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Dead in the West
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Dead in the West is the story of Mud Creek, Texas, a town overshadowed by a terrible evil. An Indian medicine man, unjustly lynched by the people of Mud Creek, has put a curse on the town. As the sun sets, he will have his revenge. For when darkness falls, the dead will walk in Mud Creek and they will be hungry for human flesh. The only one that can save the town is Revere
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Hardcover, 148 pages
Published
August 1st 2005
by Night Shade
(first published 1986)
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'Hallowed be thy name, oh Lord—and shotgun do your stuff.'The fun I had with this book!
Mud Creek, Texas.
Jebediah Mercer, a gunslinger preacher, feels drawn to this horrible little town. His dreams are terrifying. When the evil finally comes to Mud Creek, he is the only one who is standing in its way.
The Reverend is a true anti-hero. He has some real sins behind him, not just imaginary ones. And, yet, you'll root for him. And you'll probably like him. I know I do.
Now, as for the evil and wh ...more
Reverend Jebediah Mercer, Lansdale's alcoholic gun-toting preacher, comes to town. Too bad a dying Indian medicine man put a curse on the town and it's crawling with zombies...
If you're a zombie fan or a Joe R. Lansdale fan, this slim volume is more than worth the cash. It's got everything you love about zombie stories, set in a western town, and written by the Master of Mojo hisownself, Joe Lansdale. ...more
If you're a zombie fan or a Joe R. Lansdale fan, this slim volume is more than worth the cash. It's got everything you love about zombie stories, set in a western town, and written by the Master of Mojo hisownself, Joe Lansdale. ...more
Not much time. Say something. Write something. Think, think, think. Nothing doing, nothing coming.
Zombies. Yes, good. Zombies. This book has zombies. Fearful, frightful, bodaciously hideous, skin-falling-off-them zombies.
And a preacher. And the preacher's an alcoholic. And he has a big secret. And he comes into a town that's a lot like my hometown, but displaced to east Texas (East Texas?). Lots of creeps with lots of secrets. Sex secrets, violent secrets, tight-lipped secrets.
And there's a d ...more
Zombies. Yes, good. Zombies. This book has zombies. Fearful, frightful, bodaciously hideous, skin-falling-off-them zombies.
And a preacher. And the preacher's an alcoholic. And he has a big secret. And he comes into a town that's a lot like my hometown, but displaced to east Texas (East Texas?). Lots of creeps with lots of secrets. Sex secrets, violent secrets, tight-lipped secrets.
And there's a d ...more
Once again, Lansdale proves he's the master of the Weird Western. Really enjoyable here. It's an old west zombie tale with a twist. Nothing incredibly ground breaking, but Lansdale puts so much into his characters it still seems fresh and new. He always manages to add just enough to make it seem fresh. The ending wasn't my favorite, but really fit the western mold.
If you like Weird Westerns, or really horror in general, you'll like this one. ...more
If you like Weird Westerns, or really horror in general, you'll like this one. ...more
What are the things that you love in Lansdale? Let's count, and then find out how many of them are present in this novella.
1. Weird West Setting: It's not only there, but acts as a template for all the new-Pulp and new-Western writers.
2. Dark Humour: Definitely there, and in such a manner that enriches the characters rather than diminishing them, despite the entire novella belonging to the horror genre.
3. Profanity: Accept it or not, it's the lurid & colourful language leaping out of the lines a ...more
1. Weird West Setting: It's not only there, but acts as a template for all the new-Pulp and new-Western writers.
2. Dark Humour: Definitely there, and in such a manner that enriches the characters rather than diminishing them, despite the entire novella belonging to the horror genre.
3. Profanity: Accept it or not, it's the lurid & colourful language leaping out of the lines a ...more
Only Joe R Lansdale could make this premise work: in the late 19th century, a zombie outbreak brought on by a hanged Indian’s curse spreads through a small East Texas town, and it’s up to a gun-toting Reverend to save the day.
Only Lansdale could make this work; only Lansdale could make it entertaining as hell.
Like other stories by this author, this one is populated with colorful small town life, from lazy sheriffs to corrupt town officials to drunks to curious children. Mud Creek comes alive in ...more
Only Lansdale could make this work; only Lansdale could make it entertaining as hell.
Like other stories by this author, this one is populated with colorful small town life, from lazy sheriffs to corrupt town officials to drunks to curious children. Mud Creek comes alive in ...more
4 to 4.5 stars to this sum-bitch. A helluva good time! It's a zombie western, so if that doesn't say enough then mosey the hell on out of my review you lily-livered son of an un-dead redhead. For all y'all that understand, pick this one up today!
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I waited a long time to get my hands on this one, and thanks to a sale at one of my favorite online booksellers I finally managed to snag a copy of this gorgeous limited edition hardcover version of Lansdale's classic zombie western (the story originally appeared in 1986 as a 3-part series in Eldritch Tales Magazine then later as a softcover trade paperback). This is also the first time I've read Lansdale (don't shoot me--full pun intended), although I did see the film version of his book BUBBA
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Finally, I got the chance to read Lansdale's zombie western without throwing down a big chunk of change. Thank you eBooks!
I love Lansdale's prose. He writes in concise sentences that build up the story detail by detail. Some authors labor to describe a setting, and the resulting prose is an equal labor to digest; not Lansdale. I felt like I was walking through Mud Creek myself, taking in the storefronts and the people.
Lansdale also establishes a small universe of characters in a short amount of ...more
I love Lansdale's prose. He writes in concise sentences that build up the story detail by detail. Some authors labor to describe a setting, and the resulting prose is an equal labor to digest; not Lansdale. I felt like I was walking through Mud Creek myself, taking in the storefronts and the people.
Lansdale also establishes a small universe of characters in a short amount of ...more
This is a novella more than a novel, clocking in at only 97 pages on my ereader. Pretty much your typical western with zombies thrown in for good measure, it has all the usual culprits, the drunken buffoon, corrupt Sherriff, plucky young sidekick, and of course a badass gunslinger in the form of a Reverend that's lost his faith.
I enjoyed this for what it was but honestly it was too short for me to really care about the characters much. Zombie action doesn't really start until about halfway thro ...more
I enjoyed this for what it was but honestly it was too short for me to really care about the characters much. Zombie action doesn't really start until about halfway thro ...more
Straight-up writing about an incestuous, masterbating, alcoholic, sharp-shooting cowboy minister, who rode into town, only to be eventually confronted by the walking dead that had no particular preference on what body part to chomp down on. What can I say, the makings of a fun little story.
Excellent horror pulp. An Indian curse turns a town of rednecks harboring a guilty secret into flesh-eating zombies. Very surprising that this hasn't been made into a movie...( i found Lansdale on Twitter & he told me a French company owns the rights & won't come off them. Shame, as it would make a fun little fright flick)
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Apr 09, 2009
Marvin
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
horror,
autographed
Best zombie western ever...admittedly not a big category. Joe R. Lansdale is the writer I turn to when I want my horror fix delivered with sardonic wit and drenched in buckets of blood. He doesn't disappoint in this hearty tribute to the pulps. Why this book has never been made into a movie bewilders me.
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Lansdale takes a huge bite with this kick ass zombie novella. B-rated zombie the way it should be.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Well, I’ve read a zombie book or two thousand in my time. Some are great. Cell by Stephen King is an exceptional standout in the genre to me. And of course the now finished but never forgotten The Walking Dead comic book may be the most brilliant zombie story to ever be told, no matter if you are tired of the television show or not.
But I can tell you that those examples are the stunningly rare exceptions in a genre with a zillion books. This week I read Dead in the West by Joe R. Lansdale. I’ll ...more
But I can tell you that those examples are the stunningly rare exceptions in a genre with a zillion books. This week I read Dead in the West by Joe R. Lansdale. I’ll ...more
Wow - this is a rootin' tootin' cussin' fabulous zombie western! I've been wanting to read this weird little book for quite some time and thank god for interlibrary loan - got a copy from the Library of Congress! Of course, I had to read it in the library, but that's no problem since I work there. It's quick - 3 lunch breaks and I was done. I'm sad it's over because it was just so much fun. Dead in the West is packed with quirky, wild, and funny one-liners. It's worth reading again just to pull
...more
If I told you the words "zombie western", anything you could possibly think of would have to be this book. Crusty town doctor, hard-bitten alcoholic reverend struggling with his faith, random boy who stature rises in the plot, pretty woman, zombies. This book is cool.
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Drunken preachers, zombies, dark powers, and a western all in one. Magnificent!
Lansdale's one of my favorites and he did a magnificent job with this story. The preacher is a fantastic character and Lansdale's hints of future adventures with him make me very happy. ...more
Lansdale's one of my favorites and he did a magnificent job with this story. The preacher is a fantastic character and Lansdale's hints of future adventures with him make me very happy. ...more
Zombies, gun-totin' preachers, and Joe R. Lansdale. Need I say more?
...more
Pulpy Western with zombie demons? Hell yes! This book was a fast and fun read.
A fun, pulpy read. Maybe too generous giving it three stars, though, but it is Lansdale, so there.
Joe R. Lansdale's
Dead in the West
is a fun, campy monster mashup of genres. Subtitled "A Zombie Western," the novel features a tough-as-nails preacher who unexpectedly faces his most horrifying challenge: a legion of the undead. Like any good antihero, Reverend Jebediah Mercer struggles with a tragic history full of sinful secrets - and the accompanying guilt that haunts him like a tethered specter. The ghosts of the past, however, pale in comparison to the resurrected zombies that have sta
...more
BE CAREFUL WHO YOU HANG
The town of the walking dead. Certain segments of society always seem to think that they are better than others because of their appearance.
In this particular case, a traveling Indian Shaman and his wife going from town to town selling tonics, good luck charms, herbs etc; stopped at the wrong town. They tortured the Indian Shaman and tortured his wife of mixed heritage. Before the Shaman died he put a "curse" on the town for what they did to them. It's the same attitudes t ...more
The town of the walking dead. Certain segments of society always seem to think that they are better than others because of their appearance.
In this particular case, a traveling Indian Shaman and his wife going from town to town selling tonics, good luck charms, herbs etc; stopped at the wrong town. They tortured the Indian Shaman and tortured his wife of mixed heritage. Before the Shaman died he put a "curse" on the town for what they did to them. It's the same attitudes t ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I bought this book in 1986, but never got around to reading it. Wished that I had read it sooner because Lansdale perfectly captures the feel of a B horror film. The cast includes a troubled Reverend-Gunslinger, an eccentric town doctor, the doctor's sexy daughter, a cute kid, and assorted townsfolk. The problem is the curse of a lynched Indian shaman and hoards of zombies. As Lansdale states in his introduction, this is not a book of "big thinks", but it goes great with popcorn!
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A fun and quick zombie read from Lansdale, who is a master of descriptive gore here. You could almost say this was a light and breezy read- if you can describe some horrific wendigo gore as light and breezy.
Zombies versus gunslinger
Great read! Reminiscent of the pulp westerns and horror stories of yore. This time you get both in a single story. Bloody, gory, good!!!
Great read! Reminiscent of the pulp westerns and horror stories of yore. This time you get both in a single story. Bloody, gory, good!!!
Classic Joe R. Lansdale zombie western featuring a gunslinger priest and an Indian curse. 'Nuff Said!
...more
Zombies, Bad ass preachers, western and Lansdale. Need I say more?
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Champion 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-e
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