Book Review: ‘WILD’ by Lincoln Crisler

Lincoln Crisler exhibits a wide range of literary talent in his two short story collections Magick & Misery and Despair & Delights. From a modern version of the werewolf tale with a sentimental twist to a dark revenge story with a chilling end, Crisler has no trouble shifting from fantasy to sci-fi to straight horror in short fiction form. For his debut novella, Wild, Crisler focuses on a Wild West tale with zombies and shows off his writing talents in a longer fiction format. Wild is set in a late 19^th century Reconstruction Era south haunted by magical Aztec wizardry in a weird west tale made of childhood fantasies. Featuring shoot-outs with zombies, rough and tumble outlaws, and a mysterious hero, Crisler’s Wild will capture the adult reader’s imagination and awaken your inner child. Wild is a novella for the monster kids, for the former cowboys and cowgirls. Whether you still have a cheap Sherriff’s tin star or a bandit’s mask hidden at the bottom of your old toy box, it’s time to dust off your plastic guns and take a trip back in time to the Wild West!

Every Wild West tale needs a vigilante hero. Typically a man that has his finger on the pulse of organized crime, he knows all and sees all and is the best damn gunslinger around. That man in Wild is Matthias Jacoby, a Man With A Name but no less mysterious. He is known for solving difficult cases and catching the most illusive criminals. When solicited by Deputy Kearney to assist on the high profile kidnapping case of Colonel Albert Waters and his son Henry, Matthias is eager to accept the challenge. The Deputy and Matthias start at the scene of the crime and immediately discover strange remnants of the kidnapping, loose dirt and coins burnt in a fire. These odd clues seem to indicate that this is more than your average kidnapping case . By chance, the pair picks up Juan Vargas, a Mexican doctor, and recruits the infamous outlaw Black Tom. With Black Tom’s knowledge of the underground crime scene and Juan’s medical expertise, the foursome set out to solve a crime that leads them into a dangerous world of black magic.

The novella opens using third person narration, but the reader gets an insider’s view of the group’s dynamic once Doctor Juan Vargas is introduced. Like Sherlock Holmes’ assistant Watson, Juan Vargas blends the paranormal phenomenon into a real-world perspective through his field recordings that offer the reader a more intimate look into the relationship of the four men. The recorded history of Doctor Vargas also alerts the reader that the supernatural is ever present but perhaps simply hidden from us in obscure accounts such as this.

Remember the proverbial haunted house in your neighborhood growing up? Or speculating with friends about old man Mr. Smith and his alternative life as a vampire? Crisler plays on that innocent childhood belief in the supernatural and harkens to a time when there was a dark secret hidden in every seemingly innocuous event. In the same ways the apocalyptic tropes – vampire, zombie, or otherwise – are so successful, Wild too awakens the excitement of thinking one day our true purpose will be revealed when we are faced with a supernatural entity only we can defeat. This is typically in a survivalist scenario where we are the savior of a threatened humanity. While Wild doesn’t play out on so grand a scale as the end of humanity as we know it, it does succeed in bringing the reader along for an exciting adventure in one isolated place and time where we get to play sidekick to a hero.

While the narrative mode is clever and adds meat to the story, this weird west tale wouldn’t be complete without the colorful characters and action sequences. Wild has all the necessary archetypes of a Wild West tale – the mysterious wanderer bringing justice wherever he roams; the dangerous outlaw; a well-intentioned man of the law; and the intellectual medical doctor who proves to be useful in ways other than medicine. Throw in a magical Aztec priest and the living dead who do his bidding and this opens up opportunity for barroom brawls, shootouts, and battles with zombies.

Crisler’s murder mystery plot that drives Wild is engaging and the action sequences are exciting. Due to the violent content and mild adult language, Wild isn’t for the little ones, but this is a weird west romp parents could share with pre-teens and up. Wild has the staples of a classic western with an interesting supernatural twist of magic and wizardry for a genre-bending yarn that will undoubtedly enjoy multiple re-reads. Crank up the Ennio Morricone and take a trip to Wild West. Highly recommended summer read!

Crisler’s Wild is available for the Kindle and in paperback format both from Damnation Books. There is also a beautiful hardcover edition available which features a vibrant action sequence on the cover, art by author / artist Tom Erb, and darkly sinister interior art by author / artist Ash Arceneaux. Contact Lincoln Crisler via his Facebook or Twitter to get a copy!