The Place of Dead Roads
The Red Night Trilogy • Book 2
by William S. Burroughs
Narrated by Ray Porter
Why Listen?
Ray Porter's delivery transforms Burroughs' fractured, hallucinatory prose into something genuinely propulsive—he makes the chaos feel intentional, not impenetrable. If you've bounced off Burroughs before, this narrator might be the key.
About This Audiobook
Set against the backdrop of the American frontier, this surreal western follows Kim Carson and his band of outlaws as they navigate a landscape where traditional gunslinger mythology collides with Burroughs' trademark experimental narrative style. The story weaves between time periods and realities, creating a psychedelic adventure where the quest for freedom extends far beyond terrestrial boundaries. Carson's journey becomes both a literal fight for survival in the lawless territories and a metaphysical battle against cosmic forces of control and oppression.
Ray Porter's narration transforms Burroughs' fragmented prose into a hypnotic listening experience that captures the hallucinogenic quality of the source material. His measured delivery allows the dense, stream-of-consciousness passages to breathe while maintaining the underlying tension of the western adventure elements. Porter navigates the author's experimental shifts in voice and perspective with remarkable clarity, making the complex narrative structure accessible to listeners. The audio format enhances the dreamlike quality of Burroughs' writing, creating an immersive journey through the author's twisted vision of the American West.