![[Book Review] Dust- Chris Miller](https://hghorror.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/splatter-western.jpeg?w=750&h=248&crop=1)
Reviewer’s Note: This book is part of the Splatter Western series being published by Death’s Head Press. These books all share a common theme, but are NOT a connected series. Though each book has a series number attached, they do not need to be read in any particular order and are not all within the same world. The book covers are all gorgeously illustrated by the talented Justin T. Coons. You can find more of his work on Instagram @justintcoons.
Chris Miller enters the splatter western scene with a bloody bang. Set in Texas in the year 1879, Dust, the third book in Death’s Head Press’ Splatter Western series tells the tale of a mysterious stranger hell-bent on finding an elusive town called Dust. James Dee will stop at nothing to find this town and stop the cosmic evil lurking there from spreading across the world. With such high stakes, Dee is willing to do the unthinkable in order to save the world.
Miller gets the blood flowing right off the bat. With several over-the-top, bloody and explosive deaths all within the first chapter, Miller wastes no time demonstrating exactly what “splatter western” means. This story is full of violence, blood-spewing mayhem, guts and glory. While some of it is a bit exaggerated, isn’t that the point? The overall tone of Dust is pretty serious, but the ultraviolence adds a fun flair to the dark narrative. It isn’t quite the most disgustingly bloody narrative I’ve ever read, but it’s got its fair share of gore. I think you’ll be able to enjoy it even if you’re just a bit squeamish, but if gore is an absolute deal-breaker for you, you’ll likely need to pass.
As with other stories I’ve read by Miller, the tone and voice of the narrative really fit the story. This is the third novel I’ve read from this author, and each one has had such an incredibly unique voice. Miller has slipped with ease from writing through the eyes of young kids (The Damned Place) to religious nuts and psycho killers (The Damned Ones) and now onto the rough-and-tumble characters in Dust. I’ve never read a western before, but Miller truly captures the tone of a rough and unforgiving frontier in all its gunslinging glory.
The two main players here are James Dee and Gear Dreary. James Dee is our troubled hero. Though he has a pure goal in his heart, the realities of the world force him to do evil things in order to save it. This internal struggle between having a pure heart and being a good man is one of the major themes of the novel. Dust isn’t just some blood-soaked cosmic western. It’s also an introspective look at what it means to be a good person, and on the consequences of doing bad things with good intentions. Contrarily, we have Gear Dreary- a bad dude with a cool name. Dreary is on a quest that parallels Dee’s; he wants to find Dust as well. His intentions, however, are much different. Dreary wants to find Dust in order to help bring a terrible cosmic evil into the world.
Speaking of evil in the world, Miller does not shy away from the terrible realities of this period of American history. Along his way to Dust, James Dee encounters a man named Denarius King. Denarius is a black man, in a time that treated black men and women with incredible cruelty. Miller does not glaze over this. The characters in Dust are pretty much all racist. Denarius is constantly insulted, treated as less-than-human, and called some horrible slurs. If this sort of portrayal would stop you from reading a book, I think it’s only fair to warn you now. But it’s important to note that Miller is not glorifying or siding with these racists. Too often, people misinterpret an author’s use of such unacceptable themes as supporting them or as a projection of the author’s own personal beliefs. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Miller paints a brutally honest picture of the way people acted in this time period. On the bright side, our hero James Dee isn’t exactly from around this part of the world, and absolutely does not stand for the mistreatment of his new friend Denarius. Watching Mr. Dee violently defend his pal Denarius’ honor is pretty cool.
Perhaps my favorite thing about Dust is its connection to Miller’s other work. If you’ve read The Damned Place or The Damned Ones, you will be pleasantly surprised reading Dust. I won’t let on what the connection is, but as the book went on and I started to guess the connection being hinted at, I absolutely loved it. If you’ve read those other works, this story will have an additional depth to it. But if you haven’t read them, fear not. They aren’t necessary to understand the plot. However, I’ll warn that there are some minor spoilers in Dust for The Damned Place and The Damned Ones. I highly recommend reading those two books first, so that you fully appreciate the story.
One last thing I’ll cover is the cosmic horror aspect of Dust. The story follows the pretty traditional theme of some bad dudes trying to bring an ancient, cosmic evil into the world. Nothing too revolutionary there, though Miller does it fairly well and in his own way. I did particularly enjoy the concept of the town of Dust itself and the role that it plays. In addition to this Big Bad Cosmic Horror, there are smaller terrors that are particularly brutal and cool. These lesser horrors were reminiscent of monsters from a Resident Evil game, in my opinion. Pretty killer stuff.
Chris Miller’s Dust is a solid offering in both the cosmic horror and the splatter western genres. The old west setting is fun, and Miller clearly enjoyed the world he built. The characters are all very well done, and their actions and dialogue fit the setting perfectly. If you’re looking for an introduction to splatter westerns, this is a great start. Fans of cosmic horror will love this one for sure, as will splatterpunk fans. If you don’t like ultraviolence, you probably won’t enjoy this one too much, and should avoid any subgenre with the word “splatter” in it anyway. Also, if you’re looking for more psychological, slow burn horror, this isn’t the one. Dust is a fast paced, action packed cosmic horror blood bath, and an absolute must-read.
About the Author
Chris Miller is a native Texan who has been writing from an early age. He began publishing in 2017 with his first novel, A Murder of Saints, and since then he has published several novels–including the Amazon bestselling Splatter Western, Dust–and has also been inducted into many anthologies. When not writing, Chris enjoys playing guitar, watching movies, and reading. He is first and foremost a family man and is happily married to the love of his life (and best friend) Aliana. They have three beautiful children and live in Winnsboro, TX.
Photo and text from Chris Miller’s Amazon Author Page- https://www.amazon.com/Chris-Miller/e/B0764K9YH3?ref_=dbs_p_ebk_r00_abau_000000
Home Grown Horror 