Description
Description
In this riveting historical horror novel, Frankenstein is vividly reimagined in the Wild West. With equal parts Cormac McCarthy, Mary Shelley, and Stephen Graham Jones, Rountree deftly navigates the terrible aftermath of love and death. "What begins as The Searchers meets Frankenstein ends as Unforgiven meets The Magicians. A dark, brooding meditation on both what we'll do for love, and the callous indifference of the hardened souls of the early West."
--C. Robert Cargill, co-screenwriter of The Black Phone Catherine Coldbridge is a complicated woman: A doctor, an occultist, and, briefly, a widow. In 1879, Private Frank Humble, Catherine's husband, was killed in a Sioux attack. Consumed by grief, she used her formidable skills to resurrect him. But Frank lost his soul after the reanimation, and disappeared after a killing spree. Unable to face her failure and its murderous consequences, Catherine fled to grieve. Twenty-five years later, Catherine has decided she must make things right. She travels back to Texas with a pair of hired killers ready to destroy Frank. But Frank has remade himself as the Unkillable Frank Lightning, traveling with the Wild West Show. Reaching for a last chance at redemption, Frank and Catherine are at an impasse. As time runs out, their final choices may result in considerable bloodshed.
--C. Robert Cargill, co-screenwriter of The Black Phone Catherine Coldbridge is a complicated woman: A doctor, an occultist, and, briefly, a widow. In 1879, Private Frank Humble, Catherine's husband, was killed in a Sioux attack. Consumed by grief, she used her formidable skills to resurrect him. But Frank lost his soul after the reanimation, and disappeared after a killing spree. Unable to face her failure and its murderous consequences, Catherine fled to grieve. Twenty-five years later, Catherine has decided she must make things right. She travels back to Texas with a pair of hired killers ready to destroy Frank. But Frank has remade himself as the Unkillable Frank Lightning, traveling with the Wild West Show. Reaching for a last chance at redemption, Frank and Catherine are at an impasse. As time runs out, their final choices may result in considerable bloodshed.
About the Author
About the Author
Josh Rountree is a novelist and short story writer who writes across multiple genres, and focuses mostly on horror and dark fantasy. His novel, The Legend of Charlie Fish, released by Tachyon Publications to wide acclaim in 2023, selected for the Locus Recommended Reading List and named one of Los Angeles Public Library's best books of the year. More than seventy of Rountree's short stories have been published in a variety of venues, including The Deadlands, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Bourbon Penn, Realms of Fantasy, PseudoPod, Weird Horror, and The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror. Several collections of his short fiction have been published, most recently, Death Aesthetic. Rountree lives in the greater Austin, Texas, metropolitan area with his lovely wife of many years and a pair of half-feral dogs who command his obedience.
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
Paste Magazine Most Anticipated Horror Books of Summer 2025
This Is Horror Books to Look Out For "Weird and heartfelt and hard to pull your eyes away from."
--Stephen Graham Jones, author of The Buffalo Hunter Hunter [STARRED REVIEW]"Like Elmore Leonard by way of Mary Shelley, Josh Rountree's Western spin on Frankenstein is a propulsive, haunting adaptation."
--Bookpage "Josh Rountree mixes Charles Portis's True Grit and Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove with elements of James Whale's The Bride of Frankenstein for a relentless train-ride of a novel."
--Derek Austin Johnson, author of The Faith "With The Unkillable Frank Lightning, Rountree solidifies himself as not only one of the best writers working today, but makes the case for being the best Western writer of our present century."
--C. S. Humble, author of the That Light Sublime trilogy "In 1879, less than two weeks after his wedding, Private Frank Humble is killed while on patrol along the American frontier. Unwilling to accept his death, Dr. Catherine Coldbridge draws on her magical powers to resurrect her beloved husband. Expecting a miracle, Catherine is horrified when Frank returns not as the loving man she remembered but as a bloodthirsty monster. Decades later, Catherine tracks him to a touring show called 'Cowboy Dan's Wild West Revue, ' where he is billed as the Unkillable Frank Lightning. Along with a pair of sharpshooting brothers, Catherine is prepared to finally right the wrong she committed until she realizes Frank is not as monstrous as he originally appeared. Rountree returns to the Weird West world he conjured in his debut, The Legend of Charlie Fish (2024). A haunting retelling of Frankenstein set against the raw, mythic backdrop of the Wild West, the novel breathes new life into an enduring classic. Perfect for readers who crave reimagined legends and a touch of dark wonder in their Westerns." ."
--Booklist "Once you start reading The Unkillable Frank Lightning, you just won't be able to stop. Catherine Coldbridge and her companions and her Old West are endlessly fascinating."
--Tim Powers, author of Declare and The Stress of Her Regard "This western reimagining of Shelley's classic sticks true to the heart of the story, while giving us something entirely new and breathlessly exciting. Everything Rountree writes is a treat. I hated to put it down."
--Chris Panatier, author of The Redemption of Morgan Bright "The well-trod Frankenstein mythos gets an enjoyable twist in this weird western from Rountree (The Legend of Charlie Fish). In 1879, frontier medicine woman and occultist Dr. Catherine Coldbridge attempts to resurrect her late husband, Frank, via a mixture of science and witchcraft. The spell works, but the man who returns is violent and incoherent and Catherine flees. Thirty years later, however, she discovers her resurrected husband is now thriving as the star attraction in Cowboy Dan's Wild West Revue. Catherine enlists a pair of outlaws to help her track Frank down, but a drunken shoot-out compels her to attempt another arcane resurrection, drawing the wrath of a conservative frontier town. It's a rollicking romp with a fast-paced plot and well-written characters that play with western archetypes in unique ways."
--Publishers Weekly "What begins as The Searchers meets Frankenstein ends as Unforgiven meets The Magicians. A dark, brooding meditation on both what we'll do for love, and the callous indifference of the hardened souls of the early West."
--C. Robert Cargill, co-screenwriter of The Black Phone "The Unkillable Frank Lightning, much like The Legend of Charlie Fish, becomes a kind of paean to the outcast, to the monstrous, and to a land where, once upon a time, there was room enough for them find both love and acceptance."
--Fan Fi Addict "Western horror at its finest. With this feral retelling of Frankenstein, Rountree weaves a damn good story."
--Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam, author of Grim Root "The Unkillable Frank Lightning stands with the best of Charles Portis, Joe R. Lansdale, and Larry McMurtry. Buckle up for a wild ride."
―William Jensen, author of Cities of Men "With his latest, Rountree puts his own unique spin on the legend of Frankenstein, channeling classic westerns mixed with Universal Monsters."
--This Is Horror "Frank Lightning takes center stage right now to mash up literature's most famous resurrected corpse with Old West witchery, arcane traveling sideshows, and the classic journey of retribution turned completely on its ear in a totally novel way."
―David J. Schow, screenwriter of The Crow "Roundtree continues to hitch his wagon to his unique and fun storytelling genre―the neo-Gothic Western monster mash. His work, as always, is full of heart."
―David Sandner, author of The Afterlife of Frankenstein "[The Unkillable Frank Lightning], like every damn word I have read from Josh Rountree, is perfection."
―John Boden, author of Etiquette of Booby Traps "Josh's novel, The Legend of Charlie Fish, was a "must-read" for us here at Macabre Daily, and an all-time favorite, and his new novel, The Unkillable Frank Lightning, is just as phenomenal."
--Macabre Daily "Readers looking for a Western infused with magic whose characters include Frankenstein-like creatures will be rewarded with The Unkillable Frank Lightning.... This Western horror story is a great read!"
--Raven Bookstore, Staff Pick "Josh Rountree has created a horror western that will not soon be forgotten!"
--Char's Horror Corner Praise for The Legend of Charlie Fish San Antonio Current 10 Notable 2023 books from Texan Authors
Los Angeles Public Library Best Books of 2023
Locus Recommended Reading List "A fantastic work of dark historical fiction, in the spirit of Lansdale, Gorman, Pronzini, and McMurtry." --Brian Keene, author of the Rising series "A tense, exciting, and gorgeous read that will sweep you up immediately and not let go, lingering even after you turn the last page." --A. C. Wise, author of Wendy, Darling "Odd, creepy, funny, The Black Lagoon meets the Six Gun universe. High up on the way-cool factor. You need this." --Joe R. Lansdale, author of the Hap and Leonard series
This Is Horror Books to Look Out For "Weird and heartfelt and hard to pull your eyes away from."
--Stephen Graham Jones, author of The Buffalo Hunter Hunter [STARRED REVIEW]"Like Elmore Leonard by way of Mary Shelley, Josh Rountree's Western spin on Frankenstein is a propulsive, haunting adaptation."
--Bookpage "Josh Rountree mixes Charles Portis's True Grit and Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove with elements of James Whale's The Bride of Frankenstein for a relentless train-ride of a novel."
--Derek Austin Johnson, author of The Faith "With The Unkillable Frank Lightning, Rountree solidifies himself as not only one of the best writers working today, but makes the case for being the best Western writer of our present century."
--C. S. Humble, author of the That Light Sublime trilogy "In 1879, less than two weeks after his wedding, Private Frank Humble is killed while on patrol along the American frontier. Unwilling to accept his death, Dr. Catherine Coldbridge draws on her magical powers to resurrect her beloved husband. Expecting a miracle, Catherine is horrified when Frank returns not as the loving man she remembered but as a bloodthirsty monster. Decades later, Catherine tracks him to a touring show called 'Cowboy Dan's Wild West Revue, ' where he is billed as the Unkillable Frank Lightning. Along with a pair of sharpshooting brothers, Catherine is prepared to finally right the wrong she committed until she realizes Frank is not as monstrous as he originally appeared. Rountree returns to the Weird West world he conjured in his debut, The Legend of Charlie Fish (2024). A haunting retelling of Frankenstein set against the raw, mythic backdrop of the Wild West, the novel breathes new life into an enduring classic. Perfect for readers who crave reimagined legends and a touch of dark wonder in their Westerns." ."
--Booklist "Once you start reading The Unkillable Frank Lightning, you just won't be able to stop. Catherine Coldbridge and her companions and her Old West are endlessly fascinating."
--Tim Powers, author of Declare and The Stress of Her Regard "This western reimagining of Shelley's classic sticks true to the heart of the story, while giving us something entirely new and breathlessly exciting. Everything Rountree writes is a treat. I hated to put it down."
--Chris Panatier, author of The Redemption of Morgan Bright "The well-trod Frankenstein mythos gets an enjoyable twist in this weird western from Rountree (The Legend of Charlie Fish). In 1879, frontier medicine woman and occultist Dr. Catherine Coldbridge attempts to resurrect her late husband, Frank, via a mixture of science and witchcraft. The spell works, but the man who returns is violent and incoherent and Catherine flees. Thirty years later, however, she discovers her resurrected husband is now thriving as the star attraction in Cowboy Dan's Wild West Revue. Catherine enlists a pair of outlaws to help her track Frank down, but a drunken shoot-out compels her to attempt another arcane resurrection, drawing the wrath of a conservative frontier town. It's a rollicking romp with a fast-paced plot and well-written characters that play with western archetypes in unique ways."
--Publishers Weekly "What begins as The Searchers meets Frankenstein ends as Unforgiven meets The Magicians. A dark, brooding meditation on both what we'll do for love, and the callous indifference of the hardened souls of the early West."
--C. Robert Cargill, co-screenwriter of The Black Phone "The Unkillable Frank Lightning, much like The Legend of Charlie Fish, becomes a kind of paean to the outcast, to the monstrous, and to a land where, once upon a time, there was room enough for them find both love and acceptance."
--Fan Fi Addict "Western horror at its finest. With this feral retelling of Frankenstein, Rountree weaves a damn good story."
--Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam, author of Grim Root "The Unkillable Frank Lightning stands with the best of Charles Portis, Joe R. Lansdale, and Larry McMurtry. Buckle up for a wild ride."
―William Jensen, author of Cities of Men "With his latest, Rountree puts his own unique spin on the legend of Frankenstein, channeling classic westerns mixed with Universal Monsters."
--This Is Horror "Frank Lightning takes center stage right now to mash up literature's most famous resurrected corpse with Old West witchery, arcane traveling sideshows, and the classic journey of retribution turned completely on its ear in a totally novel way."
―David J. Schow, screenwriter of The Crow "Roundtree continues to hitch his wagon to his unique and fun storytelling genre―the neo-Gothic Western monster mash. His work, as always, is full of heart."
―David Sandner, author of The Afterlife of Frankenstein "[The Unkillable Frank Lightning], like every damn word I have read from Josh Rountree, is perfection."
―John Boden, author of Etiquette of Booby Traps "Josh's novel, The Legend of Charlie Fish, was a "must-read" for us here at Macabre Daily, and an all-time favorite, and his new novel, The Unkillable Frank Lightning, is just as phenomenal."
--Macabre Daily "Readers looking for a Western infused with magic whose characters include Frankenstein-like creatures will be rewarded with The Unkillable Frank Lightning.... This Western horror story is a great read!"
--Raven Bookstore, Staff Pick "Josh Rountree has created a horror western that will not soon be forgotten!"
--Char's Horror Corner Praise for The Legend of Charlie Fish San Antonio Current 10 Notable 2023 books from Texan Authors
Los Angeles Public Library Best Books of 2023
Locus Recommended Reading List "A fantastic work of dark historical fiction, in the spirit of Lansdale, Gorman, Pronzini, and McMurtry." --Brian Keene, author of the Rising series "A tense, exciting, and gorgeous read that will sweep you up immediately and not let go, lingering even after you turn the last page." --A. C. Wise, author of Wendy, Darling "Odd, creepy, funny, The Black Lagoon meets the Six Gun universe. High up on the way-cool factor. You need this." --Joe R. Lansdale, author of the Hap and Leonard series
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
Publisher:
Tachyon Publications
Pub date:
2025-07-15
Length:
240 pages
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