{"product_id":"the-secret-of-ventriloquism-expanded-edition-9798218250577","title":"The Secret of Ventriloquism: Expanded Edition","description":"Jon Padgett's acclaimed collection\/hybrid novel, \u003cem\u003eThe Secret of Ventriloquism\u003c\/em\u003e, named the Best Fiction Book by \u003cem\u003eRue Morgue Magazine\u003c\/em\u003e, now returns in an expanded edition of the original, with three new stories. The book features Dave Felton's iconic cover art and frontispiece as well as a Foreword by the legendary Thomas Ligotti.\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith themes reminiscent of Shirley Jackson, Ligotti, and Bruno Schulz, but with a strikingly unique vision, 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 seeks vengeance within a bed's hollow box spring. A lucid dreamer is haunted by an impossible house. A dummy reveals its own anatomy in 20 simple steps. A paranoid flyer's worst fears are realized in a way not even he could imagine. A stuttering librarian holds the key to a mill town's unspeakable secrets. A commuter's worldview is shattered by two words printed on a cardboard sign. An aspiring ventriloquist spends a little too much time looking at himself in a mirror. A job-fatigued woman seeks out an invisible, identity-blasting hole of alluvium from her past. A spirit of homelessness plans its escape to a possibly mythical mountain. A fog-soaked city heaves its dying breath. And a presence speaks through them all.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Jon Padgett Productions","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50611741589778,"sku":"9798218250577","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_2077f995-a198-47f4-b662-02e13e7383a1.jpg?v=1732366264","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-secret-of-ventriloquism-expanded-edition-9798218250577","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}