Eddie Carroll

Eddie Carroll, the protagonist of "Best New Horror," is the editor of a horror anthology called Best New Horror. He has recently gone through a divorce, which his wife initiated in part because she was exasperated with his work in the literary scene, and as a result he has become increasingly pretentious about his horror preferences. Eddie's pride in his work causes him to become infatuated with a piece of horror by a man named Peter Kilrue which is so disturbing that it has caused public outrage upon publication.

As Eddie seeks to find Kilrue so that he can include the story, "Buttonboy," in the upcoming issue of Best New Horror, he becomes increasingly monomaniacal and obsessive. He traces Kilrue to his home in Poughkeepsie and goes inside of the Kilrue house despite the obvious warning signs throughout the story that Kilrue is a dangerous man. When...