Josh Rountree
Books, Magazines, Anthologies
Handy Links to Find my Fiction
The Unkillable Frank Lightning
Available for Pre-Order Now
“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 That Light Sublime trilogy
With his signature lean, clean prose, Texan author Josh Rountree (The Legend of Charlie Fish) has penned a Frankenstein-inspired tale unlike any other. With equal parts Cormac McCarthy, Mary Shelley, and Stephen Graham Jones, Rountree creates a dramatic tale of love, death, and its terrible aftermath.
The Legend of Charlie Fish
Available Now!
"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
"A fantastic work of dark historical fiction, in the spirit of Lansdale, Gorman, Pronzini, and McMurtry." - Brian Keene, author of The Rising series.
As an unlikely found-family flees toward Galveston, a psychic young girl bonds with Charlie Fish, an enigmatic gill-man. Meanwhile, they are pursued by bounty hunters determined to profit from the spectacle of Charlie. But the Great Storm—the worst natural disaster in U.S. history—is on its way. Josh Rountree’s strikingly original debut novel ranges effortlessly between the Gothic, pulp, literary, Western, and comedic.
Death Aesthetic
Short Fiction Collection from Underland Press
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“The stories in Death Aesthetic craft stark poetry out of a world that is deeply unsettling even in its familiarity. Yet, in the face of man and nature’s cruelty, Rountree’s America preserves hope between its bloodstained teeth. This is an unforgettable collection that will settle in your marrow.”
—J.A.W. McCarthy, Bram Stoker Award and Shirley Jackson Award finalist, author of Sleep Alone
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Josh Rountree makes no bones about the mood in Death Aesthetic, his third collection of short fiction. Rountree explores the boundaries set by grief and guilt. He cracks open all manner of skeletons to peer inside the chest cavity, wondering what remains after everything else has left. He sniffs the night air, leaps and transforms into something both more human and not human at all. He knows all the words to the songs that bring us back from the edge. We are never ready for that final transition.
Rountree offers no assurances with Death Aesthetic, no promises about what lies beyond that black veil. But, as a compassionate psychopomp, he will be at your side for this journey.
Fantastic Americana: Stories
Short Fiction Collection from Fairwood Press
Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction, Cross Genre
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“Rountree demonstrates impressive range in his wild collection of 21 speculative shorts. Unusual juxtapositions create striking tales . . . The result is as inventive as it is eclectic, and perfect for dipping in and out of . . . the variety of genres and subjects ensure there’s something here to tickle all manner of fancy.”
— Publishers Weekly
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