Cursed
- $14.95 PaperbackISBN: 978-1-933293-87-5
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Your life is no longer recognizable, every detail corrupted by unknown forces. The harder you struggle, the more you suffer. Your words mean nothing, your actions backfire, and one by one everybody you know is sucked down with you.
You are:
1) Nick
2) cursed
3) afraid all the time
That’s because: a) someone or b) something is after you with a vengeance. Even with the help of other cursed people, you don’t stand a chance because you’re all, you know, cursed. That means you and everyone you know will:
1) suffer
2) die
3) amuse your tormentor
That is, unless you figure out how to manipulate the person behind this and turn their power against them. Check your list a second time because they’re probably on it. The only thing left to do is scratch them off.
What They’re Saying About Cursed
“Shipp offers readers a tightly written story of suspense and occult horror…Using Nicholas’s idiosyncratic voice and fondness for lists, Shipp effectively conveys the claustrophobic world of people caught up in events beyond their control.” —Publisher’s Weekly
“Written in minimalist fashion and relying heavily on dialogue, Jeremy C. Shipp’s new novel will both terrify and inspire.”—Clayton Bye, The Deepening
“CURSED is:
1. Scary
2. Wonderfully original
3. At times, hysterical
and
4. Highly recommended if you’re thirsting for something truly different.”—Horror Fiction Review
“What can one say about Jeremy Shipp? That he writes like Kafka on drugs? That his prose style is addictive and his plots wildly innovative? I suppose one could enumerate his stylish qualities: his work is edgy, witty, tense, offbeat and off balance (but always in the most beguiling ways). His characters are odd, endearing and disturbing as hell, all those sad, angry people, full of pain and confusion, full of hope. Should one mention the engagingly deranged aspect so prominent in all his fiction? Probably not. Never mind. Somehow it all works. After all, timing is everything … in comedy or horror. Just ask Jeremy Shipp. He knows all about it.”
—Robert Dunbar, author of THE SHORE
“One of the most original and entertaining books I’ve read in a long time, Jeremy Shipp’s latest novel tells the story of the alliance, friendship and love between Nick and Cicely as they struggle with their own, personal curses.Cursed is a surreal story of friendship and family, love and loss. The writing is crisp and fast-paced. A brilliant second novel by Jeremy Shipp, who I hope will be around for a long time to come.”
—Daniel G. Keohane, author of Solomon’s Grave
“With Cursed, Jeremy Shipp’s one of a kind voice leads us through an ever-twisting ride inside the netherverse of the mind. You won’t find books this brave coming from too many other modern storytellers.”
—John Palisano
“And I know:
1. Cicely would slap me if I didn’t recommend Cursed.
2. She’d slap you if you didn’t buy it and read it and enjoy it.
3. She’d be right because JCS delivers a fun ride of mystery and fear mixed in with lashings of dark humor and weird scenes featuring some strange people.”
—MPN SIMS, co-author of DEPARTMENT 18
“Jeremy C. Shipp is a writer that will leave you confused, breathless, and elated. His style is unlike anything I’ve come across before. It’s fresh, crisp, cutting, bizarre, at times horrific, and thoroughly extraordinary. The man is just plain genius with the written word. Don’t expect convention or even normalcy, just sit back and enjoy the ride!”
—R. Thomas Riley, author of The Monster Within Idea, Heal Thyself, andPhrenetic
“…a well-written, fast paced, intriguing, compelling, and excellent read, with a mysterious revelation that will surprise even the most astute reader. I recommend it without reservation.”
—Gene O’Neill, author of Shadow of the Dark Angel, Taste of Tenderloinand Doc Good’s Traveling Show
“Most authors of experimental fiction take risks with voice and structure that don’t pay off. Jeremy Shipp takes a lot of risks in Cursed—and they all pay off. The book is weird, convoluted, edgy, funny, dangerous and a total blast to read. I give it two disjointed thumbs up!”
—Jonathan Maberry, multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning author ofPatient Zero, They Bite and Punisher: Last Gun on Earth
“Jeremy Shipp certainly knows how to lay a smack down on his readers, as well as his characters. Cursed is beyond any other bizarre, twisted story I’ve ever read. I’ve never enjoyed being slapped so much before.”
—Jodi Lee, The New Bedlam Project
“Cursed is a wild and fascinating ride about several people who have been cursed and their attempts to find out who placed the curse so they can have it removed. It’s full of wonderful surprises and weirdness. I loved it, and I’ll be going hunting for Jeremy C. Shipp’s earlier works now. I recommendCursed very highly.”
—John R. Little, Bram Stoker winning author of MIRANDA, THE MEMORY TREE, and THE GRAY ZONE
“Cursed IS:
1. A punch to the back of the head by a six-foot pink bunny. It hurts at first, but then the Vicodin and Jim Beam kick in.
2. A well-written, compassionate book about Nicholas (who, like Lon Chaney before him, is “He Who Gets Slapped”), Cicely, and Abby, whose lives have been altered by sinister forces. As they seek to find who is behind it all, we gladly go along for the ride. A fun and often thoughtful read.
3. Jeremy C. Shipp’s second novel.
4. The reason why garden gnomes only move when no one is watching them.
5. All of the above.”
—L.L. Soares, author of IN SICKNESS
“Cursed offers readers a provocative, intense story that distorts the very fabric of fiction. Don’t try to figure out where this terrifically twisted tale is headed–resistance is futile!”
—Amy Grech, author of Apple of My Eye and Blanket of White
“Jeremy C. Shipp’s Cursed is a delightful, quirky read. Shipp keeps you guessing and turning pages. You never know what you’ll read next. From edible Smurfs to alien abduction, it’s all here. I’m a big fan of narratives that dare to be different yet enjoyable. Shipp plays with form and convention masterfully. He creates easily likeable characters liberally sprinkled with eccentricities. Cursed has made me a Jeremy C. Shipp reader. Can’t wait to check out more of his stuff.”
—Louise Bohmer, author of The Black Act
“…alarmingly bizarre, full of odd angles and satirical wit. He’s a tight rope walker, and he’s so recklessly inventive that you keep expecting him to make a horrible fall. Though he never does. In short, he writes like an outlaw, with an utterly unique voice hellbent on cutting his own path. But I suspect something else is going on here. Maybe a bit of the old three card Monte. Now you see it, now you don’t. For this is more than surrealist experimentation. Shipp has in fact given us a brilliantly constructed examination of how our lives fit together, and how our actions weave into the lives of those around us. Very heartily recommended.”
—Joe McKinney, author of Dead City, Quarantined, and Resistance
“If Franz Kafka and Donald Barthelme teamed up to write Cursed they might come close to the literary genius Jeremy C. Shipp has achieved. By turns, this witty, horrific and poignant book dazzles and astounds the reader. This is an unforgettable work—a must read you’ll savor long after the final page.”
—Lisa Mannetti, Bram Stoker Award winner, Best First Novel, The Gentling Box
“Jeremy Shipp’s CURSED is a whacked out little book about what it means to be screwed up and alone and searching for that elusive thing that’ll make you feel less alone. In other words, it’s about being human. Fun, weird stuff with writing so sharp and wry, it’ll make you want to slap your mama!”
— Michael Louis Calvillo, Bram Stoker Nominated author of I WILL RISE and AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT
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