The Mensch with No Name

Merkabah Rider #2

by Edward M. Erdelac

The Merkabah Rider continues his journey across the American Southwest of 1880 in search of the renegade teacher who destroyed his mystic Jewish order in the second volume (containing novella episodes 5-8) of this acclaimed weird western series.

In this installment the Rider unravels more of the mystery of Adon's Hour of the Incursion plot and quickly learns that demons are the least of his troubles. He defends a remote settlement against a gang of half-demon gunmen in 'The Infernal Napoleon,' joins forces with Doc Holliday to hunt down an invisible creature in 'The Damned Dingus,' aids a group of Indians against the mindbending horror of 'The Outlaw Gods,' and takes his hunt to hell itself in 'The Pandæmonium Ride.'

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Weird West, Westerns, Lovecraftian, Weird Fiction, Cthulhu Mythos

234 pages, Paperback

First published August 29, 2010

About the author

Edward M. Erdelac is the author of thirteen novels including the acclaimed Judeocentric/Lovecraftian weird western series Merkabah Rider, Rainbringer: Zora Neale Hurston Against The Lovecraftian Mythos, Conquer, Monstrumfuhrer from Comet Press, Terovolas from JournalStone Publishing, and Andersonville from Random House/Hydra.

Born in Indiana, educated in Chicago, he lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife and a bona fide slew of kids and cats.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Merkabah Rider is a Hasidic gunfighter well versed in Jewish mystacism, on a journey across the Old West in search of his mentor and betrayer, Adon. This is the second collection of his tales.

The Infernal Napoleon: The Rider is pursued by the minions of Lilith and they catch up with him in the tiny town of Varuga tanks. Can the Rider overcome half-breed demons and a cannon that was used in the war between angels to continue his search for Adon?

The Merkabah Rider's question resumes with a bang. The Infernal Napoleon was a great plot device. Both biblical and Lovecratian mythologies are references, most notably the story of Samson. By the time it's over, the Rider has been through the wringer yet again.

The Damned Dingus: The Rider is on a train that is robbed and loses his gun to the robbers. With Doc Holiday and Mysterious Dave Mather in tow, The Rider goes to reclaim his Volcanic pistol and gets a lot more than he bargained for...

Wow. The Damned Dingus was damned good. The Lovecraftian overtones get even stronger and the invisible creature was straight out of a Lovecraft tale. I geeked pretty hard when the stone bearing the Elder Sign made an appearance, as well as the mention of Hyperborea, The Necronomicon, and Al-Hazred. It appears The Hour of Incursion is growing near...

The Outlaw Gods: The Rider's travels pit him against serpent men, monstrous trees, and the Black Goat Man. Can even his allience with a Hindi mystic and a host of spirits help him defeat the Black Goat Man and his consort?

Astute Lovecraft readers will guess the identity of the Black Goat Man's consort but that doesn't make it have any less impact. The Rider's palaver with Chaksusa and Chaksusa's revelations about the nature of the universe or universes reminded me of Roland and the Man in Black in the Gunslinger. The scope of the Merkabah Rider's quest even reminds me of The Dark Tower. The same sense of urgency is building. If I didn't already know there are two more volumes planned, I'd be wondering how Erdelac was planning on wrapping things up in the next sixty pages.

The Pandaemonium Ride: With a new ally at his side, the Rider goes to hell to get some answers from Lucifer. He won't like what the ultimate betrayer has to say...

Sweet. F#cking. Christ. The full scope of the Hour of Incursion is revealed in this tale and it's a f#cking whopper. I knew the saga of the Merkabah Rider was going to be huge in scope but this is even bigger than I was prepared for. I've never read anything that explained the relationships between the Lovecraft mythos and that of the Judeo-Christian one. Heaven and hell united against the Great Old Ones? It's f#cking mind-boggling. Also, I really liked that the staff Solomon Kane uses is in the hands of Kadebe.

Conclusion: Ever since I read the Dark Tower, I've been looking for a weird western quest story to fill the void. If the first two volumes of the Merkabah Rider's tale are any indication, the Dark Tower is going to get a run for its money.

Note: You can read an interview I did with Edward M. Erdelac here.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the first Merkabah volume with some reservations, I went over the moon for its sequel. The stories are tighter, more interesting, and chock full of sorcery, mystery, and conspiracy. The further the story goes, the bigger it gets. Erdelac's writing remains excellent. Some of his descriptive passages make me pause and think, "Damn, the man can write a fucking scene but how!" Mieville did this to me in his early New Crobuzon books, and Erdelac's writing deserves similar accolades for its own brand of weirdness.

My only criticism for this volume is that Erdelac does succumb to wordy explanations about the dark forces that are afoot. Heavy exposition is symptomatic to this facet of the genre (hello Lovecraft), and, given the sheer amount of context that Erdelac is striving to provide, I can see how this tendency infected his own writing. That said, I enjoy the hints and suggestions that he provides more than the definite explanations that delve into pantheons and mythologies and legend A connecting to legend Z. Give me demons--but keep the lights low and the boskage untamed so that I can wonder just what that noise is--and whether or not something is about to pounce.

This is great--no, stupendous adventure fiction, the kind that I often crave and rarely find. I tip my hat to Erdelac, who not only conceived of a bizarre and bad-ass mix of tropes and ideas, he also put it all together with a singular panache.

[Lee Conley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Review of
The Mensch with No Name (Merkabah Rider #2)
By
Edward M Erdelac

This is book two of the Merkabah Rider series and I'm loving it!
In short, this continues the cool story of The Rider but in this book we start to see the cosmic horror and a bit of Lovecraftian mythos creeping in, very enjoyable as the first was, and Erdelac is increasing the scope of the tale, there is more at stake than just God versus Lucifer, and a far greater evil is lurking out there, The Great Old Ones, and the mysterious hour of incursion is at hand.
He is still haunted by the demons that were unleashed upon him in book 1 and is still seeking Adon. I loved the fact he meets Doc Holiday, and we see our first Lovecraftian horrors, as The Rider seeks the truth about what is happening, he should be careful as the truth will test his faith and could destroy his mind.

Thanks for Reading
Lee

[Mohammed Abdikhader Firdhiye · Rating 4 out of 5]

The episodes in this second book is more connected with each other and more about Rider's main storyline. I thought the strongest episodes was the first and the last one, The Infernal Napoleon and The Pandaemonium Ride.

The saga of the Merkabah Rider became so much bigger in scope than i expected in this book, things was so desperate for The Rider. It wasnt as much action as the first book but i liked getting inside the mind of the Rider who had so much to deal with. The way the writer wrote about the Jewish mythology, the old Gods seemed natural to the story and not pasted in, superficial world building. I was glad to see The Rider getting a new ally in one of the stories. The Hour of Incursion was getting too much for him mentally,physically. I cant wait to see what happens in the next few episodes and the new book.

The only weakness i can really mention is that the action was not as vivid, as clear to see as the first book. It didnt matter because the stories in this book focused more on The Rider himself, the main storyline. It was not stand alone supernatural monster killing stories like the first few stories.

[Stephen Van Schaack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even better than the first book. Though it’s another collection of stories, this book doesn’t feel as episodic since the linking story of the Old Ones is becoming more clear, making this a more involved read. I highly recommend this for horror enthusiasts and those who enjoy weird westerns.

[Shedrick Pittman-Hassett · Rating 4 out of 5]

From my blog: http://serialdistractions.com/2011/02...

I love me some weird west. From the supernatural tales of Joe R. Lansdale and Robert E. Howard, or even the Deadlands RPG, to science fiction stories like Cowboys and Aliens (both the graphic novel and the upcoming film), The Adventures of Briscoe County, Jr. and the original Wild Wild West, I love it all. Now I have another work to add to this collection. Edward Erdelac‘s Merkabah Rider series is a highly entertaining foray into one of my favorite subgenres.

So far two books comprise the adventures of The Rider: Tales of a High Planes Drifter and The Mensch With No Name. Both are composed of novellas (“episodes”) that work as stand-alone adventure tales but are also strung together into an overarching story of Lovecraftian horror. The Merkabah Rider, who has forsaken his name in order to deprive his enemies of power over him, is a Judaic mystic and traveler between the planes. He travels alone, the last of his Order, the sole survivor of the slaughter wrought by Adon, his former mentor. As the Rider and his faithful onager make their way across a desolate West in search of Adon, they encounter all manner of demons, godlings, and supernatural beasts. They also encounter greedy scoundrels and bloodthirsty outlaws, as well as ordinary folks who must face the darkness with only their faith and their courage. As the stories progress, the Rider becomes more beat down, more despondent, and more confused. His resolve is tested constantly by several faith-shaking revelations as he grows closer to his prey and discovers how deep Adon’s treachery has gone. He learns more and more of an “Hour of Incursion” in which the world will be torn apart by ancient forces of darkness beyond even the Rider’s vast knowledge.

The first book, Tales of a High Planes Drifter, introduces the Rider and his quest. While the prose sometimes takes on a decidedly purple tint and slows down in some passages, the stories build in suspense and in readability until, by the end of The Nightjar Women, you are completely engrossed in the story and in the character. It is in the second volume, The Mensch With No Name, that Erdelac really hits his stride. The stories here are stronger, as is the characterization of the Rider. The fun that he’s having with the series really comes through on the page.

It is also clear that Erdelac has steeped himself in mythology, history, and other works in the genre. The stories drip with esoteric lore from all over the world, with an obvious emphasis on Judaic mysticism and Biblical apocrypha. As the stories progress we see the emergence of Lovecraft’s celebrated Mythos but used in new and very creative ways. Further, the Rider encounters figures from history (such as Doc Holiday and Dave Mather), from the works of Howard (Kelly the Conjure-Man), and references to the “spaghetti westerns” from which Erdelac borrows so much of his esthetic. Erdelac is skilled at ensuring that all of the references and outside knowledge do not threaten to pull the reader out of the story and instead manages to give his tales a resonance and a depth that really engage the reader. He also helps by including an incredibly useful glossary of terms at the back of each volume.

The Merkabah Rider series is a fine addition to my Weird West library. I’m looking forward to the release of the next set of adventures Have Glyph Will Travel.

[Monster]

The second book in Erdelac’s Merkabah Rider series contains four more episodes of The Rider’s travels through the American Southwest in the late 1800s as he tracks down Adon, his former mentor, who has betrayed their ancient order of Jewish mystics. The Mensch With No Name picks up right where Tales of a High Planes Drifter left off with four episodes of frightening adversaries bent on the destruction of The Rider. While all episodes are worth reading, “The Damned Dingus” left me wide-eyed with fright as Erdelac unraveled a tale of an invisible monster living deep within a cave in Elk Mountain that takes extreme joy in ripping the flesh from all living beings that are unfortunate enough to cross its path.
Merkabah Rider: The Mensch With No Name is my fourth Erdelac book, and he continues to stimulate my mind with well-researched topics, powerful writing, and his other-worldly imagination. He truly is a frightful joy to read. If chosen to add to the collection, this title should be purchased in conjunction with the first in the series, Merkabah Rider: Tales of a High Planes Drifter, as the first book provides much-needed background information. The second in the series has a brief recap, but not enough to understand the full backstory. These titles would work well in a public library adult horror collection. Recommended for fans of surreal, bizarre westerns looking for a taste of horror as well as steampunk and bizzaro fiction fans.

Contains: Gore, violence and sexual themes.

Reviewed by: Kelly Fann

[Peter Darbyshire · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best weird western I've ever read that features a Jewish mystical gunslinger, fallen angels, more demons than you can count and enough Lovecraftian and Robert E. Howard overtones to satisfy even the darkest genre fan.

[Seregil of Rhiminee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published at Risingshadow.

Note! This is a joint and spoiler free review of Tales of a High Planes Drifter, The Mensch with No Name, and Have Glyphs Will Travel.

Before I write more about these three books, here's information about them:

Tales of a High Planes Drifter contains the following four stories:
- The Blood Libel
- Hell's Hired Gun
- The Dust Devils
- The Nightjar Women

Here are the official synopses for these stories:

Blood Libel: In 1879, the children of the Arizona mining town of Delirium Tremens have begun disappearing. The law has tracked the missing daughter of a local reverend to the neighboring Jewish settlement of Little Jerusalem. Old hatreds are fit to boil over when a mysterious Hasidic gunslinger known as the Rider checks into the local hotel. He soon discovers a rogue element of the population has taken over the settlement and instituted a cult dedicated to the profane worship of the demon king Molech. The Rider sets out to bring it down, with the lives of the innocent Jews and the kidnapped preacher's daughter in the balance. But as he sheds his physical form to do battle in the spirit world, an irate mob breaks into his hotel room and drags his unconscious body away. The Rider must smash the cult and return to his body in time to avert his own lynching...

The Dust Devils: An impenetrable dust storm blows the Rider into the border town of Polvo Arrido. Its affluence points to a town in the midst of a boom, but where have all the people gone? A ruthless bandit chief and his gang may hold the answer, or else a strange eyed ju ju man whose powers rival the Rider's own. Then there's the fact that the storm surrounding the town doesn't seem to dissipate...

Hells Hired Gun: When the Rider discovers a massacred Franciscan mis-sion, he turns aside from the trail of his master to track down the perpetrator. He is rescued from a snowstorm outside the remote town of Gadara by an odd old preacher, who spins him a yarn about Medgar Tooms, a cursed gunman who walks the West at the head of a herd of voracious pigs, dragging the broken chains of all those who have tried to bind him. But this is no fantasy. Tooms is coming to Gadara, and only the Rider and the preacher stand in his way...

The Nightjar Women: The Rider comes to a town without children where nightly, evil is born again and again. In the coils of his most secret dreams, an antedilivian menace calls him... by his true name.

The Mensch with No Name contains the following four stories:
- The Infernal Napoleon
- The Damned Dingus
- The Outlaw Gods
- The Pandæmonium Ride

Here are the official synopses for these stories:

In this installment the Rider unravels more of the mystery of Adon's Hour of the Incursion plot and quickly learns that demons are the least of his troubles. He defends a remote settlement against a gang of half-demon gunmen in "The Infernal Napoleon," joins forces with Doc Holliday to hunt down an invisible creature in "The Damned Dingus," aids a group of Indians against the mindbending horror of "The Outlaw Gods," and takes his hunt to hell itself in "The Pandæmonium Ride."

Have Glyphs Will Travel contains the following five stories:
- The Long Sabbath
- The War Shaman
- The Mules of Mazzikim
- The Man Called Other
- The Fire King Triumphant

Here are the official synopses for these stories:

The Rider and Kabede must rally a US Cavalry troop against an army of the undead lead by three of Adon's renegade riders if they are to survive The Long Sabbath. The Rider infiltrates an Apache stronghold to convince the combined forces of Vittorio and Geronimo not to lend their might to the mysterious forces of The War Prophet. The Rider sets out to rescue the succubus Nehema from the wrath of The Mules of The Mazzikim, then confronts his greatest enemy, The Man Called Other. Seeking to learn the remaining secrets of The Hour of Incursion, the Rider and his companions arrive in Tombstone only to face the horror of The Fire King Triumphant.

I admit that I'm difficult to please when it comes to speculative fiction that can be categorized as weird western, because I expect quality, good prose and imagination from weird western stories. I've often been more or less disappointed by weird western books and stories, but not this time, because I was impressed by Edward M. Erdelac's stories.

As a big fan of well written weird fiction, dark fantasy and horror, I can say that I loved these stories. Finding stories which combine Jewish mysticism, Lovecraftian horror and western elements is difficult, but Edward M. Erdelac has somehow managed to combine all of these elements and the result is truly stunning. I dare say that these stories will someday be considered classics of the genre, because they're excellent and atmospheric stories.

I think it's good to mention that these stories are stories for adults, because the author writes fantastically about the gory and bloody happenings. He manages to bring the grittiness and violence of the Old West to life, but doesn't overdo it. It's also good to mention that these stories must be read in order, because that's the only way to fully appreciate the beauty and strangeness of them.

I think it's intriguing that the author has decided to write several stories about the Rider and his adventures. This kind of storytelling is charming, because it reminds me of old pulp classics. For example, Robert E. Howard wrote several stories about Solomon Kane in a similar kind of way (I think that Howard's Solomon Kane stories have been an inspiration to the author).

I haven't read many weird western books, so I'm not an expert on this genre, but in my opinion Merkabah Rider outshines all the other weird western books and series on the market, because Edward M. Erdelac is a good author and his stories are imaginative.

It's possible that many readers will try to compare these stories to Stephen King's famous and popular The Dark Tower saga. In my opinion there's no room for comparison, because Merkabah Rider offers much better and more interesting fiction than The Dark Tower books. Erdelac has the raised the bar amazingly high and has taken weird western to new heights of excellence with his original storytelling style, so all other authors will be having difficulties writing similar stories.

This series follows the adventures of the Rider. The Rider is a Hasidic gunslinger who hunts his renegade teacher. Along the way he has to deal with all kinds of problems. He carries a pistol with him and riders with an onager. His travels take him from one adventure to another, and along the way he meets all kinds of demons and beasts etc.

Reading about the Rider and his adventures is interesting, because the author keeps the stories fascinating by revealing small bits and pieces of the world in each story. I'm sure that every reader who likes weird fiction and is willing to read western flavoured dark fantasy will be charmed by the author's revelations and will like his writing style. The author moves the story easily forward by telling about the Rider's adventures and what happens to him. Each story is part of a big story arc (the first book introduces the Rider, but the grandness and epicness of the story arc is revealed in the second book, and the third book is pure pleasure from start to finish).

The Rider is a fascinatingly mysterious character, because the author has created a bit different kind of a hero. The Rider can almost be seen as a classic drifter character, but he's much more than that, because he fights against evil and horrors, and he can enter the spirit world. He's almost like a combination of Robert E. Howard's Solomon Kane and Clint Eastwood's classic western heroes.

The other characters are portrayed well too. I liked the way the author wrote about them and how they interacted with each other. Reading about Doc Holliday was very interesting.

In my opinion Edward M. Erdelac writes slendidly descriptive prose. His descriptions are vivid and fascinating, and he manages to evoke beautiful and disturbing images of the Old West where almost anything is possible. The descriptions of the locales reminded me of Sergio Leone's classic westerns (and other classic western movies), because there's dust, mountains, valleys, gunmen and prostitutes etc in these stories. The only difference is that the events in these books are spiced with fantasy and horror elements.

In my opinion Edward M. Erdelac has a talent for combining western, fantasy and horror. He uses classic western elements as the core of the story arc and boldly leads his readers into the realms of the fantastic. I liked it very much that the author has infused his stories with Lovecraftian weirdness and even uses such names as Necronomicon, the Great Old Ones and Shub-Niggurath (these Lovecraftian elements add a nice touch of weirdness and fascination to the stories).

As the story of the Rider begins to unfold, the readers will have a chance to read more about Lovecraftian elements. In my opinion the author uses Lovecraftian elements in a creative and impressive way. I think that everybody who loves weird fiction will enjoy reading about the Adon's Hour of the Incursion and other things. I think I'd better not write more about these things, because I might reveal too much information to the readers and spoil the fun of reading the stories, so I'll just mention that fans of H. P. Lovecraft will enjoy these stories.

The author pays a lot of attention for building up the atmosphere and the world. The worldbuilding works well. At first it seems that the stories are straight forward stories, but when you read all of them, you'll notice that they're full of details and how perefectly they're interlinked to each other.

Edward M. Erdelac writes fluently about crimes, racism, prostitution, gun fights and other things that made the Old West a wild and dangerous place. The author also writes realistically about the beliefs of the people and even shows how ignorant some of them can be, because they shun the Rider for being different.

The author has an intriguing way of writing about Jewish mysticism, mythology, religion and biblical elements. His descriptions of these things are genuinely interesting and fascinating. I enjoyed reading about the religious, mythological and supernatural elements, because he doesn't underestimate the intelligence of his readers, but trusts that his readers are intelligent and are able to figure out certain things for themselves.

There are good glossaries of Hebrew, Yiddish, and Aramaic terms at the end of the books. I think it's good that the author has added glossaries to each book, because otherwise it might be difficult to understand certain terms. I'll also mention that I liked the cover art images by Cinsearae Santiago.

It was a pleasure to read Tales of a High Planes Drifter, The Mensch with No Name, and Have Glyphs Will Travel, because I loved the stories. In my honest opinion these books are damn good dark fantasy flavoured weird western books. If you like weird fiction, dark fantasy and westerns, you must read these books, because they're perfect entertainment and full of strange and macabre happenings.

I'm sure that these books will especially appeal to fans of Robert E. Howard and H. P. Lovecraft, because there are traces of their style in these books. I can also recommend these stories to readers who like such modern horror masters as Laird Barron and Richard Gavin.

Highly recommended!

[Horror DNA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author Edward M. Erdelac's epic supernatural western continues in the latest volume Merkabah Rider: The Mensch with no Name.  The newest book includes four more stories featuring Rider, the Jewish Mystic in search of his former teacher and current nemesis Adon, who's responsible for the deaths of the other members of The Sons of Essenes, Rider's former brothers in worship.  Rider is still reeling from the events of the previous book, Merkabah Rider: Tales of a High Planes Drifter as Lilith, the mother of all demons, found out his real name which gives all of her children power over him.

You can read James' full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.">clicking here.

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a manuscript I read for illustration work, but it was every bit as entertaining as it was necessary for production of the art. I love the Rider's tales, and Ed Erdelac's writing in this series is every bit as compelling, action packed, and violent, as Robert E. Howard's Conan or Solomon Kane. There are nods to Howard and Solomon Kane in this book, which I was hugely impressed with. Very well integrated, Sir! Additionally, there were appearances by well known personages from the period, and loads of archaic lore, mythology, religion, and even Lovecraftian Mythos. This book pulled out all the stops! Now, I just have to put my imagination to quantifying and producing an illustration for each of the four stories. In fact, I need to get to it!

[Kennon Bauman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now with more Mythos!

The second volume in the Merkabah Rider series ends as abruptly as the first, which may turn off some readers expecting even partial closure. Overall, the events preceding the cliffhanger are sufficiently interesting to keep fans coming back for more, but the book does not so much end as simply halt.

Jewish mysticism is increasingly overshadowed by Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos this time out, likely creating a more familiar touch point for some readers. The Mythos elements are not subtle here, and at one point the main character seems as mystified by their sudden prominence as the reader might be.

Here’s hoping there’s a satisfying meta-explanation in future volumes.

[Preston Postle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Rider is back, baby! My favorite thing about this series is how each episode fits so neatly into an overarching story that gradually reveals itself. Occasional cameos by historical figures like Doc Holliday are fun and give a little historical verisimilitude. And the Rider literally goes to Hell! More fun than a sack full of penny candy from the mercantile!

[Kevin Shriner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic series!

Picked this up on the advice of Daniel (The Dungeon Dive on YouTube,) as an intro to Shadows of Brimstone and I can’t put the series down! Fantastically fun adventure. Buy now!

[Steve Valenzuela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story

This next book in the series really had me hooked! I might consider this my favorite so far! I am really excited for what will happen next!

[Theofilos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boy oh boy! Refreshingly good! An epic fantasy adventure, I am happy this book fell into my hands!

[David Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy on Goodreads First Reads.

This is a really nice series that is fairly unique. A Jewish mystic hunting demons in the old west.It is written in episodic fashion.This novel covers episodes 5 to 8.One of the things that I really liked about the first book in the series was how it was stories based on actual Jewish and Christian teachings.This second book adds quite a bit of H.P.Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos which seems to make the series just a little more commonplace instead of an unique experience. It is still an excellent read,I just wish it could have stayed away from The Old Ones.I will be looking forward to see the direction following books in the series goes.

I especially liked the episodes featuring the young Samson-like strongman and the one with Doc Holliday.

Shamblaparn!

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

...Although I must say that I'm not sure the episodic nature of the narrative does the story any favours in terms of pacing in particular, the second volume of Merkabah Rider adventures is again a very entertaining read. Erdelac combines his knowledge of the Old West in literature and cinema as well as in history with a variety of religious themes that give the work more depth than one would expect of a classic western. The Mensch With No Name is a solid continuation of the first four episodes, expanding Erdelac's vision of the Old West in surprising ways. I guess there is a reason they invented the label Weird West for such novels. Looking forward to the third volume, Have Glyphs Will Travel.

Full Random Comments review

[Ryan Lawler · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite Hasidic gunslinger is back, riding the Yenne Velt like a boss. In this volume, the Rider faces the half-demon spawn of a succubus, invisible monsters, snake warriors, the Black Goat Man, and other horrors from the Necronomicon. Finally, desperate for answers about the nefarious plans of his old mentor Adon, the Rider rides into Hell to get answers from Lucifer himself.

This volume flows much more smoothly than the previous volume, the Hour of Incursion story arc is much more present across the episodes, and the plot has taken a much darker turn. The Rider is put through the meat grinder, both physically and emotionally, and even if he comes through the other side, will we even recognise him?

If you like The Dark Tower by Stephen King, you will probably get a good kick out of these stories.

[Cal Bowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in a series that has 3 (at this time) books and each book has 4 "episodes" or novellas of the same character. it is like reading an old western V show with these short tales that do connect, but you can start and finish in one sitting, so you get a full and quick dose of a Jewish gunslinger in the old west fighting supernatural creatures. There is a lot of religious reference, which you get in most supernatural fiction - though I did not follow the Jewish, there is a glossary in the back so no worries - this book fits the bill for Supernatural Western and I would recommend this to anyone.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diving deeper into the Lovecraftian horror, this book contains 4 more novellas about the travels of the Rider, a Jewish mystic traversing the wild west battling demons.

The Rider gains some allies, learns about the gods who are banished from our universe by God but try to break back in, travels to hell and back to learn even more.
Sometimes the background explanations feel a bit like info dumps, but on the other hand, it's not like I know much about Jewish mysticsm, and the action makes up for it. The Rider is a great, flawed protagonist, and the horror is old school creepy.

The plot thickens as they say. Old school weird pulp fiction for fans of Robert E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft.

[Alisa Hedden · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second collection of the Merkabah Rider series. Another dusty trails western that wanders into the real of the fantastic. If you like your westerns pure unadulterated shoot ‘em ups, then you will not enjoy this. If you like a very unlikely hero, willing to face down the horrors of all the netherworlds as they try to creep into our world (with a smattering of supernatural beliefs from other cultures) then you will very much enjoy these tales.
© Night Owl Reviews

[Mario · Rating 5 out of 5]

If the first Merkabah Rider was a fresh take on a genre crossover between horror and western, which was innovative and well thought, this one is one exhilarating ride that will make you question your sanity.

Hellish enemies of Judeo Christian traditions are dwarfed by Lovecraftian horrors that are intent on spelling the doom of the Earth, and this time, everyone can be an ally.

Do yourself a favor and immerse yourself in this fantastic short story anthology.

[Zachariah N. Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continuing the epic tales of the Hassidic Jew gunslinger known only as the Rider, Edward M. Erdelac once again blends religion, history, and stark fiction to create a whirlwind of weird western of unique proportions. The episodes "The Damned Dingus" and "The Padeaemonium Ride" stand out as the cornerstones of this particular saga.

[Ashe Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book continued where the first left off. Again, hooked right from the start. Again, four stories that give you one helluva ride through the Weird West. And every bit as fun as the first go round. Ed adds just a little more Lovecraft to this one, enough to get you more excited about what's coming. And again, he delivers. I just cannot say enough good things about the Rider series.

[Sem · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a greater sense of momentum in this volume, not unlike the feeling one has when a TV series moves from the episodic to a continuous plot line. There are fewer glistening entrails, more substance, and the fourth story, 'The Pandaemonium Ride', is brilliant in a Dante's Inferno meets the Ten Courts of Hell kind of way. I'm hooked.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't as good as the first book. Much slower pace, not as much riding into the spirit world like the first one. It was entertaining, I'm glad I read it, but I probably would not read this again.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review on HorrorTalk: http://www.horrortalk.com/book-review...

[Andrew Jewell · Rating 5 out of 5]

God it just keeps getting better!! It's been a while since I have enjoyed reading a book this much!

[Vaughn45 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic set of stories that all tie together nicely.