Jon Padgett, bývalý profesionální břichomluvec, se ve své literární tvorbě noří do témat posedlosti a narušené reality. Jeho styl, často popisovaný jako znepokojivý a atmosférický, zkoumá temnější zákoutí lidské psychiky. Prostřednictvím svých příběhů se snaží odhalit skryté pravdy a odvrácenou stranu zdánlivě obyčejného života. Padgettův přístup k psaní je hluboce ovlivněn jeho vášní pro vizuální umění a divadlo, což se projevuje v živých obrazech a dramatických situacích.
This expanded edition of Jon Padgett's acclaimed collection/hybrid novel includes three new stories, enhancing its unique blend of fiction. The book showcases striking cover art by Dave Felton and features a Foreword by the renowned Thomas Ligotti, adding depth to its celebrated narrative. Recognized as the Best Fiction Book by Rue Morgue Magazine, it continues to explore themes of ventriloquism and the uncanny, making it a must-read for fans of the genre.
With themes reminiscent of Shirley Jackson, Thomas Ligotti, and Bruno Shulz, but with a strikingly unique vision, Jon Padgett's The Secret of Ventriloquism heralds the arrival of a significant new literary talent. Padgett's work explores the mystery of human suffering, the agony of personal existence, and the ghastly means by which someone might achieve salvation from both. A bullied child who seeks vengeance within a bed's hollow box spring; a lucid dreamer haunted by an impossible house; a dummy that reveals its own anatomy in 20 simple steps; a stuttering librarian who holds the key to a mill town's unspeakable secrets; a commuter whose worldview is shattered by two words printed on a cardboard sign; an aspiring ventriloquist who spends a little too much time looking at himself in a mirror. And the presence that speaks through them all.