If you haven’t read Norman Prentiss yet, you’re really missing out. His novella, Invisible Fences, is one of my favorites of the last few years, and his mini-collection Four Legs in the Morning is a lot of creepy fun.
His new novella, The Fleshless Man, is an excellent place to start reading his work, although I highly recommend picking up those other two as well.
The Fleshless Man by Norman Prentiss
“The Fleshless Man wants to kill me,” his mother said.
Curtis never enjoyed the cool, oppressive atmosphere of his childhood home, and that atmosphere is even worse when he returns as an adult. His mother is dying, and her illness seems to infect everyone around her: Curtis’s brother has developed a nervous habit that might indicate more serious problems; the attending nurse exhibits puzzling, possibly sinister behavior; and Curtis himself suffers from nightmares and uncharacteristic dark thoughts.
It’s as if the house itself wants his mother to die more quickly—and it will achieve that goal however it can.
Even if it must inspire Curtis to imagine harming his own mother.
Even if it must summon the intervention of a strange entity called the Fleshless Man.
Brian,
I have a couple of questions:
1) Is Fleshless Man going to be published (eBook or other) at CD in the near future? And
2) Will there be a publication compiling the 13 eBooks of Halloween into an anthology (eBook or other) after Halloween?
Thanks,
David A. Hale
1) The Fleshless Man is being published by Dark Fuse and I think the hardcover is sold out: http://www.darkfuse.com/the-fleshless-man-by-norman-prentiss.html
2) We’ve talked about collecting the Halloween short stories in an anthology for next year.
1) “…published by Dark Fuse…” I was wondering why there was no CDCC 3.0 code.
2) I hope most of the Halloween stories aren’t all going to be ones I’ve read already in the magazine, like O’Nan’s.
Most of the Halloween short stories are originals.
Today’s Halloween eBook by Ray Garton:
http://www.cemeterydance.com/page/CDP/PROD/e_garton01
Just picked it up. Norman is one of my all time favorites. His writing is always pitch-perfect.
Yep, absolutely. I’m a big fan!