Goodreads.Quoting megladon8 (view post)
It's a weird western based on Hebrew mythology.
Goodreads.
It's a weird western based on Hebrew mythology.
Very cool. Look forward to hearing about it.
"All right, that's too hot. Anything we can do about that heat?"
"Rick...it's a flamethrower."
Markabah Rider is officially one of the coolest things I've ever read. I'm glad I have at least a general background on Old Testament history and Judaism, because this book goes really deep into the mythology and religion of the Jewish people and the Old Testament era. It is steeped in Jewish mysticism and the conventions of horror and the spaghetti western.
I just can't escape my love for religious-themed genre fiction. First Silver John, and now this.
I've begun reading a book by Richard Adams (of "Watership Down" and "Shardik" fame) called "The Girl in a Swing".
It's a supernatural romance/horror story about a young man with psychic abilities, and his mysterious relationship with an even more mysterious foreign girl.
Adams writes beautifully.
"All right, that's too hot. Anything we can do about that heat?"
"Rick...it's a flamethrower."
Merkabah Rider: Episode One: The Blood Libel
The Rider rides into a town where he finds that his kind - a Jew - are not wanted. There are some problems in Little Jerusalem, a neighboring town; it seems that a cult of Canaanites has been kidnapping children and feeding them to the great demon Molech. And thus the stage is set for a supernatural-soaked frenzy of mystic horror and western action.
I was first struck by how well-written Merkabah Rider is. For some reason, I was under the impression that it was going to be more juvenile and workman-like. But that's not the case at all. Erdelac is a very solid writer, with a unique style. And, what's more, he seems to have really done his research. I am glad that I have at least a basic knowledge of Old Testament, Biblical history and mythology, because Erdelac goes pretty deep with all the folklore.
Secondly, I was struck by how fast paced the whole thing is. Erdelac wastes no time in getting to the good parts. And there are a ton of good parts. The Rider fights spirits, demons, and evil men with his Volcanic pistol (destined to be one of those famously-cool weapons we nerds like to gush about), rides through the astral plane on a spirit-steed, and hears rumors about a certain group of Elder gods that might be making an appearance in his travels.
It is, quite simply, one of the coolest things I've ever read. It feels like something tailor made for me, and it feels genuine and sincere.
****
Up next, Episode Two
Sounds interesting. Liked Shardik alright, and Watership is great.
Merkabah Rider: Episode Two: The Dust Devils
More and more, these tales are reminding me of the Elric Saga. Take that as you will. Like Elric, The Rider is one uber-cool dude, who always seems to have exactly what he needs to thwart his enemies, but he is also highly flawed and conflicted. However, because he is the hero, we always know that he will pull through, and so the dramatic tension is found more in how the situations shape The Rider and what he learns.
The Dust Devils opens with The Rider walking into a small Mexican town (A rider who doesn't ride...). He meets some banditos and tells them he's from the north, and that he's heading south. He and the banditos then play a lengthy game of poker during which the seeds are sewn for a new and harrowing adventure.
What is most remarkable about these tales is how deftly Erdelac switches between western, action, and horror, and how expertly he conveys the conventions of each. This second episode begins with a lengthy scene straight out of a Leone western - it is slow, drawn out, methodical, and suspenseful. Then The Rider is fighting a giant windmill demon for his very life, and then finally finds himself in a mine being overrun by zhambis. And each of these parts flows organically from one to the next.
It really is an incredible reading experience.
Merkabah Rider: Episode Three: Hell's Hired Gun
I didn't think it was even possible, but the third episode of The Rider's saga is even better than the first two; and not just by a little bit. No. This third episode is, without a doubt, once of the coolest things I've ever read.
After discovering an absolutely brutal massacre at a Christian Mission, The Rider heads into the hills continuing the search for his betraying teacher, Adon. It is now winter, and The Rider finds himself face-to-face with a terrible snow storm, and nearly parishes because of the freezing cold. He's rescued by an old eccentric Christian preacher. The preacher nurses The Rider back to health, and in doing so stares deep into his soul. He reveals The Rider's heart, and The Rider is humbled. The old preacher then tells the story of Medgar Tooms, the man responsible for the Mission massacre, and many others. Tooms is a man possessed by hatred, who, together with a heard of feral pigs, is hell-bent on destroying anything he can.
In Medgar Tooms, Erdelac creates a monstrous villain that is also sympathetic, and because of the character's motivation and actions, The Rider and the preacher are able to talk about redemption theology. This entire episode is hinged upon the ideas of life and death, love and loss, and forgiveness and redemption. It is by far the most emotionally moving of the first three episodes, and because of this all the action and horror is all the more powerful and tangible.
These sound pretty neat, D, I'm just reluctant to check them out because I'm really not "in the know" with Judaism or its history - which the books seem to lean on, no?
"All right, that's too hot. Anything we can do about that heat?"
"Rick...it's a flamethrower."
I can't imagine a single person into westerns, weird fiction and horror not liking these books; hands down, the coolest things I've ever read.
And for the Hebrew words and terms, there is a glossary in the back that is really useful.
It's just like discovering any kind of new folklore or mythology - at first things seem foreign, but you learn the lingo as you go.
I'm thinking of doing something I try to never, ever do - abandon a book.
I've read about 100 pages of "The Girl in a Swing" and it's just not capturing me at all. The prose are beautiful, but I am not invested in the story or characters at all.
I never like to do this at all, but I feel great to be reading, and I don't want to break this reading spell by forcing myself to read something I am not enjoying.
"All right, that's too hot. Anything we can do about that heat?"
"Rick...it's a flamethrower."
Merkabah Rider Rider: Episode Four: The Nightjar Women
While episode four of the The Rider's saga is my least favorite of the first book, it is still a dang fine read. This one reminded me a lot of Takashi Miike's Masters of Horror episode, Imprint. I'm not saying that one ripped off the other, but they are similar in that they both have prostitution and abortion as key and central elements.
In this episode, The Rider faces off against Lilith, and her demonic whores in an attempt to discover what is happening to all the children and men in the small township of Tip Top. This is probably the most character driven of the novellas, and I really enjoyed these moments. The Rider here is at his most humane and vulnerable as he struggles with lust and genuine love. He is also at his most vulnerable at the hands of Lilith; you see, Lilith knows his true name, and uses this information to have parley with The Rider. Lilith tells The Rider all she knows about his renegade teacher Adon, and The Rider cannot believe what she tells him; and yet he knows it's true.
I was a tad disappointed in how this episode ended - with more action and violence. I was actually enjoying the slower pace of the novella, and wanted The Rider and Lilith to talk more. Erdelac's decision to end on a note of action was not a bad one, nor was it forced, and, truth be told, there are some amazingly cinematic moments found in the climatic battle. It's just that I was enjoying my time spent with The Rider and the characters, and wanted more of that.
The fifth episode of Merkabah Rider just blew my mind. Best scenes of action I've ever read. And there is one thing that a certain character does that is the coolest thing ever. If I had 30 million dollars, I'd hire Tarsem Singh to direct a movie of this episode. He's the only director I know of with the artistic vision to handle this amount of awesome.
Went to the U-Book Store last night. For new books, it has the best selection of SFF in Seattle, with a lot of stuff from the smaller presses. Whenever I go there, I try to only buy stuff that I've never heard of before; if I'm looking for something specific I'd rather get it on Amazon, for a cheaper price.
Anyhow, I picked up:
Chasing the Dragon, by Nicholas Kaufmann
Thief of Broken Toys, by Tim Lebbon
The Alchemist, by Paolo Bacigalupi
Sometime Never, by William Golding, John Wyndham and Mervyn Peake
Merkabah Rider: Episode Five: The Infernal Napoleon
What is The Infernal Napoleon? The Infernal Napoleon is a demonic canon - part machine, part beast - crafted by Satan himself for use in the epic battle between God's hosts and the fallen angels. And, unfortunately for The Rider, it is the weapon that an evil, demonic, black midget is going to use to destroy him.
The opening episode in the second book of The Rider's saga is basically a ~40 page action sequence. Erdelac takes the classic siege scenario and crafts one of the most balls-to-the-walls entertaining thing I've ever read. I don't want to give anything away, but just remember the name Gersh. Gersh does some of the most amazingly awesome stuff I've ever read. I had this huge giddy smile on my face while reading this on the bus on the way home yesterday. That coupled with the book's cover must have given the people around me the impression that I was insane.
But I'm not. However, this episode is insanely rad.
It's so cool that you've connected so deeply with this series, D.
I absolutely love that feeling, regardless of what it is - a book, album, film, TV show, whatever.
"All right, that's too hot. Anything we can do about that heat?"
"Rick...it's a flamethrower."
...Cthulhu?
"All right, that's too hot. Anything we can do about that heat?"
"Rick...it's a flamethrower."
Not quite, but close, and then some....
Let's just say that Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, and HP Lovecraft are paid a lot of respect.
...
...
...
Ia Fhtagn?
"All right, that's too hot. Anything we can do about that heat?"
"Rick...it's a flamethrower."
Well you've won me over, I have to check these out.
Just wish the volumes weren't so darn pricey. I'll have to wait 'til I have a little more disposable income, as they're not available through my library.
"All right, that's too hot. Anything we can do about that heat?"
"Rick...it's a flamethrower."
Merkabah Rider: Episodes Six and Seven: The Damned Dingus, and The Outlaw Gods
The episodes in book two of the Merkabah Rider saga feel less like loosely connected standalone novellas, and more like long chapters to a continuing story. They are still episodic in nature, lacking some of the transitional material between them as one might find in a novel, but the individual episodes are more tightly woven and connected.
It is in episodes six and seven that Erdelac reveals his master plan, and in doing so he caused my jaw to hit the floor. There are hints of what is to come all the way back in episode one, but in episode six things become more clear and the stakes are raised for The Rider a considerable amount. What's most spectacular is how well constructed everything is. Erdelac treats his readers with the respect to GET IT, and doesn't pander or over-explain. Let's just say that you'll be extremely pleased if you're a fan of Lovecraft, Smith and Howard.
In episode six, The Rider teams up with Doc Holiday for a time. While this episode is bookended by some amazing moments, the middle section is probably my least favorite of the episodes thus far. Episode seven, on the other hand, is pure awesome all the time. This episode is absolutely EPIC, as The Rider leads an army of undead soldiers in a huge battle against the minions of a certain Elder God, one of The Outlaw Gods.
Erdelac continues to impress the heck out of me, and The Rider's saga has now become the measuring stick by which I will compare all mythos fiction.
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