Dead Man's Hand: An Anthology of the Weird West
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