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Gunfight!: Thirteen Western Stories
A collection of western stories from historical to modern features the work of O. Henry, Dorothy Johnson, Luke Short, Donald Hamilton, and Bill Pronzini
204 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 9, 2020
Eleven of the thirteen stories were very good, and two of them were classics of a sort that were made into major Western movies, with "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" becoming a film of the same name, and "The Tin Star" being one of the inspirations for High Noon. So, why did I give the collection only three stars?
Oddly, the editor included two modern stories that didn't fit the tone of the rest, but enough that the difference was jarring and distracting. One of these was a very literary tale of eagles, Navajo, weirdly murderous sheep ranchers and helicopters. This was a painfully annoying story by an author whose other work I had enjoyed. Then there was another about a modern mountain man in New England dueling with a game warden over poaching, and that one just came across as weak.
The stronger stories included the two turned into major films, but also included an older Hopalong Cassidy story and a Donald Hamilton western tale that was a real treat.
If you like western movies or short western fiction, then I recommend this book, other than the two modern tales. You may even like those two, but I didn't.
Oddly, the editor included two modern stories that didn't fit the tone of the rest, but enough that the difference was jarring and distracting. One of these was a very literary tale of eagles, Navajo, weirdly murderous sheep ranchers and helicopters. This was a painfully annoying story by an author whose other work I had enjoyed. Then there was another about a modern mountain man in New England dueling with a game warden over poaching, and that one just came across as weak.
The stronger stories included the two turned into major films, but also included an older Hopalong Cassidy story and a Donald Hamilton western tale that was a real treat.
If you like western movies or short western fiction, then I recommend this book, other than the two modern tales. You may even like those two, but I didn't.
June 1, 2024
Great western short fiction. An interesting assortment of stories. I also enjoyed the author bios.
June 11, 2010
I appreciate the intention, seeking out unique stories in an ocean of generic high-noon standoffs. Still a lot to be desired.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews