San Francisco was once a city of music and laughter, of parties and bathhouses, when days held promise and nights, romance. But now something sinister haunts the streets and alleyways of San Francisco, something that crept in with the fog to seek a cruel revenge…Flint, owner of a once thriving bathhouse, now ravaged by a disease that has no cure, gives himself over to the evil lurking in the … lurking in the steam. Dying men get tickets that say Admit One, hoping for release, only to be dragged into the maelstrom. David, a writer of gay porn, finds himself writing another kind of story. His friend Eddie disappears from his hospital bed, leaving slime and mold, then returns for David. Meanwhile, Bobby is searching for his lover, lost in the same horror.
This classic gay horror suspense tale by Jay B Laws finally returns to circulation. First published in 1991, at the height of the AIDS crisis, this allegory chronicles the early days of the epidemic. It features the glittery discos of the seventies and an ominous abandoned gay bathhouse, in what is now something of a time capsule. It was nominated for Best First Novel by the Lambda Literary Awards.
In this new edition, Jay’s brother Gary D Laws provides context and reminiscence—as well as extensive quote from Jay Laws on what the author had in mind as he created this mini-masterpiece. Notable author Hal Bodner also pays tribute and provides context for the era reflected: a 1980s that suddenly turned dark and dangerous but one in which contemporary readers may know only through movies and urban legends, something Bodner seeks to set aright.
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What I Think: Forgive me for this long review. The tale took me through the wringer and I just had to pour it all out. As always, the intro to this Author’s tales pushes me close to tears but the dedication made my tears flow. Thank you again, ReQueered Tales. I’m even more thankful that he is immortalized in these words that leave a forever mark in your heart.
A terrifying twist on the zombie apocalypse, I was sucked into this tale from page one where it meandered a bit as it set its tone and foundation then began to build up, the horror showing itself in bits and pieces until it gets real. It was pure genius choosing something that’s synonymous with soothing and pleasure and turning it on its head as it becomes the lair of a ravenous monster.
The warnings the mind gives were the worst, as each victim realizes too late that they’ve been caught in a web they can’t escape. The language is raw and real and all the more terrifying for it as it paints a picture so vivid you can feel it. I could feel tendrils of fear stroking my heart as I got caught up in the pregnant darkness, as David and Bobby fought for their lives and sanity, believing what they knew to be true even as they wanted to reject it, refusing to give in to the creature stealing their friends and taunting them.
This author is truly master of his world and when I struggled to find the right words to describe how this creature tortured his targets, he provided the term. Rape. They were being violated in the privacy and safety of their bedroom, homes, and minds.
Love how his tales always have at least one person who’s willing to be humane ie see queer people the same as any others. It’s a shame we live in a world where the barest of civilities, duties and humanity is hailed and celebrated. As always the tenacity of the human spirit never fails to be awe-inspiring. David and Bobby come to embody this tenacity and steel wrought will in my mind. The fact that even at our worst there’s a strength within us that can change the world makes one wonder if it is shaped only by tragedy or if it already lies dormant within us, waiting for tragedy to bring it out.
The cowardice and reluctance of the bearer of their solutions embodies perfectly the way the world reacted to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The world was content to ignore and watch, refusing to help because they thought it was a queer disease, then a minority disease but as soon as straight people and ‘majorities’ began getting it? They needed solutions now! How dare they? I was so filled with rage at this point that I had to just stop for a few hours before I turned aggressive. But even I couldn’t hold on to that anger for long, and it crumbled to dust as I was overcome by grief with each life taken.
I am no longer Christian but I believe in the Bible as well as all holy books as a joint effort of human wisdom and the divine within us and this monsters style is downright biblical. The Bible says we are drawn out and exploited by our own desires which is why we must remain ever vigilant and consciously try to fix every flaw and crack in our morality and this was so apt because it fucking hurt to watch people’s desires turned into weapons they couldn’t hide from for how do you hide from yourself?
But as David rightly said, the monster can’t rob them of love. Everything but love. Just as the monster couldn’t hide from its own desires. In Nigeria, there’s a proverb that goes – the thing that will kill a child starts as an appetite. I’ve always completed it in my head with, “and satiation destroyed it.” The solution turned out to be as simple as granting a child its wish. A solution wrought of desperation, powered by love and light yet powerful enough to not only banish evil but to contain it.
Verdict? A seductively horrifying reminder to celebrate the good, the bad, the terrible, the perfection but above all, celebrate the sheer joy of life itself!