Saturday, April 18, 2009

The Disassembled Man -- Nate Flexer


New Pulp Press is a new venture by Jon Bassoff (aka Nate Flexer). The books from New Pulp Press "focus on off-center crime fiction and neo-pulp. Veering away from the assumption that a protagonist must be a sympathetic character, our books are centered around con-men, losers, and sociopaths."

Frankie Avicious, the narrator ofThe Disassembled Man, is a far cry from a sympathetic character. He slaughters cattle for a living, and before long he moves on to slaughtering people, maybe at the urging of the enigmatic salesman named Jack Marteau, maybe not. The murders are graphic and bizarre, but then that's the point. By the end, Frankie's narrative turns almost surreal, and the punishment that waits for Frankie is as frightening and disturbing as the rest of the book.

This is strong stuff, definitely not the kind of thing that you're going to find from a mainstream publisher. Besides the mayhem, there's also a good bit of gruesome humor to sort of lighten the proceedings. If you have a taste for the offbeat, out-of-the-mainstream fiction, this might be just what you're looking for. If you're planning to stick to the safe and familiar, it's not. You can read the first two chapters on Al Guthrie's Noir Originals. That might be enough to let you know what you're in for. Check it out.

This is a repost because New Pulp Press is now a going concern.  Check it out at the link above.

3 comments:

Al Guthrie said...

Nate Flexer is a major talent. The Disassembled Man is one of the best psycho noirs I've come across.

Unknown said...

I hope his new press clicks and that a lot more people read his book.

Unknown said...

I was appalled and mesmerized by the the dark protagonist. This is how you should feel when you can read the thoughts of a psychopath. Great read.