Seeker
Glenn S. Robertson
Echo & Ink, LLC (2026)
ISBN 979-8994686904
Reviewed by Lauren Weiner for Reader Views (09/2026)
Seeker, Glenn S. Robertson’s first published novel, is a post-apocalyptic western tale following Ghost, a solitary rider (or Seeker) who collects lost remnants from ruins of a long-forgotten world. After a long stay away, Ghost returns to his small Wyoming town, Casper, only for it to be attacked by a band of raiders who kidnap a young girl. Ghost, along with a few other heroic types, set out to find the girl and bring her home.
The opening pages set in on Ghost riding up to the front gates of Casper with a weather-beaten duster and thick cowboy boots. It’s an introduction infused with grit and humor, and reads exactly like the beginning to a good, quasi-nostalgic western. Matching the country writing style are the chapter titles, which are bold, blunt, and alluring. Each one feels like a title of a Lambert Hillyer film: “On the Trail, off the Scent,’ or “Tread Carefully, Seeker,” for example.
In between each chapter are excerpts (notes, recipes, letters, etc.) that, over the years, Ghost has found and collected to get a better sense of the world that once was. In this way, Robertson accomplished a few things. Particularly, the delivery of exposition regarding the western post-apocalypse is subtle and smooth.
Additionally, these excerpts greatly sharpen Seeker’s themes. Often, these notes show fears about the economic stability and political order surrounding the ‘Red Death.’ This disease doubles as Seeker’s apocalyptic catalyst and an eerie reflection of the fragile American government.
The best letters and scrawlings are about faith. In one, a priest worries about his failure to God; another has a young Carolinian questioning the existence of a higher power. Many are about people trying to maintain their faith, or push it away, in an every-darkening dystopia. All the excerpts – about faith, fear, or something else – provide both comfort and critique about the current state of the world; about how people respond to big picture chaos.
Robertson’s writing makes these heavy themes and the meaty narrative easy to digest. There are tasteful amounts of witty humor interlaced with storytelling. After the menacing antagonist reveals the depraved kidnapping plan to his henchmen, he waltzes over to a boiling caldron and yells: “Is this stew or a chamber pot?” Interwoven into the more action-based scenes are colorful metaphors that capture the bloody violence with a strange beauty:
“In a single motion, he pulled his pistol from his holster, aimed, and fired a single shot through the bandit’s chin and skull, sending a fountain of gore upward as an offering to the sky.”
While an occasionally oddly-phrased sentence gave me pause, the novel is well-written, with the syntax and wording used to ease understanding and move the plot along at a steady pace.
Seeker is more than words on a page to Robertson, who also very clearly values characters. There are eight or so who remain present throughout the novel. This is perfect for readers who enjoy a layered, fast-moving plot, but it might be less so for those who crave character connection with one or two standout personalities. Four of the five leading heroic cowboys have the same motivation and goal – ‘doing good for the sake of it.’ Two gain further depth in their motives as the plot develops.
The antagonist, on the other hand, is a delightful riot. King John is a cruel, brawny egomaniac who doesn’t seem to have a tinge of humanity left in him. At one point, Ghost says, “Some people are just born bad.” This is a simple sentence with a profound sentiment. King John is a figurehead for amoral real-worlders who crave power over people, respect no one, and take what they want when they want it.
Over the course of Seeker, the narrative perspective switches between the eight characters. These shifts infuse the plot with nuance, dramatic irony, and tension. A small handful of moments give way to repetitiveness in the story and re-explain what the audience was already told. When done well, however, Seeker impressively reiterates a scene that’s already been said with a completely different lens.
Throughout, Robertson suspensefully tugs the line of information, leaving readers hungry for more. Often, it’s easy to question details that seemingly have no explanation, only for a later reveal of the ideas behind those details. This creates a pleasant pull and push of tension that leaves readers on edge.
Digression aside, Seeker is a sturdy addition to the niche post-apocalyptic western genre. Its few flaws are forgivable considering this is the very first of Robertson’s work – which readers will want more of after a readthrough of Seeker. The novel is perfect for fans of westerns and post-apocalyptic worlds that offer poignant critique of the real world and are put together with writing that is gritty, sharp, and humorously playful.
At a Glance: A post-apocalyptic Western adventure follows a lone scavenger who joins a rescue mission after marauders abduct a girl from a Wyoming settlement. Set in a civilization devastated by disease, the novel blends frontier action, dark humor, religious questions, and graphic violence.
Best for Readers Who Enjoy: Post-apocalyptic Westerns, dystopian fiction, lone gunslinger adventures, survival stories, action-packed rescue missions, faith in times of crisis, morally corrupt villains, gritty frontier fiction, dark humor