“Derek McCormack has written a mini-masterpiece that keeps swelling with invention long after you’ve put it down.”—Guy Maddin, filmmaker

“A hilarious, strange and altogether ghoulish little freak show of a book . . . A book like The Show that Smells…demonstrates that innovative literature, if such a thing still exists, can be accessible and even fun, especially for those of us with a dark sense of humor.”-Miami Herald

The most shocking story ever shown on the silver screen!

It's also the tale of Jimmie—a country music singer dying of tuberculosis—and Carrie, his wife, who tries to save him by selling her soul to a devil who designs haute couture clothing! Elsa is a powerful Parisian dress designer, and a vampire. She wants to make Carrie look beautiful, smell beautiful—and then she wants to eat her! Will Carrie survive as her slave? Will Jimmie be cured? Starring a host of Hollywood's brightest stars, including Coco Chanel, Lon Chaney, and The Carter Family. The Show that Smells is a thrilling tale of hillbillies, high fashion, and horror!

Derek McCormack is the author of Grab Bag (Akashic Books) and The Haunted Hillbilly (Soft Skull Press), which was named a “Best Book of the Year” by both the Village Voice and the Globe and Mail, and was a Lambda Literary Award finalist. He writes fashion and arts articles for the National Post. He lives in Toronto.

• January 2010 Indie Next List
• December 2009 Indie Next List
• November 2009 Indie Next List