Combining the brutality of a spaghetti Western with elements of horror makes for a fine combination in Matt Baker’s SACRED COWS & DEAD VEGETARIANS. What starts out as a tale of the Old West takes a much different path than expected, after a weary traveler stumbles upon a farm in the middle of nowhere, much to the owner’s delight. You see, the rancher has a bit of a graveyard in the backyard.
But if you think you know where this story is headed, you’re way off. The tables are turned really quick, with the traveler turning out to be a much-wanted man who’s going to relate a tale before he kills the owner. And our storyteller is a man named Ripley Abromowitz.
So Rip tells about the last time he was captured by a Texas Ranger, one by the name of Dirk. Rip has escaped three times from jail, with Dirk now in hot pursuit to drag him one last time, with the intent of finally hanging him in the town square. Dirk is very much a man of the law, but also quite fair; with one of his earlier captures, he let his bounty dying at home from their disease instead of dragging them across the desert.
So when he captures Rip this final time, scenes highly reminiscent of certain Sergio Leone films result. But on their way back to town, they come across a stagecoach being attacked by Indians. Dirk and Rip come to the rescue of said coach, leading them to a very strange town owned and run by a English lord who lives in a castle-like home on top of the hill.
And, yes, this is where the horror aspect comes into play. Baker balances the Western angle with a mixture of various fright archetypes. I’m guessing he is a bit of a fan of H.P. Lovecraft, with various allusions made to that writer. Baker does not go the typical route at all with this story, as what you might expect and what actually happens are two separate things, making this a fine little book in a genre of its own. –Bruce Grossman
Related posts:
- Different Kinds of Dead and Other Tales
- The Wicked West II: Abomination & Other Tales
- Ghost Town
- The Loveliest Dead
- Dead Sea
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Great read. Could be tje next Quentin Tarantino movie!!! Loved it. Must buy ot and read it.
Excellent writer. I’m sure there are many great stories to come!
This is a thorouughly entertaining book. It is uniquley written and well told. Matt Baker is an excellent writer. I hope you make the time to read this; you will not be disappointed.