Legend, myth, and reality clash in this novel. Louis L'Amour channels Tony Hillerman and Edgar Rice Burroughs in this sci-fi/fantasy mystery thriller. The protagonist, Mike Raglan, is a world traveler who investigates and mostly debunks claims of mysterious and supernatural. He's been summoned to the area by an acquaintance, Erik Hokart. By the time Raglan arrives, Hokart has gone missing from the place he's building on one of the mesas. However, he left a journal of his activities, including the strange experiences he has had involving a kiva on the mesa. It becomes apparent that Hokart went through a portal from this world to the old world from which the Anasazi came. That world is apparently a pretty terrible place.
The journal gets dropped off to Raglan and some bad guys try to get it from him. The story wanders from there. Raglan occupies lots of time doing things other than immediately studying the journal in minute detail. He spends too much time wondering--and I can tell that Raglan's wondering is Louis L'Amour wondering where he's going with the story and not getting immediate or satisfactory answers. L'Amour didn't know the answers, so Raglan can't find the answers. The story stalls.
We meet some interesting characters like Gallagher, a local law enforcement officer; Kawasi, a girl from the other side; Eden, a mysterious woman who may or may not be from the other side. Most of the other characters lack the depth and texture that would make them memorable. A couple interesting bad guys show up late--too late to make them serious players in the drama.
L'Amour and Raglan grope their way along. There's a sense of urgency to rescue Hokart from the other side before he's killed or tortured or something that could be worse but nobody knows because the author didn't know either. Raglan engages in so much wondering that it becomes painful to read. I know from experience that getting a character to ask questions, to speculate, or to engage in conversations that raise issues the author hasn't yet explored can be good ways to get to those answers. Unfortunately, each dip of the wonder-scoop only dredged up another heaping helping of questions.
In channeling Hillerman and Burroughs, Louis loses L'Amour. The author never successfully weaves the three influences into the tight narrative of action and drama we've come to expect and love. By the time we get to the other side, the book is almost over. The rescue of Hokart stumbles along, rushed and unfulfilling. The whole course of events on the other side reminds me of Trelane's feast and fire for Kirk and company, having form but devoid of flavor and warmth.
L'Amour gathers components with promise for a fabulous story, but ultimately the tale as assembled becomes less than the sum of the parts. I give it three out of five flutes.
The bonus material at the end indicates that L'Amour researched and discussed this book for a long time, perhaps too long, and may have lost interest in it, but had become obligated to write it. Apparently, L'Amour's usual method was discovery writing where the tale emerges in the telling; the writer experiences it much like the reader. That's also my preferred method. As discussed above, the discovery experience didn't unfold in the usual manner for him with this book--hence the all too frequent wondering sessions by the protagonist.
If I were to rewrite the book (or perhaps write a similar story) it could be improved by: 1) Cutting down on the wondering and 2) giving the protagonist some clear obstacles to overcome on this side, and 3) thereby discovering a way or two to get to the other side; 4) by the midpoint in the book, the protagonist should be crossing over; 5) the other side should be more interesting with more people and supernatural elements (the enemies were not difficult to defeat), requiring more than bullets to dispatch. (Burroughs would've had his hero stripped of firearms at some early point so that the fights were up close and fraught with personal danger). As it was, the villains of the other side did have a special weapon that worked only at short range, but the hero was never in serious danger from it that I can recall. Also, 6) the journal should be examined more seriously or not used at all; Kawasi could provide the pertinent information and her coming and going or language difficulties could be used to thus delay or misconstrue some revelations.
Maybe I could develop a short story featuring my Whip and Truth characters in a similar setting.
I do have another short story coming out soon in Raconteur Press' Sultry Murder Jazz anthology. I've also submitted a story for the Wyrd Warfare anthology and am writing on a third to submit for the Magic Malfunction anthology.
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