Edge: The Loner (Edge series Book 1)

George G. Gilman's Edge series remains, to this day, the single most influential series on my life. I first read The Loner when I was still a little tacker of about eleven, and it really exploded my mind. Since then, it has remained a benchmark for me of any book which attempts to have a hardcore anti-hero in it. The reason being Edge is unquestionably THE hardcore anti-hero of all time. No one else gets close. Not even for a second.George G. Gilman (also known as Terry Harknett for those lucky enough to know him), wrote a couple of series of westerns, including Steele and The Undertaker, but for this little rant of mine I will talk about Edge, because he's the guy who pretty much keeps me scouring ebay for the last few books I don't as yet own, or lost over the years thanks to heartless family members deciding to pretty much run off with the lot. But let's not discuss those vampires. Not in polite company.Edge began his journey in The Loner, where he arrives home from the Civil War to find his younger brother brutally murdered by his former army command. They're a bunch of ragtag homicidal maniacs, and unfortunately for them, Edge is a whole lot worse. What makes this character so absorbing is his humour. Mister Gilman used a rather (unforgiveable at times) intriguing little element to his novels in that the final line of every chapter is a gag. Not always the most witty, it never failed to get a groan from you. My alltime favourite of the series involved Edge meeting up with a scowling badguy whose name is Bruce Wayne. When the unfortunately named Mister Wayne is demanding satisfaction for some ill or another, Edge simply drawls, "Any time you wanna bat, man."It's just groan-worthy.But it was these references to popular culture within a western setting which remains, to my reading history, unique. Fantasy hasn't done it with such cheesy delight. Conan didn't go round making jokes about the Rolling Stones. I mean, it's utterly absurd when taken into account the absolute blackness of the humour in these books. They work to lighten the mood and to give Edge an almost timeless feel. He's almost made into some kind of avenging angel crossing the barriers of time, and I for one, always finish the story feeling he's just going to keep on going and going and going like an energizer bunny until the end of time.Mister Gilman's style is very clipped, very precise, and laconic. His violence is brutal, sometimes gruesome, but always so very visible without being pornographic. The style is also more suited to a mystery genre than a western genre, and this also adds to the overall appeal for me because it bucks inside the standard western genre and attempts to cover as many as possible in an attempt to appeal. He managed to create in Edge a distinctive anti-hero who is rigid in his own (im)moral code and is entirely the outsider in both law and society, yet cannot be accused of being an outlaw, or criminal. It's a superb creation and one I have always wished would be translated into fantasy as I find much of fantasy too preoccupied with farmboys and heroes prancing around like little ballerinas in a desperate attempt not to hurt a fly. Not that Mister David Gemmell would have agreed. His opinions of Mister Gilman's books were positively poisonous, and the quote I've read showed he didn't sit down and read one. Which is a shame.Unfortunately, the books ended at #61 (I have a proud and undamaged copy), and though they ended on a satisfying note, I am always wishing more could have been done for them. Mister Gilman (Mister Harknett) has written a few books set after these events, but they didn't satisfy me as much as they were set a little too far frward, with Edge an aging old codger - a form I didn't think he would ever take to very well. Colour me too much of a hack to lose sight of Edge as being that powerful halfbreed with only a few spots of grey. They are currently available via the Piccadilly Cowboys forum - a place where Mister Harknett (Mister Gilman) haunts with vigor. I've always wanted to say hello, but I'm far too star-struck. I don't know what to say. How do you say hello to someone you've admired more than any other writer?You just can't. After all, men were not meant to mingle with gods.God Harknett (when not being Mister Gilman - the "G" in George G. Gilman obviously stands for God, letting you know just who he is) wrote a lot of books. So many it boggles the mind for someone like myself who struggles to write the one. It's an amazing achievement when they're all so finely crafted. I have to say that, without any hesitation, these books are the only books I've read and reread so many times they have begun to fall apart. I will often read these between other books, as a kind of break. A cheerful break which reminds me that, always out there, is the one character I've loved above all others.And I will always feel he's out there, right now, drifting through the plains in search of someone to call him Mex, or to point a gun at him.And, with a one-liner poised on his lips, he'll shoot them.Just once.Edge doesn't fill `em full of lead. He likes to save his bullets. After all, he needs them for the next feller.

Edge books are easy to read and delightfully politically incorrect, a refreshing change in this 'New Age' era of stifling 'sensitivity'. Escapism is what it is all about! If you want to read a story where the hero always wins and when in doubt, kills his enemy and a few others too, just to be sure, then this is for you. If you want deep life lessons and a multi-layered plot, then maybe this is NOT for you! I believe that there are a lot of people out there who put a lot of mental effort into their working day, and don't want a deep, challenging book to read in the evening. Edge is for you! My tip: Try to read the series in sequence, starting with The Loner. It is not essential, but it's best if you can. My only criticism is not of the book or the author, but of the Kindle version. It is obvious that the Kindle version was scanned in from a hard copy. Typical scanner errors abound (like 'comer' where it should be 'corner'). You can still read the book, sure, but I just figure that if you are going to be selling thousands of 'copies' in Kindle form at 5 - 10 bucks apiece, with none of the traditional costs like printing and postage, surely you could just proof read the thing first? Shame on Kindle for that.

It's a good book to read. I think everyone will enjoy reading this book. Plenty of action throughout the book.

Good story. Pretty cheesy character descriptions, but it was written in the seventies. Terrible editing; not sure if that was just the Kindle edition, but it was full of typos and grammatical errors. Good read for a plane ride.

Fast paced and well written I read it years ago in paperback but have forgotten where I left off HAPPY to start over

You'd probably have to be a neanderthal to enjoy The Loner (Edge #1). Well if a neanderthal could read I mean. (What's that say about Hersom? I'm well into Edge #2 by the time I wrote this.)Having read almost exclusively sci-fi/fantasy for the last year/years, I've been suffering from major book burn-out. Out of desperation, I went back to one the first genre's I used to read, Westerns. And not the realistic historic fiction type of Western, but the testosterone fueled, ultra violent, sexist, spaghetti western paperback kind, that used to take about half the shelf space of the Men's Adventure section of the mall book store and several levels of the drug store spinner racks. The likes of which Clint Eastwood and director Sergio Leone revolutionized the western movies with. First published in 1972, its cheesy book from a cheesy decade. No politically correctness or high literary merit to be found here. Ain't it grand?Edge is a mean son-of-b**** that's really no better than the savage men he hunts down. Between the war, and the brutal murder of his brother - the last of Edge's family- all compassion has been burned out of him or it just unleashed his psychopathic tenancies. I'd never want to pass Edge in the street but he's a helluva good time to read about.

I started reading Edge back in the early 80's when it came out in paperback. Life got in the way and I stopped for some reason. I just found the series on Kindle and am starting for the first book. For any of you who like westerns, try the first one and see if it does not grab you and make you want to read more of Edge....

I remember reading this book when I got married (1974)my new husband gave it to me to read. I enjoyed it then as I did now,

I know the EDGE series from way back when it was first published and translated in Germany. Back at that time I was thrilled by the storyline and was annoyed when the German publisher did close this series after only 10 books. There was no possibilty to order the original novels at that time - and amazon still was not more than an unreal imagination, as well as the internet.Now I see the "rebirth" of the series, and I am glad about it. I just read the first novel THE LONER and see that it is just thrilling as many years before. If anyone wants to read a good western with an interesting hero, here is the opportunity!

Without a doubt the greatest western writer of all times and the greatest characters depicted in his books ,,was great thirty years ago and still as good today

Used to have many of the edge books yes ago but got lost was fun to return to them this was a good opening reminder why I had them

Yep as pointlessly violent as the reviews suggested, gruesome, blood thirsty, nasty with an anti hero with few if any likable characteristics and even fewer qualities BUT an entertaining read from start to finish, well worth the price. I’ll have to source the tv show because if it’s as entertaining as this first book, then it will be well worth the effort and the price.