Is Cormac McCarthy a guide through the void? A Talk with Steven Frye

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As some of you might know by now, I’m an avid reader of Cormac McCarthy. His books have meant—and still mean—a great deal to me, not just from an aesthetic perspective but on a deeper, existential level. So today, I’m honored to be speaking with one of the foremost scholars of McCarthy’s work: Steven Frye, Professor of American Literature and Chair of English at California State University, Bakersfield.

Our conversation delves into two of McCarthy’s most towering works: Blood Meridian, with its bleak, violent world, and The Road, a stripped-down, post-apocalyptic story centered on the bond between a father and son. Though these novels seem vastly different, they ask strikingly similar questions: Can decency survive in a world where power, destruction, and loss seem inevitable?

We also explored the concept of “weak theology” in McCarthy’s work—how can a God allow such evil to happen? In The Road, McCarthy seems to ask whether the "fire" of human compassion can endure in a universe that offers nothing in return.

McCarthy’s portrayal of the American West redefines the genre itself, moving beyond mythic heroism into existential struggle. Blood Meridian forces us to confront the dark side of Enlightenment ideals, while The Road suggests that even in a godless, ruined world, something resembling hope might persist—not through divine intervention, but through human love and sacrifice.

Steven Frye doesn’t let McCarthy’s characters rest in simple archetypes. He explores how figures like Judge Holden in Blood Meridian embody a destructive force of total dominance and knowledge devoid of ethics. Yet Frye also points out how McCarthy creates space for resistance—even in the face of inevitable destruction. Is the kid’s defiance of Holden a doomed rebellion—or a glimmer of human decency that refuses to die?

Our discussion also touched on McCarthy's more romantic vision of the West in All the Pretty Horses and The Crossing. We reflected on the impossibility of returning to an imagined past of purity and belonging, as McCarthy’s characters grapple with modernity’s harsh realities.

If you enjoy today’s conversation, I highly recommend visiting Steven Frye’s website at stevenfrye.org, where you’ll find his writings. I also suggest checking out his novel, Dogwood Crossing.

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