This is fantastic! I'm going to link to this on my substack if you don't mind! I growing more and more interested in Weird West as a genre, and even if this is tinged with horror, you wrote it in a way that didn't creep me out :D
You know, I was thinking the same thing. More and more of these stories are popping up. I think the whole "weird Western" genre(?) is having a moment right now. Anyway, they are fun to write!
I've been dipping my toes into Weird West via Fantasy meets western. For so long, all the Weird West I could find was Lovecraftian style horror which I can't read, so I would love to see others take interest in the genre and expand it into other directions too!
I am so encouraged to see the interest in this kind of fantasy/horror fiction. There's so much storytelling potential, way beyond the tired Lovecraftian tropes.
I've come late to the Substack fiction world. I didn't realize there had been any Lovecraftian Westerns. To be honest, it's hard for me to imagine that kind of story as a Western. I'm sure a good writer can pull it off, but they aren't two genres that go together in my mind.
I do love the idea of Western and Appalachian fantasy, dark or light. I certainly plan to revisit the genre, both as a reader and a writer.
Weird west has actually been around as a genre for decades, though it really took off when Deadlands the game came out - hence the lovecraftian bent towards a lot of it. Westerns prove to be great for weird and fantastic, as well as horror - everything from old world vampires, demons, or, like you did, Greek style monsters to new world native spirits and monsters like skinwalkers, Coyote, the Spider woman; there's all kinds of fodder for the fantastic or horrifying in a western. Just think about taking Donner's Pass, for instance, and throwing in legends of Wendigos walking the pass after that horrifying winter! Then ghost trains, ghost cowboys, native burial grounds....
If you want some great Weird West stories, check out Raconteur Press's Wyrd West Anthology or look for their new one coming out later this fall.
As for substack - I don't know many substack stories that delve into Weird West, but maybe we can change that :) I've got my contribution "Tea for Two" on my substack!
Nice! I look forward to reading your story. And Jean McKinney here does a lot of great weird Westerns, so if you're looking for more, you should check her out.
The Donner party/wendigo idea is an excellent one. It could be absolutely terrifying.
They really are. I loved the research I did for this one. One example: the contents of Cole's canteen smelling like turpentine and chewing tobacco is based on reality. Saloon owners were known to cut the house booze with turpentine and flavor it with chewing tobacco, as well as other such awful things.
"Weird Western" is having a great run. I look forward to seeing what else is in store.
Do you know the fantasy novels of Emma Bull? She wrote a book called "Territory," about the famed OK Corral in Tombstone back in 2007. An early weird Western I always liked.
I'm enjoying it, too. That's part of why I wrote this.
The American west, especially the desert, can almost seem like a chaos realm. Lots of legends come out of it. It's so expansive, you could imagine anything and everything existing there. And it continues to breed urban legends. Very fertile ground for storytelling.
So, so true. It's a place where just about anything can happen - and so many stories are waiting to be told. The desert can seem like a whole other world sometimes!
Loved it! He has to make some hard choices.
He does, both during and after the story's events.
I'm glad you enjoyed what you read. Thank you.
This is fantastic! I'm going to link to this on my substack if you don't mind! I growing more and more interested in Weird West as a genre, and even if this is tinged with horror, you wrote it in a way that didn't creep me out :D
Thank you! It makes me so happy when people enjoy my work.
And yes, you are more than welcome to link this story on your Substack.
Wowza. This is fabulous! A wonderful addition to the Weird Western world on Substack.
Thank you! That's a special compliment coming from you Jean. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
There's such a wealth of Westerns on Substack. If it keeps going, maybe it'll get its own day, like Macabre Monday, only it'll be Western Wednesday.
You know, I was thinking the same thing. More and more of these stories are popping up. I think the whole "weird Western" genre(?) is having a moment right now. Anyway, they are fun to write!
I've been dipping my toes into Weird West via Fantasy meets western. For so long, all the Weird West I could find was Lovecraftian style horror which I can't read, so I would love to see others take interest in the genre and expand it into other directions too!
I am so encouraged to see the interest in this kind of fantasy/horror fiction. There's so much storytelling potential, way beyond the tired Lovecraftian tropes.
I've come late to the Substack fiction world. I didn't realize there had been any Lovecraftian Westerns. To be honest, it's hard for me to imagine that kind of story as a Western. I'm sure a good writer can pull it off, but they aren't two genres that go together in my mind.
I do love the idea of Western and Appalachian fantasy, dark or light. I certainly plan to revisit the genre, both as a reader and a writer.
Weird west has actually been around as a genre for decades, though it really took off when Deadlands the game came out - hence the lovecraftian bent towards a lot of it. Westerns prove to be great for weird and fantastic, as well as horror - everything from old world vampires, demons, or, like you did, Greek style monsters to new world native spirits and monsters like skinwalkers, Coyote, the Spider woman; there's all kinds of fodder for the fantastic or horrifying in a western. Just think about taking Donner's Pass, for instance, and throwing in legends of Wendigos walking the pass after that horrifying winter! Then ghost trains, ghost cowboys, native burial grounds....
If you want some great Weird West stories, check out Raconteur Press's Wyrd West Anthology or look for their new one coming out later this fall.
As for substack - I don't know many substack stories that delve into Weird West, but maybe we can change that :) I've got my contribution "Tea for Two" on my substack!
Nice! I look forward to reading your story. And Jean McKinney here does a lot of great weird Westerns, so if you're looking for more, you should check her out.
The Donner party/wendigo idea is an excellent one. It could be absolutely terrifying.
They really are. I loved the research I did for this one. One example: the contents of Cole's canteen smelling like turpentine and chewing tobacco is based on reality. Saloon owners were known to cut the house booze with turpentine and flavor it with chewing tobacco, as well as other such awful things.
"Weird Western" is having a great run. I look forward to seeing what else is in store.
Do you know the fantasy novels of Emma Bull? She wrote a book called "Territory," about the famed OK Corral in Tombstone back in 2007. An early weird Western I always liked.
No, I've never heard of her or her work. I'd love to check it out. I'm due to buy myself a couple of new books, and I'll make Territory one of them.
Thank you! I love a good reading recommendation!
Just like horror Western, it is high time for us to write more bunker or ww1 horror tales :)
And a big thank you for the restack!
Anytime :) Check my page if you haven't, I have one brand new vote your own adventure story.
That's awesome. I'll check it out. I love the vote-your-own-adventure options I've been seeing.
Enjoy :)
Love that idea. A bunker is a great place to write something claustrophobic.
And, there's the rats.
I have written one entire novella centered around a bunker horror. My Velin book series is full of post apocalyptic, horror elements.
Very cool! Can't wait to take a look.
I really am enjoying seeing more horror Westerns popping up on substack. It's not something I see a lot of, here in the UK.
I'm enjoying it, too. That's part of why I wrote this.
The American west, especially the desert, can almost seem like a chaos realm. Lots of legends come out of it. It's so expansive, you could imagine anything and everything existing there. And it continues to breed urban legends. Very fertile ground for storytelling.
So, so true. It's a place where just about anything can happen - and so many stories are waiting to be told. The desert can seem like a whole other world sometimes!
Definitely. I'm not at all surprised that the most famous American UFO story took place in the New Mexico desert.
It is indeed a whole other world.
Thanks for the restack, @Kummer Wolfe!