Todd Pickett, a fading Hollywood superstar, flees to an overgrown canyon estate after a botched plastic surgery leaves his face ruined. While hiding in the mansion owned by retired silent film star Katya Lupi, he discovers an underground tiled room containing a portal to a purgatorial hunting ground. This hidden world houses the restless, depraved spirits of Old Hollywood’s elite and a monstrous entity born of ancient European folklore. As his superfan, Tammy Lauper, tracks him down, the boundaries between physical desire, ancestral curses, and the vanity of the film industry collapse into a cycle of supernatural violence and spectral debauchery.
This novel serves readers interested in the intersection of celebrity culture and visceral body horror. It appeals to those who enjoy narratives about the dark history of Los Angeles and the literal cost of achieving permanent beauty. The audience encounters a grim vision of the afterlife where ego and physical lust persist beyond death. Readers finish the book with a cynical perspective on the entertainment industry’s obsession with youth and a detailed understanding of Barker’s unique mythology regarding ghosts and biological transformation.
- Published
- 2001
- Language
- EN
