"Stick Riders" is a spoof on the classic cowboy or motorcycle outlaw tale. As told in the inflated prose style of nineteenth century adventure novels, two drifters riding through the Australian outback encounter a band of aboriginals sheltering a white woman. They learn the tribe is being threatened by bad guys at the nearby cattle station. Even worse, the cattle men are holding fifteen year old Judy against her will! The two intrepid heroes agree to rescue the lass, and off they go on their trusty mounts. Things aren't quite as one would expect, however. The steeds are pogo sticks, the damsel isn't as distressed as initially portrayed, and the evilness of the top cattle man seems to have been embellished a bit.
I gave "Stick Riders" three stars because the general silliness and the purple prose made it hard for me to take this short story seriously. It's like when one of your friends shows up with a guitar and a case of beer on Saturday night. You aren't thinking, "Wow, what an awesome concert," even though you might be having quite a bit of fun. Likewise, "Stick Riders" is a fun read without making me think "Wow, what an awesome piece of literature."
