My friends and I have been playing a Deadlands game off and on since the game came out-- in our current incarnation, we decided (being Southern by nature) to make Southern characters. Without this book, we would've been lost. New edges, new hindrances (if you don't know what I'm talking about, buy the Player's Guide & see), and marvelously in-depth descriptions of various cities throughout the South, including our very own Savannah-- this book contains all of that and more. Marshals who want to take their campaigns "Back East" will find plenty of inspiration here. Notable inclusions include new edges such as Gallows Humor and Rebel Yell, as well as rules for Southern-style duels. This book will definitely add personality to your posse.

On the front cover of this marvelous collecting guide, Stephen King is quoted as saying, "No I'm not Shane Stevens . . . but he's very damn good." Inside, Chester Himes, the famous black crime novelist, calls Stevens, "The greatest 'black' novelist from Harlem." And Frank Sinatra says of Stevens's pen name, "J.W. Rider is a helluva writer."

Enough about Stevens/Rider's writing abilities. Back to the eighty-eight (88) page, soft cover guide on perhaps the most elusive author since Traven. At first glance, the price tag seems steep, but Stevens collectors will appreciate its true worth/value. A select few may even shell out the dough needed to make themselves instant Stevens/Rider experts.

The guide provides a biography on the 'secretive' Stevens, summarizes his/Rider's eight (8) novels; provides twenty-two (22) black and white photographs of thirty-one (31) Stevens/Rider American and British hardcover and paperback editions; lists ten (10) Stevens newspaper or magazine appearances; provides five(5) black and white author photographs; and features four (4) photographs of signed or incribed Shane Stevens items and four (4) photographs of signed or incribed J.W. Rider items.

"South O' the Border" contains a gold-mine of information on Mexico in the Deadlands setting. Rules for creating Mexican characters and a new Arcane Background give this book a lot of tasty "crunchy bits." The sheer number of campaign ideas packed into this tome are incredible. A lot more depth is given to the previously neglected Mexico, and it's all good.

Tales of Terror: 1877 introduces Marshals and Posses to the wonders of the Weird West. There are new weapons, Edges and Hindrances and Knacks, but the best part is the Tombstone Epitaph, incorporated into the book. The first part relates the happenings of the year 1877, as told by a reporter travelling the West. The second part reveals to Marshals (and Marshals only!) what's "really" going on behind the scenes of the various news stories.

The writers of this book did their homework, and this book is a very enjoyable read, whether or not you actually intend to play the game.

This is the second Stevens novel I read (the first being The Anvil Chorus) and both of them go in absolutely different paths. "Anvil" is written in a suspense-thriller type way much in the tradition of the contemporary greats of that genre, whereas "Insanity" goes on a completely different path. It has hooked me. I haven't finished it yet but as far as I have read it, I can already put it down and recommend it, just like Stephen King said, to "readers who have strong stomachs". Thomas Bishop, the killer in this book, is like a fictionalized version of Jeffrey Dahmer, the Wisconsin Cannibal. Yet we must be reminded of the following...this book was published in the 70's...Dahmer only became notorious much later. If anything, I think Stevens based himself on "Headhunter" Ed Kemper to create Thomas Bishop. Kemper's crimes were horrific brutal and senseless, and he had murdered his parents (although Bishop only murdered his mother)Perhaps I am wrong in my assumptions as to who Thomas Bishop was based on. But one thing I am not wrong about is the fact that this is to be considered a masterpiece in gruesome and graphic horror, and a must read.

I'm impressed! I thought by looking at the size of the book it would take me quite a while to read it. It did not. With each sentence, each paragraph, each page that I read I was pulled deeper and deeper into the story and characters. I found myself hating and feeling somewhat sorry for Thomas Bishop and speaking of-- the ending totally blew me away. I read the same page of the ending three times all the while saying to myself "OH MY GOD". After getting so caught up in the cat and mouse chase and into the personality of each of the characters, if the ending doesn't shock you to pieces--nothing will. I am most deffinately looking for more Shane Stevens books. To all the people who reviewed this book and gave it such a high rating - THANK YOU. You are the ones who made me decide to read it and I hope many more Murder Mystery readers will pick it up, also. You will not regret it at all!!

I just read this book for the first time and only one word can describe my reaction: WOW. If you enjoy serial killer stories or thrillers featuring truly evil villains, make sure you read "By Reason of Insanity" because it doesn't get any better than this. Have you ever read a book that was so scary and heinous it made you giddy? Then this is the book for you.

BROI rivals the best by James Ellroy, Thomas Harris or Jim Thompson. You will go inside the killer's mind and while you will be genuinely repulsed, you will almost develop some sympathy for him. Almost. The nature of the crimes is so ghastly and the scope so grand that any such sympathy will ultimately be lost. But the details of the killer's brilliant sociopathic abilities and horrific childhood make for a fascinating study.

Much like with Ellroy, all the characters are flawed and multi-dimensional. In fact, everyone is so busy watching out for himself, there are not many characters to root for, but this adds to the plausibility of the events. The many subplots, several of which tie together, provide depth and keep things from getting too grisly.

I could go on about the novel's interesting takes on politics, the Nixon administration and the media, but that's all bonus. The point is you will not find a more insightful, disturbing or exciting book focusing on a serial killer. The phrase is thrown around too often but you truly will not be able to put down this book.

Very good book. If you read "By Reason of Insanity" by Stevens, don't expect this book to be anything like it. It is, however, worth the time to read. It gets a little slow in the middle, but not enough to put down.

I had never before read a Shane Stevens novel and only happened to come across it thanks to advertising conducted by Stephen King in the back of his novel "The Dark Half". Mr. Stevens- at least as far as the reviews here go- is only noted for his success in "By Reason of Insanity" which is a book I intend reading in the near future. All the reviews about it make of it an excellent novel. This one too should have deserved attention from others other than me, to write a review about it. It is an excellent well crafted and ingenious thriller, and Mr. Stevens deserves to be commended for his work!

This is a terrific guide for your child to get a hold of what plans they need to have in place if they are truely serious about those claims that they want to be an athelete for a career. It will help you as a parent to figure out how serious they are, and if they are how to move forward towards planning and acting on helping them achieve their goal. It will help them look at goals and move forward with a purpose. I highly recommend this book.

Shane Stevens is one of the most powerful and captivating suspense writers of the Twentieth Century. Unfortunately, he is also virtually unknown. RAT PACK, the title in question here, is an extremely hard-to-find early novel of his. The story concerns the trials and travails of a group of teenage black men during one night in New York City. It is frightening as to what these men do for entertainment in lieu of being able to participate in the city's early-morning nightlife. Robbery, rape, and brutal assault are not unusual for them. It is also interesting to see how the group comes together and falls apart again and again through the course of the evening. What Stevens does best is capture the feeling and emotions of his characters. The reader really feels like they're sharing the ride with them instead of viewing them from afar. Another hard-to-find book of Stevens is his first novel, GO DOWN DEAD. If you can find either of these novels, they are well worth the price. For books that are in print, both DEAD CITY and BY REASON OF INSANITY provide the reader with a good taste of what Stevens is capable of doing with words on a page.

Newark. A city of wealth and power. Also a city run by the mob syndicate. Smuggling, extortion, loyalty, and double-crosses are the law and only the smartest and strongest are left standing. A very realistic crime story with stunning detail and insight into organized crime. However, DEAD CITY lacks cohesiveness and contains a few stereotypical mobsters which contribute to keeping it an average read. DEAD CITY is still worth reading for the gritty, realistic language of Stevens...

This is the great, really twisted, little book that was the inspiration for Stephen King's villian, Alexis Machine, in The Dark Half. The story revolves around the various levels of the organized crime syndicate during the early '70s, between the shooters, the muscle, and the bosses they work for. Perhaps the best writing takes place with Stevens' smooth portrayal of his characters as he takes you inside each of their heads and documents their motives and individual psychosis; also his cold, unemotional portrayals of various terrible events and descents involving them truly brings a chill to the spine, and I would liken parts of Dead City to Requiem For A Dream for its disturbing dramas. I couldn't put it down, and would give it a full five stars sheerly for it's grim style (not something you find often), but my only complaint would be that this book could have been a bit more developed, and at times felt rushed. Some characters I would have liked to learn more about, but it just didn't happen. Other than this, the book excels in its gritty assessment of organized crime, and doesn't seek to glorify it like most media presentations (for which it should be commended on alone), and will make the blood run cold!

After reading BY REASON OF INSANITY I went out and got the only other two Stevens books I could find, this on and THE ANVIL CHORUS. Still haven't read CHORUS yet but did read this. It is a great story that'll keep you hooked. I'm still wondering, though, if Stevens is still writing and where I can find info on the man.

Stevens' Way Uptown in Another World is a story of Marcus Garvey Black, a black man living in Harlem. The story follows him through his life growing up in the south and his life in Harlem. The book is filled with the struggle that the black man faces in America. I didn't really enjoy this book as much as Stevens' other books as no real story ever unfolded. I found that I was constantly waiting for something better to happen or for a twist in the plot. Between Marcus' sex life and his friends' fascinations with overthrowing the white man, this book proved to be very disappointing.