Any suggestions for the group bookshelf?

[S.A.]

These books were the first ones that came to mind... does anyone have any good suggestions for weird-western or steampunk-western books?

[Eric]

Mike Resnick has a decent steampunkish wierd western called the Buntline Special. Doc Holliday fights a zombie John Ringo.

[Eric]

http://www.amazon.com/Lust-Lead-Super...

Here is another possibility. The setup is the old Quick Draw Tournament trope, but with some pretty original supernatural elements.

[Dan]

I'm adding the Merkabah Rider books and a few others as I remember them.

[David]

I'd like to throw The Hand of Osiris by Frank Cavallo in here. Brand new weird western novel. Thanks.

http://necropublications.myshopify.co...

[S.A.]

The only Hand of Osiris I see in GR's database looks like some kind of YA thing.

[Justin]

Two authors worth checking out are Eric S Brown and Joe R. Lansdale. They have a lot of good sounding Weird Westerns and Horror Westerns.

[John]

I just started reading Joe Landsale's "Dead in the West." Great stuff so far.

[Justin]

Is it? I have that marked to read on my shelf. I'll check it out soon hopefully.

[John]

I've only grazed the surface, but in the first chapter there's a creepy vampire/spider creature that.. well,... no spoilers allowed. :)

[Justin]

Haha, interesting.

[Andrew]

A friend of mine, Sean McLachlan, has been writing US civil war-era non-fiction for years, and his first novel A Fine Likeness is a supernatural next step from that.

Also (and at the risk of looking like a shill in only my second post to the group) can I recommend a collection of short stories that my work features in? Lucky or Unlucky 13 Stories of Fate has two weird west stories in it, one by me (horror western) and one by Wilson Geiger (alt-hist American Civil War).

I'll try to reduce my shill-status by noting that, while the book costs $1 on Amazon, neither of us will get paid if you buy a copy: the proceeds are split between a UK charity and helping the editor recoup her costs ahead of releasing another anthology later this year. The contributors are in it strictly to help the kids (and in the hope that readers will post a review, make us well known, pave the way to a golden future, etc. Ahem).

[Justin]

I interviewed Sean a few years back on my blog about A Fine Likeness, it went well. I've been meaning to check out the book as well as a few others of his.

[Better]

Nine Hours 'Till Sunrise
It's my own book, so I'm kind of partial to it being a good read. It's a zombie western. Think of the movie Tremors when you read it and you get the level of sophistication I was going for. Some people liked it, some people didn't. I'm just warning you.

I'm reading something else that could be a western, but in a dystopian manner, so I'll let you know when I get through it and find out if it qualifies.

[John]

I finished "Dead in the West." It was awesome. Gritty Western action plus zombies.

[Justin]

Evan,
Your book sounds very interesting. I'll add it to my to-read's list and hope to get a chance to read it soon.

John- I really need to get my hands on Dead in the West.

[John]

Evan: I don't usually get creeped out by books, but that one got to me.

I'm working on my own Wild Western novel. The most fun I've ever had writing!

[Better]

Justin wrote: "Evan,
Your book sounds very interesting. I'll add it to my to-read's list and hope to get a chance to read it soon..."

It's only $0.99 on Amazon for Kindle and on Barnes & Noble for Nook. Not a big investment, but I'll even gift copies out for read-for-review on both Amazon/B&N and Good Reads just to get the word out.

[Gwyn]

I just finished The Wild Man by Za'chary Westbrook and liked it a lot. He's got a really cool old west alt-verse going (old west + magic/ aura spirit creatures, anyway, it's cool ;) ). It's the first in a series and I'm hoping the next one comes out soon! It's a novella so it makes for a quick fun read.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J...

Evan, I'll have to check that out. I enjoy the "sophistication" of Tremors ;)

[Dan]

Jason Brant's three weird westerns are good. I'll have to add them to the shelf.

[Tom]

There's a new anthology out this week named "Dead Man's Hand: An Anthology of the Weird West" that has stories by Resnick, Lansdale and a bunch of other great authors. So far I have read and enjoyed the Lansdale story.

[Jason]

I love new spins on the Western genre.

There is a new book that's really a different kind of Western: it takes place in the Far East, but trust me, it's a Western, dialogue and everything. If Cormac McCarthy were to write a novel that involved anthropomorphic demons, a modern retelling of the King Solomon legends, and took place in the untamed deserts of China, this would be the book: DESERT BLEEDS RED.

http://www.amazon.com/Desert-Bleeds-R...

It's out on paperback next week, but the Kindle version is out now. Ask me about it if you're interested.

[Gwyn]

Jason wrote: "I love new spins on the Western genre.

There is a new book that's really a different kind of Western: it takes place in the Far East, but trust me, it's a Western, dialogue and everything. If Cor..."

That does sound like a fairly cool book Jason. What isn't cool, however, is self promotion disguised as a reader review as you're doing here and in other groups. Really bad taste and it can get you flagged. Care to try again?

[Craig]

How about a book I wrote?

The New Orleans Zombie Riot of 1866

It's about an ex-bushwahacker, gunslinging, sword-fighing Knight Templar battling demons, zombies, undead Klansmen, extraplanar creatures, and whatever else I can think of in a post-antebellum Reconstruction-era series of adventures.

The next book will take him to Texas and Mexico to fight an Aztec death goddess, Arkansas snake-handlers, jaguar demons, the Tzitzimitl, and, of course, other god-only-knows-what creatures.

[Justin]

Jason wrote: "I love new spins on the Western genre.

There is a new book that's really a different kind of Western: it takes place in the Far East, but trust me, it's a Western, dialogue and everything. If Cor..."

This sounds good and I love the cover!

Craig wrote: "How about a book I wrote?

The New Orleans Zombie Riot of 1866

It's about an ex-bushwahacker, gunslinging, sword-fighing Knight Templar battling demons, zombies, undead Klansmen, extraplanar creat..."

While your description sounds like a bunch of odd things all thrown together, the title is catchy and the book does sound interesting. I will add this to my futures list, I'd add it to my current list but I need to read a few books first lol.

[Craig]

Justin, it's broken up into three short stories and a novella, so the different elements stay separated, even if they fit into the same overarching plot/story-mythology.

[Quentin]

I would love to see my first novel added to the group book shelf!

http://www.amazon.com/Brackett-Hollis...

Its about a gunslinger and an African Warrior trying to prevent a werewolf apocalypse in the old west. I'm also working on a sequel.

I'd love to answer any questions about the book.

I also would recommend any of the weird westerns by Joe R. Lansdale, when I think of horror westerns he's always the first name that comes to mind.

[John]

Lansdale rocks, especially "Dead in the West." Your book sounds like a riot, Quentin.

[Ashe]

Lansdale is aces. And if you haven't read Erdelac's Merkabah Rider series, you MUST. Especially if you're a fan of Lovecraft, Howard, and have a love of mythology in general. I just cannot say enough good things about the Rider series.

[[deleted user]]

I stumbled across a series named Whiskey and Wheelguns on Amazon. Solid weird western stuff. I'd suggest a look by all parties interested.

[Gwyn]

The only issue with the Whiskey and Wheelgun stories is they're trying to do them all as serials. I started one story I liked a couple months ago and they still haven't released the next chapter :-/

[Ashe]

That would certainly put a damper on things. I've seen their tumblr around but i haven't read anything yet.

[Justin]

Yeah I looked it up on here and got rather confused as I didn't know if it was a series or what. I ended up adding the first one listed, seems interesting enough.

[[deleted user]]

I'll agree about the serials part, but still great reads. Looked up the Merkabah Rider series; that is going to be a must-read for me. I'll be getting it as soon as I can.

[Ashe]

Yesssss. It's funny being friends with Ed now because I'm such a fanboy about that series.

[Gwyn]

For whiskey and wheel guns I would suggest reading their Foreshadowing book. It's essentially the first chapter of all of their series. Then you can mentally know which ones you want to follow and maybe wait until they've got a handful of that series out (I was too impatient ;-) ). Merkabah rider is fan-freaking-tastic. One of my faves hands down

[Ashe]

Good info to know, Liz.

[Justin]

I saw the Foreshadowing book so that will probably be the best way to go. Nothing like getting confused before you even start reading a book lol

[Kyra]

Here's my Western with a Twist bookshelf:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

A couple of things that stand out from it, the Buck Johnson, Dragon Wrangler series by Wyatt McLaren. Cowboys, spaceships, and dragon-like aliens. Also Lindsay Buroker's Flash Gold Chronicles, set in the Klondike gold rush, with magic and steampunk.

[audrey]

Kyra wrote: "Here's my Western with a Twist bookshelf:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list..."

This is a pretty great bookshelf, Kyra. Thanks for sharing! I've been meaning to start on the Flash Gold Chronicles, too.

[Emma]

This book list western with a twist looks great!

[C.T.]

Ooops, I may have added my book without asking for permission.

:)