Sci-Fi, fantasy and speculative Indie Authors Review discussion

I was told I might be the first weird western writer in the group and so I figured some recommendations would be in order. I'll do a few books and comics.

Books:
I say this a lot about this series but Edward M. Erdelac Merkabah Rider series is just amazing AND an all around great place to start if you're new to the Weird West. Four, self-contained books about a Hasidic gunslinger traveling the American west hunting down his former teacher and betrayer of the mystic brotherhood he was a member of. And if that ain't enough, it's filled to the BRIM with Lovecraftian horrors, Howard's sense of adventure, and loving little references to things Ed's a fan of (including a Ghostbusters reference that, according to Ed, I was the only person yet to catch).

Nancy A. Collins put out a wonderful anthology years ago in Dead Man's Hand: Five Tales of the Weird West. This is also a great place to start as it's a couple of novellas and several short stories. They're fun and interesting and varied.

Finally, the big series, in my opinion, is Stephen King's Dark Tower series, which is what got me started. The first book, The Gunslinger, is definitely the most western of them all. The following books definitely have more of a general sci-fi/fantasy feel with a dose of post-apocalypse but at its core, it is western. I adored it. Marvel comics has also put out a series of prequel comics and last I'd seen, had begun adapting the books themselves.

Special mention: Robert E. Howard's short story "The Horror From The Mound."

Comics:
You need to read Pretty Deadly. You need to. Okay? It's a story about Death's daughter in the old west as told by a butterfly to a rabbit. It. Is. Awesome. Kelly Sue DeConnick is an wonderful writer and the art is lovely as well.

Just a Pilgrim TPB is dark, it's post-apocalyptic (the sun has baked the earth!), and it's...irreverent. Garth Ennis did what Garth Ennis does best: he planted his tongue firmly in cheek and then wrote. That said, it still has the potential to hit you in the heart.

Now, the Jonah Hex series helmed by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Grey was not, strictly speaking, a weird western series. But it was good. Damn good. And occasionally weird. I cannot recommend it enough.

Now, these are just a few recommendations and I'm always happy to give more. There's plenty to give!

I had to do a double take at Hasidic gunslinger. These sound pretty fun though. There aren't enough hours in the day.

I found a series of books once in the western section of the library that you might like. Have you ever read anything by John Zackour? I honestly don't know why they were in the western section because I don't think they are, strictly speaking, westerns but they're pretty funny and definitely weird.

Can't say I'm familiar with Zackour. What's his stuff about?

And yeah, the first time you see "Hasidic gunslinger," it'll throw ya but it's so good. And Ed did a MOUNTAIN of research into Jewish mythology, with a few artistic liberties of course.

That's a little hard to describe. Here's a link to one of them . They're very quirky.

Oh, I gotcha, it's new-era Pulp stuff! That's pretty cool. I'll have to check those out sometime.

I love the Dark Tower series so I might have to check some of those others out.

You definitely definitely should check out Ed's stuff. I cannot say enough good things about the Rider series. If you like Lovecraft and gunslingers and demons, you'll adore it. And if you like the Dark Tower then those are things you would seem to be into.

I would also recommend anything by Joe R. Lansdale. Some of his stuff isn't weird western per se, but most of it is and it's mostly very good.

Joe's definitely got a mixed bag. The weird west I've read ffrom him is usually kinda splatterpunkish too. Fun stuff if you like gore.