The Outrider

The Outrider #1

by Richard Harding

Amid the futuristic rubble following the nuclear holocaust, Richard Bonner, armed and angry, gathers some of his smuggling cohorts to rescue the woman he loved from her savage captors

Genres: Post Apocalyptic

213 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those grade-Z books that it's so bad it's good. It has all the marks of a 1980's Italian "Road Warrior" rip off movie. There is not much backstory except that Bonner, our hero was an Outrider years before. Some old friends join up with him throughout the book. He heads from Chicago to Washinton to rescue his girl from an old Outrider pal.

Quick action. Silly dialogue. Cheesy characters all mesh nicely here. it makes for a real enjoyable read. Looking forward to book two. This one was left wide open at the end.

[Lewis Szymanski · Rating 3 out of 5]

A post-apocalyptic action story. The Outrider series is some of the best pulp fiction produced in the 80s. On the surface, it is just another one of many hyper-violent action series of the time. But it also works as a parody of the genre, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of nuclear war. More importantly, it serves as a cautionary tale of powerful, greedy men oppressing and enslaving others to enrich themselves, ruining humanity's last chance to avoid extinction.

The Outrider was created by writer Robert Tine. I don't know if Richard Harding was a house name or a chosen pen name. Either way, a book written by Richard Harding about a guy named Richard Bonner is a hilarious jab at the state of men's action/adventure pulp fiction at the time. In the 80s, no amount of graphic violence or graphic sex was too much for publication. This series is pretty light on the sex, there is none in the first book.

The story is written in the third person and told by an omniscient detached narrator. It's surprisingly well done, it can almost trick you into thinking it is written in alternating first person. Robert Tine expertly uses and brilliantly subverts all the tired, old, overused heroic adventure story tropes. Damsel in distress, the gathering of the party, an arch enemy who escapes, it's all there. Unfortunately for our hero, and Bonner is a hero, not an anti-hero, he lives in a world that is to messed up for heroism to be effective.

The worldbuilding is excellent. A book like this can't take much time out from the car chases and gun fights for info dumps. A bleak vision of a dying world is effectively delivered in small bits as needed. We never learn why, when, or how long ago the nuclear war happened. The only clues we get are a vehicle with the production year of 1990, a mention of decades since the war, and the fact that none of the characters knows what the pre-war world was like. My impression was that they were the first or second generation born post war. We do get the post-war history. How North America came to be ruled by three dictator-thugs who have enslaved the remaining population. Like all post-apocalyptic fiction, much willing suspension of disbelief is needed.

It's hard to recommend this series because it is just pulp trash. One person's trash is another's treasure. It is expertly crafted pulp trash. The Outrider is a worthy descendant of Tarzan, John Carter, Doc Savage, and Conan. It is also one of the best-written examples of a particular kind of pulp fiction popular in the 80s. The series also has a uniquely pessimistic storytelling style, if you're into that kind of thing. The hero always wins, but his victories are always pyrrhic. The reader is always aware that this is not a period of chaos preceding a period of rebuilding, but the death throws of humanity on it's way to extinction.

If you are interested in this kind of pulp fiction I'd also recommend the "Traveler" series by D.B. Drumm.

[Éric Kasprak · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read something along the lines of the Mad Max / Road Warrior movies, but I don't really like the post-apocalypse genre and I can't stand zombies, but I love these movies (no zombies and awesome V8's) so my choices where rare. Than I found out about the Outrider series from the 80's and was able to read the first one: Cars, crazy action, a Mad Max pastiche setting and most importantly no zombies! This book is great, it's really just a Mad Max copy but it's well written with good action and fun world-building. I liked the main character but most of all I love the villain gallery: Radleps, Stormers, Taxmen and Leatherman... Those characters where fun, over-the-top and well presented and they made the story richer. The Outrider was all I wanted and now I have four more books to track down.

[Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

In reviewing books

Most book reviews I have read consist of rehashing the story with too many spoilers.

I thought I would just tell you what I think of the book.

I have read this book no less than six times over the decades and it has always been one of my favorites.

As an artist I have thought about storyboarding this book, and creating some sort of graphic novel just as a labor of love not for money.

I can even fantasize myself as the hero of this book, playing it out as if I were some sort of action hero movie star.

Through the technology of online purchases I was able to obtain all five books from this series.

I like to binge watch a series as much as anyone, but I also like to binge read a series that I enjoy.

I was thoroughly entertained with this story line and the way the author presented it, I take the premise at face value and do not nit-pick any details.

I was able to vicariously live out this post apocalyptic adventure series, not that it was so richly written but because it gave me an opportunity to flesh out and watch with my mind’s eye as I was transported to a time when violent survival ruled the continent.

[Paperbackbooks86 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outrider came to my attention when reading and writing reviews for The Traveler. Someone in the reviews said, if you like The Traveler series you will like Outrider better. With the promise of more violence and action I was in.

I finally got around to reading Outrider, and I have to admit, I enjoyed The Traveler better. But that’s not to say Outrider is bad! In fact, I really enjoyed the book, and can’t wait to get into book #2.

Outrider, like many men’s action novels of the 80s take place after the nuclear war of WW3. However; Outrider has a slightly different take on the post apocalyptic world. They never say (unless I missed it) how long after the bombs went off, but somehow mankind has no memory of the pre war world. The survivors of the new world, often wonder what and how things like subway cars worked.

You follow Bonner who is in his quest for revenge. Without giving away any spoilers you follow our hero across the Northeast to DC. Along the way you meet some interesting characters.

There is violence and action in this book, and the non stop action makes the book fly by. However; I read a lot of these mens action novels, and the violence is no where as brutal and over the top as others in the genre.

What I enjoy more about the Traveler series over Outrider series, is the Fallout (video game franchise) elements of the story. They go into the science fiction category heavily, with creatures and radiation mutation than this series.

With all that being said. The Outrider series was a fun quick read and an easy 5 stars. Will be reading book #2 soon!

[John Arkady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stuff! Violent, gritty, dark...I was bedazzled by this series in middle school.....it has held up fairly well over the last three decades, definitely lowbrow stuff, but Harding creates an interesting universe...just wish we'd gotten more of it, the parent company of the series was purchased by another company and the series was axed, I (and legions of others) would like to have seen where it went afterwards.....the next one was supposed to be call The Black Death, and I have an idea it was probably going to be about a resurgence of the Plague....on one hand, I hate it the series was so abruptly ended, but then again, it might be better it was nixed before it was completely played out....they pretty much reached their height with the third and you can tell it was starting to go downhill....great series, would love to see it revived!

[Egghead · Rating 4 out of 5]

post apoc action
stuffed with grim gore and revenge
read in one sitting

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first in another post-apocalyptic series. I enjoyed this at some level, but not enough to make me seek out others in the series. This is the only one I've read.