The place of dead roads

Burroughs’ classic, surreal reworking of the myth of the Old West.

William Burroughs’ surreal fable set in America’s Old West features a cast of notorious characters: The Crying Gun, who breaks into tears at the sight of his opponent; The Priest, who goes into gunfights giving his adversaries the last rites; and The Nihilistic Kid himself, Kim Carson, who, with a succession of beautiful sidekicks, sets out to challenge the morality of smalltown America.

With a narrative of fantastical proportions and a rich, dry, growling humour, ‘The Place of Dead Roads’ continues Burroughs’ exploration of society’s controlling forces – the State, the Church, women, literature, drugs – with a style utterly unique in 20th century literature.