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.