I first stumbled upon Joe R. Lansdale’s work in a volume of an anthology series titled Night Visions, which was published by Dark Harvest, a gone-but-not-forgotten horror imprint that I miss to this day. Lansdale remains with us, sustaining a writing output that sacrifices neither quality nor quantity while cutting across and through popular genres like a well-honed sword through soft cotton. I will confess to being unable to keep up with him, given his penchant for writing novels, short stories and graphic novels with the same ability as we less mortals have mastered breathing. While his prose is marked well with grim humor, unflinching violence, and turns of phrase that you will never want to forget (where does he get all of those, anyway?), it is his characters who are by and large the most important element of his work. This is especially true in his latest novel, which also happens to be one of his best.

"PARADISE SKY is an unblinking and unvarnished look at a rough-edged time and place in United States history, one that never becomes overburdened with the sorrow of tragic events while respecting the good times and recognizing their temporary nature."

PARADISE SKY is a deceptive name for a rough-edged book such as this, but if you feared that perhaps Lansdale had turned his hand to writing romances, you need not fear. While the book does have its rough-hewn romantic moments, it is a full-blooded western, served up unapologetically and masterfully Lansdale-style and set in the 1870s. Think of it as a dime novel within a dime novel, told in the voice of a popular historical figure --- one who, yes, actually existed --- who wants to set the fictional record straight. The nation is still reeling from the effects of the Civil War, and resentments on both sides continue to boil over.

One of those who gets burned is a 20-year-old man named Willie, who is in the wrong place --- rural Texas --- at a very wrong time. Young and black, Willie runs afoul of Sam Ruggert, an unpopular but nonetheless influential local property owner. Within just a few hours, everything and everyone Willie has ever cared about is gone, and he is on the run, pursued by Ruggert and a makeshift posse for hire. Willie, by chance, is able to take refuge with a man named Tate Loving, who shelters him for an extended period and, among other things, teaches him how to shoot --- and shoot extremely well.

Willie changes his name to Nat Love and, after some misadventures in the Army as an Indian fighter, makes his way to Deadwood, South Dakota, where he finds employment as a bouncer and a kind of friendship with a legendary sharpshooter named Wild Bill Hickok. A shooting contest brings Nat into contact with a fellow sharpshooter and erstwhile author, who subsequently creates a dime novel character based on Nat called “Deadwood Dick.” Ruggert, however, has doggedly continued to pursue Nat; on what becomes the best and worst day of Nat’s life, he exacts a measure of revenge.

Nat, down but not out, engages in his own pursuit of Ruggert, even as his own life course is forever altered once again. It becomes obvious that the cat-and-mouse chase that has continued for many years will end only when one or both of them are dead. But who will ultimately triumph, if anyone? And in what manner? That is the question that Nat ultimately answers here, noting, of course, that no one likes the dull parts.

PARADISE SKY is an unblinking and unvarnished look at a rough-edged time and place in United States history, one that never becomes overburdened with the sorrow of tragic events while respecting the good times and recognizing their temporary nature. Lansdale is one of those very rare authors who can have his readers howling with laughter during one sentence while bringing tear to their eyes with the next. And for those who want more, Lansdale’s prodigious output --- and unique presentation --- has provided us with at least one other novel of Nat and his travels in a volume titled BLACK HAT JACK. There may be more. But try PARADISE SKY first.