Description
Is Weird Trails a play on Weird Tales? Yes, of course. Early in 1923, the latter appeared. It was an iconic magazine, the first devoted to strange stories and horror. Appearing in were it legendary figures such as H. P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Robert Bloch, C. L. Moore, Seabury Quinn, and Clarke Ashton Smith. In this anthology, Weird Trails, Cynthia and I have linked our interest in strange stories with those from another popular genre—westerns. Western Story Magazine, which was the first to specialize in tales from the frontier, appeared in 1919. It published works by Max Brand, William MacLeod Raine, Stewart Edward White, B. M. Bower, and Edwin L. Sabin. Since the West was less well known, at the time, as all frontiers are, publications sometimes featured stories of strange adventures in it. Those adventures are what this anthology is about. Here in twenty-one tales, you will encounter Native American myths, psychic powers, and visions, while meeting demons, dinosaurs, ghosts, killer plants, lost races, and mad scientists. Native Americans are featured in six stories, Hispanics and Englishmen in two apiece, and a woman in one. Subjects covered include exploring, gun fighting, hunting, mining, railroading, ranching, seafaring, tribal customs, and warfare. Though a few of these stories might seem familiar, most should not. Many appeared in obscure publications and have not been, or only infrequently, reprinted. 6 x 9, softcover. (310 pp; 9781943022205) $18.95
