The Shayne-Train's Reviews > The Buntline Special

So, sometimes the Goodreads reviews from trusted reviewers can steer you away from time-wasting drivel. And other times, you take a chance and think: "Did they read a different fucking book? This was AWESOME!" This time is most definitely the latter.

You want Western? Oh it's dripping with it. Gunfights and faro layouts and cathouses and horse-rustlers and meticulously maintained facial hair and Indian medicine men and Federal marshals. Oh, and Doc fuckin' Holliday.

You want sci-fi? How about cyborg whores and handheld Gatling guns and electric cars in the goddamned Wild West?

A bit of horror? A zombie gunfighter, and a reluctant vampire.

Alt-history? Will do. Why don't we say that Thomas Edison moved to Tombstone and lit up the whole place with electric lights and horseless carriages?

And even beyond all that, a great storyline, delicious cowboy banter, and a heartfelt portrait of an American legend, who spend most of his short life dying, and living more than we ever will.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes, I did, immensely. Were all those less-than-4-stars reviews completely fucking wrong? Well, yeah, but everyone has their 'off' days, I reckon. Will I be back to read the rest of the series? You know it. Why does this review have so many question marks? I couldn't tell you. And was I held back by my complete inability to read anything featuring Doc Holliday without picturing Val Kilmer in my head?

No. Everybody's got their crosses to bear.



Oh! And my own little P.S.: Goodreads has this categorized as Steampunk. I heartily disagree. I can see why they did it, but this is not Steampunk. There are no steam-powered anythings, and no mention of corsets, and it doesn't take place in Victorian England. This is a singularly-realized American offshoot, which I'm dubbing Staticpunk. So there.