On Dangerous Ground

Featuring Ed Gorman, Norman Partridge, Bentley Little, Robert J. Randisi, Jon L. Breen, Dave Zeltserman, Jeremiah Healy, and many others!

On Dangerous Ground: Stories of Western Noir
edited by Ed Gorman, Dave Zeltserman, and Martin H. Greenberg

About the Book:
For generations raised on the Saturday afternoon thrills of Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, the appearance of the so-called "psychological westerns" of the Forties, Fifties and Sixties came as a surprise. And, to some who didn't care for them, a shock.

With such films as Blood on the Moon, Winchester `73, and The Naked Spur, audiences saw characters very much like themselves emotionally. Critics argued the authenticity of some of the history in these films but there was no denying their power. Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch confirmed, once and for all, that the western had changed forever, psychologically and sometimes politically relevant to our own times.

On Dangerous Ground features stories of every kind, all with a western setting, all with darkness at their core. And all with the kind of edge that demonstrates how timeless the form is when used well.

A wild posse of outlaws populates this dark, moody collection of 21 character-driven tales derived from the psychological westerns popular in the 1950s. Though set primarily in the old American Southwest, these dusty noirs flare with life, death, animosity, danger, duplicity, and realistic characterization... From Santa Fe and San Francisco to the Oregon Trail, the action and adventure consistently thrill and mystify in this unique anthology of the rugged west.
— Publishers Weekly

"This is classic noir fiction at its very best. This skillfully crafted anthology will have great appeal to fans of noir fiction, pulp fiction, and Westerns. The escapism provided through journeying into the bleak shadow-side of human nature allows readers to be guided into a more hopeful reality."
— Library Journal

Table of Contents:
"Introduction" by James Sallis
"Hell" by Bentley Little
"All Good Men" by Terry Tanner
"Burl Lockhart's in Town" by Steve Hockensmith
"Canticle" by Desmond Barry
"Colt" by Ken Bruen
"Piano Man" by Bill Crider
"Desert Reckoning" by Trey R. Barker
"Lucky" by Harry Shannon
"Going Where the Wind Blows" by Jan Christensen
"The Old Ways" by Ed Gorman
"In Some Countries" by Jerry Raine
"The Cartoonist" by Jon L. Breen
"Durston" by Norman Partridge
"Emma Sue" by Dave Zeltserman
"Hell Hath No Fury" by T. L. Wolf
"Vanity" by Jeremiah Healy
"Cowards Die Many Times" by Robert J. Randisi
"Lead Poisoning" by Gary Lovisi
"The Conversion of Carne Muerto" by James Reasoner
"Last Song of Antietam" by Patrick J. Lambe
"Through the Golden Gate Bridge" by Terence Butler

Ed Gorman has published numerous novels in the suspense field as well as several collections of short stories.  Kirkus Reviews called him "One of the most original crime writers around" while the Oxford Book of American Crime Fiction noted "His novels and stories provide fresh ideas, characters and approaches." Gorman has won the Shamus and the International Fiction Award. He's been nominated twice for an Edgar and once for the UK's Silver Dagger. His novel The Poker Club was made into the film of the same name.

Dave Zeltserman lives in the Boston area with his wife, Judy, and his short crime fiction has been published in many venues. His third novel, Small Crimes, was named by NPR as one of the 5 best crime and mystery novels of 2008. His novel, Pariah, was named by The Washington Post as one of the best books of 2009.  His upcoming novel, Outsourced, is currently in development by Impact Pictures and Constantin Film.

Martin H. Greenberg is the CEP of Tekno Books and its predecessor companies, now the largest book developer of commercial fiction and non-fiction in the world, with over 2,300 published books that have been translated into 33 languages. He is the recipient of an unprecedented three Lifetime Achievement Awards in the Science Fiction, Mystery, and Supernatural Horror genres—the Milford Award in Science Fiction, the Bram Stoker Award in Horror, and the Ellery Queen Award in Mystery—the only person in publishing history to have received all three awards.

Published in two states:
• Trade Edition hardcover bound in full-cloth and Smyth sewn with full color dust jacket ($30)
• Traycased Lettered Edition of 52 signed (by many of the authors and the editors) and lettered copies bound in leather with a satin ribbon page marker ($200)

Production Status:
At the printer and on track for a mid-May 2011 publication date. Visit our official production update page for the latest news and updates about this and our other forthcoming projects.