Weird Trails: The Magazine of Supernatural Cowboy Stories

by Abner Gibber (Editor), Allen Koszowski (Illustrator), George Barr (Illustrator)

Weird Trails is the "mockumentary" of pulp magazines -- a hilarious sendup of both H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, Weird Tales and westerns! Purporting to be a facsimile of the April 1933 issue of Weird Trails magazine, it is a modern classic! Features M.M. Moamrath's "Riders of the Purple Ooze" and many more Lovecraft-inspired stories.


A facsimile reprint of the April 1933 issue of 'Weird Trails' magazine, featuring M.M. Moamrath's 'Riders of the Purple Ooze,' and many more.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Westerns

124 pages, Paperback

First published November 5, 2004

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

The squamous lunary sphere gibbered its leprous beams over the shambling Apache village under the hideous overhanging dewlap of the mesa, just past the arroyo where Dead Man's Creek is wont to gurgle after spring rains. The angular shadows of the tipis and wigwams seemed to slumber abhorrently in the necrophilious illumination. In the distance perverted coyotes howled at the waning sun nameless chants that where old when mankind was only worms squirming on the shores of the Permean sea. Elsewhere across the plains, normal coyotes howled nameless chants at the rising moon.

[Pam Stebbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Think cowboys and aliens for these stories. It's and interesting mix of science fiction and westerns that works. Unfortunately two of the stories are one part of serial tale. Still should interesting those who like to see how far science fiction can be twisted.

[Mick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was predisposed to enjoy this book. For one thing, parodies of Lovecraftian and other weird tales set in the wild west sounds like it would be great fun. For another, the guy I bought it from at the 2024 NecronomiCon was a very nice fellow.
But I didn't like it much at all. There are some enjoyable stories, but for the most part the humor is way too heavy handed. Really "trying too hard" to be actually funny.
Not that I didn't enjoy one or two stories - "Dry Days in Yellow Gulch" by John Gregory Betancourt was a fun read, as was "The Three Grey Wolves" by Jim Harmon.
The presentation was very good too - the public domain art selected was all excellent. But, yeah, I found most of it more irritating than enjoyable. (This is wholly subjective, though - others may love this book.)