Sharp Ends : Stories from the World of First Law.

Currently reading, in an intermittent way, Joe Abercrombies Sharp Ends : Stories from the World of First Law. Published 2016 and is 372 pages in length. Its an anthology of short stories that are typically postmodern westerns in a fantasy setting, that could be called scenes composed of character studies with violence. Practically the composition of a wrestling match in literary form. Because they are westerns in a fantasy setting the typical ranged weapons are longbows and crossbows (what I assume the union "flatbows" are) which are described as more impersonal weapons and often in the same equalising point and shoot theme a firearm would be described in a western novel. The short story "Some Desperado" has one character begging another character not to "shoot" (188 : 2016), with the description "In fact, once you've got it drawn and aimed it's easier to let fly than not to." (188 : 2016), described in a way comparable to a firearm. Of course shoot is derived from old english sceotan which is the transitive verb of throw a missile, so to assume it would be used exclusively for firearms is incorrect. Even if it was this is still a fantasy setting and I am not High Lord Pedantic. Although perhaps because I point this out, maybe I am. The close combat tends to be more personal, akin to the build up in a wrestling match, although acting without thinking seems to be a theme and Abercrombie tends to build up then oppose the readers expectations. So, the literary equivalent to a wrestling match in a fantasy western setting. Perhaps a better analogy would be to compare it to a Tarantino movie. I wonder if Abercrombie just wrote these to keep in practice and develop ideas and eventually decided to collect them into an anthology. Still, great if you are looking for a series of engaging and concise reads.

Link to online example at Sharp Ends : Stories from the World of First Law. 

Abercrombie, Joe. (2016) Sharp Ends : Stories from the World of First Law. Published by Gollancz, Great Britain.