THE BEST OF THE WEST Edited by Joe R. Lansdale

Todd Mason reviewed this book a little over a month ago here. As Todd mentioned, all the stories in this collection are worth reading. My favorites are “AT Yuma Crossing” by Brian Garfield, “Take a Left at Bertram” by Chad Oliver, “A Bad Cow Market,” by Elmer Kelton, and “The Bandit,” by Loren D. Estleman. I was able to obtain The Best of the West through library loan, but it’s also available for affordable prices on the Internet. GRADE: B+
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
At Yuma Crossing · Brian Garfield · ss *
Take a Left at Bertram · Chad Oliver · ss *
The Second Kit Carson · Gary Paulsen · ss *
Night of the Cougar · Ardath Mayhar · ss *
Jasper Lemon’s Ba Cab Ya Larry · Lee Schultz · pm *
Stoned on Yellow · LoLo Westrich · ss *
Making Money in Western Banking · Jeff Banks · ss *
Cutliffe Starkvogel and the Bears Who Liked TV · John Keefauver · ss *
A Bad Cow Market · Elmer Kelton · ss *
Peaches · Lenore Carroll · ss *
Judas and Jesus · Thomas Sullivan · ss *
Sallie C. · Neal Barrett, Jr. · ss *
The Nighthawk Rides · William F. Nolan · teleplay *
The Bandit · Loren D. Estleman · ss *

12 thoughts on “THE BEST OF THE WEST Edited by Joe R. Lansdale

  1. Patti Abbott

    You guys have been so influential in my reading. Five years ago, I would not have considered such a book and now I am going to see if my library has it.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      I’m taking a renewed interest in Westerns, Patti. Todd’s recommendation of THE BEST OF THE WEST led me to track it down and read it. I’m glad I did!

      Reply
  2. Jeff Meyerson

    The single author collections I’ve read in recent years are by Pronzini, Gorman, Elmore Leonard & Erle Stanley Gardner. There is a collection of Leonard stories you might try too, Patti.

    Reply
  3. Scott Cupp

    I liked this collection, but liked THE NEW FRONTIER even better, since it has my first pro sale in it.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      I’ll look for a copy of THE NEW FRONTIER, Scott. Congratulations on that first pro sale. You never forget the First Time…

      Reply
  4. Todd Mason

    Not always, Rick. And that’s true, some of the time (sf writing that is), of half the contributors here. And Lansdale name-checks DANGEROUS VISIONS in the intro, for reasons I speculate about in the review. I’ll have to ask Lansdale sometime.

    Reply
  5. Todd Mason

    (And, Oliver’s story is a fantasy with somewhat atypical western-fiction elements. But perhaps his best-remembered novel is a somewhat anthropological western.)

    Reply

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