Weird Westerns discussion

So, I'm reading Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West and the only thing I knew going in is that a friend loves it. I am immediately struck by the feeling that it feels surreal, like something beyond the veil wrote it based on what it thinks humans are like.

What are you reading? Or have recently read?

Blood Meridian is excellent, but don't expect that surrealism to fade any.

I just started Dead Man's Hand. It's a new anthology of short Weird Western stories. Joe Lansdale starts it off with a Reverend Jedediah Mercer story. Pretty good stuff so far.

Eric wrote: "Blood Meridian is excellent, but don't expect that surrealism to fade any.

I just started Dead Man's Hand. It's a new anthology of short Weird Western stories. Joe Lansdale starts it off with a ..."

Honestly, the surrealism is what's keeping me interested.

Eric wrote: "Blood Meridian is excellent, but don't expect that surrealism to fade any.

I just started Dead Man's Hand. It's a new anthology of short Weird Western stories. Joe Lansdale starts it off with a ..."

Just wrapped up Dead Man's Hand. Great stuff. My favorites were Sundown by Tobias S. Buckell and The Golden Age by Walter Jon Williams.

I'm reading at that one. Only read the first two stories thus far.

Ashe wrote: "I'm reading at that one. Only read the first two stories thus far."

Most of the stories are very good. One actually drew me into an Orson Scott Card series I didn't know existed (Alvin Maker).

I thought I was gonna dive back into a book but I guess I'm in a low read cycle. Happens sometimes. I haven't anymore of Blood Meridian yet.

The first time you read Blood Meridian it's a slog. Just get to that river crossing scene, I'm telling you....

I'm reading George Macdonald Fraser's FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS. Book seven in his series about a cowardly and unscrupulous British cavalry officer bumbling his way through history and always somehow managing to come out looking good. This one has him heading west during the California gold rush fleeing a bounty in New Orleans with a wagon train full of prostitutes. It promised to involve The Battle Of The Little Bighorn at some point.

Slog indeed. I hit the chapter with the tree full of dead babies but haven't read anymore. It's just such aa hard read. I'll get it down in pieces though.

Dark stuff.

It's not even the dark and violence that's sloggin me, it's just his style. I got excited about the storm in the desert but that didn't last long. I promise though, dude, I will finish it.

Damn, tree full of dead babies O.o That book sounds hardcore! I knew it was considered so violent it's almost a parody, but wow.

Yeah, I haven't even gotten to the scene yet but that's also apparently where a lot of people stop reading.

I read a book once where in order to get past a demons fury a guy had to eat his parents insides...yeaahhh

yum? lol

What the hell book was that?

I'm sure it was something by that "Dr. Suess" character. He's a real weirdo!

I think it was from a chapter in "Sense and Sensibility".

The Rakasha Demon by Robert Davis

Edward wrote: I'm reading George Macdonald Fraser's FLASHMAN AND THE REDSKINS. Book seven in his se..."

Harry Flashman and the unreliable first-person narrator! Wow! I haven't read one of those in, well, longer than I like to admit.

If you like Flashman, try "The Luck of Barry Lyndon." Same kind of feel, but a bit more literary. Or just watch the Kubrick movie.

I'm currently reading "The Last Policeman" by Ben Winters. It's not weird West, per se, but it has a lone cop trying to solve a murder in a collapsed society (thanks to an impending earth-destroying asteroid), so yeah, the American monomyth again, just like Shane or True Grit. But with asteroids!

Sounds cool. I've seen Barry Lyndon, and enjoyed it. Never hunted up the book. Will give it a try.

Philip wrote: "I think it was from a chapter in "Sense and Sensibility"."

For some reason, that really cracked me up LOL

I actually just finished Heath Lowrance's "Hawthorne: Tales of a Weirder West". I really enjoyed it. I read as a break from reading the first Pax Britannia novel "Unnatural History".

Yep new favorite author it just keeps getting better!!!

I'm still slogging through Blood Meridian. This damn book is gonna take a year to read cause I can only pull enough of an attention span to read some of it a couple of times a month.

Ashe wrote: "I'm still slogging through Blood Meridian. This damn book is gonna take a year to read cause I can only pull enough of an attention span to read some of it a couple of times a month."

I was going to try that one, but after reading a sample and hearing what people are saying I think I'd have a tough time with it, not because of the content, just the writing style.

The writing style is awful. It's so boring and choppy and there's no quotation marks for dialogue or any other markers except for the occasional "he said." The only reason I'm gonna see it to completion is because Ed recommended it as one of his favorites. But even he said he hated it at first.

Someone should do a graphic novel version and adapt it, I bet that would rock. Paging Lansdale and Truman!

I'd love to see that but I feel like there'd have to be a lot of shit cut out. Like all the "he got up. He scratched his nose and walked over to the wall. It was a short wall. The wall was-"zzzzzzzzzzzz

Oh, man. Life's too short. I assume there's a gigantic payoff at the end?

That seems to be the case. Another friend said the last, I think it was 90 pages made it worth it.

Sounds like some of Dan Simmons' work. Just a beast to wade through, until it all comes together at the end. (One of my favorite writers, btw.)

That is probably the hardest read for me. I'm not asking for nothing but riveting story, but I need little things to keep me interested. But I guess that's part of the point of the book.

I've been on the fence about reading Blood Meridian at some point. I've heard it's really good, the great anti-western. I've also heard it isn't good, hit or miss like the rest of McCarthy's work. I'll get around to it at some point, but I'd like to know more of what you think as you go along.

I actually haven't read any of McCarthy's work. Anyone here read the Road? If so, what did you think? Is it any easier to get through than Blood Meridian?

I've pretty much heard he's the king of grim work. But that may be a lack of knowledge.

I'm currently reading a Steampunk book called Steampunk Omnibus by Michael Coolrim. It's not Weird West but thought I'd at least share it as it's weird and unique for it's steampunk ways. So far it's pretty good.

Yooooo, slowly devouring The Whirlwind in the Thorn Tree. Y'all really need to get on this. SA's a great writer.

hi all. I'm new to this group. thought this is a good time for me to jump in and say hello. I both read and write western fantasy stories. Last post mentioned whirlwind in the thorn tree by S A Hunt - I can't recomend that book (whole series) enough. This isn't your stock standard weird western where zombies are invading a small country town (though the isn't anything wrong with that) S A Hunt's Outlaw King series is more akin to a fantasy quest... with gunslingers. Can't get much cooler than that.

Welcome aboard!

Thanks Ashe. and enjoy the book.

This collection of short stories, Engraved on the Eye, contains one about "a gun-slinging Muslim wizard in the Old West", and the author's made the collection free here.

I really need to snag that.

I am currently devouring Law of the Wolf.

I'm reading the shotgun arcana... It's amazing if you haven't read six gun tarot yet (shotgun arcana is its sequel) then your depriving your self lol

Reading Big Wheat. Not a weird Western. It's a mystery set in farming community in 1919. Really good so far.

Andrew wrote: "I'm reading the shotgun arcana... It's amazing if you haven't read six gun tarot yet (shotgun arcana is its sequel) then your depriving your self lol"

SO glad to hear the sequel does not suck. I'm really looking forward to getting hold of it. I enjoyed Six-Gun Tarot a aton.

Yes it's far from sucking!!! It's taking me a while to read it because I'm busy but it's sooooo good that when I can read it it's the best part of my day. Glad to meet someone else that's read six gun tarot though

I'm currently reading Red Dust: The Fall which has been quite intense so far. I picked up the sequel a few months back.

I also got Skin Medicine a few months ago, I've been dying to get a copy of it and now I have one.

I recently read J. Dane Tyler's Scales of Justice. Great read--gunslinger chasing down a dragon. Worth checking out.