The Man with the Barbed-Wire Fists

Book Description

A brand-new collection from Norman Partridge! This volume gathers several previously uncollected stories together with two new stories written for this collection. The 24 stories that make up this collection span the length of Partridge's writing career. It also features an 8,500-word introduction, as well as a complete bibliography. As an added bonus, the limited edition also features an unpublished piece of juvenilia, "Castle of the Honda Monsters". - In a suburban American ghost town, a frightened boy armed with a BB gun stands alone against a soul-stealing stranger. - During the Great Depression, outlaw rivals of Bonnie and Clyde battle for their lives in a bullet-riddled cornfield that holds the secret of love and death - Returning to Texas beneath a sky the color of a woman's heart, the man who slew Count Dracula brings a coffin and a thirst for vengeance to the town that abandoned him. Contents: Seeing Past the Corners (An Introduction of Sorts) Red Right Hand The Man with the Barbed-Wire Fists The Pack Blood Money Last Kiss Blackbirds Wrong Turn Spyder In Beauty, Like the Night Minutes Where the Woodbine Twineth Mr. Fox The Hollow Man Return of the Shroud Tombstone Moon The Mojave Two-Step Coyotes !Cuidado! Do Not Hasten To Bid Me Adieu Carne Muerta Bucket of Blood Undead Origami Harvest The Bars On Satan's Jailhouse

Customer Reviews:

Incredible........2006-06-07

One of the best short story collections I've ever read. Partrige, who usually gets unfairly overlooked because he is lumped under "Horror", is one of the best writers that genre has ever seen. His prose and dialect far outweigh anything that Stephen King has ever put down on paper and the brutality and penchant for glorious violance will appeal to mainstream readers of say, Chuck Palahniuk. I just thoroughly enjoyed this book and was upset when it ended. I will never trade it. It sits on my shelf waiting to be re-read in a few years. the introduction alone is worth the price of the book and gives glimpses that Partridge could write humor just as good as "horror" if he wanted too

A MASTER OF TWISTED FICTION.......2004-11-02

I just finished TMWTBWF and I'm completely amazed. Norm twists reality in a very personal way and shows to his readers how much an inventive writer he can be. Melding noirish language, lots of references to pop culture ( golden age hollywood, Drive-in movies, Spagetthi Western and 50's and 60's culture in general etc ), strong literary metaphors ( some passages borders on prose poetry ) in stories that are at the same time disturbing, blackly humorours, poignant,stupendously entertaining and original.
Mr Partridge has a special knack to tackle famililar themes ( Frankenstein, Vampires, Werewolves ) and gives entirely new twists, he always takes his stories to such unexpected directions so that the reader never knows what expect from them.

Norman Partridge is a truly one-of-kind and a HELL OF A WRITER.

1 * Seeing Past the Corners
23 * Red Right Hand ======================== ***1/2
47 * Coyotes =============================== ***1/2
67 * Do Not Hasten to Bid Me Adieu ========= *****
87 * The Man with the Barbed-Wire Fists ==== ****1/2
99 * The Pack ============================== ***1/2
117 * Blood Money ========================== ****1/2
141 * Last Kiss ============================ ****
153 * Blackbirds =========================== -
167 * Wrong Turn =========================== ****
183 * Spyder =============================== ****1/2
199 * In Beauty, Like the Night ============ ***
219 * Minutes ============================== **
227 * Where the Woodbine Twineth =========== ****
235 * Mr. Fox ============================== *****
255 * The Hollow Man ======================= -
263 * Return of the Shroud =================
287 * Tombstone Moon ======================== ****
297 * The Mojave Two-Step =================== ****
311 * ¡Cuidado! ============================= ****
323 * Carne Muerta ========================== ***1/2
335 * Bucket of Blood ======================= ***1/2
353 * Undead Origami ========================
375 * Harvest ================================ ****1/2
385 * The Bars on Satan's Jailhouse ========== *****
417 * Bibliography

The Man With the Remarkable Talent.......2002-09-25

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.

You love this guy.......2001-09-30

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.

Hit Low and Hard then don't look back.......2001-08-11

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.

Barb Wire 4 (Ghost in the Machine, Part 1 of 2., Volume 1)

Average customer rating:

Barb Wire 4 (Ghost in the Machine, Part 1 of 2., Volume 1)
Arcudi-Lawlis-Akin
Manufacturer: Dark Horse Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic
ASIN: B000W67AVO

Product Description

Barb Wire 4 from Dark Horse Comics.

Average customer rating:

Big-Book Detective(Cdn) 1944--December
William B. Hart (When Murder Is Legal), William Edward Hayes (The Ghost in the Wires), Philip Ketchum (Bait for a Killer), David V. Reed (Satan Lies Silent), Zeta Rothschild (The Corpseless Murder), Lawrence Treat (Somebody's Going to Die), Arthur Leo Zagat (You Can Only Hang Once). Contributors include Alfred Bester (The Mcgrabb Bag)
Manufacturer: Popular Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000VOGTLY

Average customer rating:

Burning Wire
Ruth Fainlight
Manufacturer: Bloodaxe Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Horror Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 1852245972

Average customer rating:

Gallows Ghost / the Long Wire
Barry Cord
Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000J2CGK6

Ghost #4 : Guest Starring Barb Wire in "Reflections" (Dark Horse Comics)

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Ghost #4 : Guest Starring Barb Wire in "Reflections" (Dark Horse Comics)
Eric Luke
Manufacturer: Dark Horse Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000VXPBAA

Average customer rating:

Ghost In the Wire
Funny/Sad and Very Informative
Ghosts In The Wire
A Gripping Search for Identity and Closure
History Comes Alive

Ghosts In The Wire
Franklin D. Rast
Manufacturer: Universal Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Military & Spies | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1581127677

Customer Reviews:

Ghost In the Wire.......2003-03-25

Ghost in the wire is a fascinating account on the Vietnam war. I was riveted to the book, and didn't want to put it down, it was like a roller coaster. I difinately have mixed emotions of the Vietnam War, wondering if it's a just war or not, but this book took all of the politics out and it was just an awesome read. I believe it's a must read for anyone.

Funny/Sad and Very Informative.......2003-03-03

I recommend this book because it explains better than others I have read about the Vietnam war veterans and what they went through when they returned from the war. It is sad in parts, but the humor and almost poetic cadence of Mr. Rast makes me feel that at least no matter how hard the obstacles---most of the soldiers still had a heart and sense of humor. It gives a good view for people my age on what the 60's and early 70's were all about---the Vietnam conflict, racial unrest, drugs, and an almost reverance for those that returned to tell their stories in a manner that is well-captured by Mr. Rast. The thoughts in the book seem to stay with me, and it is very different from other books about the war I have read.

Ghosts In The Wire.......2003-02-25

This is the second book I've read by Mr. Rast and he seems to not have skipped a beat in his manner of bringing characters in the true-life situations that draw a reader into the story. It picks up where his first book Don's Nam ends. The flashbacks, highs and lows and really unpredictable (both comical and sad) plights of returning Vietnam vertrans make this an easy-reading, entertaining but yet truly informative narrative that is highly recommended.

A Gripping Search for Identity and Closure.......2003-02-23

Ghosts In The Wire is a poignant, comic walk down the memory lane of a man riding out the string of pain, grit, and love that formed 'his' Vietnam War. Lieutenant Don 'Wildman' Rast returns home to Louisiana, his family, the bucolic LSU Campus, familiar Baton Rouge streets and finds he doesn't know anyone anymore. Memories clash. Rast's first thought on touching down in 'the world' is who, today, is walking point in the boonies of Vietnam. Pieces no longer fit: people speak English but 'hear' Sanskrit. Like a Thomas Wolfe vignette, Rast tells a story of yearning and loss, journey and search, wonder and doubt.
Keeping his ghosts locked in the attic, Rast opts for continued military service. Assigned to garrison duty at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, newly promoted Captain Rast performs his duty in an exceptional manner, mystifying Regular Army brass who have squirreled the young officer into the oddly efficient basket.
Wildman calms his spirit in abstract painting and solitude. He traipses on the edges of experience with an assortment of local and loco Apache tribe people, haunted Nam Vets waiting to be discharged, and hippie travelers and mystics from back home in the Bayou.
Ghosts In The Wire is a magnificent memoir of a time that made no sense, of a time when a Nam brother had to gather his senses, pocket some memories, burn others, and figure out who he was, what he was, where he was coming from and where in hell he was heading.
The book is written in an exquisite, epic poetical cadence of love, human comedy, war, honor and duty that reads like a great novel and forms pictures of identity with the reader that will linger long after completion.
There is wisdom and mystery in this exceptional book. Franklin D. Rast asks the equivalent of the modern 'what's up'?--but gives the answer. i urge veterans and hippies, soldiers and civilians to read this book. Bob Lupo, author, A Buffalo's Revenge, and Extremities-4.

History Comes Alive.......2000-05-23

Don Rast's "Ghosts In The Wire" begins in March of 1970 as the Delta jet bringing him home from Vietnam is landing smoothly at the Shreveport airport. This decorated warrior then takes us on a one-year personal journey, clearly showing the reader what the returning soldier from the war experienced. He paints a vivid portrait of American life during that time, centered around garrison life of soldiers at Fort Sill who had been in the war zone and were waiting to get out of the Army. This book is an eye-opener for anyone not old enough to remember that time in United States history and for those who never served in the military. This talented author deserves a standing ovation for telling it like it was in a most refreshing and enjoyable way. --Diana J. Dell, author, "A Saigon Party: And Other Vietnam War Short Stories."

Average customer rating:

Gallows Ghost and The Long Wire

Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GEM22Y

Product Description

Gallows Ghost: A lone rider came out of the dark outlaw hideout in the tenejos Hills. That rider called himself by the name of a man who'd been sentenced to die on the gallows twenty years before. Now he was seeking vengeance, and his target was Marshal Colby Jackson -- the son of the man who'd placed the rope around the rider's neck. The Long Wire: Jim and Bill Davis were proud of their part in bulding the long wire -- the new telegraph line from Junction City to Cochise. But one day Bill's body was found in Ghost Canyon. Jim Davis didn't know too much about telegraph work but he knew plenty about other things -- like double-crosses, dirty competition, and hired guns... and he knew, too, that he was going to find his brother's murderer before the crew left Ghost Canyon.

Average customer rating:

I love this book!

Thank you, Dr. Najavits!

Concerning

truly inspiring

I loved this book!

A Woman's Addiction Workbook: Your Guide to In-Depth Healing
Lisa M. Najavits
Manufacturer: New Harbinger Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Substance Abuse | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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General | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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Relapse Prevention Counseling Workbook: Managing High-Risk Situations

The Addiction Workbook: A Step-By-Step Guide to Quitting Alcohol and Drugs (New Harbinger Workbooks)

Group Treatment for Substance Abuse: A Stages-of-Change Therapy Manual

ASIN: 1572242973

Book Description

Women and girls are now becoming addicted at greater rates than ever before-and until very recently women in recovery relied on treatment models based solely on work with men. Harvard addiction and trauma expert Lisa M. Najavits, PhD offers a program to help women explore the often-overlooked problems associated with their alcohol and drug addictions-- such as body image, trauma and violence, relationships, stress, and thrill-seeking. She explores how women differ from men in their addiction and recovery, and conveys a supportive tone to help them embark on the journey to healing.

Customer Reviews:

I love this book!.......2006-09-16

It is inspiring and beautifully written. I now have 6 months clean time because I read it every day.

Thank you, Dr. Najavits!.......2005-03-09

Without this book, I would still be using drugs. This is one of the few books I've read that allowed me to really look at issues of gender in recovery. I did all of the exercises, and each one brought new insights and knowledge. Every once in a while I go back to them. Thank you, Dr. Najavits!

Concerning.......2005-03-08

Judging from the other reviews of this book, I guess you either love it or hate it. I fall into the negative camp unfortunately. There were parts that seemed distant and unrealistic. On the whole not a very moving book. There are plenty of other great texts on this topic to choose from. Don't waste your time here.

truly inspiring.......2004-04-04

i read this after reading this author's other book; with each one, i felt incredibly moved and helped. i'd recommend this to anyone (female or male) with a substance abuse problem.

I loved this book!.......2003-07-26

I have been struggling with various addictions, including relationships and love addiction, for many years. I found this book super-helpful. It took me down a new path, and gave me some ideas that really helped. I'd recommend it to anyone with an addiction problem.

Average customer rating:
The Totally Lemons Cookbook (Totally Cookbooks)
Helene Siegel , and Karen Gillingham
Manufacturer: Celestial Arts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Fruits | Cooking by Ingredient | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0890878870

Average customer rating:
A Small Garden Designer's Handbook
Roy C. Strong
Manufacturer: Little Brown & Co (T)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Garden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Techniques | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Ornament in the Small Garden

ASIN: 0316819778

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A Small Garden Designer's Handbook.
Roy Strong
Manufacturer: Little Brown & Co (T)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OUCRRU

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