The Draw

By: Jerome Bixby

Narrated by: John Burlinson

Stories of the old West were filled with bad men who lived by the speed of their gun hands. Well, meet Buck Tarrant, who could outdraw them all. His secret: He didn't even have to reach for his weapon. This original blend of the Western tale with a story of the uncanny, "The Draw" was written by Jerome Bixby, an American short story writer, editor, and scriptwriter best known for his work in science fiction, although he also wrote many Westerns. It was originally published in the March 1954 edition of Amazing Stories, and you can't help but agree - it is an amazing story.

Public Domain (P)2016 John Burlinson

Unusual

Jerome Bixby (1923-1998) was a famous short story writer. Many of his stories were turned into T.V. shows and movies. He wrote primarily in two genres: western and science fiction. He was most famous for the 1957 story “It’s A Good Life” which became a 1961 episode of The Twilight Zone television show. This story “The Draw” is in public domain. I hope to see more of his work appear again as publishers take advantage of the works going into the public domain.

Bixby is a magnificent short story writer. He has the ability to place the reader into the scene in just a few sentences. In this story, he immediately placed the reader into a dusty western town. Joe Doolen is the story teller and Buck Tarrant is the gun fighter. The story has a twist to it that will take the reader by surprise.

John Burlinson does a good job narrating the story. Burlinson is a voice over artist and audiobook narrator. Burlinson has a great voice for doing westerns.