"Some writers have a talent for storytelling. Far fewer writers have a talent for literary innovation. Madden masterfully combines both talents." --Winston Groom, author of Forrest Gump "This collection of stories by the celebrated David Madden showcases a wide variety of themes, styles, and approaches. It is also as if the author dared himself to undertake as many novel forms as possible; to each of them he brings deft artistry, piercing observation, and an uncanny understanding of the inner lives of outsiders. A fine achievement!" --Fred Chappell, author of Ancestors and Others: New and Selected Stories "For anyone wishing to rediscover or discover the work of David Madden--and that should include not only aspiring writers but all lovers of great literature-- The Last Bizarre Tale is the perfect place to start . yet another step toward a wider public recognition that Madden is a master craftsman and an American storyteller of the first rank. I was nailed to the wall by the autobiographical ''James Agee Never Lived in This House.

''" --Mark Powell, author of The Dark Corner "In these stories, David Madden proves himself a master of the brilliant narrative left turn, the oddly illuminating digression, the swoop you never expected. No one else writes stories quite like these, and they are a revelation." --Charles Baxter, author of Gryphon: New and Selected Stories "Here''s a gathering of serious fictions to delight serious readers. Madden''s stories are wide-ranging and richly varied. Manifest in voices that occupy a span from the conventional authorial to the eccentric, style here leans toward the lyric, but is never unrestrained. His characters'' epiphanies become the reader''s, created through crisp dialogue that is always on the money. A number of David Madden''s stories are indeed bizarre, but never gratuitously so. If there is a common subject or theme, it is the writer''s and the reader''s imagination.

Madden''s fictional worlds are grim and gritty in their depiction of human nature and history, but humanity persists, redeeming the possibility of redemption. Whatever the milieu, the felt presence of place grounds the author''s examination and exploration of the real world, which is what these fictions ultimately deliver." --Gordon Weaver, author of The Eight Corners of the World "David Madden is a true master of fiction - one of our most adept creators of memorable characters and unforgettable voices. The Last Bizarre Tale is a wonderful collection. These stories display the full range of his skill and the grand sweep of a remarkable career." --Mark Childress, author of Georgia Bottoms and Crazy in Alabama "The twenty-two spellbinding stories collected here were written over the past sixty-six years of David Madden''s remarkable writing career, and they demonstrate the amazing range of his talents and the extremely wide angle of his vision. Madden''s inventive use of point of view allows his myriad memorable characters--often characters who live somewhere on the edge--to speak for themselves in a rich variety of voices. In a time when linked story collections are so popular, The Last Bizarre Tale offers the multiplicities of an anthology collection--the best form to present Madden''s innovative fictions.

Because David Madden''s prodigal imagination knows no bounds, The Last Bizarre Tale will soar into readers'' hearts." --Allen Wier, author of Tahano The Last Bizarre Tale presents a rich medley of uncommon tales. If Edgar Allen Poe had collaborated with Salvador Dali, these are the kinds of haunting and otherworldly fictions they might have co-written. For years David Madden''s innovative stories and novels have been transporting readers to previously unimagined worlds, and this stunning collection is one of his best books yet. --Richard Bausch, author of Before, During, After.