Tag Archives: Dead Man's Hand

Strong Medicine by Tad Williams

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: Strong Medicine
Author: Tad Williams
In: Dead Man’s Hand (John Joseph Adams)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Time travel, Weird western
Dates read: 11th October 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Titan Books
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: The footprints were each more than a yard across, and the creature had also left a pile of dung as big as a wheelbarrow, now being swamped by beetles as big as dinner plates.

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Synopsis

Every Midsummer, the town moves through time. But, every thirty-nine years, it moves just a little bit farther than expected. Which, needless to say, can be quite dangerous.

Thoughts

I really liked the idea in this story – that a small town moves every year at Midsummer. Not in space, but in time. It made for a very interesting and imaginative story that I really didn’t want to put down. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would like to read more about this tiny, off-kilter town. A nice dream, even if it isn’t likely to happen. I guess I’ll just have to reread this short story at some point in the future…

The twist at the end of this story as to who the town’s “protector” was and his origins story… that just made everything about this so much better and more intriguing. Hitting me right in the happy place. I love that it wasn’t quite what I would have suspected, a pleasant little twist to finish off a pleasant short story.

All of the ideas throughout this story were brilliant. But what I truly loved most was the whole idea of an 1800s Wild West village… fighting dinosaurs. You honestly can’t get much better imagery than that in my book!

<- Madam Damnable’s Sewing CircleRed Dreams ->

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Madam Damnable’s Sewing Circle by Elizabeth Bear

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
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Title: Madam Damnable’s Sewing Circle
Author: Elizabeth Bear
In: Dead Man’s Hand (John Joseph Adams)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Steampunk, Strong women, Weird western
Dates read: 30th September 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Titan Books
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: Go on.

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Synopsis

In a parlour that offers services to those willing to pay, there are a certain set of rules. Ones which, if broken, can have some damnable consequences.

Thoughts

This short story was a lot of fun. Mostly because it was filled with a lot of blatantly obvious innuendos which had me giggling a little to myself. I’m a big fan of the subtle, but sometimes, it’s great to be… not so subtle. Specifically when you’re dealing with a story that is talking about a saloon…

There’s not many prostitute stories out there. Even fewer that are lighthearted and positive. It was exactly the kind of tale that I love. And, since I’ve now read a few of Elizabeth Bear’s short stories… it’s made me want to see what she can do in a full length novel… more books for my ever growing wishlist. Yay!

The only thing that I didn’t like about this short story… it ended. And now I’m sitting around, wondering where I can read more Elizabeth Bear and enjoy more of her unique and fun style of writing…

<- Alvin and the Apple TreeStrong Medicine ->

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Alvin and the Apple Tree by Orson Scott Card

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: Alvin and the Apple Tree
Author: Orson Scott Card
In: Dead Man’s Hand (John Joseph Adams)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Fantasy, Weird western
Dates read: 29th September 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Titan Books
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: They got back to town well before dark.

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Synopsis

Alvin is a travelling man, and he believes in God. But when he runs into John Appleseed and the village he tried to help… well, things get a little topsy turvy.

Thoughts

Like some of the westerns that I’ve read lately – this one plays with ideas of Christianity and what it truly means to be a “good” Christian. Although, I loved how this story took that topic better than some of the other topics. It also pulled in ideas of Adam and Eve, the apple, the Tree of Life, connection to nature… it was a great amalgamation of topics that completely hooked me from pretty much the very beginning.

I’m not entirely sure how this fits into the western genre – which is why I didn’t put it on the westerns shelf, just under weird westerns. It didn’t quite feel western to me, I’m not sure why. Although there was a nice hint of the cowboy and Indian theme which tends to weasel its way into this genre… so maybe I just jumped to conclusions too quickly since the setting felt a lot more modern than many of the other short stories in this collection thus far…

I’m really glad that I enjoyed this short story so much. I just bought a trilogy written by Orson Scott Card, and it would have been damn awkward if I didn’t actually like the first thing I’d read by him. In fact, after finishing this great short story, I can’t wait to pick up the series that I’ve bought. This tale just had such a great sitting around the campfire, having a yarn kind of feeling to it that I thoroughly enjoyed.

<- Second HandMadam Damnable’s Sewing Circle ->

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Second Hand by Rajan Khanna

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: Second Hand
Author: Rajan Khanna
In: Dead Man’s Hand (John Joseph Adams)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Weird western, Wild west
Dates read: 19th September 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Titan Books
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: No wonder Gunsmith survived for as long as she did.

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Synopsis

In a world where you are gifted one deck of Cards, people are constantly scrambling to find a way to prolong their powers…

Thoughts

Cards and gambling appear to be a fairly big aspect of westerns and the whole idea of the Wild West. So of course, in a collection of Weird Westerns, there should be one that focuses on the power of cards. And boy is it a power. I love how the cards are magical weapons. It’s such a fantastic idea, and I’m kind of hoping that there are more stories which use this idea by Khanna.

At the beginning of this short story, I was convinced that it was all about gambling and card games and the dangers of this. It wasn’t until a little further in that I realised that it was more of a gunslinger story. Just with the guns being constructed by something else – playing cards that can do powerful and very intriguing things.

This story was a little fun. And a little evil. After all, it’s a mother and daughter who try and kill each other. And then they try and kill the protagonists. And just in general, there is a lot of scheming and killing. But, nevertheless. I still really enjoyed it. And can’t wait to sink my teeth into more, similar stories!

<- Hell From the EastAlvin and the Apple Tree ->

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Hell from the East by Hugh Howey

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: Hell from the East
Author: Hugh Howey
In: Dead Man’s Hand (John Joseph Adams)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Weird westerns, Westerns
Dates read: 14th September 2020
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Titan Books
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: Their final resting spot was a scrabble of tents and rickety shacks ringed by a shoddy wall of pine stumps where the best that could be said was they fed you twice a day.

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Synopsis

He’s supposed to be fighting for his people. But sometimes hell rises in the East and there is just no escaping it…

Thoughts

This was a nice little, short story. It was nothing intense and completely unforgettable. But it was enjoyable and memorable. It also touched on a good topic – the darkness and horror of colonisation and invasion. The damage that is done with the arrival of colonisers and all sorts of horrible people.

One of the aspects of this story that I loved was that you never quite knew what side the narrator of the story was actually on. Whether they were “good” or “bad”. And really, who the “good” and “bad” were. For me, it helped to highlight the confusion that such a time in history could cause and create.

The conclusion of this story helps to highlight the fact that everything comes full circle. That everything will happen again and history constantly repeats. It might be stated in the fact that “hell comes from the east”. But it most certainly does. Actually, in some ways it reminded me very much of some parts of Terra Nullius.

<- Wrecking PartySecond Hand ->

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Wrecking Party by Alastair Reynolds

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: Wrecking Party
Author: Alastair Reynolds
In: Dead Man’s Hand (John Joseph Adams)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Cyborgs, Weird western
Dates read: 29th August 2020
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Titan Books
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: It’s like a disease.

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Synopsis

A series of wrecks of the trains have left the town confused and angry. But when the local sheriff is told the truth by his friend… it’s seriously unexpected and more than a little dangerous.

Thoughts

I’m not sure if I just wasn’t paying overly much attention when I was reading this. Or whether it’s just not my kind of story. But, regardless, I did have to keep flicking back through this story to check out what on earth was happening. And although I love this premise, I really wasn’t all that hooked by it. Which was, honestly, a bit of a pity.

One of the things I did really love about this short story was the idea of cyborgs and this kind of massive conspiracy that reared its ugly head throughout this story. It was somewhat brilliant, and probably why I’m so disappointed that I didn’t get so hooked into this from the very beginning – the premise and conspiracy theory theme was just dang awesome.

This was a nice and easy read, but definitely one that I will try and revisit when I’m not in such a funky mood I think. Just to make sure that it was my mood and concentration which made me score this kind of low… or if the writing was really just not my style…

<- The Man With No HeartHell From the East ->

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The Man With No Heart by Beth Revis

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
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Title: The Man With No Heart
Author: Beth Revis
In: Dead Man’s Hand (John Joseph Adams)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Cyborgs, Weird western, Westerns
Dates read: 22nd August 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Titan Books
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: Finally, he had something worth betting on, Ray could tell.

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Synopsis

Ray is a betting man. But when he decides to follow the mechanical spiders to try and find out where he truly comes from… all bets are off.

Thoughts

This short story honestly gave me a little bit of a Harry Potter déjà vu. It was such a fun, pleasant feeling. Not that the ting that gave me the Harry Potter déjà vu was all that fun and pleasant, but I love anything that thrusts me back into that world. In this case, it was the idea of “follow the spiders” that had me picturing Ron and laughing. There really was no other actual similarities. But I definitely was filled with thoughts. Happy. Positive. Bright thoughts.

This short story is honestly incredibly light and easy. It also has a great sense of hope throughout. Luckily, there is a happily ever after at the end of the story. At least, it felt like a happily ever after to me. It just finished off that feeling of completeness and hope that the rest of the short story had.

I absolutely loved the idea of alternate realities / worlds and the descriptions throughout this story. Then, there is a brilliant idea of gatekeepers and the idea that the lead character is heavily embroiled within this world. Unexpectedly so. But, still enjoyably so.

<- Holy JingleWrecking Party ->

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Holy Jingle by Alan Dean Foster

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: Holy Jingle
Author: Alan Dean Foster
In: Dead Man’s Hand (John Joseph Adams)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Urban fantasy, Weird western
Dates read: 13th August 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Titan Books
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: Regaining her poise, she replayed her smile.

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Synopsis

He’s been asked by a friend to help someone return to the fold. But what he finds instead is a little unexpected…

Thoughts

I loved that this short story bought in the Chinese settlers to the Western front. It wasn’t quite what I expected, but it worked brilliantly. And I love that it bought in a new perspective that I hadn’t really expected / anticipated. It wasn’t quite what I’ve come to expect from Weird Westerns. But I loved the departure from the expected.

This story seriously felt like it must be part of a bigger series. And, without actually looking any further into that theory. I’m completely intrigued by the idea that it is. It felt a little bit like a crime / mystery series with a super awesome paranormal spin. I could be completely nuts… but I’m hoping that I’m not. I’m looking forwards to adding a few more books to my ever expanding wish list…

It did take a little bit for the title of this story to actually make sense. But, once I finally clicked… I actually thought that it was quite clever. Pleasantly and unexpectedly so to be honest. Not only was the title clever, but it was also nice to see the lengths that some people could go to to protect each other, even if they are complete and total strangers.

<- Bookkeeper, Narrator, GunslingerThe Man With No Heart ->

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Bookkeeper, Narrator, Gunslinger by Charles Yu

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
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Title: Bookkeeper, Narrator, Gunslinger
Author: Charles Yu
In: Dead Man’s Hand (John Joseph Adams)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Psychics, Weird western, Westerns
Dates read: 7th August 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Titan Books
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: And that, to my great and everlasting surprise, is where I come into the story.

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Synopsis

They’re the narrator and the bookkeeper for their tiny little town. But, when an accidental slip of the tongue leads them into a gunfight… they also become a gunslinger.

Thoughts

I’ve been reading a lot of western short stories lately. Yet, weirdly enough, this felt like the first story which features a gunslinger. I’m not entirely sure how that hasn’t happened before now. But I definitely loved reading about a gunslinger. The fact that he’s a bit of a dweeby guy who is also the town narrator and bookkeeper… it just made me that, that, that much happier…

From the very beginning, there is something slightly different and weird about the narrator’s talent as a gunslinger. And I loved how the truth behind their new-found talent is slowly revealed. This slow trickling of information is seriously brilliant. And it made it all that much more difficult to actually put the book aside…

I love when the title of a story makes total sense once you read that tale. In this case, the title of this short story is completely self-explanatory and wonderful once you’ve read through it all. I loved that each and every role that the lead character filled was pretty much outlined from the very beginning…

<- Stingers and StrangersHoly Jingle ->

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Stingers and Strangers by Seanan McGuire

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
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Title: Stingers and Strangers
Author: Seanan McGuire
Series: InCryptid #0.04
In: Dead Man’s Hand (John Joseph Adams)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Strong women, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 23rd July 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Titan Books
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: Eleanor had just admitted she wasn’t human; he wasn’t going to make her cope with the idea of unmarried couples sharing a bed beneath her roof.

Synopsis

Fran and Johnny are out hunting monsters. But, it’s the wild wild west and just certain things are expected… will they be able to win the day and finally recognize their feelings for one another?

Thoughts

This is yet another great InCryptid short story. It has the action, the humour and the wit that I have come to expect from this series. It deals with Verity’s grandparents (or is it great-grandparents?) and their own hunting journey into the West.

I love that Fran and Johnny are arguing and bickering throughout most of this story. From the very outset you recognise that they have feelings for each other. And although it takes a while for either one of them to actually admit it… that bickering and wit in their interactions helps to keep that feeling alive and well.

This had a beautiful gunslinging, wild west, cowboy feeling to this story. The fact that it also works to introduce Cuckoos to the Cryptid hunters just works even better. Now I need to read the rest of the short stories which make up this mini series within a series…

<- No Place Like HomeMarried in Green ->

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