The paranormal plays a major role in James A. Moore’s Boomtown. The “elevator pitch” for this one would be “Supernatural beings spar in Deadwood,” or “Louis L’Amour by way of Joe R. Lansdale by way of...James A. Moore.” It features Moore’s signature character, Jonathan Crowley, who, although slain early on, rises to take revenge on the men who killed him. Along the way, he finds himself battling the disparate forces of chaos who seem set on annihilating the small Colorado town of Carson’s Point.

Moore writes with great power and gusto, gleefully borrowing tropes from several genres, wringing every ounce of storytelling value out of each. His love of fantastic fiction shines through in every sentence as he unspools this compelling yarn. He’s a fearless teller of tall tales, a trait that serves his story, and his audience, well.