Slippin' Into Darkness

by Norman Partridge

In a night-shadowed cemetery, a man pitches bottles at headstones. In a brand-new Mercedes, a woman speeds to a tryst with her young lover. In a suburban bedroom, the faded photographs of high school beauties smile on a man with a video camera in his hand and celluloid memories in his brain.

Gather 'round...

Lovers and losers, athletes, insomniacs, and working stiffs, they are all bound by the past, a dream, and a beautiful woman slowly putrefying in the earth. Those who adored her, those who wronged her, those who abused her and those who envied her have just begun the longest day and night of their souls...

Genres: Horror, Fiction

303 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1994

About the author

Norman Partridge’s fiction includes horror, suspense, and the fantastic—“sometimes all in one story” says his friend Joe Lansdale. His compact, thrill-a-minute style has been praised by Stephen King and Peter Straub, and his fiction has received three Bram Stokers and two IHG awards.

Partridge’s career launched a series of firsts during the indie press boom of the early nineties. His first short story appeared in the second issue of Cemetery Dance, and his debut novel, Slippin’ into Darkness, was the first original novel published by CD. Partridge’s chapbook Spyder was one of Subterranean Press’s inaugural titles, while his World Fantasy-nominated collection, Bad Intentions, was the first hardcover in the Subterranean book line.

Since then, Partridge has published pair of critically acclaimed suspense novels featuring ex-boxer Jack Baddalach for Berkley Prime Crime (Saguaro Riptide and The Ten-Ounce Siesta), comics for Mojo and DC, and a series novel (The Crow: Wicked Prayer) which was adapted for the screen. His award-winning collections include Mr. Fox and Other Feral Tales and The Man with the Barbed-Wire Fists. Partridge’s latest novel, Dark Harvest, was chosen by Publishers Weekly as one of the 100 Best Books of 2006.

Whether working in mainstream markets or the independent press, Partridge’s vivid, exuberant writing style has made him a fan favorite. Never content to be pigeon-holed as a writer, Partridge continues to defy categorization. A third-generation Californian, he lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Canadian writer Tia V. Travis.

Reviews

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stephen King recommended. He says: "Slippin' Into Darkness is easily the most auspicious genre debut of the year. Part horror, part mystery and part blood-tipped satire, it signals the arrival of a major new talent... This is, quite simply, a five-star book."

2/14/13. It's sad to see that there have not been many readers of this book on GR, and even fewer reviews. This book deserves to get a lot more attention. The writing is awesome and so is the plot. The characters are well-developed and the ending rocked. A tight, fast read. Highly recommended.

[Cher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Huh. I really enjoyed the spare creepy poetry of Dark Harvest, but I'm halfway through this novel and struggling to continue. Nothing supernatural is happening, and the sordid interpersonal bullying of a bunch of washed out rapists from Vallejo, where I just moved away from incidentally, isn't holding my interest. I want them all to die in a tire fire. Every character is well written and yet repugnant. I feel like I'm just swimming in the sludge of their uselessness. Also, I'm annoyed by the quality of a woman's entire life being defined by her rape. I don't require heroism to love a character, but I genuinely despise these jerks. I'm pretty sure that's what Patridge is going for, I'm not sure that's enough for me. The best I can hope for is that they all get suitably destroyed, and that's not enough for me. It's too bad, because I think this author's prose and characterisation are both pure art. This story just seems to be not for me. I'll try to stick it out through the end, but I don't know. I just finished A Choir of Ill Children by Piccirilli, which was another surreal sins of the past story in a messed up town with an appalling cast of characters, so I might be burned out on this.

[Kevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

While very well-written, the concept of the story just wasn't what I was expecting or hoping for. If you are fan of fantastical horror, it may need to be for you either. All of the living characters in this book are completely despicable, and all are haunted. Not by an actual ghost, but by their interconnected pasts with a dead woman. She may haunt them, but only in their own sick heads. It's an interesting idea, but the lack of any one empathetic living character, it's difficult the really care.

[Mike Beatty · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy the authors writing but I have to say the story here wasn't all that entertaining. The characters also were all basically interchangeable and I had a hard time remembering who was who, which never happens to me. Barely got through this one.

[Dex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ya había leído otro libro de Norman Partridge y me había llamado la atención porque no lo conocía y porque el libro me agradó bastante: un buen libro de Halloween con historias oscuras que develan algunos secretos.

Slippin' into Darkness es incluso mejor, en mi opinión. El traslape de dos épocas separadas por algunas décadas; la trama que gira entorno a una generación de estudiantes y los secretos que enterraron, igual que la porrista que de alguna u otra forma se vio involucrada en la vida de todos ellos.

La recreación de los hechos pasados, los fantasmas que acechan los recuerdos y se niegan a morir.

A pesar de ser una novela corta parece como si fuera más larga. Las historias de cada uno se desenvuelven a un ritmo que parece lento y convergen en cierto punto. El libro completo se desarrolla en tan sólo un día pero en tan poco tiempo se descubren muchas cosas, como el hecho de que la vida de ninguno volverá a ser igual, ya sea porque de un cambio drástico ó simplemente llegue a su fin.

Abril es el mes; Abril, la mujer que no pudieron olvidar.

La recomiendo bastante; sobretodo si gustan de esas historias que alternan entre la realidad y el subconsciente.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put it down, loved the characters, so plot-twistingly good! Not to mention it takes place in my hometown, I loved recognizing the locations!

-The old drive in near the three cemeteries
-The fiberglass cow
-One of the characters wearing an old Hogan High baseball hat
-Mentions of Lake Herman road, American Canyon, the shipyard (Mare Island)
-The Lance & Shield (Hogan High yearbook)

I should mention I may be a bit biased because the author is an old high school friend of my dad's, but it really is a spectacular book! If you like plot twisty horror, that is. It kept me hooked and wanting to read more, plus I felt like I knew every single character right away. Okay, so it's got likeable characters who really shouldn't be likeable considering some of the things they've done but I figure if someone can make it seem like you've known them all your life in just one short chapter, it's pretty awesome!

So, to sum up: Dark. Creepy. Gritty. Revenge has never been so...twisted. Plus, it's easy to relate to every character, even the evil ones. LOVED IT.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book is certainly well-written, descriptive and rich in character building, the story was a big build-up that lead nowhere. Most of this book is character building and reminiscence, and it was almost as if the author realized this and then at the last 50 pages decided to 'resolve' this story in a most abrupt and nonsensical fashion. I give it three stars simply out of my liking for rich detail and that's it.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this guy's onto something. Dark Harvest was really good, nice tight story telling with the ring of a classic. The Bars on Satan's Jailhouse same thing in short story form. I'm interested to read more. Read this one, Slippin' Into Darkness, and it's more accomplished - more character development, more plot. Looking forward to reading more.

[Zakk Madness · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dirty, uncomfortable and gripping read.

[Squire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Again, not a single character I cared about. Well, written, but generally uninvolving. I did like the phrase "bimbo sapiens," tho. I 've known a few of those in my time.

[Timothy Takach · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent story, I liked the way it unfolded. Hard to enjoy a book with no protagonist, though. It's a group of immoral people doing immoral things. Not uplifting or even very interesting.

[Todd Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but not spectacular thriller.