Shadow of the Lariat — Jon Tuska

In the first half of this century, magazines such as Argosy, Lariat Story Magazine, and even Ladies Home Journal offered a dynamic, if not always lucrative, market for Western short fiction writers. Editor Tuska (Billy the Kid, Univ. of Nebraska Pr., 1986 reprint) here gathers stories from Lewis B. Patten, Max Brand, and others. Most of the tales have been reprinted for the first time since their serialization in the pulps. In the introduction and biographical prefaces, the reader gains an insider's view of both the writers and the publishing industry of the time. This excellent collection does not overlap earlier anthologies, such as Bill Pronzini's Wild Westerns (Walker, 1986), or single-author compilations, such as the Best Western Stories of Les Savage, Jr. (Ohio Univ., 1991). Highly recommended for public libraries.-Robert Jordan, Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City