Baen has put the first part of the Straight Out of Tombstone anthology of weird west stories up on their page http://www.baen.com/Chapters/9781481482691/9781481482691.htm
My story, Bubba Shackleford’s Professional Monster Killers is one of the free samples. This is the first story I’ve ever written about the founder of Monster Hunter International.
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Reading it now. Cool. An X-Com type game for MHI would be awesome. You could release DLCs for different campaigns in different time periods,
You know, I’ve kinda been wishing for that for a couple of years. I’m glad I’m not the only one that occurred to. I wonder if anyone has the rights for an MHI video game?
W00t!
Mortimer McKillington. 😀
Awesome story!
So “S” = Stricken, right?
I’d thought it stood for Santiago, the guy who helped Earl get a handle on his condition. Stricken seemed like he was too young to be active in this setting – he made references to backstabbing KGB operatives in his younger years, so that would put him around the Cold War, and I doubt that he’s not human, given his severe distrust of non-humans within STFU.
Stricken is too young. Santiago could fit, but the MO doesn’t quite match what I’d expect from him. Basic questions: Why feed intel to Bubba this way? How did he know about Bubba? Why not more open contact? Does the Vatican have him working in an archive in America, and why? Some evidence for human, some for monster, and some for someone other than the Catholic church.
Must be Sherman!
Grins, ducks, and runs away.
I vote Stricken. “Younger” is relative, and I got the strong feeling that there’s something about Stricken that’s supernatural, even if he’s human himself. Ancient healing amulet? Magic elixir? Boon from a supernatural master? Beneficial side effect of an otherwise horrible curse? Any number of ways it could work.
Good read. Are we ever going to see a “Bubba” novel? I’d buy it, that is if you don’t kill off Holly in the upcoming book.
I looking forward for it
Great… now I’ve got to get my hands on more Bubba Shackleford fiction, or from sheer frustration may turn into one of those eldritch things that MHI get paid to kill.
EARC
Monster Hunter Siege
http://www.baen.com/monster-hunter-siege-earc.html
Great, Larry, as always. The other stories in the sample were quite good as well. The anthology is definitely on my buy list — I’ve been a fan of the “weird western” subgenre since I was a kid.
I’m another one who’s looking forward to Bubba getting his own book. 🙂
Skirmish McKillington, Monster Hunter
Dang it if that’s not a perfect name and title!
I love all the MHI books. In fact, when I found out my daughter likes a boy named “Grant”, guess who I immediately thought of?
But there’s a line. Just this side of the line lies genius. Just over it, campy kitsch (or ironic satire). Mr. McKillington’s name seems to straddle that line. I loved the name, but at the same time thought, “Wonderful. Absolutely marvelous. But that’s far enough. Back away slowly, Larry.”
I trust our host, but still…
Oh, and the rest of the story was great, too!
Plus, I spent half-an-hour reading about potato diggers on Wikipedia. Learning about YAJBG* is always enjoyable.
* Yet Another John Browning Gun
Now I can’t help but imagine how Bubba and co. would handle other monsters from old American folklore, like “Spearfinger” or other SkinWalkers.
Great read!