Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West (Vintage International) is a masterpiece by Cormac McCarthy, originally published on May 5, 1992. Widely regarded as one of the finest novels by a living writer, it is an epic tale that subverts the conventions of the Western novel and challenges the mythologies surrounding the “Wild West.” Set in the brutal landscape of America’s westward expansion during the 1850s, the narrative follows a fourteen-year-old Tennessean, known as the Kid, who becomes entangled with the Glanton gang—a band of scalpers on an official mission. The diabolical Judge Holden, one of the most unforgettable characters in American fiction, seems to preside over this nightmarish world, pushing the Kid to confront extraordinary brutality.

Blood Meridian is not just a story but a genius vision of the historical West, its stature only growing with each passing year. One of The Atlantic’s “Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years,” it now comes with a new foreword by Marlon James, adding fresh insights to this enduring classic.

This novel, which spans 368 pages, is a profound exploration of violence and corruption, offering readers a chilling and unforgettable journey through one of America’s most mythologized yet darkest periods. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the American West or the power of literary fiction to illuminate the darker aspects of human nature.