Manly Wade Wellman's Silver John

Just picked this up, and read the first story this morning.

LOVE IT!

:)

This is my first experience with Silver John, although I've had The Old Gods Waken for a few years.

Silver John seems like a character tailor made for me: a righteous, guitar-slinging warrior of God; a folk-singing, demon-slaying badass; he's part Johny Cash, part Solomon Kane, part Father Thomas Merton.

This morning I ordered copies of all the other Silver John novels. Really looking forward to diving into Wellman's world.
 
I read several of these stories ... well, longer ago than I care to mention. Though retaining only the vaguest memories of them, I did think that I liked them, which is why I grabbed a copy of The Old Gods Waken when I found it a few years ago.

I've been thinking about looking up some of the other stories.
 
Another character that reminds me of Silver John is Roland, from the Dark Tower. I'd be shocked if Wellman's creation wasn't an inspiration for King.

Man these stories are great.
 
This book is amazing. The stories just keep getting better and better.
 
You know that feeling when you meet someone and you instantly hit it off and wonder how and why the two of you had never bet before and how you ever got along without one another? That's how I feel after reading Manly Wade Wellman's Silver John stories. Some of the best fiction I've ever read. So full of American folklore, with lots of heart and a ton of scares.
 
Who Fears the Devil? by Manly Wade Wellman

It would seem the Manly Wade Wellman's Silver John stories were tailored made for me. Silver John is a guitar-playing, God-fearing, humanity-loving, traveling balladeer who roams around the Appalachian mountains fighting evil (both natural and supernatural) and writing wrongs. Think of H.P. Lovecraft by way of Uncle Remus, with a bit of Lansdale and King. As a matter of fact, I'd be surprised if both Lansdale and King weren't highly influenced by Wellman.

These stories make up what is a uniquely American fantasy, as the legends and myths are drawn from Appalachian folklore and an American-brand of Christianity. There are giants bigger than Paul Bunyan, strange creatures like the Behinder (no one has ever seen one because it always attacks from behind), witch-men cursing with the hoodoo, Satan, perhaps, Jesus makes an appearance, and all manner of evil, scary, wondrous beings.

The stories themselves are episodic in nature, entirely monster-of-the-week in their formula. I would heed the editor's suggestion and read one or two here or there, rather than digging into them all in a few sittings. So while some may argue that the stories are too samey, I would argue that Wellman had a singular idea with Silver John and perfected and nailed the execution.

Wellman's voice rings true with authenticity. Silver John's narration reads and sounds exactly how I think a character from the deep south would. The dialog is quaint without being sappy, and the descriptions of things are kind of rough around the edges, but also full of folksy insight.

In addition to the longer form stories in this collection, there are also little micro-stories (probably around ~300 words) that act as transitions and little asides. These are neat, especially "The Stars Down There," which is really one of the coolest things I've read.

If you are looking for something unique, and different, something that stands out in the glut of the fantasy and horror genres, then definitely pick up Who Fears the Devil? It is thoroughly enjoyable.
 
I started The Lost and the Lurking today (after giving up on Darker Than You Think - ugh, what amateurish writing!) and I am loving it.

Read the first 50 pages on the way home from work, and it is amazing. I am totally in love with Manly Wade Wellman's style and storytelling. He really is the original Lansdale, only without the misanthropy, and a more positive outlook on religion. The Silver John tales are simply wonderful examples of uniquely American fiction. I love the Appalachian setting, the southern dialog, and John as a character.
 
Two posts in a row on the same topic without waiting for replies in between, and especially when the messages are to some extent repetitious, is commonly called double posting. It is frowned on in many forums. As I said, we don't take much notice of it here, but three, four, five, or more in a row, that we do notice and we would prefer that you not do it.
 
Until I posted in this thread, there wasn't any activity since 2009 - that's almost 2 years.

I've recently been reading a lot of Wellman, and was posting here about that. How long should I wait to post my thoughts?

Maybe I'll check this forum again in two years.

I'm a long-time member of many forums, and I've never had a problem with this, especially since I add a lot of good discussion on many things.

Anyhow, see you around.

:)
 
John the Balladeer , I read the rogila collection about 30 years ago . Magnificent stories .:) Sadly they are being forgotten by modern readers.:confused:
 
I came across a story in an anthology a few years ago - it was so unusual I had to read some more straightaway.

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I seem to recall that he did a series of John The Balladeer novels as well. :unsure:
 
For what it's worth, there are two reasonably priced (in the U.S., at any rate) Wellman collections from Shadowridge Press (both originally published by Karl Edward Wagner's Carcosa Press): Worse Things Waiting, a collection of fantasy and horror stories, and Lonely Vigils, a collection of his fantasy/horror detective stories, with the characters he created before settling on Silver John. Besides Who Fears the Devil?, these were the definitive MWW collections until Night Shade Books put out a several volume collection of his work in the early '00s, which now would probably not be all that reasonably priced.
 
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