HOW THE WEST WAS WEIRD!

From a kill-or-be-killed gunfight with a vampire to an encounter in a steampunk bordello, the weird western is a dark, gritty tale where the protagonist might be playing poker with a sorcerous deck of cards, or facing an alien on the streets of a dusty frontier town.

Here are twenty-three original tales—stories of the Old West infused with elements of the fantastic—produced specifically for this volume by many of today’s finest writers. Included are Orson Scott Card’s first “Alvin Maker” story in a decade, and an original adventure by Fred Van Lente, writer of Cowboys & Aliens.

Other contributors include:
Tobias S. Buckell * David Farland * Alan Dean Foster * Jeffrey Ford * Laura Anne Gilman * Rajan Khanna * Mike Resnick * Beth Revis * Fred Van Lente * Walter Jon Williams * Ben H. Winters * Christie Yant * Charles Yu *

From Booklist

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. --Margaret Flanagan

Review

"If you like weird west tales, I think this anthology should be a priority." - True Review

"Relentless pacing and authentic Western flavor." - Ain’t It Cool

"Every narrative is strong and held my attention." - Criminal Element

"Looking for something a little more...weird? Your first stop should be the new Weird West anthology by John Joseph Adams. Dead Man's Hand features 23 original and gloriously weird tales from Elizabeth Bear, Tad Williams, Joe R. Lansdale, Seanan McGuire and more." - Kirkus

About the Author

Editor John Joseph Adams (www.johnjosephadams.com) - called "the reigning king of the anthology world" by Barnes & Noble.com - is the bestselling editor of many anthologies such as Epic: Legends of Fantasy , Wastelands , The Living Dead , By Blood We Live , Oz Reimagined , Federations , and The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. He the editor of Fantasy Magazine and Lightspeed Magazine, which published two Nebula Award finalists and a Hugo Award finalist in its first year. John co-hosts Wired.com's The Geek's Guide to the Galaxy podcast.

Authors include: Joe Lansdale, Mike Resnick, Kelley Armstrong, Laura Anne Gilman, Fred van Lente, Elizabeth Bear, Jeffrey Ford, Hugh Howey, Tobias Buckell, Seanan McGuire, Walter Jon Williams, Ken Liu, Ben Winters, David Farland, Alan Dean Foster, Jonathan Maberry, Beth Revis, Alastair Reynolds, Tad Williams, Orson Scott Card, Rajan Khanna, Charles Yu, Christie Yant

HOW THE WEST WAS WEIRD!

From a kill-or-be-killed gunfight with a vampire to an encounter in a steampunk bordello, the weird western is a dark, gritty tale where the protagonist might be playing poker with a sorcerous deck of cards, or facing an alien on the streets of a dusty frontier town. Here are twenty-three original tales—stories of the Old West infused with elements of the fantastic—produced specifically for this volume by many of today’s finest writers.

Included are Orson Scott Card’s first “Alvin Maker” story in a decade, and an original adventure by Fred Van Lente, writer of Cowboys & Aliens. Other contributors include Tobias S. Buckell, David Farland, Alan Dean Foster, Jeffrey Ford, Laura Anne Gilman, Rajan Khanna, Mike Resnick, Beth Revis, Fred Van Lente, Walter Jon Williams, Ben H. Winters, Christie Yant, and Charles Yu, with an introduction by editor John Joseph Adams.

CONTENTS :

01 - Joe R. Lansdale, The Red-Headed Dead
02 - Ben H. Winters, The Old Slow Man and his Gold Gun from Space
03 - David Farland, Hellfire on the High Frontier
04 - Mike Resnick, The Hell-Bound Stagecoach
05 - Seanan McGuire, Stingers and Strangers
06 - Charles Yu, Bookkeeper, Narrator, Gunslinger
07 - Alan Dean Foster, Holy Jingle
08 - Beth Revis, The Man With No Heart
09 - Alastair Reynolds, Wrecking Party
10 - Hugh Howey, Hell from the East
11 - Rajan Khanna, Second Hand
12 - Orson Scott Card, Alvin and the Apple Tree
13 - Elizabeth Bear, Madam Damnable's Sewing Circle
14 - Tad Williams, Strong Medicine
15 - Jonathan Maberry, Red Dreams
16 - Kelley Armstrong, Bamboozled
17 - Tobias S. Buckell, Sundown
18 - Jeffrey Ford, La Madre del Oro
19 - Ken Liu, What I Assume You Shall Assume
20 - Laura Anne Gilman, The Devil's Jack
21 - Walter Jon Williams, The Golden Age
22 - Fred Van Lente, Neversleeps
23 - Christie Yant, Dead Man's Hand