Bookkeeper, Narrator, Gunslinger by Charles Lu

 Ecstasy of Gold.

Bookkeeper, Narrator, Gunslinger by Charles Lu wears its influences proudly, with a clear nod to Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns—especially The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. 

Perhaps this is bit of a stretch, but could the title itself be a subtle riff on Leone’s classic? Bookkeeper = Good, Narrator = Bad, Gunslinger = Ugly? 

Just a random thought.

As the title suggests, the protagonist takes on three distinct roles, but it’s the gunslinger archetype that the author seems most eager to reimagine through a deconstructive lens. The result is a playful and clever approach to mixing the grit of the Old West with a sci-fi twist. You see, during these classic Western standoffs, there is always a lot of squinting going on before a shot is even fired. Sure, it's for dramatic effect but maybe there might be something else on here.....Nevertheless, even the narrator is befuddled by this common trope and provides some humorous commentary:

|"Deke did the staring thing. And I am thinking, what is with the gunslinger staring thing? Why do we have to do this? And my mind sort of drifts off and maybe it’s because I am lost in thought that I don’t close my eyes this time, but for whatever reason, I have my eyes wide open which means I am looking at Deke’s butt-ugly face and I see exactly how it happens."|

This passage exemplifies the Narrator’s self-reflective and metafictional engagement with the Western genre, consciously deconstructing its tropes while simultaneously participating in them. Through a blend of sharp introspection and wry, dark humor, the Narrator not only critiques the conventions of the genre but also acknowledges their own role in shaping the narrative. This self-awareness invites the reader to question the myths and moral ambiguities that define the Western tradition.

Our bookkeeper protagonist has a nice, quiet life running his shop, minding his own business, and steering clear of the kind of disputes that usually end with someone catching a bullet to the head. That is, until he makes the mistake of correcting a local gunslinger’s grammar. Next thing he knows, he's been roped into a duel with the offended gentleman. Against all odds and to the shock of the entire town, he actually wins. How? Even he’s not sure. But now he’s stuck with a new title: Gunslinger. And that’s when things really go sideways. Suddenly, every hotshot from every dusty town wants a piece of him and the body count starts piling up. What follows is a moral crisis wrapped in a whirlwind of duels as the former bookkeeper turned deadly Gunslinger navigates his new identity. Now that he has a certain reputation to uphold, he is bound to Western tropes and narrative conventions. Thus, there must be a final showdown and this is where the author has some fun with subverting genre expectations.

Overall, this is an entertaining and fast-paced read with sharp dialogue that keeps things moving at a steady clip (pun intended). My only gripe is that the genre mashup veers into gimmick territory and the ending kind of fizzles out. 

Still, it’s a wild ride while it lasts!

You can read this story HERE