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Nerves
NERVES is a journey through a secret world, where some have the gifts of shooting their nerves from their fingers to use as weapons or healing . . . where a down-on-his luck soul singer can bring afflicted back from the brink . . . where a loving touch can prove deadly . . . and where a wound may offer a last chance at life.
Two brothers, one born with the gift to bring life to whatever he touches, the other, death, meet after living apart for decades, come together again when the dark man who gave them their gifts returns seeking sacrifice. It’s up to Horace and Josiah to fight Ogam the dark man and heal their family.
Their journey brings them all over America, from California, from Istanbul, from Whistleville, Connecticut, to Pepper, Louisiana, through an alternate reality, and into the mystical other-verse known as Alta as they gather a team and chase the dark man . . . Ogam . . . the witch . . . the bringer of lies and pain.
“Possessing a firm grasp of tradition but with his vision clearly focused on the future, John Palisano is exactly the type of writer horror needs right bold, brave, imaginative and unflinching.”
—Bentley Little
Praise for
“Inventive dark fantasy from a fresh talent. Action, horror, and high emotional stakes make this a winner.”
–Scott Nicholson, author of THE RED CHURCH
John Palisano’s novel, NERVES, is a unique montage of fantasy and horror and a breath of fresh air in either genre. His characters are rich and memorable, the suspense never-ending, and the story has more twists and turns than a Louisiana bayou. This book won’t be collecting dust on your nightstand!
—Deborah LeBlanc, author of THE WOLVEN
“Think X-Men meets Lovecraft, and you have a taste of the action-packed bizarre and fascinating world that lives behind NERVES, and its dark tale of life-givers, death-bringers, and the balance that must be struck between them…and who will pay that price in that bargain.”
–John Everson, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of SIREN and THE PUMPKIN MAN
“John Palisano continues his trend of engaging and visionary fiction. NERVES is dark fantasy at its most powerful, with broad, mature strokes of writing, and an insanely good cast of characters. Highly recommended.”
–Rio Youers, author of OLD MAN SCRATCH and WESTLAKE SOUL
“NERVES is a pure work of genius. From the very first page, John Palisano lures you into a bizarre and twisted world of dark magic where anything is possible. Gripping and unrelenting NERVES will leave you on the edge of your seat.”
–Gabrielle Faust, Author of ETERNAL VIGILANCE and REVENGE
ABOUT AUTHOR JOHN
John Palisano is a writer whose nonfiction and fiction has appeared in many genre and literary magazines. He won the Bram Stoker Award© in short fiction in 2016. He’s also written articles for websites such as Shmoop University and Backstreets magazine.
Say ‘hello’
and
and
www.facebook.com/johnpalisano
and
www.twitter.com/johnpalisano
Two brothers, one born with the gift to bring life to whatever he touches, the other, death, meet after living apart for decades, come together again when the dark man who gave them their gifts returns seeking sacrifice. It’s up to Horace and Josiah to fight Ogam the dark man and heal their family.
Their journey brings them all over America, from California, from Istanbul, from Whistleville, Connecticut, to Pepper, Louisiana, through an alternate reality, and into the mystical other-verse known as Alta as they gather a team and chase the dark man . . . Ogam . . . the witch . . . the bringer of lies and pain.
“Possessing a firm grasp of tradition but with his vision clearly focused on the future, John Palisano is exactly the type of writer horror needs right bold, brave, imaginative and unflinching.”
—Bentley Little
Praise for
“Inventive dark fantasy from a fresh talent. Action, horror, and high emotional stakes make this a winner.”
–Scott Nicholson, author of THE RED CHURCH
John Palisano’s novel, NERVES, is a unique montage of fantasy and horror and a breath of fresh air in either genre. His characters are rich and memorable, the suspense never-ending, and the story has more twists and turns than a Louisiana bayou. This book won’t be collecting dust on your nightstand!
—Deborah LeBlanc, author of THE WOLVEN
“Think X-Men meets Lovecraft, and you have a taste of the action-packed bizarre and fascinating world that lives behind NERVES, and its dark tale of life-givers, death-bringers, and the balance that must be struck between them…and who will pay that price in that bargain.”
–John Everson, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of SIREN and THE PUMPKIN MAN
“John Palisano continues his trend of engaging and visionary fiction. NERVES is dark fantasy at its most powerful, with broad, mature strokes of writing, and an insanely good cast of characters. Highly recommended.”
–Rio Youers, author of OLD MAN SCRATCH and WESTLAKE SOUL
“NERVES is a pure work of genius. From the very first page, John Palisano lures you into a bizarre and twisted world of dark magic where anything is possible. Gripping and unrelenting NERVES will leave you on the edge of your seat.”
–Gabrielle Faust, Author of ETERNAL VIGILANCE and REVENGE
ABOUT AUTHOR JOHN
John Palisano is a writer whose nonfiction and fiction has appeared in many genre and literary magazines. He won the Bram Stoker Award© in short fiction in 2016. He’s also written articles for websites such as Shmoop University and Backstreets magazine.
Say ‘hello’
and
and
www.facebook.com/johnpalisano
and
www.twitter.com/johnpalisano
- GenresHorror
245 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
7 people are currently reading
103 people want to read
About the author
John Palisano
103 books164 followersOne evening when I was only a small boy, my father allowed me to stay up late with him and watch NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD on television. He fell asleep, but I waited for the end. I couldn’t believe they’d let the lead guy die after all that. I was horrified. Later that summer we went to the drive-in, which was a big deal in Norwalk, Connecticut in the 1970s. Everyone went. We all piled into the Bomb, our old station wagon, and saw lots of movies there. There was a swing set right up front where a many of the little kids congregated. We got a kick out of that, especially during GREASE, because there was a similar set-up in the movie. One night, though, there was a double-feature that I’ll never forget.
Demon Seed scared me, and the unforgettable images still haunt me. The film that followed, though, ruined me for good. ALIEN. I don’t think I walked past my attic door after dark that entire summer for fear the alien would snatch me up and away.
Soon I couldn’t even go to the beach. JAWS waited for us. Of course, this was also the time I discovered my father’s treasure trove of old horror comics, most of which I still have safe and sound. My imagination was on fire. We went to some of the early science fiction conventions in New York. I found Fangoria, and used Tom Savini’s Grande Illusions book in an attempt to make my own monsters at home, and experimented with that for several fake-bloodstained years. Eventually, though, I realized my favorite part was in dreaming up the ideas. In all truth, I was better in that regard than in any of my make-ups.
During middle school I put out a xeroxed fanzine Castle Gore that I sold to my classmates for a quarter an issue. Inside, alongside my reviews of whatever movies were coming out, I put some of my own short stories.
By the time I was thirteen I’d completed my first novel . . . novella, really . . . about a time-traveling teenager who saves the world from a monster bred in a Victorian scientist’s lab. He used a flying go-kart to do so.
Songwriting found me. For years I toured with rock n’ roll bands, opening for national acts, and all the while, writing lots of lyrics, poems, and short stories. Winding up at Emerson College, I truly found myself. My short stories were finally professionally published in some of the local academic literary magazines, and also my script He’d Hoped For Mars won the Latent Image Magazine screenwriting contest, but was turned into a successful short film, scored by Aaron Logan at nearby Berklee College of Music.
After college I moved to Los Angeles, taking an internship with Ridley Scott. That was a phenomenal time in my life, and I learned so much. I worked on many big budget films, and got to see how those films I grew up with really came together. Of course, being in that hotbox, I wrote lots of scripts. Had an option or three, and produced a couple of low-budget films while I was at it. Something happened, though.
The movies of the scripts often came out so differently than the original ideas. Budget compromises. With writing stories, well, the only limit is your imagination. You’re not limited to how much money you have, or time, or your location, or the skill of the CG artists on your team.
Shifting gears to prose has not been easy. I had hundreds of rejections from top markets until I began to place my stories. That is not an exaggeration. It was harder to place a pro-level fiction piece than find financing for my first film. I love the challenge, and few things have been as satisfying.
My journey continues, of course. All these years later, we finally have the release of my novel NERVES from Bad Moon Books in the winter of 2012. In the meantime, there’s lots of short stories appearing soon, and several movie projects, too.
Thanks for reading.
Best,
John Palisano
Demon Seed scared me, and the unforgettable images still haunt me. The film that followed, though, ruined me for good. ALIEN. I don’t think I walked past my attic door after dark that entire summer for fear the alien would snatch me up and away.
Soon I couldn’t even go to the beach. JAWS waited for us. Of course, this was also the time I discovered my father’s treasure trove of old horror comics, most of which I still have safe and sound. My imagination was on fire. We went to some of the early science fiction conventions in New York. I found Fangoria, and used Tom Savini’s Grande Illusions book in an attempt to make my own monsters at home, and experimented with that for several fake-bloodstained years. Eventually, though, I realized my favorite part was in dreaming up the ideas. In all truth, I was better in that regard than in any of my make-ups.
During middle school I put out a xeroxed fanzine Castle Gore that I sold to my classmates for a quarter an issue. Inside, alongside my reviews of whatever movies were coming out, I put some of my own short stories.
By the time I was thirteen I’d completed my first novel . . . novella, really . . . about a time-traveling teenager who saves the world from a monster bred in a Victorian scientist’s lab. He used a flying go-kart to do so.
Songwriting found me. For years I toured with rock n’ roll bands, opening for national acts, and all the while, writing lots of lyrics, poems, and short stories. Winding up at Emerson College, I truly found myself. My short stories were finally professionally published in some of the local academic literary magazines, and also my script He’d Hoped For Mars won the Latent Image Magazine screenwriting contest, but was turned into a successful short film, scored by Aaron Logan at nearby Berklee College of Music.
After college I moved to Los Angeles, taking an internship with Ridley Scott. That was a phenomenal time in my life, and I learned so much. I worked on many big budget films, and got to see how those films I grew up with really came together. Of course, being in that hotbox, I wrote lots of scripts. Had an option or three, and produced a couple of low-budget films while I was at it. Something happened, though.
The movies of the scripts often came out so differently than the original ideas. Budget compromises. With writing stories, well, the only limit is your imagination. You’re not limited to how much money you have, or time, or your location, or the skill of the CG artists on your team.
Shifting gears to prose has not been easy. I had hundreds of rejections from top markets until I began to place my stories. That is not an exaggeration. It was harder to place a pro-level fiction piece than find financing for my first film. I love the challenge, and few things have been as satisfying.
My journey continues, of course. All these years later, we finally have the release of my novel NERVES from Bad Moon Books in the winter of 2012. In the meantime, there’s lots of short stories appearing soon, and several movie projects, too.
Thanks for reading.
Best,
John Palisano
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 13, 2015
Apart from “Splinterette”, his contribution to “Widowmakers” this is the first thing I have read from John Palisano. Not my normal sort of book to go for but enjoyed the short so decided to give it a go. I’m very glad I did.
Josiah and Horace are brothers but they live on opposite sides of the world. Josiah can bring people back from the dead. Alternatively, if you stay in the presence of Horace for too long you will die. Ogam is a witch. The brothers owe him and he is out to collect. He wants their powers and will stop at nothing to get them. Josiah and Horace must again come together to try and battle Ogam to save their family, their friends and most importantly themselves.
Not your normal run of the mill horror story this one. I would categorise it more as fantasy. That’s a category I don’t normally go for but Nerves works. It really works. There are elements of horror throughout the story and some of the scenes where good battles evil are fantastically written. In fact, John Palisano weaves a world in this story full of the atmospheres, colours and personalities that, although confusing at times, work wonderfully to get your imagination going wild trying to picture everything as it is happening. I felt as if I was on some psychedelic “wow man” trip through most of this book. I don’t normally like that feeling but again Mr Palisano pulls it off with just the right amount of suspense and “wonder what will happen next” moments to keep you reading right to the very end.
I will certainly me reading more from John Palisano. I like his style. I’m even hoping there may be a sequel to this story somewhere.
4 stars.
Josiah and Horace are brothers but they live on opposite sides of the world. Josiah can bring people back from the dead. Alternatively, if you stay in the presence of Horace for too long you will die. Ogam is a witch. The brothers owe him and he is out to collect. He wants their powers and will stop at nothing to get them. Josiah and Horace must again come together to try and battle Ogam to save their family, their friends and most importantly themselves.
Not your normal run of the mill horror story this one. I would categorise it more as fantasy. That’s a category I don’t normally go for but Nerves works. It really works. There are elements of horror throughout the story and some of the scenes where good battles evil are fantastically written. In fact, John Palisano weaves a world in this story full of the atmospheres, colours and personalities that, although confusing at times, work wonderfully to get your imagination going wild trying to picture everything as it is happening. I felt as if I was on some psychedelic “wow man” trip through most of this book. I don’t normally like that feeling but again Mr Palisano pulls it off with just the right amount of suspense and “wonder what will happen next” moments to keep you reading right to the very end.
I will certainly me reading more from John Palisano. I like his style. I’m even hoping there may be a sequel to this story somewhere.
4 stars.
June 11, 2012
An inventive, action packed fever dream... my best advice to wary readers sitting down to NERVES: go with it. You aren't going to have every question answered. You may get answers to questions you never thought of, or you may create questions from your questions. Don't worry about that. If you need a book to explain everything, seek some cozy legal thriller. A surreal dark fantasy like this one doesn't set out to keep you comfortably informed; it sets out to stoke the fires of your imagination and get your heart racing for causes unknown. John Palisano has done that with NERVES. I loved it.
June 28, 2013
Excellent story and immense imagination made this a pleasure to read. I look forward to more from John Palisano.
March 22, 2022
This is something along the lines of superheroes and villains in book form. Like a comic book of words. Its very creative to say the least. I'm not a huge X-Men fan, or any other superhero... I will say this though.... Even if it wasn't for me, I'm sure others would love it. I finished it because I liked the characters. That's a sign of a good book
March 19, 2013
John Palisano's "Nerves" will make you marvel at how such a well-written book could possibly be a debut novel. As I mentioned in my Hellnotes review, like the main character, Josiah, the book will attach its feelers into you and won’t let go of its vice grip until the very end.
To read my full review, click here: http://hellnotes.com/nerves-book-review
-DarkEva
To read my full review, click here: http://hellnotes.com/nerves-book-review
-DarkEva
June 2, 2012
I have read some of John's previous work. I think he has an incredible imagination. This particular story takes you into the book and shakes you around. I love not knowing what to expect next. I am picturing what all these creatures look like as I read. I put him right up there with Stephen King.
April 25, 2014
Nothing about Nerves is ordinary. This is a rare accomplishment. The characters and strange magic are fresh and original. The plot might be a bit surreal for some, but the well defined relationships make this book a pleasure to read. Recommended for readers who enjoy Bizarro and surreal fiction.
May 28, 2013
Cool concept. Quick Summer read.
June 3, 2012
Fans of Weird Fiction and Bizarro Fiction are certain to love John Palisano's "Nerves". It's truly an impressive piece of work, especially for a first novel. Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of that genre and I wasn't able to fully relate to the book.
I liked "Nerves" well enough, but it's not my cup of tea and, frankly, I'm not entirely sure I understood it. The fault is not the author's, but mine. Simply put, "Nerves" is written in a sub-genre with which I have difficulty connecting.
To loosely describe the story, the book deals with two brothers, one who has the ability to extend his nerves outside of his own body and the other whose mere close physical proximity causes death. But if you were to ask me just what, exactly, "Nerves" was about, I couldn't tell you with anything approaching rationality.
This is, I'm told, partially what Bizarro Fiction strives to do. Clearly, Palisano is able to create an increasingly strange mood. Midway through the book, one has the feeling akin to reading through a fun house mirror with someone looking over one's shoulder--probably someone sinister! Stylistically, it's quite effective. But there's a disjointedness to the plot that I found disconcerting.
To his credit, Palisano creates a fully-realized fantasy world and drops the reader right into the midst, without explanation or exposition. His ability to remain consistent within it is truly remarkable -- especially considering the truly outre things which he's incorporated into the fabric of this novel's reality.
It takes a great amount of skill to do what Palisano has done here. He's constantly pushing literary and stylistic boundaries and he's largely successful in doing so. He entices the reader into simply accepting his conventions without question. What's more, though I was left scratching my head at times wondering what was going on, I was never bored. Odd things happen, without explanation or rationale, and his characters seamlessly and willingly integrate bizarre events into their reality in a way that, even to me, seemed perfectly natural.
"Nerves" is, in the end, not the kind of novel one simply reads. It's the kind of novel one probably needs to also think about or, better yet, discuss with other fans of the sub-genre. I truly believe, if I were more familiar with this style, or a fan of Bizarro, I would be raving about this book and giving it five stars. But, as I said above, it ain't my "thing." Of course, that should certainly not stop YOU from reading "Nerves", especially if you're into more progressive fiction. Though this is only a first novel, I strongly suspect that John Palisano is destined to become a major voice in the genre.
I liked "Nerves" well enough, but it's not my cup of tea and, frankly, I'm not entirely sure I understood it. The fault is not the author's, but mine. Simply put, "Nerves" is written in a sub-genre with which I have difficulty connecting.
To loosely describe the story, the book deals with two brothers, one who has the ability to extend his nerves outside of his own body and the other whose mere close physical proximity causes death. But if you were to ask me just what, exactly, "Nerves" was about, I couldn't tell you with anything approaching rationality.
This is, I'm told, partially what Bizarro Fiction strives to do. Clearly, Palisano is able to create an increasingly strange mood. Midway through the book, one has the feeling akin to reading through a fun house mirror with someone looking over one's shoulder--probably someone sinister! Stylistically, it's quite effective. But there's a disjointedness to the plot that I found disconcerting.
To his credit, Palisano creates a fully-realized fantasy world and drops the reader right into the midst, without explanation or exposition. His ability to remain consistent within it is truly remarkable -- especially considering the truly outre things which he's incorporated into the fabric of this novel's reality.
It takes a great amount of skill to do what Palisano has done here. He's constantly pushing literary and stylistic boundaries and he's largely successful in doing so. He entices the reader into simply accepting his conventions without question. What's more, though I was left scratching my head at times wondering what was going on, I was never bored. Odd things happen, without explanation or rationale, and his characters seamlessly and willingly integrate bizarre events into their reality in a way that, even to me, seemed perfectly natural.
"Nerves" is, in the end, not the kind of novel one simply reads. It's the kind of novel one probably needs to also think about or, better yet, discuss with other fans of the sub-genre. I truly believe, if I were more familiar with this style, or a fan of Bizarro, I would be raving about this book and giving it five stars. But, as I said above, it ain't my "thing." Of course, that should certainly not stop YOU from reading "Nerves", especially if you're into more progressive fiction. Though this is only a first novel, I strongly suspect that John Palisano is destined to become a major voice in the genre.
August 12, 2012
REVIEWED: Nerves
WRITTEN BY: John Palisano
PUBLISHED: 2012
Nerves is an intriguing debut novel by the talented writer, John Palisano, who weaves together a vast world of magic and suspense. From page one, the reader is immersed into a war of ominous characters who battle not only amongst each other, but also with their own personal demons. Prepare for the unexpected: This novel has countless twists of the bizarre and unexpected that will keep you guessing the entire way through.
Five out of Five stars
WRITTEN BY: John Palisano
PUBLISHED: 2012
Nerves is an intriguing debut novel by the talented writer, John Palisano, who weaves together a vast world of magic and suspense. From page one, the reader is immersed into a war of ominous characters who battle not only amongst each other, but also with their own personal demons. Prepare for the unexpected: This novel has countless twists of the bizarre and unexpected that will keep you guessing the entire way through.
Five out of Five stars
July 8, 2012
Nerves is not a typical horror story. I was reminded more of some of my favorite Clive Barker epics, like The Great and Secret Show or Imajica. Palisano has created a dark and bizarre world lurking just below the surface of our own, filled with unusual characters and strange abilities.
Highly recommended for readers looking for something unique and original!
Highly recommended for readers looking for something unique and original!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews