The Black Rider and Other Stories - Hardcover

Brand, Max

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0803212631 ISBN 13: 9780803212633

Publisher: University of Nebraska Press, 1996

Synopsis

The Black Rider and Other Stories collects three short novels and one short story by Max Brand originally published in magazines and never reprinted before; they appear here for the first time in book form. At first publication the stories often suffered from editors’ cuts to make them fit available page space. Editor Jon Tuska has returned to the original manuscripts to restore Brand’s full texts. The stories are set in that land Brand called the “mountain desert,” a timeless and magical place for him. In addition to mapping a geographic region, these stories show the extent to which Brand was exploring the corridors of the human spirit.

The story of Lucia d’Arquista’s confrontation with her own soul, “The Black Rider,” originally published in 1925, is set in Spanish California at the time when the eastern colonies of this country were still ruled by Great Britain. The feud between Red Macdonald and the Gregory clan disrupts the quiet town of Sudeth in “The Dream of Macdonald” (1923). As this short novel progresses, Macdonald’s dream increasingly takes possession of his very being. In a few deft pages, Brand takes up the challenge of the most demanding form of fiction in “Partners,” a 1938 short short story that sketches a murderous relationship between two men. “The Power of Prayer,” which first appeared in the 1922 Christmas issue of Western Story Magazine, concerns Gerald Kern, a real gentleman who is also a gunman. His tale is not unlike that of the true and imperishable gentleman of darkness from the Book of Job.

About this title

About the Author

“Max Brand” was the favorite pseudonym of Frederick Schiller Faust (1892–1944), whose works have been reprinted again and again, translated into every major language, and adapted for film. Jon Tuska is the author of Billy the Kid: A Handbook (Nebraska 1986) and the editor of The Western Story: A Chronological Treasury (Nebraska 1995).

From the Back Cover

The Black Rider and Other Stories collects three short novels and one short story by Max Brand originally published in magazines and never reprinted before; they appear here for the first time in book form. At first publication the stories often suffered from editors' cuts to make them fit available page space. Editor Jon Tuska has returned to the original manuscripts to restore Brand's full texts. The stories are set in that land Brand calls the "mountain desert", a timeless and magical place for him. In addition to mapping a geographic region, these stories show the extent to which Brand was exploring the corridors of the human spirit. The story of Lucia d'Arquista's confrontation with her own soul, "The Black Rider", originally published in 1925, is set in Spanish California at the time when the eastern colonies of this country were still ruled by Great Britain. The feud between Red Macdonald and the Gregory clan disrupts the quiet town of Sudeth in "The Dream of Macdonald" (1923). As this short novel progresses, Macdonald's dream increasingly takes possession of his very being. In a few deft pages, Brand takes up the challenge of the most demanding form of fiction in "Partners", a 1938 short story that sketches a murderous relationship between two men. "The Power of Prayer", which first appeared in the 1922 Christmas issue of Western Story Magazine, concerns Gerald Kern, a real gentleman who is also a gunman. His tale is not unlike that of the true and imperishable gentleman of darkness from the Book of Job.

Reviews

Our classic images of the cowboy, the gambler, the outlaw and other icons of the Old West come in large measure from the hundreds of western yarns that Brand (a pseudonym of Frederick Faust) sold to the pulps in the early half of this century. Here, Tuska (The Western Story: A Chronological Treasury) has resurrected three of Brand's characteristic short novels, as well as one of his rare short stories, all of which appear for the first time in book form. (For more short novels by Brand, see The Ghost Wagon and Other Great Western Adventures, reviewed below.) The Black Rider (1925) is a tale of intrigue and revenge set in old Spanish California, where a mysterious Navajo becomes more than just a nemesis to a brutal landowner and his simpering son. An arranged marriage, a murder, an arrogant duelist and several false identities combine to provide muscular action and some delightful surprises. In "The Dreams of Macdonald" (1923), Red Macdonald's desire to possess a magnificent horse drives him to cheat for the first time in his life and to confront an unexpected destiny. "The Power of Prayer" (1922) is an unusual and vexing Christmas story in which Gerald Kern, gentleman, gunman and fortune-hunter, must make a fateful choice when his cold-blooded nature and his love of a woman collide. And in the short story, "Partners" (1938), a tale of irony, anger and bad luck, mortal enemies share a secret that traps them together in a winter-filled mountain pass. Crisp and deftly crafted, these tales all offer strong takes on the human condition, a Brand trademark.

Copyright 1996 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0803212631
• ISBN 13: 9780803212633
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 193
• Editor: Tuska Jon