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A review by Mario
Guslandi
Weird Western
horror anthologies are becoming increasingly popular and by now constitute a
definite subgenre with its devoted fans.
Low Noon is the third installment in a series including Six Guns
Straight From Hell and Showdown at Midnight. I missed the first two
volumes, but I guess they were successful enough to warrant a further volume
and, most likely, even more accomplished than this one.
Editor David B. Riley has assembled a dozen stories by not terribly famous
authors, who try their best to address the subject with uneven, but not
extraordinary results. In other words the reader will spend a pleasant time
browsing the book, but certainly won't find therein any memorable tale. Among
the various stories, however, some are worth mentioning as more interesting than
the rest.
Matthew Baugh's "Trail of the Brujo" is a very entertaining cross between a
western movie script and a paranormal tale, quite the ideal story for the
present anthology.
"Before All This Modern Stuff" by Lyn McConchie is a vivid, well told story
of power and revenge about a rich farmer and his difficult relationship with
local Indians, while "Feeding Pluto" by C.J. Killmer is a grand guignolesque
horror piece where two cold-blooded murderers finally get what they deserve.
In the extremely enjoyable "A Quarter Past Death" by Henrik Ramsager, a bunch
of gunmen come to a village to exact revenge, have to face a not too natural
situation while in the creepy "Realgar" by Jackson Kuhl, an abandoned mine hides
dark secrets which are better left unrevealed.
Sam Kepfield contributes "Hell Home on the Range," a gruesome noir story
inspired by real events where murders are brought about by greed.
If you're not looking for literary masterpieces but just for some good
fiction to keep you entertained, then this is the book for you although I doubt
it the subject has steam enough to produce a further volume in the future.
Copyright © 2012 by Mario
Guslandi
Mario Guslandi lives in Milan, Italy, and is a long-time fan of dark fiction.
His book reviews have appeared on a number of genre websites such as The
Alien Online, Infinity Plus, Necropsy,
The Agony Column and Horrorwold |
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