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Sheriff Poole & The Mech Gang
Sheriff Poole & The Mech Gang is set near de Lint's fictional desert town of Santo del Vado Viejo, where his novels The Mystery of Grace and The Painted Boy take place, and where some of his recent short fiction has been set. It is available here for the first time in any format.
Dan Cutler lives with his wife Mason in the foothills of the Hierro Madera Mountains near the ruins of Showdown Ranch, his father's old amusement park. Although the ranch is now owned by developers, nothing has been done with it since the day Dan's father died there in a mysterious explosion.
Four generations of Cutler men have worked with carnival machines called animatrons—large metal figures whose clockwork workings delight and captivate audiences.
Ever since the explosion Dan has been salvaging parts of these mechanical men from the ruins and bringing them home to try to put them back in working order. But there is a greater reason to make these machine men operational once more—something that threatens the Cutlers' very existence.
Dan Cutler lives with his wife Mason in the foothills of the Hierro Madera Mountains near the ruins of Showdown Ranch, his father's old amusement park. Although the ranch is now owned by developers, nothing has been done with it since the day Dan's father died there in a mysterious explosion.
Four generations of Cutler men have worked with carnival machines called animatrons—large metal figures whose clockwork workings delight and captivate audiences.
Ever since the explosion Dan has been salvaging parts of these mechanical men from the ruins and bringing them home to try to put them back in working order. But there is a greater reason to make these machine men operational once more—something that threatens the Cutlers' very existence.
22 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 3, 2013
16 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
About the author
Charles de Lint
446 books4,018 followersCharles de Lint is the much beloved author of more than seventy adult, young adult, and children's books. Renowned as one of the trailblazers of the modern fantasy genre, he is the recipient of the World Fantasy, Aurora, Sunburst, and White Pine awards, among others. Modern Library's Top 100 Books of the 20th Century poll, conducted by Random House and voted on by readers, put eight of de Lint's books among the top 100.
De Lint is a poet, folklorist, artist, songwriter and performer. He has written critical essays, music reviews, opinion columns and entries to encyclopedias, and he's been the main book reviewer for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction since 1987. De Lint served as Writer-in-residence for two public libraries in Ottawa and has taught creative writing workshops for adults and children in Canada and the United States. He's been a judge for several prominent awards, including the Nebula, World Fantasy, Theodore Sturgeon and Bram Stoker.
Born in the Netherlands in 1951, de Lint immigrated to Canada with his family as an infant. The family moved often during de Lint's childhood because of his father's job with an international surveying company, but by the time Charles was twelve—having lived in Western Canada, Turkey and Lebanon—they had settled in Lucerne, Quebec, not far from where he now resides in Ottawa, Ontario.
In 1980, de Lint married the love of his life, MaryAnn Harris, who works closely with him as his first editor, business manager and creative partner. They share their love and home with a cheery little dog named Johnny Cash.
Charles de Lint is best described as a romantic: a believer in compassion, hope and human potential. His skilled portrayal of character and settings has earned him a loyal readership and glowing praise from peers, reviewers and readers.
Charles de Lint writes like a magician. He draws out the strange inside our own world, weaving stories that feel more real than we are when we read them. He is, simply put, the best.
—Holly Black (bestselling author)
Charles de Lint is the modern master of urban fantasy. Folktale, myth, fairy tale, dreams, urban legend—all of it adds up to pure magic in de Lint's vivid, original world. No one does it better.
—Alice Hoffman (bestselling author)
To read de Lint is to fall under the spell of a master storyteller, to be reminded of the greatness of life, of the beauty and majesty lurking in shadows and empty doorways.
—Quill & Quire
His Newford books, which make up most of de Lint's body of work between 1993 and 2009, confirmed his reputation for bringing a vivid setting and repertory cast of characters to life on the page. Though not a consecutive series, the twenty-five standalone books set in (or connected to) Newford give readers a feeling of visiting a favourite city and seeing old friends.
More recently, his young adult Wildlings trilogy—Under My Skin, Over My Head, and Out of This World—came out from Penguin Canada and Triskell Press in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Under My Skin won 2013 Aurora Award. A novel for middle-grade readers, The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, published by Little Brown in 2013, won the Sunburst Award, earned starred reviews in both Publishers Weekly and Quill & Quire, and was chosen by the New York Times Editors as one of the top six children's books for 2013. His most recent adult novel, The Mystery of Grace (2009), is a fascinating ghost story about love, passion and faith. It was a finalist for both the Sunburst and Evergreen awards.
De Lint is presently writing a new adult novel. His storytelling skills also shine in his original songs. He and MaryAnn (also a musician) recently released companion CDs of their original songs, samples of which can be heard on de Lin
De Lint is a poet, folklorist, artist, songwriter and performer. He has written critical essays, music reviews, opinion columns and entries to encyclopedias, and he's been the main book reviewer for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction since 1987. De Lint served as Writer-in-residence for two public libraries in Ottawa and has taught creative writing workshops for adults and children in Canada and the United States. He's been a judge for several prominent awards, including the Nebula, World Fantasy, Theodore Sturgeon and Bram Stoker.
Born in the Netherlands in 1951, de Lint immigrated to Canada with his family as an infant. The family moved often during de Lint's childhood because of his father's job with an international surveying company, but by the time Charles was twelve—having lived in Western Canada, Turkey and Lebanon—they had settled in Lucerne, Quebec, not far from where he now resides in Ottawa, Ontario.
In 1980, de Lint married the love of his life, MaryAnn Harris, who works closely with him as his first editor, business manager and creative partner. They share their love and home with a cheery little dog named Johnny Cash.
Charles de Lint is best described as a romantic: a believer in compassion, hope and human potential. His skilled portrayal of character and settings has earned him a loyal readership and glowing praise from peers, reviewers and readers.
Charles de Lint writes like a magician. He draws out the strange inside our own world, weaving stories that feel more real than we are when we read them. He is, simply put, the best.
—Holly Black (bestselling author)
Charles de Lint is the modern master of urban fantasy. Folktale, myth, fairy tale, dreams, urban legend—all of it adds up to pure magic in de Lint's vivid, original world. No one does it better.
—Alice Hoffman (bestselling author)
To read de Lint is to fall under the spell of a master storyteller, to be reminded of the greatness of life, of the beauty and majesty lurking in shadows and empty doorways.
—Quill & Quire
His Newford books, which make up most of de Lint's body of work between 1993 and 2009, confirmed his reputation for bringing a vivid setting and repertory cast of characters to life on the page. Though not a consecutive series, the twenty-five standalone books set in (or connected to) Newford give readers a feeling of visiting a favourite city and seeing old friends.
More recently, his young adult Wildlings trilogy—Under My Skin, Over My Head, and Out of This World—came out from Penguin Canada and Triskell Press in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Under My Skin won 2013 Aurora Award. A novel for middle-grade readers, The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, published by Little Brown in 2013, won the Sunburst Award, earned starred reviews in both Publishers Weekly and Quill & Quire, and was chosen by the New York Times Editors as one of the top six children's books for 2013. His most recent adult novel, The Mystery of Grace (2009), is a fascinating ghost story about love, passion and faith. It was a finalist for both the Sunburst and Evergreen awards.
De Lint is presently writing a new adult novel. His storytelling skills also shine in his original songs. He and MaryAnn (also a musician) recently released companion CDs of their original songs, samples of which can be heard on de Lin
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 29, 2021
Интересно, фантастика писана от де Линт.
Разказче, ситуирано в полупостинните пейзажи на Южните Щати. Едно семейство, трето полколение панаирни инженери се опитва да възстанови група аутоматони с часовникови механизми. Оказва се, че имат една интересна и може би смъртоносна семейна тайна.
Паранормалният уестърн е една ниша, която си я има в жанровите произведения, но никога не е достигала по-голяма популярност в страните, които са запознати с уестърна като литературен жанр само от произведенията на европейци. Напоследък със серията сплетър уестърни na Death's Head Press се нядявам да получи заслуженото внимание извън Щатите, но едва ли.
Разказче, ситуирано в полупостинните пейзажи на Южните Щати. Едно семейство, трето полколение панаирни инженери се опитва да възстанови група аутоматони с часовникови механизми. Оказва се, че имат една интересна и може би смъртоносна семейна тайна.
Паранормалният уестърн е една ниша, която си я има в жанровите произведения, но никога не е достигала по-голяма популярност в страните, които са запознати с уестърна като литературен жанр само от произведенията на европейци. Напоследък със серията сплетър уестърни na Death's Head Press се нядявам да получи заслуженото внимание извън Щатите, но едва ли.
October 5, 2017
I'm only now starting to become familiar with de Lint's southwestern stories. Oddly, I'm finding them darker than the Newford tales, though no less enjoyable. This story of robot gunslingers, aliens, and something which is never really named, leaves me with more questions than answers, and I'm hoping de Lint will expand on the theme and characters in the future.
Dan Cutler has animatronics in his blood and bone. For generations his family has worked carnival machines, and his father created The Mech Gang, a group of mechanical outlaws that staged shoot-outs with Sheriff Poole, a far more sophisticated clockwork man, whose secrets Dan's father was never able to figure out. When he died in a mysterious explosion, Dan continued his father's work, which included driving off alien attackers at regular intervals. When the why of those attacks becomes clear to all of them, Dan's life changes dramatically.
As I said, this story left me with more questions than answers. But the tight narrative doesn't allow for much speculation as you read. It's only afterward, while thinking about that last image of the Sheriff telling Dan and his wife about life in the old west, that so many questions come pouring out.
This story is full of wonder in many senses of the word.
Dan Cutler has animatronics in his blood and bone. For generations his family has worked carnival machines, and his father created The Mech Gang, a group of mechanical outlaws that staged shoot-outs with Sheriff Poole, a far more sophisticated clockwork man, whose secrets Dan's father was never able to figure out. When he died in a mysterious explosion, Dan continued his father's work, which included driving off alien attackers at regular intervals. When the why of those attacks becomes clear to all of them, Dan's life changes dramatically.
As I said, this story left me with more questions than answers. But the tight narrative doesn't allow for much speculation as you read. It's only afterward, while thinking about that last image of the Sheriff telling Dan and his wife about life in the old west, that so many questions come pouring out.
This story is full of wonder in many senses of the word.
October 24, 2017
A very different de Lint story--a clockwork western! It's a short story but a lot of fun, and it left me wanting more of the backstory, which is always a good sign. One day, I hope Charles will return to these characters so we can learn the mystery of where the Sheriff came from and came to be, and who the mysterious creatures are.
May 29, 2018
Way too short a story...
I hope this is a story he’ll develop into a longer novel. I want to learn more about the Sheriff and the Cutlers!
I hope this is a story he’ll develop into a longer novel. I want to learn more about the Sheriff and the Cutlers!
May 27, 2015
De Lint goes manly in this short story. In his world where strange and wonderful things happen around the edges of society - this one involves robots, guns, and spaceships, with a twist, of course. I liked this one greatly because it does not follow the comfortable patters that many of his stories follow, while still digging into the deeper questions of what is human and what is true. This would be a great story for any kid to start reading de Lint, especially if they liked Cowboys vs. Aliens.
November 16, 2013
de Lint is not just one of my favorite writers, his words have helped me build my worldview in terms of spirituality, relationships and connecting with other people, and especially the import of story. Even though I haven't loved the YA he's been putting out lately, this story did not disappoint.
December 20, 2020
For 4 generations, Cutler men have worked with carnival machines called animatrons—large metal figures whose clockwork workings delight and captivate audiences. But now there's a more urgent need for "the Mech Gang" to be functional--they're needed to fight off an alien invasion!
November 25, 2013
An interesting read about mechanical men and clockwork workings.
May 8, 2014
A fun short story with a nice little twist.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews