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MANOS - The Hands of Fate
WINNER 2016 SCRIBE AWARD - BEST ADAPTED NOVEL!
“I’ve enjoyed reading this really fun version of my “family movie,” and I know you will too.” – Jackey Neyman Jones (Debbie from Manos - from her Foreword.)
“The worst movie ever made.” - Entertainment Weekly
Mike, Margaret, their young daughter Debbie, and toy poodle Pepe drive into the West Texas countryside looking forward to a relaxing family vacation. Instead, they discover an evil cult of undead polygamists led by The Master and his half-human servant, Torgo. Can the family make it out of the desert alive with both the cultists and the Hands of Fate against them?
Based on the “so-bad-it’s-good” cult horror classic, Manos: The Hands of Fate is the first of two novelizations by award-winning author Stephen D. Sullivan. In this laugh-a-minute edition, Sullivan has captured all the zaniness of the “classic” low-budget feature -- including all of the original dialog. Fans of MST3K, RiffTrax, or bad movies in general are in for a real treat!
(Sullivan swears that the second book -- due for fall 2016 release -- will be a “serious horror” novel.)
“I’ve enjoyed reading this really fun version of my “family movie,” and I know you will too.” – Jackey Neyman Jones (Debbie from Manos - from her Foreword.)
“The worst movie ever made.” - Entertainment Weekly
Mike, Margaret, their young daughter Debbie, and toy poodle Pepe drive into the West Texas countryside looking forward to a relaxing family vacation. Instead, they discover an evil cult of undead polygamists led by The Master and his half-human servant, Torgo. Can the family make it out of the desert alive with both the cultists and the Hands of Fate against them?
Based on the “so-bad-it’s-good” cult horror classic, Manos: The Hands of Fate is the first of two novelizations by award-winning author Stephen D. Sullivan. In this laugh-a-minute edition, Sullivan has captured all the zaniness of the “classic” low-budget feature -- including all of the original dialog. Fans of MST3K, RiffTrax, or bad movies in general are in for a real treat!
(Sullivan swears that the second book -- due for fall 2016 release -- will be a “serious horror” novel.)
150 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 15, 2015
2 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Stephen D. Sullivan
109 books45 followersI was born in 1959, grew up in Massachusetts, attended SMU (U. Mass, Dartmouth), and moved to Wisconsin to work for TSR (the Dungeons & Dragons people) in 1980. I’ve been here ever since, writing stories, drawing, and raising kids with my wife (who I’ve been with since 1980 as well).
I’ve had more than 30 books published (not counting the anthologies, but counting the ghost-written stuff only alluded to on this site). I also run a small publishing house, Walkabout Publishing. Recently, I've started posting new stories for Kindle on Amazon, in addition to my print work.
You can write to me: fanmail@stephendsullivan.com – but please be kind (and patient), okay? And don't forget to check my web site. You'll like it. Adventure guaranteed. (Monsters optional.)
I’ve had more than 30 books published (not counting the anthologies, but counting the ghost-written stuff only alluded to on this site). I also run a small publishing house, Walkabout Publishing. Recently, I've started posting new stories for Kindle on Amazon, in addition to my print work.
You can write to me: fanmail@stephendsullivan.com – but please be kind (and patient), okay? And don't forget to check my web site. You'll like it. Adventure guaranteed. (Monsters optional.)
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 18, 2019
Based on one of the worst movies ever made, Manos makes fun of the original and doesn’t treat itself seriously.
People who didn’t know what they were doing produced the movie. They were trying really hard and this over-the-topness acquired Manoa a cult following. The book remains faithful to the original, but contrary to the original movie crew, Stephen D. Sullivan knows his craft well and uses it to a great comedic effect.
Mike, Margaret, their young daughter Debbie, and toy poodle Pepe drive into the West Texas countryside for a relaxing family vacation. Instead, they discover an evil cult of undead polygamists led by The Master and his half-human servant, Torgo.
The beginning is confusing as characters appear and disappear, and narrator joyously head-hops while commenting everything we witness the way a seasoned omniscient horror-host would do:
The story makes fun not only of the source material but also of the 1960s tropes:
There’s no character development or world-building. We get a series of bad, interconnected vignettes made hilarious by a snarky narrator. I admit I considered DNF-ing the book in the beginning, but once I got past 30%, I couldn’t put it down.
I laughed. Loud. Manos is hilarious, especially for readers who love bad movies.
People who didn’t know what they were doing produced the movie. They were trying really hard and this over-the-topness acquired Manoa a cult following. The book remains faithful to the original, but contrary to the original movie crew, Stephen D. Sullivan knows his craft well and uses it to a great comedic effect.
Mike, Margaret, their young daughter Debbie, and toy poodle Pepe drive into the West Texas countryside for a relaxing family vacation. Instead, they discover an evil cult of undead polygamists led by The Master and his half-human servant, Torgo.
The beginning is confusing as characters appear and disappear, and narrator joyously head-hops while commenting everything we witness the way a seasoned omniscient horror-host would do:
Margaret is trembling, and Mike can hardly blame her. This relaxing vacation trip is rapidly turning into a nightmare. (Of course, these two are the only ones surprised by this; the rest of us - and even Pepe - knew it was coming from the start.)
The story makes fun not only of the source material but also of the 1960s tropes:
Margaret throws back her head and screams. “Mike! Mike!” Because this is the 1960s, rather than hit Torgo again - knock ‘im down and keep ‘im down, I say!- Margaret would prefer to be rescued by a man. And since there aren’t any real men around, her husband will do.
There’s no character development or world-building. We get a series of bad, interconnected vignettes made hilarious by a snarky narrator. I admit I considered DNF-ing the book in the beginning, but once I got past 30%, I couldn’t put it down.
I laughed. Loud. Manos is hilarious, especially for readers who love bad movies.
April 27, 2016
This is the novelization of the movie that I didn't realize I wanted. The author does a fantastic job of both revering the source material while giving it the irreverence it deserves. The narrator has a beautiful Snark that reminds me of Joe Bob Briggs at his best. I am anxious to find his scary version, Manos: Talons of Fate. If you are a Follower of Manos, this is the gospel.
December 30, 2018
I've probably seen this movie more times than is strictly healthy. Fortunately, most times have been the Mystery Science Theater 3000 or RiffTrax versions. The movie, made on a bet by an insurance salesman, is a serious contender for the worst film of all time. The movie, and book, tell the story of a couple and their child who get lost on their way to a resort outside El Paso, and find themselves in the clutches of a mysterious cult. In this novelization, Stephen D. Sullivan essentially takes us through the story as a kind of Elvira-like omniscient narrator rooting for the bad guys. A fun, light read that's probably best if you're already familiar with the film.
March 21, 2017
I was both surprised and amused that anyone could improve on such a nothing story.
May 29, 2024
Read this for the Authorized Novelizations podcast after getting it on a random draw. I was pretty delighted because I've been meaning to watch the movie for ages. It lives up to its rep as one of the worst movies ever, though by comparison with things like The Room, it's just dull and kinda silly, not actively shriek-inducing. This novelization, though…
The writer noticed that the movie was never legally copyrighted and is in the public domain (though the director's family has been fighting that for years) and decided to write a "serious" adaptation where the story made sense and the Manos cult was actually frightening. Then he decided midway through writing that that "the people" would resent not being able to laugh at Manos the way they were used to, so he decided to write a "funny" version. This is that version. And it is aaaaaaall over the place.
Some of it's written sort of in the style of Tales From the Crypt's Cryptkeeper, all ghoulish giggles at the danger coming to the characters, and praise for our lord and master, Manos. Some of it's meta gags at the expense of the movie, sneering at the bad edits or repetition or low budget of the story. Some of it's weird gender essentialist commentary about how it's the ’60s, so men repress all their emotions and have to be in charge at all times even though they don't know what they're doing, and women panic and make a mess out of things and need to be protected, but hey, at least the lead actress here is a hottie / dish / foxy chick / etc. All of which says waaaay more about the author's hangups than about the ’60s. There's also some pretty unpleasant, smirky women, amirite? humor baked in here that isn't particularly present in the film, complete with weirdly drooly lines to the effect of "She was so scared, she almost jumped out of her dress, which we all wish she'd do, right?"
The overall consensus on the podcast was that the real problem here is that there's almost no insight, no additive adaptation (apart from a small, lyrical section about the future of those two crazy kids making out in the convertible), and a tendency to try to make at least two or three jokes of different types about every line or scene of the movie. It's pretty exhausting.
The writer noticed that the movie was never legally copyrighted and is in the public domain (though the director's family has been fighting that for years) and decided to write a "serious" adaptation where the story made sense and the Manos cult was actually frightening. Then he decided midway through writing that that "the people" would resent not being able to laugh at Manos the way they were used to, so he decided to write a "funny" version. This is that version. And it is aaaaaaall over the place.
Some of it's written sort of in the style of Tales From the Crypt's Cryptkeeper, all ghoulish giggles at the danger coming to the characters, and praise for our lord and master, Manos. Some of it's meta gags at the expense of the movie, sneering at the bad edits or repetition or low budget of the story. Some of it's weird gender essentialist commentary about how it's the ’60s, so men repress all their emotions and have to be in charge at all times even though they don't know what they're doing, and women panic and make a mess out of things and need to be protected, but hey, at least the lead actress here is a hottie / dish / foxy chick / etc. All of which says waaaay more about the author's hangups than about the ’60s. There's also some pretty unpleasant, smirky women, amirite? humor baked in here that isn't particularly present in the film, complete with weirdly drooly lines to the effect of "She was so scared, she almost jumped out of her dress, which we all wish she'd do, right?"
The overall consensus on the podcast was that the real problem here is that there's almost no insight, no additive adaptation (apart from a small, lyrical section about the future of those two crazy kids making out in the convertible), and a tendency to try to make at least two or three jokes of different types about every line or scene of the movie. It's pretty exhausting.
June 29, 2019
Capture the spirit of the film perfectly! If you’re a fan of the film, you’ll enjoy this comedic take. The narrator is perfect, the inner thoughts of the characters fit what was film ( as well as possible) and, well, it’s a fun, campy ride. Even if you’ve only dared to watch the MST3K version (and you should see it without the ‘bots to truly appreciate this film), you’ll enjoy the this adaptation!
May 27, 2024
the too-cool-for-school commentary of the narration eventually got a little tiring for me— it’s not unfun but it got to be a bit much. think i’d prefer to read the earnest version! probably won’t but still! nice to know it exists, I guess
January 11, 2023
Hilarious!🤣
I loved The Commentary from the narrator! This book is hilarious! Yet it manages to deliver the same thrills and chills from the movie
I loved The Commentary from the narrator! This book is hilarious! Yet it manages to deliver the same thrills and chills from the movie
February 13, 2016
Having seen the movie that this novel is based upon, I was curious as to how this book would read. I found this novelization to be vastly more entertaining than the movie! What makes this book so fun, is that the writer has a "narrator" who describes the scenes, as well as keeping up a humorous, running commentary throughout. This book had me laughing out loud frequently. I think I actually snorted when I read this line: "Shari, also short of breath despite being undead, nods." Anyone who has seen the movie, should read this book.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews