Zehlreg Augustus Grindstone's Spectacular Western Oddity Emporium

by Suzanna Lundale (Editor), Marc Tizura (Editor), Evan Austin (Contributor)

Step right up, ladies & gents, elves & orcs, one & all to Zehlreg Augustus Grindstone's Spectacular Western Oddity Emporium!

Gather ‘round with us at the crossroads of Wild West and Fantasy to celebrate the arrival of the emporium, a general store like no other that travels the West bringing tales filled with dragons, gold, cowboys, and demons, along with so much more! This anthology features over 40 original pieces imagining a Wild West where horrors and wonders from other storytelling traditions dance, play, and fight on the plains, in the mines, and at the saloons alongside the usual suspects.

Come on in. We can’t wait to show you!

564 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 19, 2024

About the author

Suzanna Lundale is a writer, poet, and observer of worlds from Phoenix, Arizona, now haunting North Carolina. She is passionate about language, history, wanderlust, dogs, and the loved ones – real and imagined – who form her galaxy. Much of her current work falls in the nebulous range of speculative and weird fiction. Her Latinx/Scandinavian-American heritage, and her identity as a witch, lend to the complexity of her worldview.

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished reading this book last night, and let me tell you what: this scratched an itch that I often don't get to read. Weird-Wild-West stories, poems, and more. There was undoubtedly something for everyone in here, and were I a better reader I'd be able to speak to each and every one of them. When there are 40 pieces or more, though, that gets really difficult for me to remember each and every one.

That said, know that while I do have a piece in here, and paired with my wife's lovely art, this review is as unbiased as I can make it.

Where to begin? Let's go with the one that lives rent free in my head. Marc Tizura's The Gun (apologies if I got that wrong, as I do not have the book in front of me.) This brought me back to my love of The Gunslinger and all things weird-wild-west. Absolute top notch, chefs kiss, no notes other than I need more.

Honestly, every story in here? So good, and each one did what most anthologies manage: they left me wanting more. Each story was just enough to grab my attention, drag me in, tell me a story, and leave me hankering for more words, more of that world. Just...more.

Some were short, yes, but nonetheless packed a lovely punch.

Do yourself a favor and rustle yourself a copy of this and give it a read. Tell them I sent you.

[Sophie Brookes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dark Tower by Stephen King is one of my most beloved book series. So when I found out that End of The World Publishing were gathering short stories for a Wild Western/Fantasy inspired anthology, I knew I needed to read it.

And I'm pleased to say that Zehlreg Augustus Grindstone's Spectacular Western Oddity Emporium definitely scratches the itch. Each story in this anthology perfectly mixes the themes of old spaghetti westerns, as well as the archetypes and tropes from all the fantasies, old and new, that we love.

I adored the concept to this anthology; a travelling emporium of oddities, where the various peculiarities and relics on display foreshadow the stories in the book.

Whilst I enjoyed all the tales in this anthology, my two personal favourites were The Gun by Marc Tizura, and In Eldad's Well by Stuart Turnbull.

If you're a fan of The Dark Tower, I definitely recommend picking this up!