A bit ago, Jonathan Fesmire, who writes steampunk westerns set in a place he calls The Creedverse (because his main protagonist is a quite interesting guy named James “Bodacious” Creed), gave me an advanced copy of his new collection Guts & Gears: Tales of the Weird West. I’m glad he did. It’s a small volume with 12 pieces in it that range from slice-of-life vignettes to full short stories, each with a different take on his world of humans and steelies and whatnot. I had listened to an audiobook in the series and found it well done and great fun. Guts & Gears is no different. It’s a light read, but interestingly busy for its weight. He launched the collection with a successful Kickstarter earlier on. I can see why it funded.
I should note that, as a rule, I find steampunky twists on various genres to be touchy. Too much and it’s gadgety, too little and the gadgets are just in the way. When it’s done right, though, like I think it is here, steampunk elements can bring out humanity in certain ways other genres can’t. In Guts & Gears, Fesmire hits it about right on the mark. The characters will hit you from all directions, which I like.
So, yeah. I liked it.
Weird westerns may not hit every taste, but if they hit yours, I think you’ll find this one is worth a look. It’s on pre-order now at Amazon. Just $0.99 for now.