Customer Reviews

Man with the Barbed-Wire Fists

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Norman Partridge has been doing some of the best work in horror over the past decade. A fan favorite, he also draws high praise from critics and peers, and his work is frequently included in various "Year's Best" collections. In fact, of the twenty-four stories included in The Man With the Barbed Wire Fists, four, "Blackbirds," "Bucket of Blood," "Harvest," and "The Bars on Satan's Jailhouse," found places in such volumes (The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 11 & 12, and The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 6 & 7, respectively).

What stands out in this collection is Partridge's consummate professionalism, particularly his ability to give familiar archetypes a new twist. Thus, he does intriguing work even when constrained by the boundaries of theme anthologies. This is especially evident in the title story (Partridge's take on the Frankenstein mythology), and in tales like "Undead Origami" (featuring Howard Hughes as a vampire), "Do Not Hasten to Bid Me Adieu" (a deconstruction of and epilogue to Stoker's Dracula), "In Beauty, Like the Night (where he uses zombies to make a point about the porno industry), and "The Pack" (a clever mixture of werewolves, bikers, and Mayberry).

Another talent on display is Partridge's ability to grab his audience's attention from the first sentence. Witness this, from "Red Right Hand":

"Claire held the gun in her left hand, the blood in her right."

This, from "Coyotes":

"I was out past the dump, digging a grave for the coyote, when I spotted the van with the naked Mexican chained to the bumper heading my way."

Finally, this, from "Tombstone Moon":

"Black entered the cemetery shack and tossed the severed ear onto the desk, between a can of Brown Derby and a salami sandwich missing a bite."

Not everything in the Partridge universe is this straightforward, however. Tales like "Blood Money," 'Wrong Turn," Minutes," "Where the Woodbine Twineth," and "Mr. Fox" are less accessible, more exercises in style than in linear storytelling. Their often surreal qualities require more work on the part of the reader, an investment of time and effort that is ultimately rewarding.

Despite the obvious craftsmanship behind his work, there is nothing self-conscious or mannered about Norman Partridge's writing. There's an urgency about almost everything he writes, as if, to quote Peter Straub, Partridge is writing "as though his life depends on the words he sets down on the page." This urgency has served him well thus far (pick up previous collections, Mr. Fox and Other Feral Tales and Bad Intentions for further proof), and, by all indications, should exert a positive influence on his work for years to come.

Hey, it's Norman Partridge. What else you need to know? If you've ever read so much as one story by this guy then you know how great and original a storyteller he is. Buy this sucker now. Norman needs your money and attention.

Once in awhile a new collection of stories by a single author comes along that grabs the reader and forces him to take notice. Karl Wagner's posthamous "Exorisms and Ecstasies" was one and Harlan Ellison's "Love ain't nothing but sex mispelled" was another. Norman Partridge comes along and takes us for a spin along a gravel track with motor's spiting fire and both carbs blazing. This is a major contender for a World Fantasy Award, produced by Night Shade Books with a real cloth binding, a killer cover painting and an attention do detail that will leave you breathless. This collection offers 24 stories from Partridge that turned this reader into an instant fan. Be warned, if your idea of literature is a safe escape from the mundane world, don't get this book. Nothing is safe about it, it will grab you, hit you low and hard - but you won't look back and nothing will ever be safe again.