Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Story Review: Coyote Cal’s Guide to the Weird, Wild West



This review was long overdue, but better late than never, right? (Which reminds me, I have another review in the works that’s even longer overdue… Whoops!)

So the is the second installment of the Coyote Cal and Big Yap adventures, created by Milo JamesFowler, and available on Amazon. If you’re not familiar with the series, the title says it all: they’re weird tales set in the Wild West, dealing with all manner of supernatural spooks. A parody of those old west shows such as Bonanza and other spaghetti westerns. It plays upon the stereotypes of the genre like the charming hero with the pearly white smile, the grumbly goofy side-kick, the vengeful villain, etc.

In this adventure, Cal comes up against the gunslinger Sleepy, his undead twin Easy (and when you put their names together, you get “sleep easy” har har), and Donna “The Witch” Jamison. My favorite scene was when Sleepy and Cal face off on the train, where they exchange words—and unusual threats.

Although a little more disjointed than its counterparts—the first scene was excellently described, but after that, scenery details were dropped—Coyote Cal’s Guide to the Weird, Wild West is a fun read that’s sure to make you laugh. And all for the bank-breaking price of 99 cents!

Also check out the first and third installments of the series.

4 comments:

  1. This one is on my to read list too. Milo certainly has a talent for joining the creepy and the comical.

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    1. Haha, he certainly does. The third Coyote Cal tale is even creepier, I think.

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  2. Much-appreciated, Siobhan! There should be a couple new Coyote Cal tales coming out soon, one in a pulp anthology and another in an issue of Big Pulp. I'll have to put together some kind of omnibus when all the rights revert.

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    1. You're welcome, Milo. :) A Coyote Cal collection would be awesome, especially if it were in print ('cause I like my paper).

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