Named one of the Best of the Year by Kirkus Reviews, Winner in the Fantasy category by The Indie Excellence Awards, and Finalist in the Action Adventure category by the Next Generation Indie Awards.
“The third entry in Drachman’s series (after Watt O’Hugh Underground) dives right into a complex world of time travel, lost love, faith, war, and the afterlife. The titular Roamer — a time traveler with cowboy flavor — is hoodwinked into getting good and dead. He wakes up in the Hell of the Innocent Dead, a place of Chinese myth devoted to those unjustly dead whose murderers still walk free. Watt and his new companions quickly run into trouble from a common enemy and embark on an adventure to maintain their humanity, redress their grievances, and defeat evil…. [L]ongtime fans will likely enjoy Watt’s memoirs of past, present, and future events. VERDICT: Genre mashup devotees should get some good laughs and thrills from this Western/adventure/sf/fantasy blend. Fans of Doctor Who may adapt easily to the timey-wimeyness and readers of Richard Kadrey’s ‘Sandman Slim’ series who long for more atypical excursions to hell will enjoy as well.” — Nicole Steeves, Library Journal
“If you gave up on the feasibility of a Western/science fiction mash-up when ‘Cowboys vs Aliens’ tanked a few months back, give it another try. On the page, at any rate. … Drachman revives the nascent genre with his rip-snorting, mind boggling novel, The Ghosts of Watt O’Hugh … [T]here’s a lot going on in this teeming tome!” – Peter Keough, The Boston Phoenix
“Watt O’Hugh will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page of Steven Drachman’s joyful, hilarious and smart tale … Watt O’Hugh made me an instant fan!” — Nicolle Wallace (NY TIMES Bestselling author of Eighteen Acres, and ABC-TV analyst)
“An exciting and tumultuous tale … Watt evades fantastical monsters with the same self-reported aplomb he uses to confront demonic gunfighters, rob trains, and comfort distressed maidens (both living and otherwise). Four stars out of five!” — Foreword Reviews
“From deadlings and mystical power to a utopic society, this strange mix has a bit of everything, the surprise is that it actually does come together to create a rollicking tale with enough lose ends to fuel a sequel… Those who grew up with the serial productions of the 1950’s (think The Perils of Pauline) will see instant parallels between those cliff-hanger tales and this fun romp through the wild west.”– Monsters and Critics
“What a wonderful sequel… a sophisticated adventure story that defies genre expectations. Watt O’Hugh Underground mashes up elements of classic Wild West drama and romance with fantasy magic. Threads of Jewish and Chinese mysticism and time travel weave in and out of this tall tale. …. Drachman has clearly come into his own in Book 2 and if he keeps up this momentum, Book 3 will be a powerhouse. Recommended.” – David David Katzman, author, A Greater Monster (Bedhead Books)
“What’s unique about it is the blend of Western stuff with supernatural stuff. It blends so easily with a long-lost love subplot. Both books are quick-reading, page-turning pulpy adventures.” – Science Fiction Revolution
“[An] engaging tale of Western science fiction and amazing fantasy…. Drachman pens a standout lead in the character of Watt O’Hugh. The cool hero’s tale is told in charming, romping detail, from the magical adventurer’s poor childhood in the Five Points and the Tomb[s], to his notorious, gun-toting dalliances in the Wild West and his wilder exploits through time itself. … Adding legitimate historical figures, such as the esteemed author Oscar Wilde, to the fictional mix builds levels of believability to the time-traveling romp’s fast-paced flavor. … this introductory tale of a planned trilogy often has the fleeting pace found in many of the historic Western pulps authored in the 1800s. Fast-paced, energetic and fun; a dime novel for modern intellectuals.” – Kirkus Reviews (on Ghosts of Watt O’Hugh)
“By the end of the second novel, we have a revenge plot, a Chinese version of Hell, a quest, more historical personages, and some derring do. … These are both intriguing and entertaining novels … Not the kind of thing you find too often, and that in itself can be a virtue.” — Don D’Ammassa, Critical Mass
“Looking for something a little more…weird? … for more weirdness, check out the over-the-top pulpishness of Steven S. Drachman’s dime-store duology The Ghosts of Watt O’Hugh and Watt O’Hugh Underground, in which a man born in 1842 embarks on a time-traveling journey throughout Earth’s history, including the Old West.” — John DeNardo, SF Signal
“If you enjoy Westerns, SF, or just want to read a few books that aren’t set in yet another dystopian landscape, give the Watt O’Hugh novels a try. You just may find a new favorite author, and Watt’s adventures aren’t over just yet. 4 Enormous and Threatening Sand Crabs out of 5!” — Jodi Scaife, Fanbase Press
“Watt O’Hugh III is a Civil War vet whose exploits as the hero of a best-selling dime novel make him a national hero. But during a stint with a Wild West show, he is forced to get back in the saddle to battle a Wall Street banker turned outlaw and to solve a centuries old Chinese mystery. This new book series is reminiscent of a frontier Indiana Jones.” — Cowboys and Indians: The Premier Magazine of the West
“[U]proarious! … He brings to his many adventures a sensibility like that of George MacDonald Fraser’s Flashman, except he is brave (and truthful: he promises he has never told a lie to the best of his recollection). Drachman infuses this blending of Wild Western and time-travel science fiction with breakneck plotting, sharp dialogue, and some solid but well-camouflaged historical research; he neatly balances his hero’s romantic dalliances with his hairsbreadth adventures, and the momentum sustained through these two volumes is enjoyable enough to make the concluding volume of the trilogy eagerly anticipated.” — Historical Novel Society
“Watt O’Hugh is a richly developed character that, though he seems indestructible at times, he is full of basic human thoughts such as: doubt, selfishness, and reluctance. The way the character jumps back and forth using both speech from the 19th century and from present day, that he learned from roaming time, makes us relate and like him that much more. All the other quirky characters are fully fleshed out as well, from the pure-hearted Billy Golden to the nefarious J.P. Morgan. Drachman gives us enough to care about the main players (even the bad guys) but not so much to draw away from Watt O’Hugh’s story. The Ghosts of Watt O’Hugh is a fun read and leaves you wanting more. Luckily it is the first part of a trilogy.… It is definitely worth picking up. It has a wide appeal of fans of westerns, sci-fi/fantasy, alternate reality, or just plain good writing.” — Adam Armstrong, NewMyths.com.
“As society leaps forward, not everyone gleefully goes with it. The Ghosts of Watt O’Hugh is a western of sorts of the fading era of the cowboy. Blending in elements of fantasy and time travel, … The Ghosts of Watt O’Hugh is a humorous and fun adventure, recommended.” — Margaret Lane, The Midwest Book Review
“[Q]uite poetic! …. The time travelling almost takes on ‘Doctor Who’ proportions. He meets up with Chinese from 2000 years ago and gets involved in complicated plots which could affect everything and everyone. Despite being up against lots of violence and villains, Lucy … is his main preoccupation, his oasis in the desert of time. When all is said and done, this book is a jolly good romp, pleasant to read and very entertaining. It’s being released with the second book in the series and there will probably be more in the future. … It’s a well-written book which certainly deserves some attention!” — SF CrowsNest
“Quixote-esque …. With stories of Chinese emperors, legends of magical creatures, the streets of 1870s New York and time-roaming gunmen of the Wild West[.]” — Mia Cortez, The Bethesda Gazette
“Drachman’s exuberant novel is chock-full of fantastical elements; in addition to Watt’s time-roaming ability and spectral allies (often called “deadlings”), there are demons, oracles, dragons and assorted monstrosities…. Watt shines!” — Kirkus Reviews (on Watt O’Hugh Underground)
“Lots of action, not a lot of exposition, but a good solid story that feels fun and entertaining…. I don’t think you likely need to be a fan of westerns to end up enjoying this book, although it’s much more western than it is science fiction…. a fun, quick read.” — Shane Ede, Novelnaut
“… a tale of yesteryear, evocative of Robber Barons and the old West, while ingeniously narrated from a modern perspective, courtesy of Magic and an ability to roam Time. Watt O’Hugh is a character for sure and an engaging narrator who will take you through fascinating worlds, meticulously researched …. Watt O’Hugh is cowboy fantasy noir and worth a read.” — Mike Brotherton, author, Star Dragon and Spider Star
“The Ghosts of Watt O’Hugh is an eclectic mix of western, time travel, romance, and magic and with a myriad of famous characters, it reads like a historical who’s who of the late 1800s. … Watt flourished as a flawed human being. He didn’t feel characterized; he felt real and this was a great strength for the story. … a memorable read … offbeat and filled with history and unique details that make the character of Watt unforgettable.” — Erica Woolridge, Sift Reviews
“ … a triumph of genre bending, a fine, literary mashup of cowboy adventure and science fiction magic that makes you wish you could meet its carefully hewn characters in real life.” — Harold Goldberg, author, All Your Base are Belong to Us
“Love story, action-adventure, historical characters, time-travel science fiction– Watt O’Hugh has it all. A perfect read for those who like to delve into the realm of the offbeat.” — Granville Burgess, screenwriter, Tales from the Darkside, playwright, Conrack
“This is a book that rollocks along without slowing down … overall I found myself quite impressed by the technical accomplishment of keeping such a frantic narrative on the boil. Complicated it might be, and sometimes dizzying, but The Ghosts of Watt O’Hugh is never dull .… Drachman has created a sense of real drama on an epic scale …. an ambitious and well-realised tale of American life.” — Chris Algernon, Indie Bookspot
“… a vivid, fast-paced and unpredictable journey, keenly observed and lyrically presented, through the life and times of a most unusual man.” — Helen Pfeffer, Contributing Writer, FilmCritic.com
“… one of the most exciting and original debuts I’ve read in years….. Tragic, funny, thrilling and something completely different, The Ghosts of Watt O’Hugh is well worth a look for fans of westerns, fantasy, and adventure. This is only the beginning and I really look forward to seeing where Drachman takes Watt next.” — Mike Ferrante, King of the Nerds website
“Unbelievable book from [a] greatly skilled writer. … [Drachman] does more than mix genres into one story, he writes an endearing and action packed one at that. I did not want to ever put it down but alas a person does need to sleep on occasion. This is one you should not let pass … You will feel for every character before the end.” — Albert Robbins III, Free Book Reviews
“This book refuses to be labeled. It begins [as] a memoir, turns into a Western with some flashy fantasy heels, then becomes an action and adventure novel, followed closely by a time-traveling extravaganza. I knew I was going to like it from the first page. How? Because the narrator has a fresh, unique voice that captures the reader’s attention … There are many action scenes that really leave the reader breathless, the pacing is wonderful …. This was a very fun book, and I can recommend it to all of those who like to read ‘different’ books.” — Valentina Cano, Carabosse’s Library