Badlands

by Richard S. Wheeler

Book Overview

In the Badlands on an expedition to study early man and prehistoric fossils, Candace is unaware that the men accompanying her have plans to steal treasures and holy relics from and deface the sacred... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812519973
• ISBN13: 9780812519976
• Release Date: August 1992
• Publisher: Tor Books
• Length: 403 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Badlands

An excellent read. A little wordy here and there throughout the book, but the story keeps you turning the pages to see what's going to happen next. And who would have thought there could be so much to write about in such a setting as the Badlands? Well, Mr. Wheeler made it work and he kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen to each of the characters and biting my nails when things did. One of the best things about Richard S. Wheeler's books is that he draws out the characters, giving the reader a complete visual of who and what they are. They come to life emotionally and make you want to be a part of the story.

A Vacation in the Badlands

I took a vacation -- a day-trip, if you will. It's 1:30 in the morning and I just finished reading Richard S. Wheeler's western novel BADLANDS, the story of a group of naive paleontologists researching fossils in the heart of the Sioux nation. It's not nearly as dry a story as that description sounds... though I'm choking on the dust kicked up by Wheeler's remarkably vivid, and yet keenly economical, prose. I couldn't go to bed without getting to the end. Yes, I know it's a cliche, but it's the truth. He's taken a surprisingly fresh and unique approach to a time-worn and familiar set-up, the foolhardy easterners led into the untamed west by a wizened, half-Indian guide. But there's a good reason why Richard S. Wheeler is considered a legend in western literature. He takes the seemingly familiar and makes it brand new by leading you to what appears to be a cliche or stereotype -- and deftly playing on your expectations, twists them and takes you instead to a realization of character or place that you didn't see coming. Don't let the traditional, western cover fool you. BADLANDS is more about science, religion, and culture than it is about horses, injuns and shootouts and I loved every minute of it...and found the relaxation and escape I craved to recharge myself creatively for the tasks that lay ahead (it was far more satisfying than Larry McMurtry's TELEGRAPH DAYS, which I read a couple of months back). Now I have to tackle Richard's beloved Skye series from book one onward...and considering how many there are, that alone could end up being a lifetime pursuit.

A fantastic book about the West.

If you like western novels, or just plain great storytelling, this will be one of the best books you will ever read. Wheeler is a great developer of interesting characters, and has a flair for putting them in compelling situations.Take the best parts of The Searchers and Tony Hillerman's novels and you've got Badlands.