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The Reverend Jedidiah Mercer returns with the re-release of the highly influential pulp novel, Dead in the West, and four stories, one never before collected, one brand new. Contained herein are the Reverend's adventures with zombies, ghouls, werewolves, Lovecraftian monsters and kobolds. Western action blends with grisly horror and ribald humor for a super collection of shoot-outs and fang-outs, claws and crawling horrors, and lessons about an angry, unforgiving god and methods for killing nasties of all kinds.
In Dead in the West, the Reverend faces a resurrected American Indian out for vengeance. Not only is the man back from the dead, he's brought back others as servants, and they are angry, hungry little devils when there is an absence of light. Plenty of surprises, laughs, gross-outs and slimy horrors, with a slam bang ending. This novel inspired numerous writer to cross the West with Horror, Action, Humor, and a wobbly moral sensibility.
This first adventure of the Reverend sets up all the others, which include:
'Deadman s Road.' The Reverend, on his mission from God, encounters a ghoul who waits on a dark road for travelers so that he can feed his belly and his crippled soul.
'The Gentleman's Hotel.' The Reverend encounters a town, empty except for the lone survivor of a stage coach attack. Together, they face ghosts and werewolf Conquistadores who can not only transform into toothy adversaries, but also into dust and moths and are a real pain in the ass; all of it results in one hell of a cross-draw, dagnabbed, hair belly confrontation.
'The Crawling Sky.' In an isolated cabin the Reverend and an unwilling partner face a Lovecraftian horror with a nasty attitude and mind blowing abilities.
And finally, in 'The Dark Down There,' the Reverend and an unlikely partner, a three hundred pound lady named Flower, battle kobolds who cannibalize miners and serve a Queen that at a glance could pass for spoiled tapioca pudding. The Reverend even manages a glancing chance at a kind of backwoods romance.
In Dead in the West, the Reverend faces a resurrected American Indian out for vengeance. Not only is the man back from the dead, he's brought back others as servants, and they are angry, hungry little devils when there is an absence of light. Plenty of surprises, laughs, gross-outs and slimy horrors, with a slam bang ending. This novel inspired numerous writer to cross the West with Horror, Action, Humor, and a wobbly moral sensibility.
This first adventure of the Reverend sets up all the others, which include:
'Deadman s Road.' The Reverend, on his mission from God, encounters a ghoul who waits on a dark road for travelers so that he can feed his belly and his crippled soul.
'The Gentleman's Hotel.' The Reverend encounters a town, empty except for the lone survivor of a stage coach attack. Together, they face ghosts and werewolf Conquistadores who can not only transform into toothy adversaries, but also into dust and moths and are a real pain in the ass; all of it results in one hell of a cross-draw, dagnabbed, hair belly confrontation.
'The Crawling Sky.' In an isolated cabin the Reverend and an unwilling partner face a Lovecraftian horror with a nasty attitude and mind blowing abilities.
And finally, in 'The Dark Down There,' the Reverend and an unlikely partner, a three hundred pound lady named Flower, battle kobolds who cannibalize miners and serve a Queen that at a glance could pass for spoiled tapioca pudding. The Reverend even manages a glancing chance at a kind of backwoods romance.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2007
About the author
Joe R. Lansdale
817 books3,674 followersChampion Mojo Storyteller Joe R. Lansdale is the author of over forty novels and numerous short stories. His work has appeared in national anthologies, magazines, and collections, as well as numerous foreign publications. He has written for comics, television, film, newspapers, and Internet sites. His work has been collected in more than two dozen short-story collections, and he has edited or co-edited over a dozen anthologies. He has received the Edgar Award, eight Bram Stoker Awards, the Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the British Fantasy Award, the Grinzani Cavour Prize for Literature, the Herodotus Historical Fiction Award, the Inkpot Award for Contributions to Science Fiction and Fantasy, and many others. His novella Bubba Ho-Tep was adapted to film by Don Coscarelli, starring Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis. His story "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" was adapted to film for Showtime's "Masters of Horror," and he adapted his short story "Christmas with the Dead" to film hisownself. The film adaptation of his novel Cold in July was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and the Sundance Channel has adapted his Hap & Leonard novels for television.
He is currently co-producing several films, among them The Bottoms, based on his Edgar Award-winning novel, with Bill Paxton and Brad Wyman, and The Drive-In, with Greg Nicotero. He is Writer In Residence at Stephen F. Austin State University, and is the founder of the martial arts system Shen Chuan: Martial Science and its affiliate, Shen Chuan Family System. He is a member of both the United States and International Martial Arts Halls of Fame. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife, dog, and two cats.
He is currently co-producing several films, among them The Bottoms, based on his Edgar Award-winning novel, with Bill Paxton and Brad Wyman, and The Drive-In, with Greg Nicotero. He is Writer In Residence at Stephen F. Austin State University, and is the founder of the martial arts system Shen Chuan: Martial Science and its affiliate, Shen Chuan Family System. He is a member of both the United States and International Martial Arts Halls of Fame. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife, dog, and two cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
September 11, 2013
Deadman's Road is a collection of the tales starring Reverend Jebidiah Mercer, a gun-totting preacher in the Old Weird West. I think I've read most of the stories before in Dead in the West and The Shadows, Kith and Kin but since I don't remember much, it was like a brand new read.
Dead in the West: The Reverend rides into a town that's in the grips of a curse that makes the dead walk and crave the flesh of the living.
This is the story Lansdale used to introduce his Weird Western character, Jebidiah Mercer. Mercer is a conflicted preacher and is like a western version of Robert E. Howard's Solomon Kane. He's also quite a bit like Edward Eredlac's Merkabah Rider and Manly Wade Wellman's Silver John and I'm getting a nerd chubby thinking about the team up possibilities.
The story is a zombie splatterfest and if I was going to rate the entire book based on the first story, it would be an easy four. The pace is rip-roaring and the writing is pure Lansdale.
Deadman's Road: On the road to Nacogdoches, Mercer falls in with a deputy and his prisoner and runs afoul of an undead murderer with a beehive in his chest...
This is short story, more like a bump in the road for the Reverend. It relies on mood more than action and gore, through the gore is well written when it splatters on the page. I did notice that the Reverend is wielding two converted .44's instead of his old converted .36 from Dead in the West.
The Gentleman's Hotel: In a hotel full of ghosts, The Reverend and a young working woman named Mary prepare for a pack of werewolves to set upon them once it gets dark...
Mercer takes on Lansdale's version of werewolves. There were some nice touches, like oak hurting them, and the one ghost that was able to talk to the Reverend and Mary. It's becoming readily apparent that it's dangerous to be a friend of Reverend Mercer.
Crawling Sky: Mercer wanders into a town and finds a half-wit in a cage being pelted by rocks. Mercer frees the man and the two of them go to investigate the haint that killed the man's wife.
This was the creepiest story of the book. An ancient evil someone summoned and trapped escapes and starts eating people. I love the connections to HPL in the Mercer stories. Also, in addition to it being life threatening to be Mercer's friend, being his horse wouldn't be a safe occupation either.
The Dark Down There: A mining camp is terrorized by Kobolds and the Reverend aims to put a stop to them.
The final story in the book is a creepy bloodbath, kind of like a Dungeons and Dragons dungeon crawl with guns. Since it actually ends on a positive note, it was a good way to end the collection.
Closing remarks: Deadman's Road is a fun pulpy collection and Lansdale fans and weird western fans won't want to miss it. Four easy stars.
Dead in the West: The Reverend rides into a town that's in the grips of a curse that makes the dead walk and crave the flesh of the living.
This is the story Lansdale used to introduce his Weird Western character, Jebidiah Mercer. Mercer is a conflicted preacher and is like a western version of Robert E. Howard's Solomon Kane. He's also quite a bit like Edward Eredlac's Merkabah Rider and Manly Wade Wellman's Silver John and I'm getting a nerd chubby thinking about the team up possibilities.
The story is a zombie splatterfest and if I was going to rate the entire book based on the first story, it would be an easy four. The pace is rip-roaring and the writing is pure Lansdale.
Deadman's Road: On the road to Nacogdoches, Mercer falls in with a deputy and his prisoner and runs afoul of an undead murderer with a beehive in his chest...
This is short story, more like a bump in the road for the Reverend. It relies on mood more than action and gore, through the gore is well written when it splatters on the page. I did notice that the Reverend is wielding two converted .44's instead of his old converted .36 from Dead in the West.
The Gentleman's Hotel: In a hotel full of ghosts, The Reverend and a young working woman named Mary prepare for a pack of werewolves to set upon them once it gets dark...
Mercer takes on Lansdale's version of werewolves. There were some nice touches, like oak hurting them, and the one ghost that was able to talk to the Reverend and Mary. It's becoming readily apparent that it's dangerous to be a friend of Reverend Mercer.
Crawling Sky: Mercer wanders into a town and finds a half-wit in a cage being pelted by rocks. Mercer frees the man and the two of them go to investigate the haint that killed the man's wife.
This was the creepiest story of the book. An ancient evil someone summoned and trapped escapes and starts eating people. I love the connections to HPL in the Mercer stories. Also, in addition to it being life threatening to be Mercer's friend, being his horse wouldn't be a safe occupation either.
The Dark Down There: A mining camp is terrorized by Kobolds and the Reverend aims to put a stop to them.
The final story in the book is a creepy bloodbath, kind of like a Dungeons and Dragons dungeon crawl with guns. Since it actually ends on a positive note, it was a good way to end the collection.
Closing remarks: Deadman's Road is a fun pulpy collection and Lansdale fans and weird western fans won't want to miss it. Four easy stars.
September 8, 2014
I checked this audio book out from my local library and I thought it was a lot of fun. Even though I own quite a few books written by Joe Lansdale, I'm sorry to admit that I have read nothing by him, with the exception of one or two short stories. When I came across this audio book in my library's catalogue, I decided to give it a shot and I'm glad I did.
This gun toting, irreverent, Reverend Jebediah Mercer is a badass and he's funny as hell. There were a number of times where my coworkers directly outside of my office came in to see what I was doing because I was laughing so hard.
These stories were just plain fun. Western horror is a thing I have recently discovered and was one of the reasons I picked up this novel. It wasn't as western-y as I had hoped, though. Meaning there were no moral lessons to be learned, or any of the type of historical fiction where you accidentally learn stuff. This was all out western fun with the addition of werewolves, zombies, ghosts and such. Combined with the wicked sense of humor of Jebediah, this book was a good time.
I liked the narrator, even though I didn't think I would when I started this book. However, as it went on, his voice grew on me, and if I read any more stories about Rev. Jed, this is how I will always hear him. (I don't know if there even are any more stories about Rev. Jed, but when I'm done with this review, I'm going to go find out.)
Overall, this was a successful venture for me and now I'm going to have to move up all those Lansdale books in my TBR. Recommended for those who enjoy humor and western type monster tales. I think Jeff Strand fans would also get a kick out of this book.
July 4, 2021
This was pretty much what I expected - supernatural western shoot 'em up stories full of gory action. Reverend Jebidiah Mercer is a wandering preacher/gunslinger, conflicted and basically cursed due to a sordid past. He serves, reluctantly, as god's trigger happy avenger, seeking out and blasting to smithereens all otherworldly evils and unlucky bastards that cross his path. And to be clear, this god is full on Old Testament. Those evils consist mainly of your more run-of-the-mill occult/supernatural baddies (zombies, vampires, werewolves, ghosts) with a bit of eldritch Lovecraftian horrors and lore thrown in. It's a compelling formula and makes for an entertaining, and somewhat vulgar, pulpy splatterfest. Unfortunately, none of the elements nor the plots really represent anything all that new, unusual or inspired. Stefan Rudniki's gruff, somber audio narration style also tended to suck out the energy and what little humor there was from the stories.
October 2, 2016
A horror western by Lansdale has so much potential. Maybe my expectations were too high. Still entertaining and worthy of 3.5 stars except for the first story because I can only read a set number of "survivors barricade against zombies" tales before I claw out my eyes in boredom.
October 5, 2019
“Wood Tick wasn’t so much a town as it was a wide rip in the forest. The Reverend Jebidiah Mercer rode in on an ebony horse on a coolish autumn day beneath an overcast sky of humped up, slow-blowing, gun-metal-gray clouds; they seemed to crawl. It was his experience nothing good ever took place under a crawling sky. It was an omen, and he didn’t like omens, because, so far in his experience, none of them were good.”
Deadman’s Road is a collection of five stories featuring Reverend Jebidiah Mercer, a gun-toting, alcoholic preacher with a penchant for violence and hunting supernatural beings. Jeb reminded me of a mixture of Roland from Dark Tower and Jesse Custer from Preacher. He is struggling with his beliefs and finding it difficult to stay on a.. more honest path, one might say.
This is full of ALL THE BEASTIES!! Zombies, demons, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, kobolds and MOTHER FUCKING KILLER BEES! There is blood and brain splatter galore!
If you have yet to read a Lansdale novel (WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!) than I can’t help but think that this would be an excellent starting point. Especially if you are unsure if you would dig his style.
In typical Lansdale fashion, this is a wonderful amalgamation of genres – Western, horror, humor, fantasy, weird fiction and even a touch of unexpected romance. I’ve said it many times before and I’ll say it a shit ton more, undoubtedly.. no one writes dialogue like Joe Lansdale! He’s a fucking mad genius with his witty banter and sharp humor injected through everything he writes.
My favorite from this collection was Dead in the West, which is the first and longest story, made up of over half of the book. It’s this tale that defines the Reverend and why he is the way that he is. It gives you an idea of what you can expect going forward. Of the shorter stories, I loved The Dark Down There, the final adventure. These two bookends are the strongest, in my opinion. However, the middle sections are still great fun and sure to put you in a groovy mood!
Deadman’s Road is a delightfully pulpy, wickedly funny, satisfying read.
Saddle up, because you are in for one helluva ride!
Deadman’s Road is a collection of five stories featuring Reverend Jebidiah Mercer, a gun-toting, alcoholic preacher with a penchant for violence and hunting supernatural beings. Jeb reminded me of a mixture of Roland from Dark Tower and Jesse Custer from Preacher. He is struggling with his beliefs and finding it difficult to stay on a.. more honest path, one might say.
This is full of ALL THE BEASTIES!! Zombies, demons, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, kobolds and MOTHER FUCKING KILLER BEES! There is blood and brain splatter galore!
If you have yet to read a Lansdale novel (WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!) than I can’t help but think that this would be an excellent starting point. Especially if you are unsure if you would dig his style.
In typical Lansdale fashion, this is a wonderful amalgamation of genres – Western, horror, humor, fantasy, weird fiction and even a touch of unexpected romance. I’ve said it many times before and I’ll say it a shit ton more, undoubtedly.. no one writes dialogue like Joe Lansdale! He’s a fucking mad genius with his witty banter and sharp humor injected through everything he writes.
My favorite from this collection was Dead in the West, which is the first and longest story, made up of over half of the book. It’s this tale that defines the Reverend and why he is the way that he is. It gives you an idea of what you can expect going forward. Of the shorter stories, I loved The Dark Down There, the final adventure. These two bookends are the strongest, in my opinion. However, the middle sections are still great fun and sure to put you in a groovy mood!
Deadman’s Road is a delightfully pulpy, wickedly funny, satisfying read.
Saddle up, because you are in for one helluva ride!
January 24, 2014
Hang with the Reverend as he battles dark agents from hell with his trusty (converted, of course) .36 Navy Colt pistol in one hand and his Bible in the other. He doesn't shrink from whiskey (the devil's pee) and his religious views are not what one might expect from a preacher man. He always takes care to rub down and curry his horse, and he notes that he doesn't joke much, 'so I'm poor at it.' That last reminded me of something the taciturn Captain Woodrow Call of Lonesome Dove might say.
Characters are written in such a way that the reader can almost smell the stench emanating from them. Deputy Caleb ate flies, had no manners, and was unrefined. Jud, sheriff of the tiny town of Wood Tick, has pores in his face large enough to hold pooled water and a nose that has been broken so many times that it moves from side to side when he talks. He also has a goiter on his neck that he has tied off in a filthy rag. And then there is poor simple Norville, whose daddy killed his mama over turnip soup. He didn't like turnips, let alone in soup. The monsters were hideously excellent and scary.
This was loaned to me by a Goodreads buddy who won it in a giveaway, thank you. It was a hoot! This is my second book by Joe R. Lansdale, and it was completely different from the first. Versatile writer. Ready to read more from him.
Characters are written in such a way that the reader can almost smell the stench emanating from them. Deputy Caleb ate flies, had no manners, and was unrefined. Jud, sheriff of the tiny town of Wood Tick, has pores in his face large enough to hold pooled water and a nose that has been broken so many times that it moves from side to side when he talks. He also has a goiter on his neck that he has tied off in a filthy rag. And then there is poor simple Norville, whose daddy killed his mama over turnip soup. He didn't like turnips, let alone in soup. The monsters were hideously excellent and scary.
This was loaned to me by a Goodreads buddy who won it in a giveaway, thank you. It was a hoot! This is my second book by Joe R. Lansdale, and it was completely different from the first. Versatile writer. Ready to read more from him.
June 17, 2022
Here’s an excellent collection of Weird West style stories about a minister who travels about doing God’s will by stamping out supernatural evil. There are five stories:
Dead in the West: This is the longest and best developed of the tales. It introduces Reverend Mercer, a gunman with demons of his own who is angry at God even as he does the lord’s work by stomping out genuine evil. He’s a likeable character, even while his very harsh view of the world is a bit disturbing. After some introductory material, the story shoots into high gear when the dead start to rise and prey on the townsfolk. It’s just a little bit of damage around the perimeter of the town the first night, but it is obvious things are going to get much worse for the unsuspecting town. Mercer learns that the town he is in was cursed because it murdered a native American medicine man and his African-American wife. The medicine man curses the town and pulls a demon into himself. He kills the guilty, but doesn’t stop there, until only Mercer, a young boy, a doctor and his daughter and the town’s preacher stand in the way of the demon’s vengeance. It’s a very good story.
Deadman’s Road: Mercer runs into another curse—a strange demonic possession with weird black bees. Once again, its’ a good story that went in a slightly different direction than I expected.
The Gentleman’s Hotel: In this story, Mercer fights werewolves in a hotel full of ghosts. The ghosts really give the story a unique feel for a werewolf tale. It’s a good take on a familiar theme.
Crawling Sky: Mercer saves a man from being tortured because a Cthulhu-esq character killed his wife. He then goes to deal with the monster. Like all the stories in this collection, it’s a lot of fun, even if there is a little more exposition than the others.
The Dark Down There: Goblins are in the mines and Mercer has to dig them out. But the best part was actually Mercer dealing with the miners before he reached the technical monster. A fine conclusion to a fine series.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
Dead in the West: This is the longest and best developed of the tales. It introduces Reverend Mercer, a gunman with demons of his own who is angry at God even as he does the lord’s work by stomping out genuine evil. He’s a likeable character, even while his very harsh view of the world is a bit disturbing. After some introductory material, the story shoots into high gear when the dead start to rise and prey on the townsfolk. It’s just a little bit of damage around the perimeter of the town the first night, but it is obvious things are going to get much worse for the unsuspecting town. Mercer learns that the town he is in was cursed because it murdered a native American medicine man and his African-American wife. The medicine man curses the town and pulls a demon into himself. He kills the guilty, but doesn’t stop there, until only Mercer, a young boy, a doctor and his daughter and the town’s preacher stand in the way of the demon’s vengeance. It’s a very good story.
Deadman’s Road: Mercer runs into another curse—a strange demonic possession with weird black bees. Once again, its’ a good story that went in a slightly different direction than I expected.
The Gentleman’s Hotel: In this story, Mercer fights werewolves in a hotel full of ghosts. The ghosts really give the story a unique feel for a werewolf tale. It’s a good take on a familiar theme.
Crawling Sky: Mercer saves a man from being tortured because a Cthulhu-esq character killed his wife. He then goes to deal with the monster. Like all the stories in this collection, it’s a lot of fun, even if there is a little more exposition than the others.
The Dark Down There: Goblins are in the mines and Mercer has to dig them out. But the best part was actually Mercer dealing with the miners before he reached the technical monster. A fine conclusion to a fine series.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
February 17, 2016
Ooooookay, what have we got here?
We have a bitter preacher who roams the west killing evil paranormal threats and complaining about God.
Actually I've known some Christians who got bitter and sounded a bit like this guy (by the way as the writer explains in his forward the preacher has 2 different names in the stories. He just...forgot.) So this is a collection of stories where each follows the other in the life of Jebediah Mercer. Preacher,gunslinger, guilt ridden Bible teacher who claims to be preaching the God of David and the Old Testament rather than Jesus (so actually Christian is a misnomer).
These stories are written to evoke a certain level of revulsion (a lot like the language Stephen King used in his Dark Tower series).
I do want to include in this review, DO NOT GET YOUR THEOLOGY FROM THIS BOOK!
Look, these are stories. basically everything said about the Bible and God here is incorrect. Other than that if you're reading it for the stories it's not a bad read and the preacher is a fairly interesting character.
We have a bitter preacher who roams the west killing evil paranormal threats and complaining about God.
Actually I've known some Christians who got bitter and sounded a bit like this guy (by the way as the writer explains in his forward the preacher has 2 different names in the stories. He just...forgot.) So this is a collection of stories where each follows the other in the life of Jebediah Mercer. Preacher,gunslinger, guilt ridden Bible teacher who claims to be preaching the God of David and the Old Testament rather than Jesus (so actually Christian is a misnomer).
These stories are written to evoke a certain level of revulsion (a lot like the language Stephen King used in his Dark Tower series).
I do want to include in this review, DO NOT GET YOUR THEOLOGY FROM THIS BOOK!
Look, these are stories. basically everything said about the Bible and God here is incorrect. Other than that if you're reading it for the stories it's not a bad read and the preacher is a fairly interesting character.
August 21, 2018
Really fun book, very gory and brutal in places, as you might expect. Kept me turning those pages.
August 2, 2013
I won a copy on Goodreads Firstreads.
This book is a slugfest. As the author says. it isn't a book of deep thoughts. In one corner you have the avenging spirit of an Indian shaman and his growing army of undead. In the other corner you have a tarnished reverend who is more gunslinger than preacher of the Lord's word. In between these two are the townsfolk who lynched the shaman and his woman and are now cursed.
The characters are mainly in the crass, crude or vulgar range. They are definitely not from the politically correct era. So if you are overly squemish or easily offended, you should probably read something else.
And this was just the first story. There are 4 more adventures of the Reverand in this volume. Each is another harrowing tale of Reverand Jebidiah Mercer facing off against evil in one of its many guises. He makes no promises about saving you, but he will doing eveything he can to stop the evil.
If you like this book and the weird west in general, I also suggest you try the Merkabah Rider series by Edward M. Erdelac.
This book is a slugfest. As the author says. it isn't a book of deep thoughts. In one corner you have the avenging spirit of an Indian shaman and his growing army of undead. In the other corner you have a tarnished reverend who is more gunslinger than preacher of the Lord's word. In between these two are the townsfolk who lynched the shaman and his woman and are now cursed.
The characters are mainly in the crass, crude or vulgar range. They are definitely not from the politically correct era. So if you are overly squemish or easily offended, you should probably read something else.
And this was just the first story. There are 4 more adventures of the Reverand in this volume. Each is another harrowing tale of Reverand Jebidiah Mercer facing off against evil in one of its many guises. He makes no promises about saving you, but he will doing eveything he can to stop the evil.
If you like this book and the weird west in general, I also suggest you try the Merkabah Rider series by Edward M. Erdelac.
August 1, 2013
I won this book as a Goodreads First reads book. I am so glad I did.
Those who are easily offended should not read this book. Everyone else? This may be the book for you if you are into horror stories, the old west, and mash-up stories.
The book is a few separate stories with the same character, Reverend Jebidiah Mercer,a quick-drawing, gun toting, man of God who kills all that is un-natural in Texas. In separate stories he gets rid of zombies, werewolves, vampires, and goblins. He questions his faith but brings justice to those who are tormented by things that go bump in the night, and things that will kill you when the sun goes down.
I loved every single story in this book and it was a great mixture of old west and paranormal/horror. I definitely recommend it to people who do not mind some swearing, racial slurs because of time period stories are set in, and violence in the most extreme. The book is very pulp fiction novel in style and a lot of fun to read.
Those who are easily offended should not read this book. Everyone else? This may be the book for you if you are into horror stories, the old west, and mash-up stories.
The book is a few separate stories with the same character, Reverend Jebidiah Mercer,a quick-drawing, gun toting, man of God who kills all that is un-natural in Texas. In separate stories he gets rid of zombies, werewolves, vampires, and goblins. He questions his faith but brings justice to those who are tormented by things that go bump in the night, and things that will kill you when the sun goes down.
I loved every single story in this book and it was a great mixture of old west and paranormal/horror. I definitely recommend it to people who do not mind some swearing, racial slurs because of time period stories are set in, and violence in the most extreme. The book is very pulp fiction novel in style and a lot of fun to read.
December 14, 2013
Westerns are not my kind of read and most of the horror novels I have read were not very good. This book was more than I expected. I don't want to give anything away except to say if you like horror novels this one is definitely one to read.
August 3, 2021
Reverend Jedidiah Mercer is not your typical peace loving preacher. He is quick on the draw and will send a man to hell faster than you can say Amen. He knows that God is mean and likes to let evil out just for His own entertainment. The Reverend feels he is here to destroy the demons on this earth, but he has his job cut out for him.
Monsters, blood, debauchery, laughter, and bullets make this book very entertaining. Lansdale knows how to write a fights scene that is easy to follow.
Saddle up your horse and join the Rev. You won’t need to pack much food, because you won’t survive for long.
Monsters, blood, debauchery, laughter, and bullets make this book very entertaining. Lansdale knows how to write a fights scene that is easy to follow.
Saddle up your horse and join the Rev. You won’t need to pack much food, because you won’t survive for long.
September 29, 2014
I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this one - more so than I was expecting. The writing style fits the theme - simple and straightforward, with no fluff. Fluff has no place in a book like this. Similes were used in abundance, however, and were they ever colorful. An example: "Their eyes were yellow, like massive firefly asses." Ha! Probably not the first comparison I would have made, but it worked with the tone of the story. The cast of characters was unique and sometimes likeable (though mostly not), and the demons in each story were appropriately icky. Well done.
I borrowed this one from a Goodreads buddy who won it in a giveaway.
I borrowed this one from a Goodreads buddy who won it in a giveaway.
August 29, 2015
Weird western action from Lansdale. Great stuff!
November 1, 2020
Препотужний горор-вестерн з циклу оповідань про преподобного Джебедаю, мисливця за прадавнім злом, священника Вітхозаповітного Бога. Це як повернутися до оповідань про Соломона Кейна, тільки з усіма кр��тилками, вивернутими на максимум. Колоритні персонажі, моцний дух фронтиру, безкомпромісний відморозок-герой - чого ще треба для потужної оповідки?
August 11, 2017
This was a really fun anthology. I first met The Reverend in Dead Man's Hand, a weird western anthology edited by John Joseph Adams, and I kinda fell in love with him instantly. He basically reminded me of a Western witcher (or monster hunter, for those unfamiliar with the Sapkowski books or the excellent video games) with a personality that reminded me of Roland from Stephen King's Dark Tower series (Though, to be fair, I attempt to superimpose Roland onto almost every Western or Western-esque character I can get away with, so I may not be the most reliable person to make that assessment). So, long story short, I obviously sought out more of him, and this little anthology is all I found. However, it is a pretty satisfying collection of stories that provided several thrilling and badass monster hunting romps.
Dead in the West - 3 stars
This story is actually a novella that takes up a little over half of the entire anthology. Unfortunately, I also thought it was the weakest of the bunch. I did like how this gave some backstory on The Reverend, showing both the dark past for which he is trying to find redemption and the events that lead to his monster hunting career. All of this information was satisfying. I likewise thought that the reason for the town's curse in this one was appropriately fucked up and compelling. And, of course, The Reverend his ownself is as badass as I remembered him.
However, the actual action took far too long to kick into gear. In the introduction at the beginning of this anthology, Lansdale says "This is not a book of Big Thinks. It is a book of old-fashioned, swift, exciting, and often brutal tales." The other stories succeed spectacularly in this, but here the action doesn't get going until about a hundred pages in (out of 142 total). So while the action is fun when we actually get to it, I would hardly call this one "swift" and most of it wasn't all that exciting. Because the time not spent shooting monsters in the face is largely spent focusing on characters around town I didn't care about ; setting up a contrived, cheesy, and unsatisfying romance; and having general "Monsters can't exist" conversations. If this is supposed to be a pulpy horror action romp, let's spend a little less dicking around and get to the shoot em up bits, especially when most of the dicking around feels so formulaic and uninteresting. In short, while this story did present us with some fascinating backstories and had decent action when it finally got going, it overall seemed to drag on too long and focus on too many uninteresting elements, so it kind of overstayed its welcome.
Deadman's Road - 5 stars
This is what the first story should have been. While this one also features a as its main monster, this time around it is presented in a much more unique and creative way. And, more importantly, this story doesn't take forever to get going. The monster and its backstory are introduced, and The Reverend sets out to kill it. No fluff. No long, uninteresting sections. Just a monster, The Reverend, and some guns. This was the exciting, brutal romp I was promised, and it was super satisfying.
The Gentleman's Hotel - 5 stars
Cowboy ghosts. Werewolf Conquistadores. Unique monster hunting solutions. Badass heroine sidekick. Enough said.
The Crawling Sky - 5 stars
To me, this was the creepiest of all these stories. I really liked how there was some build up to the reveal of what the monster actually is, so there was this tense period of "What is this thing?" And the answer is just as creepy and satisfying. How it was beaten and its weaknesses were, again, unique and satisfying. Awesome, awesome.
The Dark Down There - 5 stars
I particularly liked the monsters in this one. With each story, The Reverend also seemed to descend a little more into cynicism and darkness, and in this story, he definitely seemed to be at his lowest. So it was also interesting to see him go through this and to see where he ended up mentally when the tale was over. Another great story.
Sorry if most of these reviews were kind of short and vague, but, for me, one of the most exciting things about this anthology was discovering what monsters he would be facing next and watching him work out how to kill them. So I didn't want to ruin any of that here. Suffice it to say I always found these things intensely satisfying. I wish the opening story had been a little better and/or shorter, but the other stories were so enjoyable I thought they more than made up for it. Overall, I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants a quick, fun action/horror romp, because reading this was a blast.
Dead in the West - 3 stars
This story is actually a novella that takes up a little over half of the entire anthology. Unfortunately, I also thought it was the weakest of the bunch. I did like how this gave some backstory on The Reverend, showing both the dark past for which he is trying to find redemption and the events that lead to his monster hunting career. All of this information was satisfying. I likewise thought that the reason for the town's curse in this one was appropriately fucked up and compelling. And, of course, The Reverend his ownself is as badass as I remembered him.
However, the actual action took far too long to kick into gear. In the introduction at the beginning of this anthology, Lansdale says "This is not a book of Big Thinks. It is a book of old-fashioned, swift, exciting, and often brutal tales." The other stories succeed spectacularly in this, but here the action doesn't get going until about a hundred pages in (out of 142 total). So while the action is fun when we actually get to it, I would hardly call this one "swift" and most of it wasn't all that exciting. Because the time not spent shooting monsters in the face is largely spent focusing on characters around town I didn't care about ; setting up a contrived, cheesy, and unsatisfying romance; and having general "Monsters can't exist" conversations. If this is supposed to be a pulpy horror action romp, let's spend a little less dicking around and get to the shoot em up bits, especially when most of the dicking around feels so formulaic and uninteresting. In short, while this story did present us with some fascinating backstories and had decent action when it finally got going, it overall seemed to drag on too long and focus on too many uninteresting elements, so it kind of overstayed its welcome.
Deadman's Road - 5 stars
This is what the first story should have been. While this one also features a as its main monster, this time around it is presented in a much more unique and creative way. And, more importantly, this story doesn't take forever to get going. The monster and its backstory are introduced, and The Reverend sets out to kill it. No fluff. No long, uninteresting sections. Just a monster, The Reverend, and some guns. This was the exciting, brutal romp I was promised, and it was super satisfying.
The Gentleman's Hotel - 5 stars
Cowboy ghosts. Werewolf Conquistadores. Unique monster hunting solutions. Badass heroine sidekick. Enough said.
The Crawling Sky - 5 stars
To me, this was the creepiest of all these stories. I really liked how there was some build up to the reveal of what the monster actually is, so there was this tense period of "What is this thing?" And the answer is just as creepy and satisfying. How it was beaten and its weaknesses were, again, unique and satisfying. Awesome, awesome.
The Dark Down There - 5 stars
I particularly liked the monsters in this one. With each story, The Reverend also seemed to descend a little more into cynicism and darkness, and in this story, he definitely seemed to be at his lowest. So it was also interesting to see him go through this and to see where he ended up mentally when the tale was over. Another great story.
Sorry if most of these reviews were kind of short and vague, but, for me, one of the most exciting things about this anthology was discovering what monsters he would be facing next and watching him work out how to kill them. So I didn't want to ruin any of that here. Suffice it to say I always found these things intensely satisfying. I wish the opening story had been a little better and/or shorter, but the other stories were so enjoyable I thought they more than made up for it. Overall, I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants a quick, fun action/horror romp, because reading this was a blast.
January 5, 2023
Gunslingers, Zombies, Werewolves, Ghosts, Demons, and the old west? HELL YES. the book was a total blast. Highly recommend!
July 28, 2013
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and am happy to have done so. I rarely enter the giveaways (I tend to forget they even exist) but when I saw this one by Joe R. Lansdale I gave it a whirl. I've always wanted to give this author a try and now I've finally had my chance.
From the author's introduction, he had grown up on a fine diet of reading comics, watching westerns at the movie theater, and watching numerous B-movie horror flicks on TV. So he set out to write a story in the pulp tradition that combined all of those early loves. The result is a marvelously successful set of genre-mashup stories that bring back all of the pulpy, western-action-horror that you can imagine.
There are five stories in this single volume. One is a longer novella titled, "Dead in the West" which was originally published over several issues of "Eldritch Tales" and is a well done gunslinger vs. zombies story. The other four short stories all deal with different supernatural foes and are each unique in their own right, and each one a "weird western" in the truest sense of that sub-genre. Four of the five stories are what I would call B-movie horror types, while one is much more like something you might find in a collection of H.P. Lovecraft.
The main character for all of these stories is the Reverend Jebidiah Mercer, a rough-edged man who struggles with his standing with God and doesn't particularly even like God. He certainly doesn't feel the need to behave as a preacher is normally expected to behave. In fact, his title of "Reverend" is really only because he seeks out the forces of evil in order to destroy them. He also happens to be a crack shot, especially with his favored .36 Colt Navy revolver, a talent that comes into play over and over again as you might imagine. The character reminds me a little of Jonah Hex and also of Robert E. Howard's Solomon Kane. There's just something about a whisky drinking, fast drawing, bible-burning preacher that makes for a good story.
And the humor. Did I mention the humor? Among the horror and carnage, there is quite a lot of humor thrown in, some situational and some word play, but always bringing a soft chuckle.
A word of warning. This book is not for everyone. In addition to the Reverend's unorthodox view of God, there is much vulgarity and gruesome violence throughout these five stories. The horror is often bloody and disgusting. (Very cool though). I'm just saying if that sort of thing normally turns you off, then best steer clear of this as well.
All in all, I am very happy to have read my first Lansdale book and will not wait long before pursuing others.
From the author's introduction, he had grown up on a fine diet of reading comics, watching westerns at the movie theater, and watching numerous B-movie horror flicks on TV. So he set out to write a story in the pulp tradition that combined all of those early loves. The result is a marvelously successful set of genre-mashup stories that bring back all of the pulpy, western-action-horror that you can imagine.
There are five stories in this single volume. One is a longer novella titled, "Dead in the West" which was originally published over several issues of "Eldritch Tales" and is a well done gunslinger vs. zombies story. The other four short stories all deal with different supernatural foes and are each unique in their own right, and each one a "weird western" in the truest sense of that sub-genre. Four of the five stories are what I would call B-movie horror types, while one is much more like something you might find in a collection of H.P. Lovecraft.
The main character for all of these stories is the Reverend Jebidiah Mercer, a rough-edged man who struggles with his standing with God and doesn't particularly even like God. He certainly doesn't feel the need to behave as a preacher is normally expected to behave. In fact, his title of "Reverend" is really only because he seeks out the forces of evil in order to destroy them. He also happens to be a crack shot, especially with his favored .36 Colt Navy revolver, a talent that comes into play over and over again as you might imagine. The character reminds me a little of Jonah Hex and also of Robert E. Howard's Solomon Kane. There's just something about a whisky drinking, fast drawing, bible-burning preacher that makes for a good story.
And the humor. Did I mention the humor? Among the horror and carnage, there is quite a lot of humor thrown in, some situational and some word play, but always bringing a soft chuckle.
A word of warning. This book is not for everyone. In addition to the Reverend's unorthodox view of God, there is much vulgarity and gruesome violence throughout these five stories. The horror is often bloody and disgusting. (Very cool though). I'm just saying if that sort of thing normally turns you off, then best steer clear of this as well.
All in all, I am very happy to have read my first Lansdale book and will not wait long before pursuing others.
August 12, 2013
Jebidiah Mercer is a preacher. Sort of. He travels across Texas ridding the towns of haints and haunts. Deadman's Road is a collection of stories starring Reverend Mercer and tells of his exploits. The first story in the collection and by far the longest is Dead in the West. It takes up half the book and tells the background of Mercer as he tries to stop an Indian revenge curse from destroying the town. (With zombies!) It was unfortunately probably my least favorite in the collection, though the most self contained. The next in the collection is the title story Deadman's Road, and is the spooky tale of a evil beekeeper who haunts a dark stretch of road. I enjoyed the atmosphere Lansdale creates but was not overly impressed. The Gentleman's Hotel comes in third and was my overall favorite. The Reverend enters a small dead town and is confronted with the werewolves of six cursed spanish conquistadors who, once unleashed, have devoured the town. The Crawling Sky if our fourth tale and had by far the most disturbing evil creature that is presented and left me wishing I hadn't read about it right before bed. And our last story The Dark Down There was my second favorite in the collection with strong character development (As much as you can pull off in forty pages)and a more adventurous tale than the others in the collection.
I enjoyed Deadman's Road overall and thought some of the stories were great. I was disappointed with the novella length opener however and honestly would have preferred more shorts. I thought the plain writing and crude descriptions and dialogue made this different read. This is my first Joe Lansdale and though I didn't love it, I would be very interested in reading more by this Texas author.
I enjoyed Deadman's Road overall and thought some of the stories were great. I was disappointed with the novella length opener however and honestly would have preferred more shorts. I thought the plain writing and crude descriptions and dialogue made this different read. This is my first Joe Lansdale and though I didn't love it, I would be very interested in reading more by this Texas author.
January 7, 2017
Joe Lansdale hates Christianity. Thinks it's bunk and hooey. That's fine. But it bleeds over into his writing. "Christians" in his books are jerks, criminals, hypocrites, adulterers, murderers, and just terrible people. I can't think of a single normal Christian in anything I've read by him. Since--agree with them or not--most Christians are just normal, everyday people, his portrayals show he obviously has an ax to grind.
But I've always wanted to read his stories of the Reverend Jebediah Mercer--a preacher who fights the forces of evil, similar to Solomon Kane. "Maybe this character will be different," I think. But right away we find out he had a thing for his sister when they were young teenagers--and his dad caught them when they were having sex! So...nope. Still creating ridiculous Christian characters. In addition, Mercer hates God, frequently cursing him and telling people that God's a jerk. So it makes zero sense that he's traveling the world doing this God's bidding. I think it's supposed to show us a conflicted character, but it's just dumb. Mercer has zero nuance.
Anyway, this oversimplified and one-dimensional character put me on edge for the whole book. It's a collection of Lansdale's Mercer stories, and he finds himself fighting zombies, werewolves, Lovecraftian monsters, and kobolds. The stories are fine--nothing especially memorable. If I didn't hate Mercer as a character so much, I still would have only given this 3 stars. If you like Weird West writings, you might like this. Just be prepared to saddle up with a straw man.
But I've always wanted to read his stories of the Reverend Jebediah Mercer--a preacher who fights the forces of evil, similar to Solomon Kane. "Maybe this character will be different," I think. But right away we find out he had a thing for his sister when they were young teenagers--and his dad caught them when they were having sex! So...nope. Still creating ridiculous Christian characters. In addition, Mercer hates God, frequently cursing him and telling people that God's a jerk. So it makes zero sense that he's traveling the world doing this God's bidding. I think it's supposed to show us a conflicted character, but it's just dumb. Mercer has zero nuance.
Anyway, this oversimplified and one-dimensional character put me on edge for the whole book. It's a collection of Lansdale's Mercer stories, and he finds himself fighting zombies, werewolves, Lovecraftian monsters, and kobolds. The stories are fine--nothing especially memorable. If I didn't hate Mercer as a character so much, I still would have only given this 3 stars. If you like Weird West writings, you might like this. Just be prepared to saddle up with a straw man.
July 23, 2021
This is Lansdale's tribute to the pulps, specifically of the "Weird West" variety, with one novella ("Dead in the West") and four short stories, all featuring Reverend Jebidiah Mercer, self-proclaimed "good right arm of the Lord" and professional monster-slayer. He's no Dudley Do-Right, but a brutal gunfighter and bad-tempered Baptist preacher who hates God only slightly less than he hates the Devil. He fights evil where he finds it (in these stories, vampires, zombies, werewolves, demons, goblins, and even a Lovecraftian horror), but is fully prepared to gun down anyone who gets in his way. His attitude changes a bit from story to story - in some he's nicer than others and in one he's a full blown alcoholic. In keeping with the pulp tradition, Lansdale has left in the continuity errors - his gun changes from story to story and in his forward, the author admits that he gave the Reverend two different names during his career. These are not cheerful or deep stories, but he does an excellent job of combining traditional pulp/Western tropes with the horror and supernatural. 3.5 stars.
July 6, 2016
It's time to acknowledge that I just don't have any interest in finishing this book. It wasn't bad, just kind of a long comic book that I couldn't really get into. I listened to about 1/3 of it & it's pretty long. I kept waiting to get hooked since the writing was technically pretty good & it had a lot of interesting elements. It just never grabbed me, though. I never really cared what happened to anyone.
December 11, 2018
This book was so much fun. A wonderful western full of zombies, werewolves, and goblins. Not to be taken too seriously and Joe R. Lansdale's flawlessly written and constructed characters and stories are such an absolute joy to read. If you're into this kind of thing and love reading passages that will make you weep, think, wince, and smile from ear to ear then don't hesitate on this one.
August 10, 2018
Can it be possible for a book to be boring if there is too much action? 5 stories that are just the same setup of 25% talking shit on God, 25% talking shit on people, then 50% describing an action movie scene. With the only character development in one of the stories.
June 24, 2022
For whatever reason Lansdale is either hit or miss for me. This was a miss. I just wasn’t entertained and the action seemed motiveless and gratuitous. Others might find this pulp stuff engaging, and I usually do as well, but this one didn’t reach me.
Shelved as 'pass'
December 9, 2021Did he say, his sister?!
November 17, 2021
Sometimes you want to read a complex, layered work, rich in subtext and emotion. Sometimes you want to read something educational or enlightening. And sometimes, you just want to read a fun, goofy, simple adventure. Reading "Deadman's Road" while i was in the mood for the latter, it really hit the spot. It's a goofy idea, executed with conviction (albeit a winking, smirking sort of conviction).
The protagonist of these stories, known simply as The Preacher, is a simple man. He believes that the life is hard, the world is mean, his god is a jerk, and people are generally awful. His backstory, which i wont delve into, may be the most questionable and difficult to accept aspect of the book. To atone for the sinful deed in his past, he now roams the land as an instrument of God's vengeance, seeking out and dispensing with various ghosts, goblins, zombies, vampires, and other creatures of evil.
These stories basically follow the same pattern: The Preacher rolls into a new town, hears about some evil around those parts, and sets out to vanquish said evil (usually with a temporary sidekick alongside him). The stories are fun, quick, and entertaining, with dark humor sprinkled liberally throughout. Lanagan really plays up the Old West setting to great effect. Side characters and townsfolk populating the margins of the stories, for example, are the types of kooky and colorful characters that could be found in many old Westerns; drunken old-timers, loony hillbillies, lazy sheriffs, and so forth. The dialogue is entertaining, the side characters are fleshed out just enough to make their inevitable demise have an impact, and the action is exciting and clearly explained.
I really enjoyed this. It is admittedly not the type of thing that I normally read, but it really hit the spot when i was looking for a simple, entertaining, pulpy action story. Highly recommended for a fun, easy read.
The protagonist of these stories, known simply as The Preacher, is a simple man. He believes that the life is hard, the world is mean, his god is a jerk, and people are generally awful. His backstory, which i wont delve into, may be the most questionable and difficult to accept aspect of the book. To atone for the sinful deed in his past, he now roams the land as an instrument of God's vengeance, seeking out and dispensing with various ghosts, goblins, zombies, vampires, and other creatures of evil.
These stories basically follow the same pattern: The Preacher rolls into a new town, hears about some evil around those parts, and sets out to vanquish said evil (usually with a temporary sidekick alongside him). The stories are fun, quick, and entertaining, with dark humor sprinkled liberally throughout. Lanagan really plays up the Old West setting to great effect. Side characters and townsfolk populating the margins of the stories, for example, are the types of kooky and colorful characters that could be found in many old Westerns; drunken old-timers, loony hillbillies, lazy sheriffs, and so forth. The dialogue is entertaining, the side characters are fleshed out just enough to make their inevitable demise have an impact, and the action is exciting and clearly explained.
I really enjoyed this. It is admittedly not the type of thing that I normally read, but it really hit the spot when i was looking for a simple, entertaining, pulpy action story. Highly recommended for a fun, easy read.
May 22, 2018
(Scroll down for english)
Un minimo di delusione, per colpa degli standard altissimi che mi aspetto da Lansdale. Trattasi di una raccolta di storie brevi che vedono al centro il reverendo Mercer, uomo di Dio dalla pistola facile che esegue il Suo volere suo malgrado. Antieroe per davvero, il reverendo si muove in un contesto western horror interessante ma (almeno in questa raccolta) destrutturato, in cui ogni manifestazione delle Forze del Male è isolata e fine a se stessa.
I personaggi sono al solito tratteggiati a tinte forti, ma senza la consueta nota scanzonata lansdaliana. Ne risulta un affresco a tinte più cupe, giustificate dal soggetto, ma nel quale si fa sentire a mio avviso la mancanza di quella brillantezza così tipica dei suoi lavori.
Memorabili ad ogni modo i due personaggi femminili, verosimili e atipici al tempo stesso, forti pur senza essere privi di debolezze.
(english)
A bit unsatisfying, due to the high standards I'm used to expect from Lansdale. It's a compendium of short stories starring reverend Mercer, man of God and quick gunman who follows His Will regardless. Real anti-hero, the reverend moves in a western-horror context, interesting if not structured, in which any Evil manifestation seems on its own.
Characters are strongly depicted as usual, lacking the usual lighthearted key. The result is a darker tone landscape, surely justified in this kind of plot, in which I miss so much Lansdale's brilliance.
Anyway a word of appreciation for the female characters, true and atipycal, strong without lacking weaknesses.
Un minimo di delusione, per colpa degli standard altissimi che mi aspetto da Lansdale. Trattasi di una raccolta di storie brevi che vedono al centro il reverendo Mercer, uomo di Dio dalla pistola facile che esegue il Suo volere suo malgrado. Antieroe per davvero, il reverendo si muove in un contesto western horror interessante ma (almeno in questa raccolta) destrutturato, in cui ogni manifestazione delle Forze del Male è isolata e fine a se stessa.
I personaggi sono al solito tratteggiati a tinte forti, ma senza la consueta nota scanzonata lansdaliana. Ne risulta un affresco a tinte più cupe, giustificate dal soggetto, ma nel quale si fa sentire a mio avviso la mancanza di quella brillantezza così tipica dei suoi lavori.
Memorabili ad ogni modo i due personaggi femminili, verosimili e atipici al tempo stesso, forti pur senza essere privi di debolezze.
(english)
A bit unsatisfying, due to the high standards I'm used to expect from Lansdale. It's a compendium of short stories starring reverend Mercer, man of God and quick gunman who follows His Will regardless. Real anti-hero, the reverend moves in a western-horror context, interesting if not structured, in which any Evil manifestation seems on its own.
Characters are strongly depicted as usual, lacking the usual lighthearted key. The result is a darker tone landscape, surely justified in this kind of plot, in which I miss so much Lansdale's brilliance.
Anyway a word of appreciation for the female characters, true and atipycal, strong without lacking weaknesses.
April 26, 2022
I'm almost 50 and I teach high school English. I've been reading Joe Lansdale since I was a 15-year-old high school student myself. I eagerly await each new Lansdale book with the sense that I'm continuing a conversion with a lifelong friend.
I read Lansdale's early western/horror novel "Dead in the West" back in high school, but somehow missed "Deadman's Road," which collects that short novel along with four other novellas featuring the hard-scrabble gun-toting preacher Jedediah Mercer.
I do my best to stay caught up with Lansdale's stories and novels, but occasionally some of the small-print offerings, such as this one, slip under my radar. And although this is isn't Lansdale, at his best, I'm glad I finally tracked it down, and not just for completion's sake.
The five stories here set alongside one another bear a striking resemblance to Stephen King's first Dark Tower book, The Gunslinger. Both feature hard-scrabble gun-packing main characters whose sense of duty pulls them irrevocably toward death and destruction--not for them, but fore anyone who has the misfortunate to get close to them.
As with Roland Deschain, there's a coldness at the center of Lansdale's protagonist, Jedediah Mercer. The armor that protects him on his journey through a West populated with vampires, zombies, and various other supernatural creatures, is his sun-weathered skin and his steely faith in an Old-Testament God who is short on redemption or forgiveness.
More bleak and less humorous than many of Lansdale's more recent novels, "Dead in the West" and the other four novellas that make up "Deadman's Road" still provide plenty of enjoyment for any avid Lansdale fan. I wouldn't recommend this as a new reader's entree to Landsale, however. If you haven't read Lansdale before, you can't go wrong starting with Savage Season, the first of the Hap and Leonard novels. If you're already acquainted with the East-Texas mojo of Mr. Lansdale, but somehow missed this collection as I did, I believe you will enjoy your trip down "Deadman's Road."
I read Lansdale's early western/horror novel "Dead in the West" back in high school, but somehow missed "Deadman's Road," which collects that short novel along with four other novellas featuring the hard-scrabble gun-toting preacher Jedediah Mercer.
I do my best to stay caught up with Lansdale's stories and novels, but occasionally some of the small-print offerings, such as this one, slip under my radar. And although this is isn't Lansdale, at his best, I'm glad I finally tracked it down, and not just for completion's sake.
The five stories here set alongside one another bear a striking resemblance to Stephen King's first Dark Tower book, The Gunslinger. Both feature hard-scrabble gun-packing main characters whose sense of duty pulls them irrevocably toward death and destruction--not for them, but fore anyone who has the misfortunate to get close to them.
As with Roland Deschain, there's a coldness at the center of Lansdale's protagonist, Jedediah Mercer. The armor that protects him on his journey through a West populated with vampires, zombies, and various other supernatural creatures, is his sun-weathered skin and his steely faith in an Old-Testament God who is short on redemption or forgiveness.
More bleak and less humorous than many of Lansdale's more recent novels, "Dead in the West" and the other four novellas that make up "Deadman's Road" still provide plenty of enjoyment for any avid Lansdale fan. I wouldn't recommend this as a new reader's entree to Landsale, however. If you haven't read Lansdale before, you can't go wrong starting with Savage Season, the first of the Hap and Leonard novels. If you're already acquainted with the East-Texas mojo of Mr. Lansdale, but somehow missed this collection as I did, I believe you will enjoy your trip down "Deadman's Road."
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