Journal of the Gun Years - Richard Matheson

Category: Adults, Historical Fiction, Westerns
Language: English
Keywords: American Civil War gambler Gun slinger Lawman

Written by Richard Matheson
Read by Stefan Rudnicki
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Release date: December 14, 2010
Duration: 07:25:34

From author Richard Matheson, best known for his horror and fantasy writing, comes a highly praised Western that shows the master’s hand in this genre as well.

Back East, they told tall tales about Marshal Clay Halser, the fearless Civil War veteran who became known as the “Hero of the Plains” for his daring exploits in the Wild West. But the truth, as revealed in his private journals, is even more compelling.

As a callow youth in search of excitement, Halser travels to the raucous cow towns of the frontier, where his steady nerve and ready trigger finger soon mark him as a gunfighter to be reckoned with. As both an outlaw and a lawman, he carves out a legendary career. But fame proves to be the one enemy he can never outdraw—and a curse that haunts him to the bitter end.

Publishers Weekly….
”This nicely executed western takes the form of annotated diaries by gunfighter Clay Halser, first met as a minor hero in the Civil War. The taste of excitement sours upon Halser’s return to his home town, and he is forced to leave in haste after an argument over cards leads to a shooting. In the charming, picaresque tale that follows, Halser plays virtually every archetypal role the Old West has to offer: barman in a cow-town; shotgun-rider on an often-robbed stagecoach; hostler under a sadistic Prussian overseer; unwilling but effective–and ruthless–desperado; no-nonsense, much-beleaguered lawman; and, finally, burnt-out gambler.

As Halser moves from one familiar Western town to another, and from one corpse to many, his legend grows….Carefully structured set pieces clearly trace Halser’s emotional evolution, as he slowly degenerates into a paranoid mess, short-tempered and murderous. The author gives his story a credibility and honesty unusual in the genre.”

“In addition to keeping pace with the action and violence, Stefan Rudnicki uses his warm, rich voice to differentiate the voices of Clay and his friend, a journalist who provides background details for Clay’s story. This tightly crafted account of a legendary shooter is equally a cautionary tale on the price of fame. Rudnicki’s outstanding presentation will engage listeners.”…AudioFile 2011,