recent read; DC Jones (and Adventure Command International,) Volume 1

DC Jones, Volume 1 by Jim Beard

There was a time, when toys were toys, action figures were not dolls, and the spirit of fun play came before cartoon tie-ins. (also, the toys were larger and offered many accessories.)

Jim Beard offers up three stories of heady nostalgia, wherein the names have been changed to appease the copyright gods. But, you'll know Jones from Joe soon enough, especially if you grew up during the 1970s.

Jones's Adventure Command are a crack team of action experts who live for adventure. They utilize state of the art (for the 1970s) equipment to accomplish their many missions around the world. In the first novella alone, they must deal with sharks, anomalous Egyptian ruins off the coast of California, cultists, and an incoming hurricane. It's the Perils of Pauline meets Doc Savage.

Jones will have you remembering similar toys you played with, and the adventures which would spring forth from imagination ... and the television commercials, and the Sears catalogs.

A fun, quick read down nostalgia lane.

recent read; Merkabah Rider: High Planes Drifter

Merkabah Rider: High Planes Drifter by Edward M. Erdelac

Did you ever have a book title on your To-Be-Read list for a long time - like, too long - like, you really knew you should get to the book sooner rather than later but never did? Yeah.

I'd been aware of this one for a long time, even to its previous edition.

If it's on your TBR pile, stop waiting. If it isn't in your TBR pile, drop it on top.

This is a great book!

The Rider is a nameless Hasidic gunslinger who searches the West for the his mystic mentor who betrayed him. The Rider also fights on the nether world of the astral plane, hence the pun title on "High Plains Drifter."

Despite the punning (which carries on with further titles in the series) these are horror weird western stories that deliver. Erdelac steeps the Rider in Kabbalah magick and more. From the first novella, we are immersed in the old West and in the Rider's mystic world and tragic backstory. The Rider went deep into the occult, and then his mentor betrayed him. Hunting for his teacher, the Rider encounters other adventures along the way, of course. Demons, ghosts, occultists, mad preachers, ghouls, and much more.

This first volume contains four novellas and a bonus short story.

If you are a fan of occult horror, horror, monster hunters, occult detectives, westerns, weird westerns ... heck, it's all here. This is one unique Weird Western!

Highly recommended!