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Jeremy C. Shipp
Jeremy C. Shipp's work has appeared or is forthcoming in over 50 publications, the likes of
Cemetery Dance, ChiZine, Apex Magazine, and Pseudopod.
His books include Vacation, Sheep and Wolves, and Cursed.
He lives in Southern California in a moderately haunted Victorian farmhouse with his wife, Lisa, and their
legion of yard gnomes.
Jeremy C. Shipp Website
ISFDB Bibliography
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A review by John Enzinas
For the last 12 days Nick has:
1) thought about the state of his life,
2) made lists,
3) gotten slapped.
That last item has caused him to decide that he has been cursed by some malevolent entity. His
best friend Cicely received her own curse. She woke up with a tennis ball in her hand and absolute certainty
that if she ever let go, the world would end. Neither of them know why or how they were cursed, they just
know that somehow they need to end it.
To investigate the curse, they
1) make lists of commonalities,
2) try find ways keep Nick from being slapped,
3) put up posters looking for other cursed people.
They manage to find Abby, who has her own curse which involves getting injured and having her existence erased
from everyone who knew her. Eventually the level of misery is not enough and their tormentor reveals himself by
1) threatening Nick's roommates seeing eye dog,
2) threatening Nick's niece,
3) impersonating Nick and attacking his relationships,
4) replacing people that the three victims know.
Jeremy C. Shipp's Cursed is a brilliantly constructed novel of psychological supernatural horror. It is
1) minimalist,
2) mubtle,
3) merrifying,
4) gripping.
I couldn't put it down.
Copyright © 2010 John Enzinas
John Enzinas reads frequently and passionately. In his spare time he plays with swords.
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