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Deadman's Crossing
Deadwood meets The Walking Dead in this wild and profane Western romp featuring zombies, werewolves, killer bees, and one pissed-off gun-slinging preacher.
The Wild West has never seen the likes of Reverend Jebidiah Mercer, a hard man wielding a burning Bible and a bottle of whiskey in the battle between God and the Devil. Frankly, he’s not sure he gives a damn who wins.
As the not-so-good Reverend tangles with a Lovecraftian horror and joins a renegade named Flower to battle a horde of cannibalistic fiends, only this is certain: Mercer’s blasphemous journey is laced with relentless action, terrifying evil, and nonstop humor.
This supernatural epic of the Old West that never was will leave you heartily cheering for the good guys—if you can just figure out who the good guys are.
(Deadman's Crossing is the e-book edition of Deadman's Road minus the novella Dead In the West.)
The Wild West has never seen the likes of Reverend Jebidiah Mercer, a hard man wielding a burning Bible and a bottle of whiskey in the battle between God and the Devil. Frankly, he’s not sure he gives a damn who wins.
As the not-so-good Reverend tangles with a Lovecraftian horror and joins a renegade named Flower to battle a horde of cannibalistic fiends, only this is certain: Mercer’s blasphemous journey is laced with relentless action, terrifying evil, and nonstop humor.
This supernatural epic of the Old West that never was will leave you heartily cheering for the good guys—if you can just figure out who the good guys are.
(Deadman's Crossing is the e-book edition of Deadman's Road minus the novella Dead In the West.)
ebook
First published January 1, 2013
54 people are currently reading
272 people want to read
About the author
Joe R. Lansdale
826 books3,915 followersChampion Mojo Storyteller Joe R. Lansdale is the author of over forty novels and numerous short stories. His work has appeared in national anthologies, magazines, and collections, as well as numerous foreign publications. He has written for comics, television, film, newspapers, and Internet sites. His work has been collected in more than two dozen short-story collections, and he has edited or co-edited over a dozen anthologies. He has received the Edgar Award, eight Bram Stoker Awards, the Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the British Fantasy Award, the Grinzani Cavour Prize for Literature, the Herodotus Historical Fiction Award, the Inkpot Award for Contributions to Science Fiction and Fantasy, and many others. His novella Bubba Ho-Tep was adapted to film by Don Coscarelli, starring Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis. His story "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" was adapted to film for Showtime's "Masters of Horror," and he adapted his short story "Christmas with the Dead" to film hisownself. The film adaptation of his novel Cold in July was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and the Sundance Channel has adapted his Hap & Leonard novels for television.
He is currently co-producing several films, among them The Bottoms, based on his Edgar Award-winning novel, with Bill Paxton and Brad Wyman, and The Drive-In, with Greg Nicotero. He is Writer In Residence at Stephen F. Austin State University, and is the founder of the martial arts system Shen Chuan: Martial Science and its affiliate, Shen Chuan Family System. He is a member of both the United States and International Martial Arts Halls of Fame. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife, dog, and two cats.
He is currently co-producing several films, among them The Bottoms, based on his Edgar Award-winning novel, with Bill Paxton and Brad Wyman, and The Drive-In, with Greg Nicotero. He is Writer In Residence at Stephen F. Austin State University, and is the founder of the martial arts system Shen Chuan: Martial Science and its affiliate, Shen Chuan Family System. He is a member of both the United States and International Martial Arts Halls of Fame. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife, dog, and two cats.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 30, 2024
Not Lansdale’s best, but still an entertaining book - a collection of stories about an Occult Detective in the old west.
December 9, 2014
As a longtime reader of Joe R Lansdale, it is nice to finally see the Jebediah Mercer short stories collected in one place. This is one of Lansdale’s most consistently fun series.
Deadman's Crossing is the e-book version of a hardback book that was originally published under the title Deadman's Road. Unfortunately, this e-edition does not contain the 1980 novel Dead in the West, which was the first (and best) of the Jebediah stories. Apparently, while Tachyon Publications holds the rights to all the stories in print, a different publisher holds the electronic rights to the novel.
The short stories included are “Deadman’s Road” and “The Gentlemen Hotel”, which were first collected in the now out-of-print book Shadows, Kith and Kin.
The most recent stories are “The Crawling Sky” and “The Dark Down There”.
The stories are dark, but they always manage to retain a sort of tongue-in-cheek campiness and energy that is fun to revisit.
This is a must-have for Lansdale fans.
Deadman's Crossing is the e-book version of a hardback book that was originally published under the title Deadman's Road. Unfortunately, this e-edition does not contain the 1980 novel Dead in the West, which was the first (and best) of the Jebediah stories. Apparently, while Tachyon Publications holds the rights to all the stories in print, a different publisher holds the electronic rights to the novel.
The short stories included are “Deadman’s Road” and “The Gentlemen Hotel”, which were first collected in the now out-of-print book Shadows, Kith and Kin.
The most recent stories are “The Crawling Sky” and “The Dark Down There”.
The stories are dark, but they always manage to retain a sort of tongue-in-cheek campiness and energy that is fun to revisit.
This is a must-have for Lansdale fans.
June 29, 2015
3 1/2 STARS
February 10, 2024
Lansdale's Weird West Show
No one does New Pulp better than Lansdale, and in this collection of tales, we find his take on that most fascinatingly thorny of pulp hero character-types: God's Own Dower Avenger, a lone traveler, invariably clad in black, sword and/or gun in hand, tasked by his Lord (be it in his own mind or otherwise) to seek out and vanquish evil, both human and supernatural. Probably most famously embodied in Robert E Howard's Solomon Kane, the type always presents a striking dichotomy: a fundamentally bleak, disconcerting individual placing himself in such depraved situations where he's the bright spot for humanity. And while it's a lot of fun watching him do what he does best, given his religious fanaticism, there's always the never-quite-dispelled uncertainty over whether his taking his wrath out on deserving targets is incidental/happy accident. The Reverend Mercer puts a unique spin on this concept, in that he feels unwantedly compelled by a cruel god he fears but doesn't love. This renders him somewhat more of a pitiable, tragic figure, though he at least maintains a dry, sardonic sense of humor about it all. Lansdale writes all this with his usual razor-sharp prose and dialogue, and makes no attempt whatsoever to disguise how much he (the author) is enjoying every minute of it, the more over the top/twisted/raunchy/darkly comedic, the better. Based on this review, you probably already know whether or not you'd have as much fun reading it. I sure did.
No one does New Pulp better than Lansdale, and in this collection of tales, we find his take on that most fascinatingly thorny of pulp hero character-types: God's Own Dower Avenger, a lone traveler, invariably clad in black, sword and/or gun in hand, tasked by his Lord (be it in his own mind or otherwise) to seek out and vanquish evil, both human and supernatural. Probably most famously embodied in Robert E Howard's Solomon Kane, the type always presents a striking dichotomy: a fundamentally bleak, disconcerting individual placing himself in such depraved situations where he's the bright spot for humanity. And while it's a lot of fun watching him do what he does best, given his religious fanaticism, there's always the never-quite-dispelled uncertainty over whether his taking his wrath out on deserving targets is incidental/happy accident. The Reverend Mercer puts a unique spin on this concept, in that he feels unwantedly compelled by a cruel god he fears but doesn't love. This renders him somewhat more of a pitiable, tragic figure, though he at least maintains a dry, sardonic sense of humor about it all. Lansdale writes all this with his usual razor-sharp prose and dialogue, and makes no attempt whatsoever to disguise how much he (the author) is enjoying every minute of it, the more over the top/twisted/raunchy/darkly comedic, the better. Based on this review, you probably already know whether or not you'd have as much fun reading it. I sure did.
June 28, 2017
GOES BOOM IN THE NIGHT
These stories/adventures covers the many facets of the spiritual world. The Preacher travels the west eradicating and mostly destroying these abnormalities that bring deaths, diseases, misfortune to all those that are exposed to their
debauchery.
Lots of head shaking and "wow"moments. As you read about the different situations, there's are atheists beliefs and since he is Preacher, who
faces these demonics with guns, rifles and sometimes dynamite or whatever is available.
The Preacher is questioned his stand on the Bible
and some may feel offended by his responses. But, you can get by certain responses and keep enjoy the plot..Read/Enjoy and don't be afraid of that scratching sounds you hear coming from your porch...it's probably raccoons...maybe😨
These stories/adventures covers the many facets of the spiritual world. The Preacher travels the west eradicating and mostly destroying these abnormalities that bring deaths, diseases, misfortune to all those that are exposed to their
debauchery.
Lots of head shaking and "wow"moments. As you read about the different situations, there's are atheists beliefs and since he is Preacher, who
faces these demonics with guns, rifles and sometimes dynamite or whatever is available.
The Preacher is questioned his stand on the Bible
and some may feel offended by his responses. But, you can get by certain responses and keep enjoy the plot..Read/Enjoy and don't be afraid of that scratching sounds you hear coming from your porch...it's probably raccoons...maybe😨
December 29, 2020
Always did love Joe Landsdale, though I haven't read any of his work for years. I am planning on running Down Darker Trails: Terrors of the Mythos in the Wild West with my gaming group, so I thought I'd get a little taste of Weird West in preparation. Mission accomplished! Four stories about a murderous preacher shooting his way across the Old West in service of a dark god...the one you'll find in the Old Testament. Farts, body odor, hookers, gamblers, murderers, more farts, gross miners...and werewolves, zombies, and less easily named creatures fill these stories that are horrifying and often times very funny. I enjoyed this tremendously. The image of the filthy old man scratching his ass with the same spoon he was cooking beans with will linger with me for a long time.
March 16, 2018
Welllllll...
This was so-so. This was the second time I read this collection, and unfortunately it didn't get better the second time around. All the stories follows the same formula: The Reverend rides into a town, meets the townfolk (alive or in ghost-form), the The Reverend has a lot of funny stuff to say, albeit always in the same vein (I hate God, but I'm his servant etc. etc.), The Reverend meets some supernatural being (Werewolves, Kobolds, Zombies etc.), The Reverend kicks some ass and leaves town on his horse. It just gets very, very repetitive. Very fast.
2½ stars.
This was so-so. This was the second time I read this collection, and unfortunately it didn't get better the second time around. All the stories follows the same formula: The Reverend rides into a town, meets the townfolk (alive or in ghost-form), the The Reverend has a lot of funny stuff to say, albeit always in the same vein (I hate God, but I'm his servant etc. etc.), The Reverend meets some supernatural being (Werewolves, Kobolds, Zombies etc.), The Reverend kicks some ass and leaves town on his horse. It just gets very, very repetitive. Very fast.
2½ stars.
September 1, 2019
You need a strong stomach to read some of these stories.
This book is made up of four short stories; in my opinion the first one is the best and they go downhill from there. The stories are about a preacher who travels around the "Old West" stamping out "EVIL" mainly by eliminating werewolves, zombies, and other creatures. The Reverend is pretty cold-blooded about handling a anybody who gets on his nerves. He runs across some strange characters; some of them are really funny.
This book is made up of four short stories; in my opinion the first one is the best and they go downhill from there. The stories are about a preacher who travels around the "Old West" stamping out "EVIL" mainly by eliminating werewolves, zombies, and other creatures. The Reverend is pretty cold-blooded about handling a anybody who gets on his nerves. He runs across some strange characters; some of them are really funny.
January 14, 2021
The "weird west" tales from Joe R. Lansdale never fail to disappoint. Maybe it's the easy way the words flow across the page, or the clever metaphors and turns of phrase that he uses, or that the stories are full of pulpy goodness. Whatever it is, I like it.
Fans of Lansdale's work will enjoy this collection of four short stories featuring the Reverend Jebediah: "Deadman’s Road", "The Gentlemen's Hotel", "The Crawling Sky" and my favorite of the bunch "The Dark Down There" which made me laugh out loud a few times.
The stories are dark, pulpy, and a hell of a lot of fun.
Fans of Lansdale's work will enjoy this collection of four short stories featuring the Reverend Jebediah: "Deadman’s Road", "The Gentlemen's Hotel", "The Crawling Sky" and my favorite of the bunch "The Dark Down There" which made me laugh out loud a few times.
The stories are dark, pulpy, and a hell of a lot of fun.
January 19, 2024
A great irreverent twist on Solomon Kane, brought to the American West. A preacher that hates God, but fears hell more than his hatred. He's cynical, jaded, and tired, but still fights god's enemies wherever he finds them. He destroys more bibles than he reads, and he always tries to save the horses.
May 30, 2019
Collection of four weird western stories by one of the best current writers. The Reverend, with a peculiar relationship with his Good, wanders the West seeking out evil. Reminiscent of the Silver John stories by Manley Wade Wellman but less civilized. Lansdale is a master of dialect.
February 18, 2024
Bloody and violent, in true Joe Lansdale fashion, this set of stories follows the preacher, Jebediah Mercer, as he makes his way to places where evil dwells. This is not your average, routine evil either. This is the stuff of monsters in well, or caves.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2025
A preacher in the wild west hunts and kills supernatural creatures. The author does a good job in whatever he sets his hand to, this was a good story, but I am particularly fond of his Hap and Leonard series.
August 22, 2019
Pleasantly creepy.
Mr. Lansdale does creepy, weird Western very well. In fact, I'm sorry read this at night and am grateful the last story was milder than the ones before it.
Mr. Lansdale does creepy, weird Western very well. In fact, I'm sorry read this at night and am grateful the last story was milder than the ones before it.
October 20, 2019
More a collection of interconnected short stories than a novel.
Still, a good read in the genre-bending category.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Still, a good read in the genre-bending category.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
April 16, 2021
A compilation of very Lansdale short stories of the western horror variety
February 16, 2023
very good collection of short storys
Read
January 1, 2025"Deadman's Road" 12-25-24
"The Gentleman's Hotel" 12-26-2024
"The Crawling Sky" 12-27-24
"The Dark Down There"
"The Gentleman's Hotel" 12-26-2024
"The Crawling Sky" 12-27-24
"The Dark Down There"
August 22, 2018
As a genre you might call it bibles and bullets. I am fan of Landsdale Joe R. but I did not enjoy this book. As a single short story it works but when you collect very similar tales it becomes stale and exposes the lack of a story.
Joe delivers some of his trademark rough humour but often strays to the realms of unpleasantness.
3 stars is on the generous side.
Joe delivers some of his trademark rough humour but often strays to the realms of unpleasantness.
3 stars is on the generous side.
December 6, 2025
It took me ages to finally pick up a book by Lansdale, and I think I’m instantly hooked.
October 5, 2013
A great, fast-pacing, clever pulp book. once begun, it's hard to put it down. Lansdale provide plenty of unexpected plot twist that make the reader die to read the next adventure of Jebidiah - even though the structure will be obviously the same. The character of the Reverend Jebidiah Mercer is precisely the bad-ass kind of guy one would gladly cross the book's uncanny wild west landscape with, and the feeling of uncertainty created by the shocking supernatural evil is supported by the masterful mixture of good and bad - with maybe a pinch more of the latter - that is Jebidiah. oh, and the book of course offers gore. plenty of gore, high-quality and blood-curdling. to conclude, this is the kind of book that, at the last page, makes you say "what? it's over already?"
September 22, 2015
A collection of short stories featuring Reverend Jebidiah Mercer, a fun quick read.
July 11, 2017
Lansdale tells a good ghost story, with plenty of his trademark violence.
April 2, 2018
Podcast review (in Swedish): http://lashart.podbean.com/e/joe-r-la...
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews