# Weird Western writers and readers (or just Dark Tower fans) - how do you fare?



## nem2 (Mar 27, 2015)

A very good day to all the wonderful and beautiful folks at kboards.  And if you're British, may the election results be ever in your favour. 

A quick question for those of you that either write or read Weird West fiction - what has been your experience in the world of indie publishing so far? I ask because I love the Dark Tower series but have not managed to find anything _quite_ up to that caliber yet. Most people recommend David Gemmell (Jerusalem Man), Hyperion (Dan Simmons) or The Talisman (by Messrs. King and Straub, respectively). I have found that they almost scratch that itch, but not quite.

So, writers of Weird West/Dark Tower-esque escapades: how has your experience been selling your beautiful works? Please tell me all so that I may investigate your beautiful works further.

And readers of Weird West/Dark Tower-esque escapes: do you have any books or series or serials to recommend?

As always, many thanks for stopping by. Have a great day everyone.


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## Steve Vernon (Feb 18, 2011)

Howdy, nem2.

I have written a few weird west yarns and they have proven to be quite popular with the few folks who follow my work regularly. They have sold a bit and continue to sell - however, if a writer wants to make a real mark in that particular genre I believe that they want to lean their weight into writing a series - such as Gemma Files Hex Slinger series. The work of Norman Partridge also comes to mind. Some of his short stories delve quite deeply into the weird west mythos. I have also been VERY impressed with the weird west writing of Joe Lansdale. There are quite a few weird west writers out there and all you have to do is search for "weird west" over at Amazon and it will give you a lot of different authors to choose from.

If you were looking for a good and varied weird west read I would recommend picking up this particular collection.



That's the work of fourteen authors in novel, novella and short story format - for both regular western and weird western. My own contribution to this collection would be a novella - LONG HORN, BIG SHAGGY - A TALE OF WILD WEST TERROR AND REANIMATED BUFFALO has been called particularly entertaining.

Full disclosure - I do get a thin percentage from the sale of this collection - but the line-up of authors in A STAMPEDE OF WESTERNS is well worth looking into - especially if you are a fan of the Weird West.


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## nem2 (Mar 27, 2015)

Thanks so much for the reply, Steve. Very good to hear from a Weird West author such as yourself, and I'm very happy to hear of your success. May it continue evermore. Thank you very much for the recommendations on Gemma Files and Norman Patridge - along with yourself, all the works sound great. Joe Lansdale is definitely a legend in his own right. And thank you as well for the recommendation about the anthology, I shall definitely pick it up and have a riffle. 

The series sounds like a good idea, many thanks. Have you heard of any authors doing a WW serial, however?


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

nem2 said:


> The series sounds like a good idea, many thanks. Have you heard of any authors doing a WW serial, however?


My fellow outlaw writer Kevin G. Summers is working a three-book serial titled The Man Who Shot John Wilkes Booth. First two parts are available, third is on the way.

If you poke around Amazon and search 'weird western', there are a few series out there. Not a lot, yet.

I'm writing a WW series but probably won't start publishing til the summer. King's Dark Tower series is one of my many inspirations.


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## Steve Vernon (Feb 18, 2011)

I think UNICORN WESTERN by Johnny B. Truant and Sean Platt was originally a series. Kenneth Hoover has a series called Haxan. Can't think of any others off hand.


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## nem2 (Mar 27, 2015)

Thanks for the recommendations Jim and Steve! Great to see the awesome talent out there. Jim, wishing you the best of luck in your forthcoming series as well. Keep us posted!


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## Cactus Lady (Jun 4, 2014)

I don't know if my Daughter of the Wildings series qualifies as "Weird Western"; it's really high fantasy in a world inspired by the Old West, pulp western tropes and plot elements mixed with wizards and magic. Readers tell me they really enjoy the combination of western and fantasy. I don't know of any other books like mine, but westerns combined with fantasy/science fiction elements seems to be a growing category.

If you're looking for Weird Westerns, the place to look on Amazon is Literature and Fiction --> Genre Fiction --> Westerns --> Science Fiction. Also, DriveThruFiction.com seems to offer a lot of Weird Western.

If you want something science-fictiony, check out the Buck Johnson - Dragon Wrangler books. Cowboys, spaceships, and dragons. What more could anyone ask for? Short stories (maybe novelette-length), very funny.


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## nem2 (Mar 27, 2015)

Thanks for the reply Kyra! And the wonderful recommendations, of course. Your series sounds great and def. comes under WW I feel. Part of the fun that WW has - or perhaps it has become - is that there is really no fixed point to it at all. Every element can be incorporated and I think that's terrific.

I shall check out both your work and Mr. Johnson's. Thank you for letting me know about the genre classification of WW in Amazon, very handy. And DTF is a great resource, very grateful for the recommendation!


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## 77071 (May 15, 2014)

I have an upcoming gay romance set in an AU West with magic and such in.  It's definitely weird.  IDK if it fits the genre definitions, but it's definitely weird.  

I'm not holding out huge hopes for a lot of sales, although it would be nice, of course.  It's in my sig, but I'm not holding my breath for connecting with fans.


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## Cactus Lady (Jun 4, 2014)

nem2 said:


> Thanks for the reply Kyra! And the wonderful recommendations, of course. Your series sounds great and def. comes under WW I feel. Part of the fun that WW has - or perhaps it has become - is that there is really no fixed point to it at all. Every element can be incorporated and I think that's terrific.
> 
> I shall check out both your work and Mr. Johnson's. Thank you for letting me know about the genre classification of WW in Amazon, very handy. And DTF is a great resource, very grateful for the recommendation!


Oops, I didn't do a very good job of describing the Dragon Wrangler books. The series is "Buck Johnson, Dragon Wrangler" and the author is Wyatt McLaren. Should make them easier to find!


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## John Hamilton (May 6, 2010)

_Ghost Marshal_ did really well when it launched last autumn. Sales have since settled down, but it's hard to judge a single title. I'm working on book 2 now, and researching book 3 in New Mexico this summer. It's been a blast to write.


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## Cactus Lady (Jun 4, 2014)

John Hamilton said:


> _Ghost Marshal_ did really well when it launched last autumn. Sales have since settled down, but it's hard to judge a single title. I'm working on book 2 now, and researching book 3 in New Mexico this summer. It's been a blast to write.


My fantasy-western series has also been the most fun ever to write. There's just something about the combination of the Old West and fantastical elements that's tremendous fun.

(grabbed the sample of Ghost Marshal! Though I think I already got it from the last thread about westerns. Too many books to keep track of!)


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## BBGriffith (Mar 13, 2012)

Follow the Crow is the first in my Vanished series, which is a weird western of sorts. It's been well received. It's less of a gunslinger/fantasy western and more of a Tony Hillerman-esque fantasy, though. It's also been awesome to write.


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

In the past, my book THE VALLEY reached #3 in Historical fantasy and sold 8000+ copies.

And today, THE RAVINE is doing quite well. I'm chuffed with this...


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## John Hamilton (May 6, 2010)

Kyra Halland said:


> My fantasy-western series has also been the most fun ever to write. There's just something about the combination of the Old West and fantastical elements that's tremendous fun.
> 
> (grabbed the sample of Ghost Marshal! Though I think I already got it from the last thread about westerns. Too many books to keep track of!)


I write a lot of Western-oriented nonfiction books (I'm a Spur Award finalist this year). Writing WW lets me unleash my inner Sergio Leone. 

Thanks for taking a peek at Ghost Marshal. Your series looks like a fist full of action, too!


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## Cactus Lady (Jun 4, 2014)

I'm glad the OP started this thread because I'm finding lots of great stuff to read too!


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## nem2 (Mar 27, 2015)

Kyra, I completely agree with you. The OP is awesome and talented and gorgeous to boot   all jokes apart - thank YOU all for responding to the thread. Some amazing recommendations have cropped up and its great to see members of the WW community say hello.

HSh, the best of luck for your book. The premise is a unique spin on things and like I said before - I don't think WW particularly minds just how its classified. So enjoy the ride and have fun!

John, the idea for Ghost Marshall sounds great and I'm very happy to hear about the good sales. The best of lucks for books 2 and 3. I know for sure that I will be keeping an eye out for them. And I completely agree with you about unleashing your inner Sergio Leone. Nothing like a big bowl of spaghetti!

BBGriffith, Follow the Crow is such a cool idea! I love it. Such a great blend of genres. Congrats on the stellar reception. Keep writing them because there will definitely be an audience for it. 

William, you have my everlasting respect. To be on the same shelf as Cormac McCarthy? I mean that's just downright amazing. He's one of my favourite authors of all time. Please keep the good work coming. And your book sounds great. 

I'll be checking all your books out, so great to see such an influx of things to read. Keep em coming!


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## Cactus Lady (Jun 4, 2014)

Also not sure if this qualifies as Weird Western, but thought I'd throw it in. Traditional fantasy but in a setting based on the American west, as though medieval Europe was picked up and set down in the mountains, canyons, and prairies of the west:

 Out of Exile, by Derek Alan Siddoway. There are a couple of other books in the series, and some related shorts.


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## John Hamilton (May 6, 2010)

Cool idea, Kyra.


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## Cactus Lady (Jun 4, 2014)

John Hamilton said:


> Cool idea, Kyra.


Not mine, sadly  I edited my post to make the author more clear. A young writer, Derek Siddoway, who I've done some cross-promo with.


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## Jenny Schwartz (Mar 4, 2011)

Shona Husk wrote Dark Vow http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Vow-Shona-Husk-ebook/dp/B005UPRO4A/ and Dark Secrets ages back. They deserved far more attention than they got.

I wrote some Australian Wild West steampunk, but that's on the lighter, almost flirty side. So not what you're after. However, Clockwork Gold is indie published http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PFE3EHW


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## BillSmithBooksDotCom (Nov 4, 2012)

Don't know if this is your style, but I just picked up a free sampler for the "Whiskey and Wheelguns" series last night on Amazon (found the freebie link on Reddit). 

It's Weird West -- westerns with supernatural horror, demons, werewolves, vampires, zombies, etc.

The sampler has six vignettes that introduce characters featured in stand-alone novels. I'm not a huge fan of the genre but I enjoyed the stories.


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## nem2 (Mar 27, 2015)

Kyra and John -  I echo what John said, that looks really cool. Its nice to see people meshing genres and thinking outside the box. I hope he keeps the universe (and his own momentum) going.

Jenny - both concepts look great. Its nice to see WW mixing with both romance and steampunk. Thank you for the plug. I will definitely check them out. 

BillSmithBooks, thank you for the recommendation. Sounds right up my alley. Great to see the genre reaching out through samplers, that's a great idea.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Bumping this rather than starting a new WW thread.


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## bendanarama (Jul 25, 2015)

My books were described by one reviewer as Wild Wild West Werewolves. I was happy with that!


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## Geoff North (Apr 2, 2011)

I wish I'd seen this thread back in May when it originally started. Oh well. My CRYERS series of books has a definite WW feel to it. One of the main characters is loosely based on Matt Dillon from Gunsmoke - only grittier and a whole lot meaner. Book 1 (Thawed) introduces a post-apocalyptic world a thousand years from now where a group of people from the 20th century are revived. Unlike Buck Rogers and other tales where the revived are innocent and ignorant, my freshly-thawed characters are highly intelligent, soulless, and hungering for human flesh. The first book is more science fiction/fantasy, but subsequent titles in the series will start taking a more westerny twist. Book 2 (Lawmen) is coming out in October. 

I love WW stories. The Gunslinger has always been one of my favorite reads. I'm going to check out some of these author names mentioned here! Oh, btw, Thawed CRYERS Book 1 is always free if you join my mailing list! www.geoffnorth.com


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## mythsnake (Oct 22, 2014)

Another Weird Western writer here. Mine are Aztec gods in 1850's southwestern US, reawakened after being dead for 300 years and now causing havoc (or in some cases discovering a new side to themselves in this new world). I only have two out right now ("The Hearts of Men" and "Death's Good Dog"), but am hoping to publish at least one more novella before the end of the year. HoM is only a short story, but it's free, and it's the story that started the whole universe for me. It was originally published in Realms of Fantasy back in 2009 (man, I miss that magazine....)

I've only read the first Dark Tower book (and was so inspired by it that I immediately wrote HoM right after I finished it). I haven't yet read Gemma Files, though I believe she writes something kind of similar to what I write, but her books are on my list to get to. I'm also waiting to read _One Night in Sixes_ by Arianne "Tex" Thompson, which looks pretty good. I'm a big fan of M. K. Hobson's _Veneficas Americana_ series (_The Native Star_ and _The Hidden Goddess_), though I don't know that they're rightfully Weird Western. They take place in a steampunkish American west with magic, complete with dark gods, but it feels a little brighter than what I picture when I think of weird westerns.


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## J. Tanner (Aug 22, 2011)

Highly recommend Joe Lansdale's weird westerns:

Jonah Hex graphic novel collection (art by Tim Truman):
http://www.amazon.com/Jonah-Hex-Shadows-Joe-Lansdale/dp/1401247156

Reverend Jebediah Mercer novellas/shorts collection:
http://www.amazon.com/Deadmans-Road-Joe-R-Lansdale/dp/161696104X

Ned the Seal collection (which veers more toward steampunk but features weird western characters and sensibilities):
http://www.amazon.com/Flaming-Zeppelins-Adventures-Ned-Seal/dp/1616960027

My own contribution to the genre appeared in Julie's zombie anthology in my sig. It appears first, so might be readable in the sample.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

bendanarama said:


> My books were described by one reviewer as Wild Wild West Werewolves. I was happy with that!


I read your books last night. I'd call that a good description. Thanks for the reads!

On a related note, if folks want to cross-pollinate, there's a nice little WW discussion group over at Goodreads.


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## bendanarama (Jul 25, 2015)

Jim Johnson said:


> I read your books last night. I'd call that a good description. Thanks for the reads!
> 
> On a related note, if folks want to cross-pollinate, there's a nice little WW discussion group over at Goodreads.


Hope you enjoyed them! The first ones a bit weak, but the feedback I've had is they get stronger from hereon in!

What are peoples thoughts on blending Cthulhu mythos into a western environment? I'm thinking of that for the fifth story. (got 1-4 written, along with another series on the side!)


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## anicolle (Dec 13, 2014)

I loved Alamo Rising by Josh Rountree and Lon Prater. These guys were in my critique group years back, and they really outdid themselves with this one. It's a weird western set in Texas, with zombies, Aztecs, Native Americans, redcoats, undercover agents, and Texans all waging war and trying to outwit one another in a very twisty story. Highly recommended!


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Welcome, Ashe!


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## bendanarama (Jul 25, 2015)

Ashe said:


> Z. Rider had told me to join this joint months ago and I just forgot but this thread was brought to my attention so I figured it was a good time to join up. I'll offer up a response as both a reader and a writer.
> 
> Reader: If you want something like the Dark Tower, you absolutely must look into SA Hunt's Outlaw King series, starting with The Whirlwind in the Thorn Tree. The series takes a lot of cues from the Dark Tower but stays fresh and true to itself.
> 
> ...


Long days and pleasant nights to you, gunslinger! |Glad to see theres a few more of us weird western folks coming here.


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## Stewart Matthews (Nov 21, 2014)

Wassup thread! I'm checking in. I'm VERY excited to drop my Fantasy Western later this year. At least I'm hoping it's out later this year, but that largely depends on what my (theoretical) editor's schedule is. Which brings me to my next question - any of you have recommendations for an editor? I'm looking for the whole shebang--a developmental edit.


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## garyjonas (Feb 24, 2013)

I created a weird western series of novellas called Night Marshal about a vampire in the old west.  I wrote the first one and let other writers take over.  We did a box set of the first three, but it doesn't sell enough to talk about (35-40 copies per month plus around 30K pages read monthly in KU).  With so few sales, the set still hangs out in the top ten of the Western-Horror subgenre.  Hey, it's beer money.  If I had it to do over, I'd do everything differently.  I'd create a pseudonym for all the writers to use on the series so it would be easier to find them.  I'd also insist on everyone using the same cover designer so the series would be branded.  That said, I had fun writing mine, and the other writers enjoyed writing theirs, too.  And every now and then someone comes and asks about film rights (happened again this morning) so you never know.


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## Charles Des Voeux (Oct 26, 2015)

Reviving this thread for sheer awesomeness.

I had originally planned to do a sci-fi novella series. But after reading The Gunslinger for the first time yesterday I have just found a new path.

Wishing all of you long days and pleasant nights. And hello again Jim.


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## SasgoraBooks (Aug 27, 2015)

Charles Des Voeux said:


> Reviving this thread for sheer awesomeness.
> 
> I had originally planned to do a sci-fi novella series. But after reading The Gunslinger for the first time yesterday I have just found a new path.
> 
> Wishing all of you long days and pleasant nights. And hello again Jim.


I'm also a big fan of the Dark Tower series. You are in for a treat. You should also read _The Talisman_ and its sequel _Black House_ (both of which have strong ties to the Dark Tower series, especially Black House). And don't forget about _The Wind Through the Keyhole_ which was written last but is technically book 4.5 as it takes place after _Wizard and Glass_


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## John Hamilton (May 6, 2010)

Charles Des Voeux said:


> Reviving this thread for sheer awesomeness.
> 
> I had originally planned to do a sci-fi novella series. But after reading The Gunslinger for the first time yesterday I have just found a new path.
> 
> Wishing all of you long days and pleasant nights. And hello again Jim.


Welcome fellow weird-West fan! If you haven't already, also be sure to check out the work of Joe Lansdale. He's a master of horror. "Dead in the West" particularly creeped me out.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

I thought some of the Dark Tower-related comics were pretty good, but I didn't keep up on them. I found a bunch of assorted weird western graphic novels from other companies at a local used bookstore and look forward to checking those out.


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## bendanarama (Jul 25, 2015)

Jim Johnson said:


> I thought some of the Dark Tower-related comics were pretty good, but I didn't keep up on them. I found a bunch of assorted weird western graphic novels from other companies at a local used bookstore and look forward to checking those out.


They were really good for filling in the plot in between Wizard and Glass and The Gunslinger. One of them was a good version of The Little Sisters of Eluria too.


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## Vaalingrade (Feb 19, 2013)

I'm a reader of weird west, but it's hard to find WW works because I hate zombies and too many WW AND Steampunk authors lean hard on the 'too many goddamn zombies' button.

At this point I've compromised and accepted revnenats (even though they still call the things zombies--seriously I would go back in time and beat George Romero with a tire iron if I thought it would stop this) I'm so desperate for my steam and revolver fix.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Hmm. If we can rustle up a few more weird western indies, we might have enough first books in series to throw together a promo collection or something. Support and grow this underserved subgenre.


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## bendanarama (Jul 25, 2015)

Jim Johnson said:


> Hmm. If we can rustle up a few more weird western indies, we might have enough first books in series to throw together a promo collection or something. Support and grow this underserved subgenre.


That's actually a really good idea.


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## mythsnake (Oct 22, 2014)

It seems that a good number of us came to this genre after having read The Gunslinger, which got me wondering if there were other books of this kind before The Gunslinger. Or is King's masterwork the origin of all things wonderfully weird in the West?


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

mythsnake said:


> It seems that a good number of us came to this genre after having read The Gunslinger, which got me wondering if there were other books of this kind before The Gunslinger. Or is King's masterwork the origin of all things wonderfully weird in the West?


I saw _High Plains Drifter_ and read Jonah Hex comics before I discovered the Dark Tower series, so King's Dark Tower wasn't my introduction to the weird west. It certainly played a big role in my deepening appreciation for the subgenre, though.

That, and my childhood Lego western towns inexplicably getting invaded constantly by a mix of UFOs and skeletons.


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## J. Dane Tyler (Jul 8, 2010)

I'm so excited by this thread.

My book Scales of Justice (in my sig) was inspired by the Dark Tower cycle. I still think The Gunslinger has the best opening line in literature. I could be biased, though.

I'm so checking out some of the other recommendations in this thread. Maybe there's hope for doing a series in this vein yet.

Thanks to all.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

J. Dane Tyler said:


> I'm so excited by this thread.
> 
> My book Scales of Justice (in my sig) was inspired by the Dark Tower cycle. I still think The Gunslinger has the best opening line in literature. I could be biased, though.
> 
> I'm so checking out some of the other recommendations in this thread. Maybe there's hope for doing a series in this vein yet.


Had to go grab your book. The cover on Amazon is nicer than the one in your sig, by the way. Gunslinger and a dragon? Got me to check it out!


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## J. Dane Tyler (Jul 8, 2010)

Jim Johnson said:


> Had to go grab your book. The cover on Amazon is nicer than the one in your sig, by the way. Gunslinger and a dragon? Got me to check it out!


Wow, thanks Jim. I hope you enjoy it. Please remember to leave a review.  Your episodes are on my to-read list too! Thanks again!

ETA: I also updated the cover in my sig. Thanks for that head's up!


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## Cactus Lady (Jun 4, 2014)

Jim Johnson said:


> Hmm. If we can rustle up a few more weird western indies, we might have enough first books in series to throw together a promo collection or something. Support and grow this underserved subgenre.


I'd be up for that. I promo my book 1 at 99 cents (I don't do free), also planning a box set of #1-3 when the last book (#6) comes out, promo price would be $2.99 but I could drop it to 99 cents short-term.



Jim Johnson said:


> I saw _High Plains Drifter_ and read Jonah Hex comics before I discovered the Dark Tower series, so King's Dark Tower wasn't my introduction to the weird west. It certainly played a big role in my deepening appreciation for the subgenre, though.
> 
> That, and my childhood Lego western towns inexplicably getting invaded constantly by a mix of UFOs and skeletons.


High Plains Drifter is one of my favorite movies.

I got the idea of writing fantasy-western long before I read the Dark Tower (partly inspired by High Plains Drifter; also, what could be cooler than a bounty hunter/gunslinger who's also a wizard?  ); I decided to read Dark Tower to see if it was along the same lines as what I was writing and wanted to read more of. Really enjoyed The Gunslinger, next book was pretty good, third book ok, fourth book pretty good but I had to stop reading because I know it can only end in tears and I'm all about happy endings.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

J. Dane Tyler said:


> Wow, thanks Jim. I hope you enjoy it. Please remember to leave a review.  Your episodes are on my to-read list too! Thanks again!
> 
> ETA: I also updated the cover in my sig. Thanks for that head's up!


Awesome. Looking forward to reading it!


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## J. Dane Tyler (Jul 8, 2010)

Jim Johnson said:


> Awesome. Looking forward to reading it!


Downloaded book one in your series. Can't wait to start the journey! Thanks again.


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## C. Michael Wells (Feb 26, 2014)

No discussion about Weird West would be complete without mentioning Garth Ennis' Preacher graphic novels. Soon to be a new AMC show. Can' say enough great things about these books.


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## bendanarama (Jul 25, 2015)

Its just occurred to me that my next two weird western books are cowboy werewolves vs vampire's on a train, and cowboy werewolves vs cthulhu in the Mississippi. 

I may be mixing up my genres a bit.


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## J. Dane Tyler (Jul 8, 2010)

bendanarama said:


> Its just occurred to me that my next two weird western books are cowboy werewolves vs vampire's on a train, and cowboy werewolves vs cthulhu in the Mississippi.
> 
> I may be mixing up my genres a bit.


Ah, but that's why they're weird, right? Sounds like fun, frankly.


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## bendanarama (Jul 25, 2015)

J. Dane Tyler said:


> Ah, but that's why they're weird, right? Sounds like fun, frankly.


Deffo!


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## bendanarama (Jul 25, 2015)

right, I know it's naughty to double post, but maybe we should make a weird Western thread in the book baazar? that way potential buyers can get straight to the genre.


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## J. Dane Tyler (Jul 8, 2010)

bendanarama said:


> right, I know it's naughty to double post, but maybe we should make a weird Western thread in the book baazar? that way potential buyers can get straight to the genre.


Seems like a good idea. I'd peruse it.

I also didn't know double-posting was bad. Let me jot that down...


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## bendanarama (Jul 25, 2015)

Thus it was written, and so it came to pass...

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,225487.0.html


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Great idea. Thanks for running with it, Ben!


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## J. Dane Tyler (Jul 8, 2010)

Thanks for doing this, bendanarama!


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## bendanarama (Jul 25, 2015)

NAe bother folks!!


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## SasgoraBooks (Aug 27, 2015)

Jim Johnson said:


> Hmm. If we can rustle up a few more weird western indies, we might have enough first books in series to throw together a promo collection or something. Support and grow this underserved subgenre.


Hmm, now I'm going to have to start brain storming weird western ideas. 



J. Dane Tyler said:


> I'm so excited by this thread.
> 
> My book Scales of Justice (in my sig) was inspired by the Dark Tower cycle. I still think The Gunslinger has the best opening line in literature. I could be biased, though.
> 
> ...


I could be biased, but I think the 8 books of the Dark Tower collectively is the single best work of literature in all of human history.


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## Charles Des Voeux (Oct 26, 2015)

Holy smokes this blew up. Very happy I was the ghost of westerns past.

DarkarNights, I have not been able to sleep due to the constant devouring of these books. You were absolutely right in saying I was in for a treat. Will tackle Talisman next. Very excited. Love the Tower bias.

John Hamilton, thank you for the welcome. I love Lansdale's works but I am more familiar with his latter stuff. Would be good to have a reason to jump back in to his works. Much obliged. And Ghost Marshall - looks terrific. Will check it out for sure.

Jim, the comics are actually surprisingly decent. And they seem to have sold well because they seem (semi?) regular. The way I see it the more exposure the better. If only they started filming the damn thing now...

Bendanarama, thanks a lot for creating the thread. Very kind of you. Much appreciated. And I agree about a collaboration, although my work is a ways out yet, so I'm even happy to watch you guys do the first round. And your books look fantastic. Happy to discover them. Your next books sound like a treat as well.

Vaalingrade, I agree with you - zombie westerns seem to be popping up quite a bit. There are of course those that do it well, and kudos to them. It's the dime store grifters we need to look out for. Hopefully this thread - and all you wonderful authors - will give us a whole new spectrum to choose from.

Mythsnake, Jim is definitely right in that Stephen King isn't the origin. He does however enjoy a mass appeal that has allowed the genre to reach perhaps a few more fans than normal. I also am a bit biased because I tend to grab anything he writes, artistic pretensions be damned. So it was a pleasure discovering this.

J. Dane Tyler, completely agree with you about the best damn opening line out there. Excited to check your book out too, looks great. Both you and Jim are right up my alley.

Kyra, your books look equally awesome. Premise sounds great. High Plains Drifter is fantastic. The title alone inspires Morricone music to play in my head (although he didn't do the music for that one). Eastwood is just - can there be anyone who represents an entire genre better?

C Michael Wells, you just made my day. I love Preacher and can't wait for the show to start. Completely agree with you about it being part of the WW family. My series in progress - tentatively titled _Peacemaker_ - I want to mix Preacher with Mad Max and The Dark Tower and see what happens. I think there will be lots of explosions. Explosions are good.


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## SasgoraBooks (Aug 27, 2015)

All this DT talk makes me want to go and reread it all. Only thing stopping me...Oh yeah, I have a mighty need to write a novel sometime this month.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

DarkarNights said:


> All this DT talk makes me want to go and reread it all. Only thing stopping me...Oh yeah, I have a mighty need to write a novel sometime this month.


What holds me back is the density of the series. It's a mighty commitment to read them all. I think I'm going to just jump into book 5 and re-read 5-7. I've read 1-4 several times and get fatigued by the end of 4.


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## stoney (May 24, 2015)

Thank goodness for this thread! *loads up tbr pile*


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## Charles Des Voeux (Oct 26, 2015)

DarkarNights and Jim, perhaps we need to start a Dark Tower Readalong Club. Jump in an out whenever you want, that sort of thing.

Stoney, agreed and hallelujah.


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## John Hamilton (May 6, 2010)

FYI, my son-in-law until recently worked for a video game developer, and there were rumblings last summer of a Dark Towers game in development. "Shut up and take my money!" comes to mind.


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## Stewart Matthews (Nov 21, 2014)

mythsnake said:


> It seems that a good number of us came to this genre after having read The Gunslinger, which got me wondering if there were other books of this kind before The Gunslinger. Or is King's masterwork the origin of all things wonderfully weird in the West?


That's a really interesting question. It's certainly the most prominent entry into the genre, and it inspired what I'm working on. I wouldn't be shocked if King got his initial idea for the Dark Tower from watching spaghetti westerns, and mixing them with the supernatural horror that he's known for.

How many of you guys watch the old Sergio Leone movies? I saw _Once Upon a Time in the West_ for the first time on Netflix about two months ago, and was so inspired, I had to stop the movie so I could write the first chapter to my WIP right there on the spot. I cranked out about 1500 words in an hour!


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## John Hamilton (May 6, 2010)

M Stephen Stewart said:


> That's a really interesting question. It's certainly the most prominent entry into the genre, and it inspired what I'm working on. I wouldn't be shocked if King got his initial idea for the Dark Tower from watching spaghetti westerns, and mixing them with the supernatural horror that he's known for.
> 
> How many of you guys watch the old Sergio Leone movies? I saw _Once Upon a Time in the West_ for the first time on Netflix about two months ago, and was so inspired, I had to stop the movie so I could write the first chapter to my WIP right there on the spot. I cranked out about 1500 words in an hour!


I just re-watched Once Upon a Time in the West a few weeks ago. What a treat. Henry Fonda is the best... villain... ever!


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

John Hamilton said:


> I just re-watched Once Upon a Time in the West a few weeks ago. What a treat. Henry Fonda is the best... villain... ever!


My local Alamo Drafthouse ran a series of Spaghetti Western Wednesday nights a few months ago, and one of the nights they ran Once Upon a Time in the West. It was great seeing it on the big screen--Leone's attention to faces made them look gigantic.



M Stephen Stewart said:


> That's a really interesting question. It's certainly the most prominent entry into the genre, and it inspired what I'm working on. I wouldn't be shocked if King got his initial idea for the Dark Tower from watching spaghetti westerns, and mixing them with the supernatural horror that he's known for.
> 
> How many of you guys watch the old Sergio Leone movies? I saw _Once Upon a Time in the West_ for the first time on Netflix about two months ago, and was so inspired, I had to stop the movie so I could write the first chapter to my WIP right there on the spot. I cranked out about 1500 words in an hour!


I think King mentioned somewhere (possibly in one of the commentaries in the books) that seeing a Clint Eastwood western was a big piece of inspiration for Roland.

I've been watching a lot of westerns lately with my newborn son, from the classic Leone Man With No Name trilogy to some of the more also-ran spaghetti westerns and other more recent films. I'm slowly starting to discuss them on my blog. Just recently watched _The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford_ and am about a third of the way through a re-watch of Costner's _Wyatt Earp_. Good stuff.


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## John Hamilton (May 6, 2010)

Jim Johnson said:


> My local Alamo Drafthouse ran a series of Spaghetti Western Wednesday nights a few months ago, and one of the nights they ran Once Upon a Time in the West. It was great seeing it on the big screen--Leone's attention to faces made them look gigantic.


That would be so cool to see Leone in the theater again. First movie I ever saw was "Good, Bad, and the Ugly" with my dad.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

John Hamilton said:


> FYI, my son-in-law until recently worked for a video game developer, and there were rumblings last summer of a Dark Towers game in development. "Shut up and take my money!" comes to mind.


Well, with any luck, both the Dark Tower movie series and the Deadlands TV series will both see the light of day sometime soon and we can all jump on that bounty of tie-ins.


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## J. Dane Tyler (Jul 8, 2010)

DarkarNights said:


> Hmm, now I'm going to have to start brain storming weird western ideas.
> 
> I could be biased, but I think the 8 books of the Dark Tower collectively is the single best work of literature in all of human history.


LOL. Well, I can't say that, but I CAN say I've never read another series before that one. Or since, actually. I'm a stand-alone book kinda guy, but that one? I got committed.


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## Stewart Matthews (Nov 21, 2014)

Jim Johnson said:


> Well, with any luck, both the Dark Tower movie series and the Deadlands TV series will both see the light of day sometime soon and we can all jump on that bounty of tie-ins.


Man, that reminds me--I can't wait to see how Westworld turns out on HBO.


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## J. Dane Tyler (Jul 8, 2010)

Charles Des Voeux said:


> J. Dane Tyler, completely agree with you about the best damn opening line out there. Excited to check your book out too, looks great. Both you and Jim are right up my alley.


Thanks, Charles! Much appreciated. I've started reading Jim's and it's quite a ride (ha! See what I did there?) so far.  Enjoy!


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## bendanarama (Jul 25, 2015)

Thanks to this thread, I downloaded Pale Rider yesterday. Have I watched it? Have I hell, I'm too busy writing.


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## J. Dane Tyler (Jul 8, 2010)

bendanarama said:


> Thanks to this thread, I downloaded Pale Rider yesterday. Have I watched it? Have I hell, I'm too busy writing.


I know, I have no way I can balance writing, reading, family time, and that silly DAY JOB thing. 

By the way, i downloaded the first of your books yesterday too. Can't wait to start that one.


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## bendanarama (Jul 25, 2015)

J. Dane Tyler said:


> I know, I have no way I can balance writing, reading, family time, and that silly DAY JOB thing.
> 
> By the way, i downloaded the first of your books yesterday too. Can't wait to start that one.


Hope you enjoy it!


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## J. Dane Tyler (Jul 8, 2010)

bendanarama said:


> Hope you enjoy it!


I enjoyed the sample.  I'm sure it will be great, and I'll leave a review. (Not under this name, though.)


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

J. Dane Tyler said:


> Thanks, Charles! Much appreciated. I've started reading Jim's and it's quite a ride (ha! See what I did there?) so far.  Enjoy!


Oh, nice, thanks! I'm four chapters into _Scales_. Great details so far. Loving the concept of a dragon-hunting gunslinger.


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## J. Dane Tyler (Jul 8, 2010)

Jim Johnson said:


> Oh, nice, thanks! I'm four chapters into _Scales_. Great details so far. Loving the concept of a dragon-hunting gunslinger.


I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. The Ranger of Mayat moves along pretty quick! I got about six chapters into it in less than an hour! Fun so far!


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## SasgoraBooks (Aug 27, 2015)

M Stephen Stewart said:


> That's a really interesting question. It's certainly the most prominent entry into the genre, and it inspired what I'm working on. I wouldn't be shocked if King got his initial idea for the Dark Tower from watching spaghetti westerns, and mixing them with the supernatural horror that he's known for.
> 
> How many of you guys watch the old Sergio Leone movies? I saw _Once Upon a Time in the West_ for the first time on Netflix about two months ago, and was so inspired, I had to stop the movie so I could write the first chapter to my WIP right there on the spot. I cranked out about 1500 words in an hour!


King got most of his inspiration for the series from Robert Browning's epic poem _Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came_. And Clint Eastwood was also a big influence on the Roland character.


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## Vaalingrade (Feb 19, 2013)

I'm going to just drop three words into this thread:

Brisco County, Jr.


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## John Hamilton (May 6, 2010)

Vaalingrade said:


> I'm going to just drop three words into this thread:
> 
> Brisco County, Jr.


Complete box set... check!


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## SasgoraBooks (Aug 27, 2015)

Vaalingrade said:


> I'm going to just drop three words into this thread:
> 
> Brisco County, Jr.


Oh wow, I was fan of that show and totally forgot about it until now.


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## Charles Des Voeux (Oct 26, 2015)

John, if what you say comes to pass...great scott. A Dark Tower video game would be terrific. Especially if the right studio got its hands on it. 

M Stephen Stewart, Leone's films are just sheer class. And they are perfect because they introduce the watcher to a genre that has a lot to offer. Very fond memories of watching his trilogy. 

Jim, I envy you with your Alamo Drafthouse. Not to mention their rules on theater etiquette are fantastic. Lucky lucky. 

J. Dane Tyler, I agree with you about getting sucked in to the series wholeheartedly. I think barring Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings I have not yet encountered a series that held me enraptured for such a long time.

Bendanarama, I feel your pain. So many movies, so little time. So many words...so many words...

DarkarNights, have you read the actual poem? It is very cool. Just great to see the interplay of ideas someone can get. 

Vaalingrade, I had no idea what that show was until I looked it up. It looks...fascinating.


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## bendanarama (Jul 25, 2015)

Well, as it turned out, the copy of Pale Rider I DLd was the Spanish dub. Given I have to look up the Spanish insults my characters use, it was back to the drawing board.

On the other hand, I've finally finished the Cthulhu-ish High Moon Rising story! And I never, EVER want to write a Mythos based story ever again.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

bendanarama said:


> Well, as it turned out, the copy of Pale Rider I DLd was the Spanish dub. Given I have to look up the Spanish insults my characters use, it was back to the drawing board.
> 
> On the other hand, I've finally finished the Cthulhu-ish High Moon Rising story! And I never, EVER want to write a Mythos based story ever again.


Lose some SAN, did we?


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## bendanarama (Jul 25, 2015)

Jim Johnson said:


> Lose some SAN, did we?


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## Charles Des Voeux (Oct 26, 2015)

That joke, I like it. That is a nice joke.


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