I took my wife and daughter to the mall, and while they were shopping, I settled down in the food court with a tattered, yellowed, paperback copy of the first EDGE western by George G. Gilman. I’d bought the book — okay, the whole series of fifty titles in a super-cheap lot purchase on eBay — back in June after reading a post on Bookgasm ("These books have no first gear – they’re all in fifth and overdrive") and on a recommendation from western author James Reasoner.
I read the slim book in one sitting and, despite the absolutely gratuitous gore, I really enjoyed it. The writing is crisp, the action swift, and the hero refreshingly sadistic and amoral. I’m glad I got the whole series at once…because I’m obsessive about collecting ALL the books in a series after I read one that I like…and I can see that I am going to gobble these up. EDGE is the perfect quick-read for airplane trips, and it looks like I am going to be traveling a lot in the coming year.
“I’m obsessive about collecting ALL the books in a series after I read one that I like…”
Then I probably shouldn’t tell you that there are more Edge books (I don’t remember how many, a dozen or so) that were published in England but not in the U.S.
The Edge Books are grand. I love them.
Edge series
Edge #1: The Loner, New English Library, Feb 1972; New York, Pinnacle, 1972
Edge #2: Ten Thousand Dollars, American, New English Library, Feb 1972; as Ten Grand, New York, Pinnacle, 1972
Edge #3: Apache Death, London, New English Library, May 1972; New York, Pinnacle, 1972
Edge #4: Killer’s Breed, London, New English Library, 1972; New York, Pinnacle, 1972
Edge #5: Blood On Silver, London, New English Library, 1972; New York, Pinnacle, 1973
Edge #6: The Blue, The Grey And The Red, London, New English Library, Feb 1973; as Red River, New York, Pinnacle, 1973
Edge #7: California Killing, London, New English Library, 1973; as California Kill, New York, Pinnacle, 1973
Edge #8: Seven Out of Hell, London, New English Library, 1973; as Hell’s Seven, New York, Pinnacle, 1973
Edge #9: Bloody Summer, London, New English Library, Sep 1973; New York, Pinnacle, 1974
Edge #10: Vengeance is Black, London, New English Library, 1974; as Black Vengeance, New York, Pinnacle, 1974
Edge #11: Sioux Uprising, London, New English Library, 1974; New York, Pinnacle, 1974
Edge #12: The Biggest Bounty, London, New English Library, 1974; as Death’s Bounty, New York, Pinnacle, 1974
Edge #13: A Town Called Hate, London, New English Library, 1974; as The Hated, New York, Pinnacle, 1975
Edge #14: The Big Gold, London, New English Library, 1974; as Tiger’s Gold, New York, Pinnacle, 1975
Edge #15: Blood Run, London, New English Library, 1975; as Paradise Loses, New York, Pinnacle, 1975
Edge #16: The Final Shot, London, New English Library, 1975; New York, Pinnacle, 1975
Edge #17: Vengeance Valley, London, New English Library, Nov 1975; New York, Pinnacle, 1976
Edge #18: Ten Tombstones to Texas, London, New English Library, 1975; as Ten Tombstones, New York, Pinnacle, 1976
Edge #19: Ashes and Dust, London, New English Library, 1976; New York, Pinnacle, 1976
Edge #20: Sullivan’s Law, London, New English Library, 1976; Los Angeles, Pinnacle, 1976
Edge #21: Rhapsody in Red, London, New English Library, 1976; Los Angeles, Pinnacle, 1976
Edge #22: Slaughter Road, London, New English Library, 1977; Los Angeles, Pinnacle, 1977
Edge #23: Echoes of War, London, New English Library, 1977; Los Angeles, Pinnacle, 1977
Edge #24: The Day Democracy Died, London, New English Library, 1977; as Slaughterday, Los Angeles, Pinnacle, 1978
Edge #25: Violence Trail, London, New English Library, 1978; Los Angeles, Pinnacle, 1978
Edge #26: Savage Dawn, London, New English Library, April 1978; Los Angeles, Pinnacle, 1978
Edge #27: Death Drive, London, New English Library, 1978; Los Angeles, Pinnacle, 1978
Edge #28: Eve of Evil, London, New English Library, 1978; Los Angeles, Pinnacle, 1978
Edge #29: The Living, the Dying and the Dead, London, New English Library, Dec 1978; Los Angeles, Pinnacle, 1979
Edge #30: Waiting for a Train, London, New English Library, 1979; as Towering Nightmare, Los Angeles, Pinnacle, 1979
Edge #31: The Guilty Ones, London, New English Library, 1979; Los Angeles, Pinnacle, 1979
Edge #32: The Frightened Gun, London, New English Library, June 1979; Los Angeles, Pinnacle, 1979
Edge #33: The Hated, London, New English Library, Dec 1979; as Red Fury, New York, Pinnacle, 1980
Edge #34: A Ride in the Sun, London, New English Library, 1980; New York, Pinnacle, 1980
Edge #35: Death Deal, London, New English Library, Sep 1980; New York, Pinnacle, 1980
Edge #36: Town on Trial, London, New English Library, Mar 1981; New York, Pinnacle, 1981
Edge #37: Vengeance at Ventura, London, New English Library, 1981; New York, Pinnacle, 1981
Edge #38: Massacre Mission, London, New English Library, 1981; New York, Pinnacle, 1981
Edge #39: The Prisoners, London, New English Library, Nov 1981; New York, Pinnacle, 1982
Edge #40: Montana Melodrama, London, New English Library, Feb 1982; New York, Pinnacle, 1982
Edge #41: The Killing Claim, London, New English Library, June 1982
Edge #42: Bloody Sunrise, London, New English Library, 1982; New York, Pinnacle, 1983
Edge #43: Arapaho Revenge, London, New English Library, Jan 1983; New York, Pinnacle, 1983
Edge #44: The Blind Side, London, New English Library, 1983; New York, Pinnacle, 1984
Edge #45: House on the Range, London, New English Library, 1983; New York, Pinnacle, 1984
Edge #46: The Godforsaken, London, New English Library, 1984; New York, Pinnacle, 1984
Edge #47: The Moving Cage, London, New English Library, 1984; New York, Pinnacle, 1984
Edge #48: School for Slaughter, London, New English Library, Feb 1985; New York, Pinnacle, 1985
Edge #49: Revenge Ride, London, New English Library, 1985; New York, Pinnacle, 1985
Edge #50: Shadow of the Gallows, London, New English Library, 1985
Edge #51: A Time for Killing, London, New English Library, Feb 1986
Edge #52: Brutal Border, London, New English Library, June 1986
Edge #53: Hitting Paydirt, London, New English Library, 1986
Edge #54: Backshot, London, New English Library, 1987
Edge #55: Uneasy Riders, London, New English Library, 1987
Edge #56: Doom Town, London, New English Library, 1987
Edge #57: Dying is Forever, London, New English Library, 1987
Edge #58: The Desperadoes, London, New English Library, 1988
Edge #59: Terror Town, London, New English Library, 1988
Edge #60: The Breed Woman, London, New English Library, 1989
Edge #61: The Rifle, London, New English Library, 1989
I liked the post on Edge. I purchased and read them as they were published. I loved them. Woe is me to learn from Mr. Reasoner that there was a dozen never published in this country. I’ll be checking the used books online stores for them. Thanks for the heads-up.
I guess I won’t be buying the English publication only Edge books. An internet search found all twelve books in one lot for $2008. I don’t think so.
Oh, by the way, Gilman also wrote a western series called Adam Steele, of which at least 42 were published. Edge and he met a few times. I’ve only read a few of these. Gilman also had something called the undertaker, of which I know nothing or how many books.
Apparently there is a series of six new Edge novels available as downloadable e-books. I found them on a web site
I get the same way sometimes with series Lee. Glad you got a bunch of them and enjoy all the ultra violence. I do have one of the Steele/Edge matchup “Two Of A Kind”. I’ll be reading it later on down the road. It’s just I’ve got so much other great stuff that needs to be read.
The EDGE books were real corkers. I enjoyed them a great deal back in the day, though I don’t have all of them by any means. I’m jealous, Lee!
I’ve got 1-42, and I’m happy to say they’re all 1st editions. I discovered Edge in high school, along with Mack Bolan and Remo Williams. When I first moved to Houston back in 1982, there was a real honest to God news stand nearby, with one entire wall of paperbacks. The first time I walked in there, there was the new Edge…and I was home…:)
I have all 64 Edge books and I’m missing only 1 of the 3 (?) that are “Edge meets Steele”
I bought most of them as they were published and those I’d missed via the internet.
He’s still my favourite Western hero
I too have many of the Edge books – 1-39, then 43 & 44, 47, 51, 57, 59 & 60. I also have the first Edge/Steele, but not the later two. It’s so bad not having the complete set – and now some of the missing ones are going for hundreds of dollars. I buy them as I can afford them – a complete set is worth thousands of dollars (or pounds). Check out http://rjdent.wordpress.com/2008/10/26/george-g-gilmans-edge-a-new-kind-of-western-hero/ for a complete list and a link to Gilman’s 6 Edge e-books that came after Edge 61 – The Rifle.
Great post. Thanks.