"Daren Dean is a master at excavating the contradictions inherent in the hearts of men and these layered stories weave together a kind of brutal realism alongside moments of gorgeous poetic reflection. We, the readers, feel the pains and struggles of these deeply complex characters who are doing their best, even when their best ain’t good enough.”
–Andrew K. Clark, author of Where Dark Things Grow and Jesus in the Trailer

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“Devoted readers of Daren Dean—of whom I am one—will be delighted by The New Salvation. Dean writes prose that isn’t afraid to show off its calluses. His sentences still land like gut-punches, even as they--in the indelible words of one of his narrators—'reach up to the moon like savage prayers.’ But The New Salvation also proves that Dean has considerably more stylistic muscles to flex, as he weaves thrilling elements of sci-fi, Southern Gothic, and madcap farce into his trademark dirty realism. The New Salvation is a captivating performance by a Missoura maestro.”
–John Waddy Bullion, author of This World Will Never Run Out of Strangers: Stories

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“The New Salvation and Other Stories has more bangers in it than an AR clip. Dean’s tightly spun tales are a kaleidoscope’s view into the full range of human emotion...Dean is simply a masterful, gritty, storyteller, with a voice that vibrates in your head in the best possible way long after you put the book down.”
–JD Clapp, Author of A Good Man Goes South: Stories and Poachers and Pills