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Cowboys & Cthulhu #1
Let Sleeping Gods Lie: A Lovecraftian Gods Horror Story
Louis L’Amour Meets LovecraftPorter Rockwell, wanted for a murder he did not commit, is hiding out in Old California selling whiskey to thirsty forty-niners. When his friends dig up some monstrous bones and a peculiar book and offer to sell it for a helluva price, Porter can’t resist the mystery.
But when both his night bartender and the sellers are murdered at his saloon Porter has to find out what the mysterious artifacts are all about. With some Native American legends, Sasquatch, Lovecraftian horror, and murderous bandits thrown in, not even bullets and blades can stop Rockwell from leaving a swath of righteous carnage in his wake.
Let Sleeping Gods Lie is a weird western fantasy in the vein of classic pulp fiction and Louis L’Amour books. If you like frontier justice, larger-than-life characters, and witty humor, then you will LOVE the first installment of the Cowboys and Cthulhu series.
Buy Let Sleeping Gods Lie to get lost in a horrific weird western adventure today!
But when both his night bartender and the sellers are murdered at his saloon Porter has to find out what the mysterious artifacts are all about. With some Native American legends, Sasquatch, Lovecraftian horror, and murderous bandits thrown in, not even bullets and blades can stop Rockwell from leaving a swath of righteous carnage in his wake.
Let Sleeping Gods Lie is a weird western fantasy in the vein of classic pulp fiction and Louis L’Amour books. If you like frontier justice, larger-than-life characters, and witty humor, then you will LOVE the first installment of the Cowboys and Cthulhu series.
Buy Let Sleeping Gods Lie to get lost in a horrific weird western adventure today!
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 8, 2019
91 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
February 26, 2022
LET SLEEPING GODS LIE: A LOVECRAFT GODS HORROR STORY by David J. West starring his Porter Rockwell character (based on a historical personage). It's a fairly Pulpy Western and not at all that horrific but I happen to be a fan of Pulp Western stories. It has Sasquatch, nightgaunts, Nodens, and monsters oh my. Personally, I found it to be very entertaining and you think you probably will too if you like Westerns and Cthulhu.
November 9, 2019
LET SLEEPING GODS LIE is an unabashedly Lovecraftian tribute in the sub-subgenre of "Weird Western, " a category to which I'm becoming attached. Hardhitting, violent, with a wide range of characters and a finely-tuned ear for the xenophobia of the Old West, LET SLEEPING GODS LIE is a cautionary tale on why we ought to do exactly that: leave the Old Ones in their eons-deep Slumber.
November 25, 2019
Good, fast read
It's an interesting world, obviously rather dark and brutal. There is a plot, but the book skips from fight to fight at a zooming pace. Very fun, over before you know it.
It's an interesting world, obviously rather dark and brutal. There is a plot, but the book skips from fight to fight at a zooming pace. Very fun, over before you know it.
December 26, 2025
My wife surprised me with this for jolabokaflod this year. Normally I place more emphasis on style, but this is no time to be snobby. I'm a sucker for a weird Western, and this is a taut little one that welds together Lovecraftian horror (a shoggoth by any other name would be as gelatinous, and the word "cyclopean" shows up at least once) with Old West bravado and gunplay. I can't help but give that an excellent review. I was pleasantly surprised by the characterization in this novel, as formulaic as it is: the gruff protagonist, the quiet and inscrutable Indian woman, the gang of baddies, the stoic and enigmatic Indian shaman, the two idiot lackeys. Archetypes all, but necessary ones for this sort of tale. Another present surprise was the setting: I'm a northern Californian myself, and I lived for some time within a stone's throw of the American River. All in all, for imaginativeness, unabashed homage to Lovecraft's mythos, unassailable firearms knowledge, and sheer geekery, I give this four out of five stars.
June 16, 2022
yet another fantastic read from David West
This guy is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Although I read this series out of order, it was awesome to go back and read the first one. Cowboys and Cthulhu? How could one go wrong? I love the combination of the marrying between pulp fiction and HP Lovecraft.
In this particular story, Porter Rockwell is trying to investigate the death of Moses, a prospector who was killed by a knife. The mountain hounds, a gang of robbers, are also in the area. Porter is trying to figure out who killed Moses and how to get justice for the Indians. When he’s confronted by stony brown, who is also a member of the mountain hounds, Porter tells stony that he has it handled and that they should leave. When stony challenges Porter the two men fight. To add insult to injury, Porter takes his gun belt off and hands it to Jack so that he can defend himself if needed. Lots of fun imagery throughout this awesome story.
This guy is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Although I read this series out of order, it was awesome to go back and read the first one. Cowboys and Cthulhu? How could one go wrong? I love the combination of the marrying between pulp fiction and HP Lovecraft.
In this particular story, Porter Rockwell is trying to investigate the death of Moses, a prospector who was killed by a knife. The mountain hounds, a gang of robbers, are also in the area. Porter is trying to figure out who killed Moses and how to get justice for the Indians. When he’s confronted by stony brown, who is also a member of the mountain hounds, Porter tells stony that he has it handled and that they should leave. When stony challenges Porter the two men fight. To add insult to injury, Porter takes his gun belt off and hands it to Jack so that he can defend himself if needed. Lots of fun imagery throughout this awesome story.
March 10, 2020
My first read of author David J West and it certainly didn't disappoint. From gritty western action to spellbinding fantasy that knows no bounds, this book was quiet yet action packed all at the same time. The main character Porter reminded me of Colin Bohanan from Hell on Wheels and the main character from Skin Medicine not afraid to speak his mind and not afraid to get his hands dirty.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I was able to read it at a good pace, understood what was happening and with a book that has Bigfoot and Cthulhu in it how could it possibly be bad? I enjoy weird westerns and this one is what the genre is all about. Guns, magic, creatures and a whole lot of chaos in order to restore order. If your looking for a weird western to read this is the book for you!
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I was able to read it at a good pace, understood what was happening and with a book that has Bigfoot and Cthulhu in it how could it possibly be bad? I enjoy weird westerns and this one is what the genre is all about. Guns, magic, creatures and a whole lot of chaos in order to restore order. If your looking for a weird western to read this is the book for you!
November 28, 2020
Best left locked up with the Sleeping Ones.
I love Cthulhu, I love weird westerns, but this one didn’t do it for me. Racial stereotypes were off-putting, even more than the era called for. There’s great peeks at some mythology, Lovecraft and Native, but only peeks. The last two chapters finally grabbed you, great suspense building, only to end abruptly and felt anti-climactic. I felt like things were really starting to get good and maybe I’d be left wanting more. Instead it came across like “oh... okay... I guess it’s done now... time to awkwardly go our separate ways...” Or maybe I’m just bitter because I finally saw a version of my name in a book and he’s a giant, ugly, racist, murder as well as an implied rapist?
I love Cthulhu, I love weird westerns, but this one didn’t do it for me. Racial stereotypes were off-putting, even more than the era called for. There’s great peeks at some mythology, Lovecraft and Native, but only peeks. The last two chapters finally grabbed you, great suspense building, only to end abruptly and felt anti-climactic. I felt like things were really starting to get good and maybe I’d be left wanting more. Instead it came across like “oh... okay... I guess it’s done now... time to awkwardly go our separate ways...” Or maybe I’m just bitter because I finally saw a version of my name in a book and he’s a giant, ugly, racist, murder as well as an implied rapist?
March 7, 2021
Reminents of Cowboys & Aliens
A quick read that escalates quickly, this western tale is filled with the idea of "ghost stories" and beliefs of "old gods." It has an interesting take on a traditional western drama consisting of petty squabbles and thievery until an ancient artifact is unearthed and beings trouble to Porters door. The idea of the story is good, but the inconsistency of the names of the characters troubled me a bit. There were also a few times the narrator repeated himself unnecessarily, which bothered me a bit. However, I did enjoy his descriptive writing. Based on a pretty predictable ending, this book for me was more of a 3.5 with strong potential. If you enjoy westerns, you'll definitely enjoy the tone and plot of this story!
A quick read that escalates quickly, this western tale is filled with the idea of "ghost stories" and beliefs of "old gods." It has an interesting take on a traditional western drama consisting of petty squabbles and thievery until an ancient artifact is unearthed and beings trouble to Porters door. The idea of the story is good, but the inconsistency of the names of the characters troubled me a bit. There were also a few times the narrator repeated himself unnecessarily, which bothered me a bit. However, I did enjoy his descriptive writing. Based on a pretty predictable ending, this book for me was more of a 3.5 with strong potential. If you enjoy westerns, you'll definitely enjoy the tone and plot of this story!
June 17, 2022
I love a good Weird West story and throw in some Cthulhu stuff and it sounded like a recipe for good, freaky fun. This was kinda true.
Right away I’ll say it seemed like there was another storyline I should have been a little familiar with before reading this. Maybe not intrinsically important to the plot but I felt like I was off a beat with the story and characters. The protag goes by a pseudonym. But that isn’t explained, more implied. And it gets confusing when some people call him his real name and others the fake name. Also there’s some subtext with him being a Mormon and hiding from the church, and also the Mormon church has interest in Cthulhu artifacts for unexplained reasons? Coulda used more on that.
Most of all I really liked the Native American involvement. They are fully aware of the Old Ones and the destruction they can cause. It was a nice angle having them be the experts on the subject. I’d have actually preferred if the story was told from their perspective with maybe just a little cowboy help. It felt like the protag was meant to be the hero even though he was totally bumbling along behind Bloody Mary most of the time. She was the real star.
There’s definitely a good bit of action scattered around, but the ultimate ending felt kinda weak. I really expected a big Final Encounter and it was just more henchmen level baddies. I’m usually hesitant to pick up a self-published book cause I’ve read some stinkers. This was decent given that, but I’m not sure I’d try the next installment.
Right away I’ll say it seemed like there was another storyline I should have been a little familiar with before reading this. Maybe not intrinsically important to the plot but I felt like I was off a beat with the story and characters. The protag goes by a pseudonym. But that isn’t explained, more implied. And it gets confusing when some people call him his real name and others the fake name. Also there’s some subtext with him being a Mormon and hiding from the church, and also the Mormon church has interest in Cthulhu artifacts for unexplained reasons? Coulda used more on that.
Most of all I really liked the Native American involvement. They are fully aware of the Old Ones and the destruction they can cause. It was a nice angle having them be the experts on the subject. I’d have actually preferred if the story was told from their perspective with maybe just a little cowboy help. It felt like the protag was meant to be the hero even though he was totally bumbling along behind Bloody Mary most of the time. She was the real star.
There’s definitely a good bit of action scattered around, but the ultimate ending felt kinda weak. I really expected a big Final Encounter and it was just more henchmen level baddies. I’m usually hesitant to pick up a self-published book cause I’ve read some stinkers. This was decent given that, but I’m not sure I’d try the next installment.
April 17, 2020
Do you want to be entertained?
Cosmic Horror.
Action.
Adventure.
A heady mix of folklore, mythology and magic thrown together to create a pressing whole. West writes to entertain and enthrall and he does so with break neck pacing and we'll drawn characterization. It's a pleasure to read this weird western, recommended without reservation.
Cosmic Horror.
Action.
Adventure.
A heady mix of folklore, mythology and magic thrown together to create a pressing whole. West writes to entertain and enthrall and he does so with break neck pacing and we'll drawn characterization. It's a pleasure to read this weird western, recommended without reservation.
June 6, 2020
“Let Sleeping Gods Lie: Book 1” had an interesting mixture of action/adventure wrapped in a blanket of ancient mystery and 'alien' folklore. An exciting, yet odd, other-worldly, old western to say the least. Not as dark or creepy as I thought it would be, but it did have a slight Louis L’Amour feel to it. Loved reading those books with my Dad as a kid.
November 2, 2021
Pretty good western horror pulp
The series title doesn't lie. You are getting weird, Lovecraftian western story here. And for the pulp appeal, this is pretty great. There are some missed opportunities, but it approaches the subject in an engaging way that invites readers to continue on with the series.
The series title doesn't lie. You are getting weird, Lovecraftian western story here. And for the pulp appeal, this is pretty great. There are some missed opportunities, but it approaches the subject in an engaging way that invites readers to continue on with the series.
January 6, 2020
West delivers a story that reads like it's a masterful blend of Robert E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft! I'm a sucker for weird westerns and West never fails to deliver. This story is action-packed and hits all the right notes. I loved all the nods to Lovecraft.
February 16, 2021
Creepy fun
I enjoyed it and I didn't see anything that I found objectionable as a 68-year-old lady. It was creepy without being gory and robust without being Blasphemous or Gross. So thank you very much!
I enjoyed it and I didn't see anything that I found objectionable as a 68-year-old lady. It was creepy without being gory and robust without being Blasphemous or Gross. So thank you very much!
August 17, 2022
It look long enough for David West's series of fantasy adventures starring Mormon gunslinger Porter Rockwell to bring in the Old Ones, and even then, he more sidestepped the confrontation than dove into it, but Porter ain't stupid. And there's a sequel.
March 18, 2020
Pleasant romp short on horror
A fun derivation of Cthulhu, but far more in line with August Derleth than Lovecraft. Less horror and more adventure.
A fun derivation of Cthulhu, but far more in line with August Derleth than Lovecraft. Less horror and more adventure.
May 17, 2020
Gripping read from start to finish
Porter continues to delight and amaze with the breadth of his adventures. This time out in gold country and with an unfortunate find ...
Porter continues to delight and amaze with the breadth of his adventures. This time out in gold country and with an unfortunate find ...
October 22, 2020
Blazing six-guns and Old Gods
Well written weird western adventure. Fast paced and holds your attention right from the very first page. Well worth reading.
Well written weird western adventure. Fast paced and holds your attention right from the very first page. Well worth reading.
January 4, 2021
Not a bad read
I picked this book up because I’ve always been a fan of Cthulhu and the darker forces of the word. The ending was kind of meh, but it was a good little read
I picked this book up because I’ve always been a fan of Cthulhu and the darker forces of the word. The ending was kind of meh, but it was a good little read
July 2, 2021
I thought this was a fun Weird West with some nice Cosmic Horror flavoring.
September 21, 2021
Great Story
A very very well told tale with very human characters , nice twists and turns. A rare insight into the old west mud, blood and death and ancient horrors.
A very very well told tale with very human characters , nice twists and turns. A rare insight into the old west mud, blood and death and ancient horrors.
December 5, 2021
I loved this book. It was advertised as a cross between La'Mour and Lovecraft, it truly was.
January 10, 2022
A whole lotta fun!
A fun adventure into a very creative meshing of two distinct genres. Definitely worth a read. You won't regret it!
A fun adventure into a very creative meshing of two distinct genres. Definitely worth a read. You won't regret it!
September 19, 2022
An Interesting read
I have always been a fan of the wild west and stories of Cthulhu. I feel like that book had a nice blend of both of those elements. Overall I think it was well paced and the story was interesting.
I have always been a fan of the wild west and stories of Cthulhu. I feel like that book had a nice blend of both of those elements. Overall I think it was well paced and the story was interesting.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews