Morrow Anthology of Great Western Short Stories FROM THE PUBLISHER
These stories - many of which have not been seen since they were originally published in pulp magazines like Western Short Story, Adventure, or Ace High - reflect a defining aspect of the Western experience: the freedom to choose one's own road, and the willingness to sacrifice comfort, companionship, and safety to follow that road. Whether it is the solitary cattleman in Ernest Haycox's "Deep in This Land," struggling against the elements and his own loneliness, or The Shifter in Max Brand's "The One-Way Trail," trying to escape his outlaw past, the characters who populate these stories are dedicated to the possibility of change and aware of how difficult that change can be. One of the ironies of Western fiction's place in our culture is that it is perceived as "men's fiction." But women made and continue to make a significant contribution to this genre, and this collection highlights some of their best work. Though often forced to disguise their sex through ambiguous pen names, women writers such as B. W. Bower, Honore Willsie Morrow, and Vingie E. Roe mastered the art of the Western short story and made it their own. The stories in this collection represent not only some of the finest writing in the Western genre but also some of the best fiction in American literature. They capture the sunburnt essence of the Frontier, from the Rio Grande to the Rocky Mountains, and are reminders of a time when opportunity was as wide as the horizon.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly - Cahners\\Publishers_Weekly
In their flowery introduction to this massive anthology, Tuska and Piekarski (coeditors of Encyclopedia of Frontier and Western Fiction) succumb to Bunyonesque claims, calling western fiction "the single most important literary movement in the history of the United States." Despite such stretchers, the duo are engaged in a valuable recovery operation here. Many of the authors included were immensely popular and influential in their day but are largely forgotten now. Many of the stories are anthologized for the first time. A surprising number are by women (who often had to disguise their identities to be published). Pulitzer winner Conrad Richter is represented by "Valhalla," a poignant tale of bravery, loyalty and a life lived past its time. "Shadows of Granite Ridge: At Kunman's Bend," by Vingie E. Roe, is a brutal tale of animal cruelty and a faithful hound's revenge. Talented, newer voices in the field, such as Jane Candia Coleman and Cynthia Haseloff, also make appearances here. Curiously, while some western masters are included (Zane Grey, Max Brand), others are ignored-Bret Harte, Louis L'Amour and Richard Matheson are nowhere to be found. This is a mixed herd, then, but with 28 entries, even discriminating western fans will find a few tales worth lassoing under the reading lamp.
Publishers Weekly
In their flowery introduction to this massive anthology, Tuska and Piekarski (coeditors of Encyclopedia of Frontier and Western Fiction) succumb to Bunyonesque claims, calling western fiction "the single most important literary movement in the history of the United States." Despite such stretchers, the duo are engaged in a valuable recovery operation here. Many of the authors included were immensely popular and influential in their day but are largely forgotten now. Many of the stories are anthologized for the first time. A surprising number are by women (who often had to disguise their identities to be published). Pulitzer winner Conrad Richter is represented by "Valhalla," a poignant tale of bravery, loyalty and a life lived past its time. "Shadows of Granite Ridge: At Kunman's Bend," by Vingie E. Roe, is a brutal tale of animal cruelty and a faithful hound's revenge. Talented, newer voices in the field, such as Jane Candia Coleman and Cynthia Haseloff, also make appearances here. Curiously, while some western masters are included (Zane Grey, Max Brand), others are ignoredDBret Harte, Louis L'Amour and Richard Matheson are nowhere to be found. This is a mixed herd, then, but with 28 entries, even discriminating western fans will find a few tales worth lassoing under the reading lamp. (Mar.)
Library Journal
Hard on the heels of Shadow of the Lariat (LJ 1/96), Tuska's earlier compilation of Western short stories, comes another anthology. Though works from some of the same authors (e.g,. Zane Grey, Max Brand, Alan LeMay) appear in both, no stories are duplicated. Five are newer stories, while several of the other 23 have not been reprinted since their original publication in the old Western pulps. Tuska and Piekarski have chosen well, showing that good writing is found in all genres. Women writers are well represented, including Cherry Wilson, whose "Ghost Town Trail" is a gem of a novelette. The demise of Louis L'Amour Western Magazine has forced today's fanciers of Western short fiction to look back in time for more stories to read. Highly recommended for public libraries.-Robert P. Jordan, Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City
Kirkus Reviews
The Western story, the editors assert, "constitutes the single most important literary movement in the history of the United States." While that's debatable, it's clear, based on some of the 28 tales included here, that our fascination with the pioneer experience in the West has generated some robust, distinctive short fiction. There are numerous anthologies of Western writing, but this one stands out because of its emphasis on stories by women (including such talented, and now obscure, figures as B.M. Bower, Cherry Wilson, and Dorothy M. Johnson), and because it steers clear of the work of well-known literary writers, concentrating on the gaudier work produced by professional writers for a mass audience—most of the tales here originally appeared (over the past six decades) in popular magazines. Time has rendered some of the work quaint (in a reliance on stereotypical figures—the hard-bitten, taciturn cowboy, the resourceful rancher's daughter), and a few stories are uncomfortably one-dimensional (there's little sympathy in most of these pieces for the experience of Indians or other minorities). Still, there's enough strong work here (including Johnson's "Virginia City Winter," Conrad Richter's "Valhalla," and "Deep in this Land," by Ernest Haycox) to make the collection a useful addition to the growing shelf of Western anthologies.
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