesting discoveries was the “Aromatherapy Shop” and its dominatrix Mal. Obviously I suspected witchcraft, the occult, and much more based upon the clues and Lee’s own predilection for occult novels. Initially I guessed the main theme to be one of an occult nature, and that the prostitution was involved and that the answer would be revealed.
The highlight of this story is of course “The Television”. It sits in an empty room (with only a chair). Farthing notes that it is the old analog model, a real antique. Obviously, he knew that there were no analog signals broadcast anymore. So how the hell could it be “screening images”? There is a score of fascinating and horrifying capabilities of the television, so I will not elaborate here since it may spoil some of the mystery for a new reader.
Lee’s genius is in weaving all of these separate parts into one complete and terrifying plot, the premise of which is both incredible and horrifying beyond belief, even in an Ed Lee novel. He is a master storyteller, the “prose flows”, and the narrative is articulate, descriptive and exceptionally well written. I love the stories of Satanism, the occult, “black magic” and demons. “The Television” is like a rose with thorns that ripens to the point of opening its seductive bloom and releases a toxic perfume which all inhale and become lost to sanity, to honesty, to normalcy, and to God.
I have thought about it over the past few days, and like the book more in retrospect than fresh after reading it. I would not change the Rating of 4 since I believe that it is fitting. But since I do not mind novels with Devil Worship and I could not pick at flaws, I had to conclude that it left a bad taste in my mouth because there were one or two tripwires I had to run into and get stunned. The most obvious is being hit squarely between the eyes with the true evil in this world. I found it fascinating, yes, but I feel like it struck a blow to my subconscious.
The second reason I was well aware bothered me, but perhaps not beyond the range or level where my rational mind should have ratcheted it down. I liked the crotchety Farthing and atheist or not he did not want the Devil Worshipers to fulfill their prophecy on Earth. He forfeited his life to stop the advance of evil Armageddon. It was a downer that his supreme sacrifice had to fail to halt the madness. I hated that their collective bribery, manipulation, and abuse was gradually usurping his will. I never lost sight of the gem of humanity that burned inside the minions fashioned by the Devil’s worshippers.
EXPERIENCE ED LEE’S LATEST FORAY INTO SATAN WORSHIP; TASTELESS BUT THE POWERHOUSE OF LEE PULLS YOU THROUGH IN ONE PIECE.
August 8, 2023
Edward Lee's The Television was an entertaining and creative horror narrative. I really enjoyed the concept of a magical evil TV and Lee delivered on this one in his traditional style of writing. I've enjoyed every Edward Lee book I've read so far and plan to dig more into his back catalog this year, overall I'd recommend this book if you enjoy extreme horror since it does get pretty gruesome in parts.
May 29, 2025
I love everything i’ve read by Edward Lee. He really knows how to write sex twisted disturbing body, horror, books, and this is one of my favorites yet!
December 9, 2022
The Television by Edward Lee is excellent!
The writing style is perfect, the story is brilliantly sickening, and all the characters are despicable.
Highly recommend for extreme horror readers.
📺📺📺📺📺
The writing style is perfect, the story is brilliantly sickening, and all the characters are despicable.
Highly recommend for extreme horror readers.
📺📺📺📺📺
July 20, 2025
This was my first Edward Lee book and it was brutal! Shows how horrific humans have been throughout history. Great plot, an occult TV that feeds off blood and displays the most horrific events through human history through the eyes of Satan. Characters are fantastic and his writing flows so smoothly. Good read but my mind needs a cleanse, will be reading something light next.
February 16, 2023
This is a new book from the master of the extreme, but it reads like vintage Lee. Shocking, brutal and fast paced, this book is not for the weak willed.
December 3, 2022
Horror Bookworm Reviews
The Television by Edward Lee
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/
I. W. Farthing becomes the sole heir to his deceased Uncle Eldred’s estate. However there is one stipulation, he must relocate and assume his relative’s home and responsibilities in England. Unbeknownst to Farthing, his Uncle has bestowed not only a past morbid membership to a very strange club but he also has become sole benefactor and conduit to an undiluted evil of untold atrocities.
Edward Lee is doing what he does best, creating environments of horrific tragedies and well, pardon my French, generating images of sick shit. Bare witness to Lee’s honest depictions of unspeakable subject matter as he conjures up a mind-warping story wrapped around suspicious old Polaroids, a bloodline of heretics and a television that comes with a demonic history of the evil that men do.
As is customary, Lee incorporates some of the strangest characters you will ever meet this side of Midsommar’s village, Harga. From a madam that has found her professional calling of Dominatrix and S&M services to a peculiar woman named The Piss Car Lady. No matter male, female or child, Lee is unbiased when it comes to his morbid disgust.…no one is safe.
When writing this review I often thought of the clever occasions when Edward Lee would break down the fourth wall by acknowledging his readers. He somehow channels historical abhorrent tragedies and a revolting style of horror toward his “captured” audience. What a ball buster of twisted masochist fiction this is. The Television by Edward Lee is hands down the most mental abduction of strangeness and full-tilt peculiarity I have experienced. Madness Heart Press should include a pair of rubber gloves and fluid resistant gowns with each and every purchase.
Mind your dreams, you never know when they may appear on the screen for all to see. Oh and by the way, be sure to avoid the Number Six on the Full Moon menu. I hear the perversion it provides is one heck of a plastic tubing good time. If you like your Edward Lee with a heaping spoonful of torture, murder and mutilation, then look no further because something disturbing this way comes. A five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Horror Bookworm Recommendation.
The Television by Edward Lee
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/
I. W. Farthing becomes the sole heir to his deceased Uncle Eldred’s estate. However there is one stipulation, he must relocate and assume his relative’s home and responsibilities in England. Unbeknownst to Farthing, his Uncle has bestowed not only a past morbid membership to a very strange club but he also has become sole benefactor and conduit to an undiluted evil of untold atrocities.
Edward Lee is doing what he does best, creating environments of horrific tragedies and well, pardon my French, generating images of sick shit. Bare witness to Lee’s honest depictions of unspeakable subject matter as he conjures up a mind-warping story wrapped around suspicious old Polaroids, a bloodline of heretics and a television that comes with a demonic history of the evil that men do.
As is customary, Lee incorporates some of the strangest characters you will ever meet this side of Midsommar’s village, Harga. From a madam that has found her professional calling of Dominatrix and S&M services to a peculiar woman named The Piss Car Lady. No matter male, female or child, Lee is unbiased when it comes to his morbid disgust.…no one is safe.
When writing this review I often thought of the clever occasions when Edward Lee would break down the fourth wall by acknowledging his readers. He somehow channels historical abhorrent tragedies and a revolting style of horror toward his “captured” audience. What a ball buster of twisted masochist fiction this is. The Television by Edward Lee is hands down the most mental abduction of strangeness and full-tilt peculiarity I have experienced. Madness Heart Press should include a pair of rubber gloves and fluid resistant gowns with each and every purchase.
Mind your dreams, you never know when they may appear on the screen for all to see. Oh and by the way, be sure to avoid the Number Six on the Full Moon menu. I hear the perversion it provides is one heck of a plastic tubing good time. If you like your Edward Lee with a heaping spoonful of torture, murder and mutilation, then look no further because something disturbing this way comes. A five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Horror Bookworm Recommendation.
dnf
June 5, 2025DNF 53%
August 2, 2025
Farthing is an ordinary guy that inherited from an uncle, an ordinary mobile home in an ordinary trailer park where he must relocate in order to get his inheritance. Farthing looks forward to a nice, quiet, ordinary life.
But in the back room of that mobile home, there’s an ancient television that’s anything but ordinary. It doesn’t broadcast the normal things seen on T.V. No. It broadcasts only the very worst atrocities in human history. As Farthing comes to learn his uncles secrets it’s nothing he could ever imagine.
I thought the concept of the book very intriguing with that of a television that shows the most gruesome and evil displays of man kind. The parts about what’s being projected on the T.V did keep me entertained especially the actual history aspect leaving me wondering where the story is going to lead, but I felt the rest of the book didn’t keep me captivated and the ending seemed rushed. This was an OK book, it did make me feel uncomfortable and squeamish at some parts with the body horror. I don’t know if it’s Lee’s writing style or just the way this story was written as it’s my first book by him, but it wasn’t for me. This book is also not for the faint of heart or easily offended as it has all the trigger warnings.
But in the back room of that mobile home, there’s an ancient television that’s anything but ordinary. It doesn’t broadcast the normal things seen on T.V. No. It broadcasts only the very worst atrocities in human history. As Farthing comes to learn his uncles secrets it’s nothing he could ever imagine.
I thought the concept of the book very intriguing with that of a television that shows the most gruesome and evil displays of man kind. The parts about what’s being projected on the T.V did keep me entertained especially the actual history aspect leaving me wondering where the story is going to lead, but I felt the rest of the book didn’t keep me captivated and the ending seemed rushed. This was an OK book, it did make me feel uncomfortable and squeamish at some parts with the body horror. I don’t know if it’s Lee’s writing style or just the way this story was written as it’s my first book by him, but it wasn’t for me. This book is also not for the faint of heart or easily offended as it has all the trigger warnings.
February 23, 2023
Amazing
This was an incredible read filled with gore, death and brutality. How Mr Lee conjures up such storylines astounds me. He truly is a talented genius. Anyway about the book at hand, this is about a gentleman named Farthing in America whom receives a phone call stating he has inherited an estate from an uncle Aldrich in England after his passing. Farthing goes to England to see his now, estate. Only to learn estate is a loose term. Though plenty of wealth money wise, it is only in conditions that Farthing gets to keep said wealth and estate. What then transpires is gruesome and unholy. Can his mind cope with so much atrocity? So much death, destruction and violence? Or will Farthing succumb and become a part of it all? Only reading this book will tell and you won't be disappointed. Please be aware there are some disturbing paragraphs that can offend. Also if weak stomached and easily offended, please be advised this may not be for you. But it is only fiction and also brings awareness to said unpleasantness. Recommended!
This was an incredible read filled with gore, death and brutality. How Mr Lee conjures up such storylines astounds me. He truly is a talented genius. Anyway about the book at hand, this is about a gentleman named Farthing in America whom receives a phone call stating he has inherited an estate from an uncle Aldrich in England after his passing. Farthing goes to England to see his now, estate. Only to learn estate is a loose term. Though plenty of wealth money wise, it is only in conditions that Farthing gets to keep said wealth and estate. What then transpires is gruesome and unholy. Can his mind cope with so much atrocity? So much death, destruction and violence? Or will Farthing succumb and become a part of it all? Only reading this book will tell and you won't be disappointed. Please be aware there are some disturbing paragraphs that can offend. Also if weak stomached and easily offended, please be advised this may not be for you. But it is only fiction and also brings awareness to said unpleasantness. Recommended!
August 6, 2025
'A disturbing 'fun' tv journey into the world of the truly abominable.'
A diabolical, occult adventure which somehow successfully combines a British farce type vibe with some of the vilest atrocities throughout history that man has ever committed. Copious amounts of sexual activity is never far away, and appears to be intrinsically woven into every aspect of this dark, demonic and cleverly constructed adventure.
Definitely something different, but I did enjoyed it.
Rating: 4.1 hellish black stars of unimaginable outrage.
A diabolical, occult adventure which somehow successfully combines a British farce type vibe with some of the vilest atrocities throughout history that man has ever committed. Copious amounts of sexual activity is never far away, and appears to be intrinsically woven into every aspect of this dark, demonic and cleverly constructed adventure.
Definitely something different, but I did enjoyed it.
Rating: 4.1 hellish black stars of unimaginable outrage.
December 13, 2022
"The Television" by Edward Lee. I was sent my copy in exchange for a honest review.
Mr. I. W. Farthing leads a rather simplistic life. That is, until his estranged Uncle Eldred dies and I.W. suddenly inherits his whole estate. The only catch is that he must relocate from America to England and inhabit the home his uncle once lived in. Upon investigation I.W. heavily questions if he can make this work, as England is nothing like America. But after some thought and exploration he comes around and happily calls England his new home. The only thing prohibiting him from really enjoying this new life of his is the television in the back room. There's no power cord, no nob, no way to physically turn the television on but that doesn't stop it from coming to life anyways and playing the worst human atrocities across its screen for I.W. to see. It appears that Uncle Eldred had many secrets to keep...
This story is most definitely not for the faint of heart or easily triggered. Inside these pages lie stories of men's arms being chopped off with machetes, children being murdered by bayonets and fed to pythons, pregnant women being set on fire while bound... just to name a few.
This book is incredibly brutal but it's definitely not as brutal as I was expecting. The twist also came out of left field for me and I have to be honest and say I just didn't care much for it. It does tie the book together but I lost a lot of interest in the story after that moment. I found myself really having to push through. Despite that, the story is well written and the descriptions are incredibly easy to envision. The actual ending also hit me in all the feels when I learned of my favorite characters demise.
Mr. I. W. Farthing leads a rather simplistic life. That is, until his estranged Uncle Eldred dies and I.W. suddenly inherits his whole estate. The only catch is that he must relocate from America to England and inhabit the home his uncle once lived in. Upon investigation I.W. heavily questions if he can make this work, as England is nothing like America. But after some thought and exploration he comes around and happily calls England his new home. The only thing prohibiting him from really enjoying this new life of his is the television in the back room. There's no power cord, no nob, no way to physically turn the television on but that doesn't stop it from coming to life anyways and playing the worst human atrocities across its screen for I.W. to see. It appears that Uncle Eldred had many secrets to keep...
This story is most definitely not for the faint of heart or easily triggered. Inside these pages lie stories of men's arms being chopped off with machetes, children being murdered by bayonets and fed to pythons, pregnant women being set on fire while bound... just to name a few.
This book is incredibly brutal but it's definitely not as brutal as I was expecting. The twist also came out of left field for me and I have to be honest and say I just didn't care much for it. It does tie the book together but I lost a lot of interest in the story after that moment. I found myself really having to push through. Despite that, the story is well written and the descriptions are incredibly easy to envision. The actual ending also hit me in all the feels when I learned of my favorite characters demise.
November 22, 2024
Reading this book was like trying to climb the largest mountain which had been covered in tonnes and tonnes of Goose Grease with bare feet!!! 😮💨🥱😴😩😫
"EXTREMELY FUCKING HARD WORK!!!"
I found the story line so boring and tedious...this was unlike any other book that I have read by Edward Lee.
I hated EVERY one of the characters...they all drove me absolutely crazy.
Not the best read for me from Mr Lee...Yes! the descriptions of some of the scenes on the television were disturbing and horrific and pretty hard to read at times...and would most probably upset a lot of readers.
But I can't bring myself to award it anymore than 2 ⭐⭐'s
🤣📺📺📺 I always found television sent me incredibly insane!!! and so did this book!! 📺📺📺 🤣
"EXTREMELY FUCKING HARD WORK!!!"
I found the story line so boring and tedious...this was unlike any other book that I have read by Edward Lee.
I hated EVERY one of the characters...they all drove me absolutely crazy.
Not the best read for me from Mr Lee...Yes! the descriptions of some of the scenes on the television were disturbing and horrific and pretty hard to read at times...and would most probably upset a lot of readers.
But I can't bring myself to award it anymore than 2 ⭐⭐'s
🤣📺📺📺 I always found television sent me incredibly insane!!! and so did this book!! 📺📺📺 🤣
June 1, 2024
Trigger Warnings:
Child death, Gore, Child abuse, Cursing, Homophobia, Bullying, Animal death, Pedophilia, War, Body Horror, Rape, and probably much more.
---
I love myself a bit of extreme horror. Or splatterpunk, however you want to call it. And The Television by Edward Lee most definitely delivered what it promised! This book was filled with gore, death and brutality to the very brim!
This was my first book by Edward Lee and the writing style blew me away! I absolutely loved it, as it was very descriptive. But what I loved most about the writing style? The way that Edward would regularly break the 4th wall! I just couldn't get enough from that tidbit. The fact that we, as the reader, are regularly acknowledged, was fantastic. There also is a layer of social commentary to this book, which I gobbled right up! There was very little to this book that I didn't like! The pacing was pretty good, though it took a bit too long for my squirrel brain to get started. In such a short book (less than 300 pages is short for me, lmao) I like the main point to be addressed a little bit sooner. But other than that, absolutely loved it!
And I have to admit, the characters in this story are quite well-developed, considering the short length of the book. With only 285 pages it managed to get me invested in its characters.
There are plenty of twists and turns to the story. It most definitely managed to kept me entertained and I had a blast reading it! If you're a lover of body horror, like me, I definitely recommend The Television.
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Find my rating system here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C7o3HTbtqcm/
Child death, Gore, Child abuse, Cursing, Homophobia, Bullying, Animal death, Pedophilia, War, Body Horror, Rape, and probably much more.
---
I love myself a bit of extreme horror. Or splatterpunk, however you want to call it. And The Television by Edward Lee most definitely delivered what it promised! This book was filled with gore, death and brutality to the very brim!
This was my first book by Edward Lee and the writing style blew me away! I absolutely loved it, as it was very descriptive. But what I loved most about the writing style? The way that Edward would regularly break the 4th wall! I just couldn't get enough from that tidbit. The fact that we, as the reader, are regularly acknowledged, was fantastic. There also is a layer of social commentary to this book, which I gobbled right up! There was very little to this book that I didn't like! The pacing was pretty good, though it took a bit too long for my squirrel brain to get started. In such a short book (less than 300 pages is short for me, lmao) I like the main point to be addressed a little bit sooner. But other than that, absolutely loved it!
And I have to admit, the characters in this story are quite well-developed, considering the short length of the book. With only 285 pages it managed to get me invested in its characters.
There are plenty of twists and turns to the story. It most definitely managed to kept me entertained and I had a blast reading it! If you're a lover of body horror, like me, I definitely recommend The Television.
---
Find my rating system here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C7o3HTbtqcm/
May 24, 2024
Another knock-out by Lee!
I was hooked into this story from beginning to end. There is a lot of history in it which is something I love! Supernatural elements, thriving story, and plenty of violence that doesn't let up. I just had to know what would be shown next on The Television.
4/5
I was hooked into this story from beginning to end. There is a lot of history in it which is something I love! Supernatural elements, thriving story, and plenty of violence that doesn't let up. I just had to know what would be shown next on The Television.
4/5
December 27, 2022
I could just type, “Ed Lee has a new book coming out on Godless on the 28th of November”, and that would be enough to get fans to buy a ticket to a Hock Party (still not over that but the therapy is helping), but I’m me and will write an insanely long review that will make you even MORE excited about this release.
I. W. Farthing is a 60 year old with nothing interesting happening in his life, that is until his Uncle Eldred dies. Even though they have never met, there is a connection that time nor distance could sever. When Farthing relocates to East Suffolk for his inheritance, life gets messy and watching TV will never be the same.
I don’t know where to start with this one. I really don’t. I have too much to say. Do I talk about the social commentary on media and desensitization? Or my love of breaking fourth wall? The rich (ha) characters? Perfect pacing?
Maybe I should talk about the history? The elevated language? How it feels like Lee meshed classics into something superb (i.e. a fucked up THE GIVER and DR. JEKYL/MR. HYDE)?
What about how the story feels like a movie and history feels like commercials (which is fucking genius)? That my absolute favorite historical figure, Caligula, is mentioned?
I could go on for hours, seriously. But here’s what I will tell you — it’s a fucking masterpiece. It’s a classic Lee with absolute insane situations, characters, blood, violence, you name it. But this feels different and I’m here for it.
I will end the review with there are possible triggering historical events in this novel. I don’t know what’s wrong with me but none of that bothered me, but a specific medical procedure almost made me walk away from it. And I think (has not been confirmed) that’s one of the points of THE TELEVISION, we are becoming so desensitized and able to remove ourselves from events we are harder to shock. So I feel a bit called out.
I. W. Farthing is a 60 year old with nothing interesting happening in his life, that is until his Uncle Eldred dies. Even though they have never met, there is a connection that time nor distance could sever. When Farthing relocates to East Suffolk for his inheritance, life gets messy and watching TV will never be the same.
I don’t know where to start with this one. I really don’t. I have too much to say. Do I talk about the social commentary on media and desensitization? Or my love of breaking fourth wall? The rich (ha) characters? Perfect pacing?
Maybe I should talk about the history? The elevated language? How it feels like Lee meshed classics into something superb (i.e. a fucked up THE GIVER and DR. JEKYL/MR. HYDE)?
What about how the story feels like a movie and history feels like commercials (which is fucking genius)? That my absolute favorite historical figure, Caligula, is mentioned?
I could go on for hours, seriously. But here’s what I will tell you — it’s a fucking masterpiece. It’s a classic Lee with absolute insane situations, characters, blood, violence, you name it. But this feels different and I’m here for it.
I will end the review with there are possible triggering historical events in this novel. I don’t know what’s wrong with me but none of that bothered me, but a specific medical procedure almost made me walk away from it. And I think (has not been confirmed) that’s one of the points of THE TELEVISION, we are becoming so desensitized and able to remove ourselves from events we are harder to shock. So I feel a bit called out.
August 5, 2025
*3.5 August Buddy read with the HGW Goodreads group. Edward Lee never fails to impress me, he's a man of so many styles. This bridged his more commercial works and his more extreme works. I would hate to have the search history of Mr Lee as he researched the subjects for his "telly" viewing. The cult storyline was a lot of fun, the characters were solid enough and complex enough, especially Mal. There's several disturbing scenes littered throughout the novel but I feel many of them fell flat in the TV segments.
January 13, 2024
The master of extreme horror does it again! Edward Lee knows how to tell an interesting and disturbing tale. He is one of my favorite authors.
January 3, 2026
morbid, disturbing, and downright fucking batshit
May 5, 2023
This book.
Real life really is worse than fiction.
The interweaving of real life atrocities to this occult story takes it to a different level.
I listened to the audio book, and it made it so much worse to hear them out loud.
It's my first Edward Lee book and won't be the last.
Real life really is worse than fiction.
The interweaving of real life atrocities to this occult story takes it to a different level.
I listened to the audio book, and it made it so much worse to hear them out loud.
It's my first Edward Lee book and won't be the last.
July 28, 2023
A satanic cult.. what’s not to like?
June 11, 2023
Edward Lee is a writer who I do admire and honestly having read 10 of his works now it feels almost wrong too, considering how gruesome, violent, and explicit his material is, but his writing style has a touch of intelligence to it as well, which makes it hard to dislike. I have heard however that his mass market fiction was toned down due to them being more of a public offering, whereas the rest of his fiction with other publishers who weren't as big as say, Leisure, fully allowed him to go as brutal with his stories as possible, something which I've found to be either hit or miss, considering Trolley No 1852 was a mess.
Farthing lives in a depressing trailer, in a depressing neck of the woods, in the middle of Florida. But when he gets a phone call from a solicitor informing him of his uncle's death, it soon turns out that Farthing has landed himself upon a fortune, but in order to have it, he must arrive and live out his life in the United Kingdom. Burnstow is a lovely seaside town, populated by normal people and Farthing's new trailer is gorgeous, so what could go wrong? Farthing soon begins to realize that his uncle was a pervert connected to a satanic cult who are interested in a mysterious television set that's older than any other in the world. But there is something far more sinister to Farthing's heritage and he's about to discover just who his ancestors really were.
Edward Lee's The Television is by far one of the most gruesome, unforgiving brutal novels I've read and I'll have to confess it's brilliant. First off as a British reader I was actually quite impressed how Lee managed to tell a story in England whilst comparing it to the United States in various different ways, he really manages to get a feel for my country and how much different it is for our main character in terms of attitudes, laws, the legal system, etc. I can imagine it is awfully hard to get another country you haven't lived your entire life in, awkward to write for, but Lee has managed to tackle this fantastically.
The simple premise of this novel, a satanic television that shows its viewers a series of brutal events in human history, so people can get a hard-on from the sufferings of innocents is an interesting one, that's very well done. It's a supernatural novel, but it very much relies upon human evil and depicts brutal events that actually happened. The lust and disgusting fantasies of the perverted and depraved mind when it comes to violence and suffering are disturbingly interesting, from a purely psychological angle of things. Because whilst it's horrific, disgusting, and terrifying, it actually kind of gives you a disturbing realization of why certain killers whether it be in wartime or not, did what they did and how fucked up they were. If you haven't guessed already this story has a SHIT TON of trigger warnings, so let me list them out here:
Murder, mutilation, r*pe, beheading, disembowelment, suicide, torture, executions, the holocaust, etc.
The Television whilst a brutal, unforgiving novel with a terrific sense of atmosphere and characterization is a novel that really makes you think about humanity and just how evil a lot of us really are and honestly it's frightening. It takes you to hell and back, forcing you to stare the truth in the face and realize that sometimes people hurt, m*lest and destroy others just for their own sick pleasure, and seeing that presented here in such a way had me intrigued and terrified at the same time, in a way that no other novel really has, because again a lot of the incidents the television shows us are events that actually happened.
Overall: It's an outstanding novel by Edward Lee and from what I'm aware his most recent, so I can't wait to see what he comes up with next, because this was amazing. If you are faint of heart, however, do not read this, honestly please don't. If you can however and think it sounds like something you might enjoy, give it a shot! 10/10
Farthing lives in a depressing trailer, in a depressing neck of the woods, in the middle of Florida. But when he gets a phone call from a solicitor informing him of his uncle's death, it soon turns out that Farthing has landed himself upon a fortune, but in order to have it, he must arrive and live out his life in the United Kingdom. Burnstow is a lovely seaside town, populated by normal people and Farthing's new trailer is gorgeous, so what could go wrong? Farthing soon begins to realize that his uncle was a pervert connected to a satanic cult who are interested in a mysterious television set that's older than any other in the world. But there is something far more sinister to Farthing's heritage and he's about to discover just who his ancestors really were.
Edward Lee's The Television is by far one of the most gruesome, unforgiving brutal novels I've read and I'll have to confess it's brilliant. First off as a British reader I was actually quite impressed how Lee managed to tell a story in England whilst comparing it to the United States in various different ways, he really manages to get a feel for my country and how much different it is for our main character in terms of attitudes, laws, the legal system, etc. I can imagine it is awfully hard to get another country you haven't lived your entire life in, awkward to write for, but Lee has managed to tackle this fantastically.
The simple premise of this novel, a satanic television that shows its viewers a series of brutal events in human history, so people can get a hard-on from the sufferings of innocents is an interesting one, that's very well done. It's a supernatural novel, but it very much relies upon human evil and depicts brutal events that actually happened. The lust and disgusting fantasies of the perverted and depraved mind when it comes to violence and suffering are disturbingly interesting, from a purely psychological angle of things. Because whilst it's horrific, disgusting, and terrifying, it actually kind of gives you a disturbing realization of why certain killers whether it be in wartime or not, did what they did and how fucked up they were. If you haven't guessed already this story has a SHIT TON of trigger warnings, so let me list them out here:
Murder, mutilation, r*pe, beheading, disembowelment, suicide, torture, executions, the holocaust, etc.
The Television whilst a brutal, unforgiving novel with a terrific sense of atmosphere and characterization is a novel that really makes you think about humanity and just how evil a lot of us really are and honestly it's frightening. It takes you to hell and back, forcing you to stare the truth in the face and realize that sometimes people hurt, m*lest and destroy others just for their own sick pleasure, and seeing that presented here in such a way had me intrigued and terrified at the same time, in a way that no other novel really has, because again a lot of the incidents the television shows us are events that actually happened.
Overall: It's an outstanding novel by Edward Lee and from what I'm aware his most recent, so I can't wait to see what he comes up with next, because this was amazing. If you are faint of heart, however, do not read this, honestly please don't. If you can however and think it sounds like something you might enjoy, give it a shot! 10/10
October 25, 2023
I ended up dropping this at the 66% mark due to boredom. I've been reading a bit more horror since it's October and I've been dabbling in the 'Extreme Horror' genre lately. Edward Lee is prominent in the genre, so I picked this one at random from an Amazon recommendation. I don't know if it was bad luck or whether this book is truly representative of the author, but it wasn't for me.
Like most horror fans, I recognize that sex often walks hand-in-hand with many of the tropes. I guess my problem was that for every 1 part horror, this story included 5 parts sex. While some of the myriad perversions were interesting from an academic standpoint, it's annoying to sit down at work during my lunch break and end up reading about a guy in a brothel, dressed in a gimp suit and strapped to a table, getting the contents of used condoms poured down his suit's breathing tube.
It's like, come on now, I'm trying to eat here. I did continue eating my lunch, mind you, but you can imagine that I would prefer the story head in another direction. The horror was mostly in the form of disassociated acts of torture and gore, which felt tedious to slog through. The author just seemed to repeatedly point at a thing and say "See that? Isn't that gross?" while winking at the narrative camera. Without any impact to the characters or meaning, banal violence really doesn't do much for me.
Speaking of character, the MC was just a belligerent old man who's default response to anything was to get angry and yell at it. Unless it was a pair of titties, in which case he would proceed to stare at them like a baby waiting lunchtime. Honestly, I disliked the guy and I was just waiting for horrible things to happen to him and give him something to actually get angry about.
The writing was also pretty odd. Considering our MC was an old, retired, boomer-type guy living in a trailer after working 35 years at a cardboard plant, the narrative descriptions didn't fit his point of view at all. Some examples include gems like He did not immediately cogitate the blaring deviation from logic- and The inside of his mouth tasted so rank, he actually expectorated against the wall.
The prose was just downright awkward at times and made me think the author must have had a Lovecraft phase at some point.
There were some interesting turns of phrase here and there, but this book just didn't offer much that I enjoyed to keep me going any further. If you are in the mood for horror-themed porn, then this might be to your liking.
Like most horror fans, I recognize that sex often walks hand-in-hand with many of the tropes. I guess my problem was that for every 1 part horror, this story included 5 parts sex. While some of the myriad perversions were interesting from an academic standpoint, it's annoying to sit down at work during my lunch break and end up reading about a guy in a brothel, dressed in a gimp suit and strapped to a table, getting the contents of used condoms poured down his suit's breathing tube.
It's like, come on now, I'm trying to eat here. I did continue eating my lunch, mind you, but you can imagine that I would prefer the story head in another direction. The horror was mostly in the form of disassociated acts of torture and gore, which felt tedious to slog through. The author just seemed to repeatedly point at a thing and say "See that? Isn't that gross?" while winking at the narrative camera. Without any impact to the characters or meaning, banal violence really doesn't do much for me.
Speaking of character, the MC was just a belligerent old man who's default response to anything was to get angry and yell at it. Unless it was a pair of titties, in which case he would proceed to stare at them like a baby waiting lunchtime. Honestly, I disliked the guy and I was just waiting for horrible things to happen to him and give him something to actually get angry about.
The writing was also pretty odd. Considering our MC was an old, retired, boomer-type guy living in a trailer after working 35 years at a cardboard plant, the narrative descriptions didn't fit his point of view at all. Some examples include gems like He did not immediately cogitate the blaring deviation from logic- and The inside of his mouth tasted so rank, he actually expectorated against the wall.
The prose was just downright awkward at times and made me think the author must have had a Lovecraft phase at some point.
There were some interesting turns of phrase here and there, but this book just didn't offer much that I enjoyed to keep me going any further. If you are in the mood for horror-themed porn, then this might be to your liking.
August 14, 2023
Average joe American Icarus Farthing ends up becoming the sole beneficiary to his recently deceased Uncle Eldred’s estate in England. Excited to hear money awaits him but the living situation is odd: a humble trailer in a trailer park. There is also the unusual stipulation that he must relocate and live there or he gets nothing.
After a visit and initial meet up with the lawyer, he finds a wonderful bar to hang out at that is close by, a nice beach and more. He decides to stay, as there is nothing holding him back in the states, and the deal is made.
The story unfolds and we find Uncle Eldred has some interesting antiques and has a bit of a dirty side, as an old album of lude polaroids is found. Also, there is a room at the back of the trailer that just doesn’t make sense. Completely empty except for a chair and one of the first TVs to ever exist, with no method to power it on, no chord, nothing.
Eldred begins to have nightmares, strange cars circling and spying, weird phone calls, and then the TV turns on by itself and shows the worst human atrocities one could ever imagine. Lee takes his time to describe every horrible detail. This is not for the squeamish at all, as some are pretty horrible, and the descriptions do go on. Uncle Eldred’s old assemblage turns up and it’s game over for anything enjoyable for old Eldred. This book is pretty brutal and disturbing in so many ways. I thought the book was a real breeze to read other than the TV time, where it got a little long and drawn out for me as the channels changed and you’re forced to ‘watch’ too, but a great story none-the-less.
After a visit and initial meet up with the lawyer, he finds a wonderful bar to hang out at that is close by, a nice beach and more. He decides to stay, as there is nothing holding him back in the states, and the deal is made.
The story unfolds and we find Uncle Eldred has some interesting antiques and has a bit of a dirty side, as an old album of lude polaroids is found. Also, there is a room at the back of the trailer that just doesn’t make sense. Completely empty except for a chair and one of the first TVs to ever exist, with no method to power it on, no chord, nothing.
Eldred begins to have nightmares, strange cars circling and spying, weird phone calls, and then the TV turns on by itself and shows the worst human atrocities one could ever imagine. Lee takes his time to describe every horrible detail. This is not for the squeamish at all, as some are pretty horrible, and the descriptions do go on. Uncle Eldred’s old assemblage turns up and it’s game over for anything enjoyable for old Eldred. This book is pretty brutal and disturbing in so many ways. I thought the book was a real breeze to read other than the TV time, where it got a little long and drawn out for me as the channels changed and you’re forced to ‘watch’ too, but a great story none-the-less.
January 1, 2023
Stare too long into the TV and the TV may stare back into you.
Look, this is the nastiest and most challenging thing I’ve ever narrated, and while I took psychic damage in the process it is an unforgettable experience.
If you had a TV that only showed the worst atrocities in human history, would you watch it? No? Lee asks you what you’re doing here with this book, then. Inside a classic splatter/extreme horror novel is surprisingly deep exploration of whether or when the media we seek out and consume taints is, becomes part of us, or inspires behavior or attitudes. This is a deeply horrific read for more reasons than its containing genuinely every trigger I can think of. It asks, why do you like this? Why do you want to read this awful stuff? And awful stuff it delivers, in spades, right down your edgy little throat.
Anyway go buy the audiobook, out soon.
Look, this is the nastiest and most challenging thing I’ve ever narrated, and while I took psychic damage in the process it is an unforgettable experience.
If you had a TV that only showed the worst atrocities in human history, would you watch it? No? Lee asks you what you’re doing here with this book, then. Inside a classic splatter/extreme horror novel is surprisingly deep exploration of whether or when the media we seek out and consume taints is, becomes part of us, or inspires behavior or attitudes. This is a deeply horrific read for more reasons than its containing genuinely every trigger I can think of. It asks, why do you like this? Why do you want to read this awful stuff? And awful stuff it delivers, in spades, right down your edgy little throat.
Anyway go buy the audiobook, out soon.
June 11, 2023
Edward Lee hasn't lost any of his old charm. My personal best of his works is probably 'The Haunter of the Threshold' for having a nymphomaniac protagonist with a range of fetishes wider than a double-fist loving hoe's twat and the short story 'Mr Torso' for being an absolute mind-fuck. This one is no damp squib. The Television offers a 'healthy' dose of sexy, gory, twisted violence, seen on an old tv that shows things that Satan would like you to see; men thinking with their dicks all the time and women who love to exist as objects to satisfy the male gaze and other tools of the trade. And there is blood-drinking too, but that rather fades away when you are made to picturize scenes like liquid plastic being poured over a woman as a form of torture, and the solidified shell being peeled off, along with the skin. No punches pulled here.
November 23, 2023
Had no purpose
February 24, 2023
Edward Lee back on good form - it's a bit formulaic by now and in a way what you wait for is to see whether the protagon ist holds back the darkness and prevails or is taken over.
In this crime novel - because certainly kidnapping and blackmail are crimes, not to mention others that happen along the way - the narrator, one of those who mysteriously inherit a house (or in this case a trailer) with a secret and wish they hadn't - finds himself beset by a regular slew of Lee staples including horrific tortures, sexfual temptation, and so on. The Television of the title is an old piece of junk that displays the worst things humanity has done (the concentration camps, the Rape of Nanking, slaughter of Native Americans etc.).
I wasn't too keen on the setting - it appears to slide around all over southern England before apparently settling on the Sussex coast (which in fairness it feels like, possibly the western part of that county; but he intimates it's in the Southwest, which Sussex isn't; and also in Suffolk, Eastern England, which it isn't either. At first he does literally say it's in Burnstow, Suffolk). The pub landlady - who is a fairly important character - is a good portrayal and a sympathetic individual, but why is she wearing a name badge? I don't think Edward Lee's knowledge of British pubs is that great or he changed it for an American market. We don't leave tips in pubs (unless we've had substantial food) either. His attempts at depicting the characters' accents was bizarre; he can presumably get away with it in his Luntville stories because he's more used to the area, but my grandma had a strong Suffolk accent and what was this? I liked the pub being called the Mattshaw though - after fellow extreme-horror Matt Shaw presumably. Not sure why you'd keep calling it the 'Mattshaw pub' once you've established it's a pub - it'd just be 'The Mattshaw.'
Farthing has the usual Edward Lee character obsession with tits - at times he can very much overdo this. There's also one point where the audience will 100% get a clue the protagonist hasn't. And for some time.
All in all, a return to form, even if in a way it is very similar to what he's done before.
In this crime novel - because certainly kidnapping and blackmail are crimes, not to mention others that happen along the way - the narrator, one of those who mysteriously inherit a house (or in this case a trailer) with a secret and wish they hadn't - finds himself beset by a regular slew of Lee staples including horrific tortures, sexfual temptation, and so on. The Television of the title is an old piece of junk that displays the worst things humanity has done (the concentration camps, the Rape of Nanking, slaughter of Native Americans etc.).
I wasn't too keen on the setting - it appears to slide around all over southern England before apparently settling on the Sussex coast (which in fairness it feels like, possibly the western part of that county; but he intimates it's in the Southwest, which Sussex isn't; and also in Suffolk, Eastern England, which it isn't either. At first he does literally say it's in Burnstow, Suffolk). The pub landlady - who is a fairly important character - is a good portrayal and a sympathetic individual, but why is she wearing a name badge? I don't think Edward Lee's knowledge of British pubs is that great or he changed it for an American market. We don't leave tips in pubs (unless we've had substantial food) either. His attempts at depicting the characters' accents was bizarre; he can presumably get away with it in his Luntville stories because he's more used to the area, but my grandma had a strong Suffolk accent and what was this? I liked the pub being called the Mattshaw though - after fellow extreme-horror Matt Shaw presumably. Not sure why you'd keep calling it the 'Mattshaw pub' once you've established it's a pub - it'd just be 'The Mattshaw.'
Farthing has the usual Edward Lee character obsession with tits - at times he can very much overdo this. There's also one point where the audience will 100% get a clue the protagonist hasn't. And for some time.
All in all, a return to form, even if in a way it is very similar to what he's done before.
December 16, 2022
I am always excited when given the opportunity to read an Edward Lee book. He is one of the Kings of Splatterpunk and always pushes limits and boundaries way beyond what most of us can imagine. The Television is no different!
Icarus Farthing is an older man who receives word that an Uncle he barely knows has passed away. He is surprised to find out that this uncle has left him as the sole heir to his possessions. Icarus must travel to England from the US to claim his inheritance.
During his exploration of his former uncle’s home, he finds many interesting things. One of those things is an old television that has no power cord or any possible way of turning on.
Getting more accustomed to his surroundings, Icarus begins to dream. These are not normal dreams. These are visions of the most horrific atrocities that have been carried out over centuries by ruling elite and people we now know as murderers! Somehow, Icarus has these visions as if he is there watching as the atrocities are occurring. Rape, burning, dismemberment, and rituals barely touch the surface of what is revealed in the visions. Can Icarus find a way to make them stop or is it too late?
Edward Lee has managed to put together a storyline that weaves in the atrocities committed over centuries. I had to stop and catch my breath after reading these scenes in vivid detail. I felt like I was there watching with Icarus! This might be his most brutal story yet. What makes it worse is this stuff really happened! Bravo to Mr. Lee to putting in the research to accurately portray the full extent of these atrocities; the stuff they won’t show or tell us on TV!
I do not have triggers and some parts were tough for me to get through. It is Splatterpunk done exceptionally well. So brace yourself if you dare to enter The Television!
Icarus Farthing is an older man who receives word that an Uncle he barely knows has passed away. He is surprised to find out that this uncle has left him as the sole heir to his possessions. Icarus must travel to England from the US to claim his inheritance.
During his exploration of his former uncle’s home, he finds many interesting things. One of those things is an old television that has no power cord or any possible way of turning on.
Getting more accustomed to his surroundings, Icarus begins to dream. These are not normal dreams. These are visions of the most horrific atrocities that have been carried out over centuries by ruling elite and people we now know as murderers! Somehow, Icarus has these visions as if he is there watching as the atrocities are occurring. Rape, burning, dismemberment, and rituals barely touch the surface of what is revealed in the visions. Can Icarus find a way to make them stop or is it too late?
Edward Lee has managed to put together a storyline that weaves in the atrocities committed over centuries. I had to stop and catch my breath after reading these scenes in vivid detail. I felt like I was there watching with Icarus! This might be his most brutal story yet. What makes it worse is this stuff really happened! Bravo to Mr. Lee to putting in the research to accurately portray the full extent of these atrocities; the stuff they won’t show or tell us on TV!
I do not have triggers and some parts were tough for me to get through. It is Splatterpunk done exceptionally well. So brace yourself if you dare to enter The Television!
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