Dead Man's Hand

February 10, 2014
A fearsomely impressive lineup of contributors surmounts an occasional over-reliance on Old West tropes in this vigorously imagined blend of cheroot-smoking cowboys, aliens, demons, werewolves, androids, and even dinosaurs. Joe R. Lansdale’s “The Red-Headed Dead” resurrects Weird West icon Reverend Mercer for a quick, savage, splendidly devised fight scene with a vampire. Orson Scott Card’s drolly dark “Alvin and the Apple Tree” brings Alvin Maker back to butt heads with Johnny Appleseed over the nature of hope. Elizabeth Bear’s impeccably crafted “Madam Damnable’s Sewing Circle,” set in a Seattle bordello, includes a tinge of steampunk . The most exceptional contributions are Ken Liu’s exquisite “What I Assume You Shall Assume,” which enfolds Chinese mysticism and Thoreau in a tableau of magical language, and Tad Williams’s “Strong Medicine,” which allows dinosaurs to rampage for a day in Arizona via an ingeniously conceived rip in the fabric of time. While there’s some repetition of theme and concept, Adams has produced a satisfyingly filler-free compilation.

March 15, 2014

This anthology takes as its theme the "Weird West," encompassing all facets of speculative fiction such as fantasy, horror, and steampunk-flavored sf--all set in the American West pre-1900. This is a setting that has been fruitful for countless writers and filmmakers, rife as it is with outlaws and lawmen on the stark and primitive frontiers of civilization. The stories gathered here are all original to the collection and include a new installment in Orson Scott Card's "Alvin Maker" series. Some of the best entries include Rajan Khanna's "Second Hand," about a people who wield magical playing cards like weapons, and Seanan McGuire's fun tale of two cryptozoologists called "Stingers and Strangers." VERDICT Anthologies arranged by themes can sometimes seem gimmicky or put a strain on the contributors' imaginative powers, but when done well they look more like authors set loose in a fantastic playground. Under the guidance of anthology maven Adams (Epic; Wastelands), these authors came to play.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2014
Incorporating elements of horror, science fiction, and fantasy into traditional western settings, 22 authors deliver supernatural spins on a classic genre. Though not a new literary construct, the weird western has recently gained momentum due to the megapopularity of fantasy and the reemergence of steampunk lit. As varied and wide as the open range, several of these eerie tales feature characters and locales steeped in both history and legend. In Christie Yant's titular Dead Man's Hand, Wild Bill Hickok is resurrected; Johnny Appleseed makes an appearance in Orson Scott Card's Alvin and the Apple Tree; and Monument Valley provides the backdrop for Fred Van Lente's Neversleeps. While the landscape and the personalities may be familiar, each of these original stories is steeped in an appropriately eerie atmosphere, informing an alternative version of the American frontier.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)