Six-Gun Legends - Jim Beard and John C. Bruening, eds.

I’ve known about this Western anthology and have been looking forward to it for a while. SIX-GUN LEGENDS certainly doesn’t disappoint. Editors Jim Beard and John C. Bruening have assembled a collection of brand-new Western novellas featuring characters who have achieved legendary status on the frontier, the sort of characters who might have starred in pulps, paperbacks, or movies and TV shows. These are all new characters, not the classic ones you might be thinking of from the past, and their exploits are highly entertaining.

This anthology is anchored by three of the best writers in the business today: Jeffrey J. Mariotte, Will Murray, and Terrence McCauley. Here’s the line-up:

Introduction: Return With Us Now to Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear – Jim Beard

The Widowmaker in “Dead Man Walking” by Jeffrey J. Mariotte

The Outlaw Moore in “Blazing Guns, Rolling Death” by Christopher Ryan

El Halcon in “An Affair of Honor” by Duane Spurlock

Mr. and Mrs. Smith & Wesson in “Boot Hill Bondage” by Jim Beard

Porlock in “Porlock’s Gold” by Trevor Holliday

Judge Colt in “The Law of Judge Colt” by Will Murray

The Six-Gun Spectre in “Last Stand at Cedarwood” by John C. Bruening

Deacon Beck in “Five Brothers” by Fred Adams Jr.

Buckskin Alice in “The Trail to Lumley’s Roose” by Terry Alexander

Lt. Aaron Mackey in “Some Choose Honor” by Terrence McCauley

All the stories are good, but I have my favorites, of course. “Dead Man Walking” by Jeffrey J. Mariotte is a clever yarn about a hired killer called the Widowmaker who accomplishes his murderous assignments in an unusual fashion. Mr. and Mrs. Smith & Wesson (that’s them on the excellent cover by Ted Hammond) are a pair of married gunfighters and adventurers in co-editor Jim Beard’s action-packed story, and they’re very likable protagonists. Will Murray gives us Judge Colt, an eerie figure of vengeance whose outfit is reminiscent of The Shadow. The Six-Gun Spectre, in co-editor John C. Bruening’s story, is also very Shadow-like, and the ending of this one is very satisfying. Terrence McCauley’s story is a prequel to his popular series of novels starring lawman Aaron Mackey and finds Mackey as a young lieutenant in the cavalry, posted to Arizona and fighting Apaches.

SIX-GUN LEGENDS is a really strong anthology with an intriguing concept and a good bunch of authors and stories. If you’re a Western fan, I give it a high recommendation. It’s available in trade paperback and e-book editions.