20 greatest works of fiction about New Orleans

Soul Kitchen, Poppy Z. Brite (Cover image via Broadway Books)

4. Liquor

Like Anne Rice, writer Poppy Z. Brite is indelibly connected to the city of New Orleans. And, while Anne Rice is rightfully beloved, Brite’s work pushes representation even further to include out bisexual and gay characters working and living in New Orleans.

Brite has written many, many works centering on New Orleans, many of which are solidly in the realm of Gothic and horror fiction. These include the vampire-heavy Lost Souls (1992), ghostly Drawing Blood (1993) and the somewhat infamous serial killer novel Exquisite Corpse (1996).

However, as her career progressed, Brite began to move away from the graphic and terrifying work that brought him initial attention. She kept writing with the wry voice and dark humor of her earlier works, but started to bring her settings and characters a little closer to the real darkness of New Orleans.

Probably the best example of this change can be read in the Liquor series with the first volume, Liquor, being published in 2004. It was followed by Prime in 2005 and Soul Kitchen the following year. Liquor starts off the series, which follows best friends and eventual lovers Rickey and G-man. The pair are line cooks working in New Orleans, though they hope to eventually open their own restaurant.

Breaking into such a culinary scene is hard enough without finding a body in their kitchen. It’s a close parallel to the close-knit, cutthroat world of the New Orleans culinary theme. Liquor is also the beginning of a series that shows a long-term gay couple without condescension.