A while ago I was in a used paperback store. It is a small place packed to the gills with books. Half of one wall is dedicated to westerns. Needless to say, I like to go there whenever I get the chance. What is nice about it is that if there is a book that is out of print it can probably be found there.
On this particular day, a woman was in there asking her about westerns. Her father enjoys reading them and she was looking for something different from Louis L'Amour. The owner of the shop said "Look for Ralph Compton, but make sure it is by Ralph Compton and not someone else. There are other authors putting out westerns under his name and they are not as good." My head whipped around and I jumped up on my soapbox (I carry it in my back pocket for such occaisions)
"Actually, they are every bit as good as Compton's original work if not better. Ralph Compton died in 1999 and two authors, Ralph Cotton and Robert Vaughan were contracted to write under his name. Then the Ralph compton line was started. Sadly it is the only way some of the more popular authors can get anything in print in the western genre. And when it is submitted, there is no guarantee that it will be accepted. They want their westerns to run like a John Wayne movie rather than a Clint Eastwood movie, so they have a strict guidline they follow. So if another author has his book out under the Compton line it is like getting a compliment to say that this book is every bit as good as Ralph would have wanted it."
The two women looked at me in a way that said "Gee, you learn something new everday, now shut up so I can get/sell some books"
So, if you are looking for a western and see Ralph Compton's name on it with another person's, rest assured that person passed the test.
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