I can’t remember the last time I read an anthology from
cover to cover, quite possibly in the days when I had a slightly longer commute
and no children. These days, anthologies are very much a way for me to chew
over a short tale when I don’t have the appetite for something longer. If I
didn’t read short stories, I suspect I would never finish anything but that’s
another story (and not a short one either)…
Anyway… I’ve said before that John Joseph Adams has great
form for editing anthologies (in terms of both concept and the writers that he
brings to the table) and, as such, my ears always prick up at the mention of a
new collection, even though I still need to get round to reading a few of them.
I’ve only read a couple of the stories here, so far, but expect to go back and
read the rest over time. In the meantime though, here are some quick thoughts on a couple of the tales.
‘The Red-Headed Dead’ – Joe R. Lansdale
Lansdale is one of those authors where I start off thinking
that I’ve never read his work, only to check and find out that I’ve read a
number of his short stories and comics, enjoying all of them. So, good stories
then that do their job but don’t hang around too long afterwards. Has anyone
read anything by Lansdale that just blew them away? I’d be interested in
reading it if you have.
‘The Red-Headed Dead’ is an instalment in what are the
ongoing adventures of Reverend Mercer who does God’s work, in the shadowy
corners of the West, by unloading blessed bullets into all manner of devilish
creatures. This time round, it’s a vampire who has Mercer trapped in a
ramshackle old hut… ‘The Red Headed Dead’ is a fast paced tale that owes a lot
to Robert E. Howard’s ‘Solomon Kane’ stories (acknowledged by Lansdale at the
end) and has all the ingredients for a compelling read; I’d certainly read more
stories with the good Reverend in them. A gloomy backdrop, a monstrous vampire
and a ‘hero’ who does God’s work even though he really doesn’t want to (and
might just be more than a little insane himself). I loved the constant
questioning and self-doubt that is channelled into controlled violence when the
chips are down. The Old West has always struck me as an ideal horror setting
and Lansdale really hits the mark here too, the darkness of the storm hiding
something even darker at its core. Like I said, if I come across any more
Reverend Mercer tales I will be reading them, no question about it.
‘Strong Medicine’ – Tad Williams
Weird happenings in Medicine Dance are common, they happen
every year, but the strangest events of all happen every thirty nine years and
it’s then that Custos comes to town to protect the townsfolk any way that he
can…
A little bit of Steampunk (clockwork punk?)and time travel combine
to give us a tale full of surprises, not even Custos knows what the morning
will bring and that uncertainty keeps the pages turning although Williams takes his own time getting
to the good stuff, not necessarily a good thing in a short story (although
maybe I’d been spoiled by the far punchier ‘The Red Headed Dead’). When ‘Strong
Medicine’ gets going though, it’s worth the wait with scenes that make me wish
that Ray Harryhausen was still doing his thing and an ending that hints at a
wider tale as well as offering hope for the poor people of ‘Medicine Dance’.
The concept is entirely suited to this short format as a ‘one time only’ tale
(wouldn’t work as anything longer) but I enjoyed that hint of a wider setting
and would read more ‘Custos’ tales if they were written. There’s something
about Tad Williams’ work that always makes me think this.
More stories from ‘Dead Man’s Hand’ to follow as and when…
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