[who did it] Obsidian Press, September, 1999.

[chance of gettin'] Not too difficult to find. You can get a signed PC hardcover with an erata booklet containing the missing page compliments of Camelot Books from The Official Edward Lee Bookstore.

[the skinny] The signed hardcover printing was only 250, plus 26 deluxes; 500 trade paperbacks, most unsigned.Lee’s first and thus far only true short story collection, which provides a slice of his career from 1982 to 1998; it includes his very first published story, “The Horror of Chambers,” (a Robert W. Chambers/King In Yellow pastiche that was released in W. Paul Ganely’s semi-pro ‘zine EERIE COUNTRY #6). All nineteen stories contain interesting afterwords by Lee and are grimly illustrated by the likes of GAK, Erik Wilson, and Seattle’s V-Blast, not to mention a tremendous cover by Alan M. Clark. The title is actually derived from demonic sub-characters that often make guest appearances in Lee’s novels, and these Ushers get full attention in the fairly autobiographical title piece at the end of the book. From the grotesquely comedic (“The Wrong Guy” and the uncut “Secret Service” to the philosophical (“Death, She Said” and “The Seeker”) to the utterly nihilistic (“Shit-House” and “Scriptures”), it’s all here, and no publication to date better defines what the author is all about. THE USHERS made the Preliminary Ballot for HWA’s 1999 Bram Stoker Award for Best Collection.

NOTE: the deluxe version contains an additional story--"The Cadaver"--that Lee vows will never be reprinted; if he keeps his promise, "The Cadaver" will remain his rarest published work, with only 26 copies in existence. "The story is so politically incorrect," Lee assures us, "that no one in their right mind would publish it on a larger scale. It's too offensive." One night at a Seattle bar, Lee and publisher Matt Johnson signed a non-disclosure agreement, to never reveal the details of the story to anyone. Lee's only clue regarding this arcane piece is: "It's not about what's happening to the cadaver, it's about who the cadaver is."