Book #180: Back to the Future III by Craig Shaw Gardner

 

Back To The Future III

Craig Shaw Gardner

 Released: June 1st, 1990

My 46th book for 2026 was Craig Shaw Gardner’s Back To The Future III.  

(For those keeping track at home, this is my 46th book.  This completes what I should have had read by October 1st.  As you can see, it's not October 8th.  This month will be a bit smoother because one of my novels contains 7 books, and I have another biography before that.  Giving my 8 for October (assuming no spontaneous reads).)

This might be my favorite of the Back To The Future trilogy.  I really love this story.  I'm amazed at how well it bridges over from Part 2.  And it seamlessly transitions into a world of its own.  There's a reason BTTF III shows up on a lot of Best "Western" films lists.  Because it is one.  (The quotes are there because some of you probably would have thought Best Western does film reviews.)

After realizing Doc Brown is still alive in Part 2, Marty sets out to find 1955 Doc Brown to help him go back to 1885 and rescue his mentor.  After digging up a DeLorean that has sat in a mine shaft for 70 years, Marty and 1955 Doc get it all set and ready to go.  Before going back, Marty discovers that Doc was killed shortly after he wrote him the letter.  Marty goes back to 1885 where he has to find Doc and prevent his death from occurring so they can go back to 1985.  Buford "Mad-Dog" Tannen is an outlaw running rampant all over Hill Valley.  Marty must contend against him and his gang to protect both himself and Doc so they can travel back alive.  Along the way is Clara Clayton who Doc has fallen for.  After altering her future (death), Clara has a clear path to join Doc in the future.  Marty and Doc set up a train to push the DeLorean to 88mph and land on solid track in 1985.  A wild ending sequence occurs with the heroes defying death and making it back in one piece.  Once back home, Marty revives Jennifer, and witnesses Doc's latest time traveling locomotive along with his new family with Clara and their sons Jules and Vern.

Part 3 usually had this lesser feeling to it because it essentially retells the same story only in 1885 fashion.  It rubbed off on some people the wrong way.  I mean imagine if they had continued with another BTTF film in 1992 and 1994.  I truly believe the stories still could have worked.  

To me it's trippy.  Part 3 is the only one released in a separate decade (by release technicality).  Part 3 was already complete in 1989, it was just released with a 6-month separation from Part 2 since they were shot back-to-back.  So in a strange way of looking at things, when the clock struck Midnight on Jan 1st, 2000, we had just stepped out of the last decade to give us a new BTTF film.

There's so much to like here.  We see 1955, 1885, and finally back to 1985.  This film was shot back-to-back with Part 2, so it was easier to connect the films together.  The idea of Marty going west was originally from Michael J. Fox who was asked what period he would like to see the franchise travel to.  It was a nice victory at the box office, and finished off one of the greatest sci-fi adventure movies of all time.

Mad-Dog Tannen is a formidable foe, and creates true havoc for Marty and Doc.  The wildest part is, Jennifer was asleep in 1985 this entire time.  She has no idea how Marty risked his life to get back to her.

I struggled to finish this book merely due to that fact that I enjoyed it so immensely.  The story flows so coherently and just puts a nice touch to the series, while keeping true to original elements.

Here is what I learned:

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• “The West is the best.” - Jim Morrison.

• Doc Brown watches Buffalo Bob Smith.

• Marty dreams he was in a Clint Eastwood Western.

• 1985 Doc Brown is stuck in 1885 because replacement parts for the time circuits will not be invented until 1947.

• Doc buried the DeLorean in the Delgado Mine, adjacent to the old Boot Hill Cemetery.

• 1885 Doc Brown leaves repair instructions.

• 1885 Doc Brown warns Marty to not attempt to come back in time and save him.

• “'Do not, I repeat, do not attempt to come back here and get me. I am perfectly happy living here in the fresh air and wide-open spaces, and I fear that unnecessary time travel only risks further disruption of the space-time continuum.”

• Doc wrote the letter September 1st, 1885.  This means he arrived in January 1885.

• The DeLorean was hidden in a side tunnel.

• Doc has access to dynamite in 1955.

• Doc’s favorite author is Jules Verne.

• Doc once tried to dig to the center of the Earth when he was 12.

• 1885 Doc signs the tunnel E.L.B. so Marty and 1955 Doc can find the DeLorean.

• The DeLorean was buried for 70 years, 2 months, and 13 days.

• When you uncover something that hasn’t been invented yet, it’s insanity rather than archeology.

• The lightning bolt shorted out the time circuit microchip.

• 1885 Doc knew how to reconstruct one with 1955 components.

• 1955 Doc has never seen a microchip before.

• Doc Brown wanted to become a cowboy growing up.

• Young Doc spent a few summers working at Statler’s Ranch.

• Doc decided to become a scientist when he was 11 after reading 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and discovering science.

• Doc’s tombstone reads “Date of birth unknown, Died September 7th, 1885.  Shot in the back by Buford Tannen over a matter of 80 dollars.  Erected in eternal memory by his beloved Clara.

• City Archives are located in the basement of Hill Valley City Hall.

• Doc knows Charlie the night watchman.

• Doc and Charlie share a passion for the old west.

• According to the file in Hill Valley’s “Hill Valley: 1880’s” Drawer.

• Mad-Dog is Biff’s great-grandfather.

• Tannen once shot a newspaper editor who printed an unfavorable article about him in 1884.

• Marty’s great-grandfather was William McFly.

• The Browns didn’t move to Hill Valley until 1908.

• Before then, they were known as the Von Brauns.

• Doc’s father changed the family name after World War I.

• The Town Clock was built on September 5th, 1885.

• Hill Valley features the Pohatchee Drive-In.

• Marty mentions Clint Eastwood to 1955 Doc.  Eastwood would not be known for westerns until the 1960’s.

• Marty goes back to Wednesday September 2nd, 1885.

• The Pohatchee Indians resided in the outskirts of Hill Valley in 1885.

• A grizzly bear lives in the cave Marty stashes the DeLorean.

• Maggie’s “Old Irish Recipe” must be 100 proof.

• William Sean McFly is only 5 months old when Marty arrives.

• William is the first McFly of America.

• William pees on Marty.

• The McFlys eat jackrabbits that Seamus hunted.

• The McFlys are from Ballybowhill, Ireland.

• Seamus and Maggie married there.

• Doc Brown set up shop in the old livery stable in town.

• A bathroom is called a privy in 1885.

• 1885 outhouses carry a foul odor.

• “Hill Valley really looked like something out of the wild west, even, sort of, like a western movie. A dirt road led down the main street, past an old barn on the left, and a row of stores on the right, fronted by a raised, wooden sidewalk.”

• Honest Joe Statler sells Horses.

• He is the ancestor of the 1985 Statlers who sell cars.

• 1885 Hill Valley contains: a saloon, a barbershop, a general store, the Hill Valley newspaper office, a Chinese laundry, a post office-and there were men riding horses, folks in wagons, even a fellow walking along with a shovel and cart the sign on the side said A. JONES. MANURE HAULING.)-everything you'd expect in a real western town.

• The Hill Valley Festival is Saturday September 5th, 1885.

• Proceeds to construct the Clock Tower.

• The marshal has gone to Haysville to witness the hanging of Stinky Lomax.

• There were only 38 states in 1885.

• Women in Saloons are “saloon girls”.

• Buford hates his nickname “Mad Dog”.

• Buford attempts to hang Marty.

• The book features the scene that nearly killed actor Michael J. Fox in real life.

• Buford horse threw a shoe that was fixed by Doc.

• Doc never received payment.

• Buford drinks Kentucky Red-Eye.

• Buford shot his horse.

• Hubert is the 1885 Mayor of Hill Valley.

• Miss Clara Clayton is the new schoolteacher in town.

• Doc volunteered to show her around.

• Doc Brown has a machine that produces a single ice cube for iced tea.

• Doc has a dozen horses in his stable.

• Doc attempts to use 180 proof whiskey as fuel for the DeLorean.

• “Fearless” Frank Fargo once got a train up to 70mph out past Verde Junction.

• The next train in the Hill Valley is Monday morning at 8:00.

• The Clayton Ravine is known on earlier maps as Shonash Ravine.

• The Shonash Ravine Bridge is due to be completed in Summer 1886.

• Doc Brown saves Clara from going into the ravine (Future Altered).

• The schoolteacher job in 1885 comes with its own house.

• Clayton Ravine was named after a schoolteacher who fell over the cliff about 100 years prior to 1985.

• Students at Hill Valley have often wished their least favorite teachers would fall into the ravine.

• Elmer H. Johnson was the purveyor of the world’s finest shooting instruments.

• Col. Sam Colt’s patented firearms company is based in Hartford, CT.

• The Colt Peacemaker sells for $12.

• Marty used to play the video game Wild Gunman.

• Marty learned to shoot a gun at 7-Eleven.

• Strickland is the marshal.

• Frisbie was once a pie company.

• Marty finds Frisbie Pies in 1885.  Turns out an actual company existed that started in like 1871.  And they went all the way to the late 1950’s before the factory shut down.  Some guy bought the rights and reopened in 2016 using the original recipes.  And then their website has been defunct since 2022 because of something presumed to be COVID-related.

• The festival features songs such as “My Darling Clementine”.

• Buford technically proceeds Francisco Scaramanga with the quote “I only need one” in reference to only having one bullet.

• Clara could always recognize a bully.

• Marty stops Buford from murdering Doc with a Frisbie pie tin. (Future Altered)

• The gang is set to rob the Pine City Stage on Sunday.

• Buford sets a showdown for Monday at 7am in front of the Palace Saloon.

• Buford does his killing before breakfast.

• Brawling comes with 15 days in the county jail.

• Elmer Johnson gives Marty a brand new Colt Peacemaker and gunbelt free of charge after seeing him stand up to Buford.

• Elmer wants everyone to know that the gun that killed Buford was a Peacemaker.

• Seamus has a brother named Martin.

• Martin was killed after being stabbed in a saloon in Virginia City.

• When Clara was 11, she caught diphtheria and was quarantined for 3 months. L

• Her father gave her a telescope to pass the time and it began her interest in astronomy.

• Clara foreshadows the future.

• "Emmett, do you ever think we'll be able to travel there, the way we travel across the country, on trains?"

• Doc quotes “From The Earth To The Moon” by Jules Verne.

• Clara adores Jules Verne.

• 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea is Doc’s favorite Jules Verne novel.

• Doc forgets in 1885 that the book was published about 10 years prior.

• Mr. Phipps is the local undertaker.

• He takes measurements for Marty’s coffin.

• Odds are 2:1 in favor of Buford.

• Doc realizes words are just words, and have no power without reaction.

• "Marty, you can't lose all sense of judgment just because someone calls you a name.“

• Doc accidently lets slip about Marty’s accident (Future Altered).

• In 1985, Marty’s truck gets into an accident with a Rolls Royce during a drag race in Hilldale.

• The DeLorean is modified with metal wheels to accommodate the train track.

• Clara does not believe Doc when he tells the truth.

• Whiskey makes Doc a blackout drunk.

• Las Vegas in 1885 is just desert without water or a saloon.

• Doc cannot hold his liquor.

• Clara decides to take the Number 19 train to Sacramento.

• Marty and the bartender wake up Doc with hot sauce.

• Buford shot and killed Marshal Strickland.

• Strickland’s dying wish is for his son to learn discipline.

• Seamus shows up to see the gunfight between Buford and Marty as he feels his future has something to do with it.

• The barflies do not care for cowards.

• The book changes the movie line from “He’s an asshole” to “He’s an idiot”.

• There is a door out the back of the bar.

• “There’s a difference between being a coward and being a fool.”

• Clara overhears a conversation and has a change of heart about Doc.

• Buford falls into a manure cart after the showdown with Marty.

• Marty mentions movie to a young kid.

• Buford is arrested for the murder of Marshal Strickland.

• Doc Brown creates an 1885 version of Preston. Logs.  Comprises of pressed wood with anthracite dust, chemically treated to burn hotter and longer.

• Doc finds running a locomotive enjoyable.

• They are going back to October 17th, 1985 at 11:00am.

• Clara is from New Jersey.

• Doc Brown learns how to fly a hoverboard.

• Doc and Clara have a deeply smitten romance.

• “Still holding each other tightly, the two of them flew, together, off into the western sky.”

• The Clayton Ravine is now the Eastwood Ravine (Future Altered)

• The 70-year-old DeLorean is destroyed by a locomotive.

• Marty almost forgot about Jennifer until Dave reminds him.

• Marty finds Jennifer asleep, right where they left her.

• Jennifer slept through the ending of Part 2 and all of Part 3 having no idea what Marty went through to get to her.

• Imagine Jennifer waking up and never seeing Marty again because Buford had murdered him.

• Jennifer never wants to live in Hilldale, ever. (Future Altered).

• Marty appears to accept a challenge from Needles in his souped up Red Racing Truck.

• Needle’s truck swerves to miss a Rolls Royce that would have hit Marty. (Future Altered).

• Marty never gets fired in the future (Future Altered).

• The 1885 picture of Doc is the only thing that remained of him.

• Doc built a new Time Machine from a locomotive that runs on steam.

• Doc married Clara, and had 2 boys.

• Doc & Clara’s kids are named Jules and Vern.

• Doc gives Marty a framed photo of them both at the Clock Tower in 1885.

• Doc Brown gives Jennifer wisdom on the future.

• "In the future? That's up to you.  Your future hasn't been written—no one's has.  For better or worse, your future is what you make it.  So make it a good one. Both of you."

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Overall, I am biased on this one, but it's a great read for those into sci-fi, westerns, adventure, romance you name it.  It mixes so many genres in such a way that it hit home perfectly.

Highest Recommendation.

On to Book #181: The Chris Farley Show by Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby.

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Need to catch up?  See previous blog post: Back To The Future II.

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Want to read more in the Back To The Future series?  See also:

Back To The Future

Back To The Future II

Back To The Future III