Last week, I talked about how well (or not) RDR2 represents Black people quantitatively. This week, a qualitative analysis: how well do Dan Houser, Michael Unsworth, and Rupert Humphries write about the Black experience? readdead.com/2025/07/09/219…

you know, I think robbing trains was just Chris Evans's midlife crisis (pejorative)

The historical outlaws who inspired RDR2: readdead.com/2025/06/18/phi…

Forgot to say -- if you checked out the previous version, you may need to clear your cache to see the updates!! It should say "Updated 23 July" at the top at the end of the summary.

The influence of Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian on Red Dead Redemption is undeniable. On RDR2, it's much subtler. Except for one motif, which isn't exactly subtle at all ... readdead.com/2025/07/30/bod…

ICYMI: this week's post is short and sweet. Just like they always say about McCarthy. ha ha

History hidden in plain sight in RDR2! And how John Williams's excellent novel Butcher's Crossing influenced the game, especially Dutch Van der Linde. readdead.com/2025/08/06/the…

getting this week's post ready to go! BIG announcement: this is the last literary work I have to discuss!!! after I wrap up this section, I'll be doing a few brief posts on RDR2's historical and cinematic influences.

Truth be told, RDR2 doesn't often use the most famous figures of the Old West as inspiration. But Oakley Hall sure did. Here's the missing link that connects Arthur Morgan and Doc Holliday. readdead.com/2025/08/20/art…

Doing my best to get this week's post ready, but I've been feeling pretty consistently sick, so the outlook isn't great.

History and Oakley Hall's novel Warlock are the warp and weft of much of RDR2's lore. Here's how Wild Bill Hickok, Ike Clanton, and other famous figures show up in RDR2, or in cut content. readdead.com/2025/09/03/gol…

Read Dead's penultimate post! (for now?) Scenes and dialog from Warlock that show up in #rdr2, including Sadie absolutely walloping a guy, Dutch crushing Arthur's hand, Baylock's design, and more. readdead.com/2025/09/10/fre…