Product Description
A collection of Lansdale comic adaptations and other related art. This volume includes all previous comic adaptations of Lansdale's work (Dark Horse's BY BIZARRE HANDS, DEAD IN THE WEST, and three Mojo Press works) plus two never-before-seen adaptations of "Pilots" and "The Job".Amazon.com Review
For fans of Joe R. Lansdale, it's hard to think of a moredelicious treat than a well-produced collection of 10 comicadaptations of his short stories. From the striking mixed-media colorcover by Dave Dorman, to the biography and bibliography at the end,Atomic Chili: The Illustrated Joe R. Lansdale is a lovinglyexecuted homage to the storyteller from East Texas. Included aretop-notch versions, in a variety of artistic styles, of "By BizarreHands," "Night They Missed the Horror Show," "Dead in the West,""Tight Little Stitches in a Dead Man's Back," and "Steel Valentine."The New York Times places Lansdale in the tradition of"country-noir" pioneered by writers such as James M. Cain, Erskine Caldwell, and Jim Thompson: "They share a total trust in thestraightforward power of a man's voice speaking when that man has awitch's brew of a tale to tell. No tricks, no stylish ennui, nosomnambulant remoteness or pointless savagery are required, but a raresort of gift is, and Joe Lansdale has his in bushel baskets." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great stuff!!
Anything Joe R. Lansdale puts out is one more thing the public just may see and finally get. This guys stories should be savored in whatever form it comes out in. Joe's work is so visual that doing comics of his earlier short story work makes alot of sense. Love the whole design of this book.

Atomic Chili is not for readers of Joe Lansdale!
That's right folks!AC is not really for readers of Joe Lansdale'sstories, as there is quite a bit of repetitious stuff in these comics thatwere covered in his other paperbacks -- the most egregiously copied onebeing DEAD IN THE WEST, which is already in another special edition tradepaperback!The stories are great (hence the three star rating), but I feltripped off because of this excessive reprinting of DEAD IN THE WEST as wellas the other old, staid stories that have reappeared in other short storyanthologies.The AC book would have been infinitely better if had servedup more of Joe's lesser known horror stories; and AC would have been spicedup considerably if Joe had added a more witty number, like GODZILLA'STWELVE STEP PROGRAM, to the menu as well (even though adding that storywould also have been reptitious).

JL is certainly of a sufficientlyinventive mind to crank out more new stories.And he would have betterserved his readership out there if'n he'd a done this with AC -- like,maybe, totally fresh short stories, dude!I mean, if King can do this withhis CREEPSHOW anthologies, surely old Joe can crank 'em out too.

That'smy only beef about AC; other than that, the stories are first-rate, eventhough they're as old and crusty as two-week old dog turds. ... Read more

Product Description
When a group of friends decided to spend a day at the world's largest Drive-In theater horror fest, they expected to see tons of bloody murders, rampaging madmen, and mayhem - but only on the screen. As a mysterious force traps all the patrons inside the Drive-In, the worst in humanity comes out. Filled with Lansdale's razor whit and black humor, The Drive-In is a darkly humorous masterpiece! Collected here is the complete four issue series with bonus material including a new interview with Lansdale himself about the writing of The Drive-In. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

TRUE DRIVE-IN HORROR
The Adaptation of Joe Lansdale's "The Drive-In" is as much about humanistic horror as it is supernatural.A devious, and visceral lab experiment with humans as the test subjects.A group of young friends in Texas decide to spend an evening at the Orbit drive-in movie theater to see an all night long horror film festival with movies like "Evil Dead", "Dawn of the Dead", "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", and more, but the terror will soon turn all too real.Best friends Jack and Bob, along with sheepish Randy, and tough biker Willard think they're in for a long evening of horror classics and beer when the appearance of a meteor changes everything.Suddenly the four friends find themselves trapped in the drive-in with hundreds of other customers by an otherworldly force.They are virtually cut off from the rest of the world by a darkened sky and an impenetrable wall which virtually melts anyone who tries to leave.

Without any means of calling for help, and dwindling food supplies from the concession stand, it is the reactions of the captives that provide the true horror.Some rage forth to try and takeover the concession stand for themselves, others decide that end of the world sex is the way to go, while a fundamentalist Christian movement starts up preaching the way of God.Jack retreats into a shell and has to be pulled out of his self-imposed isolation by Bob who has a hidden stash of food in his car.Meanwhile Willard and Randy's relationship soon turns grossly symbiotic.The pair takes over the concession stand and are struck by a bolt of lightening which should have killed them both.Instead, the pair's bodies have become virtually fused together in a twisted, corroded form that now calls itself the Popcorn King.This demonic dark lord soon has most of the residents worshipping him as a God, even as he feasts upon their bodies.Bob & Jack soon realize that they may be the only hope of salvation for the survivors as they hatch a plot to destroy the Popcorn King.

Lansdale's original story is adapted by Christopher Golden who is probably best known for his Buffy the Vampire Slayer novels as well as writer of the Buffy comic for Dark Horse.He is aided greatly by the beautifully chaotic artwork of Andres Guinaldo who captures the drive-in in all its animalistic glory.The true horror isn't the demonic Popcorn King but seeing how humanity quickly degrades in the face of adversity.Typical, and outstanding Lansdale and a fine job by Golden and Guinaldo.The graphic novel also includes an interview with Landsdale.

Reviewed by Tim Janson
... Read more

Product Description
It's the Great Depression in East Texas, and a fifteen year-old boy has to face down a wild boar that threatens his family. But if his Dad, a tough carnie wrestler, can't stop the beast, what hope does a kid who wants to be a writer have? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great early Lansdale!
This was a fabulous book!Lansdale is a great writer for many reasons one of which is his ability to write in so many different genres. Lansdale wrote The Boar very early in his career.In the introduction Lansdalediscusses the genesis of the story and the journey to get it published. This alone was very interesting.

The story itself is a well-writtenperiod piece.It takes place in Texas during the depression.It is thestory of a 15 year old boy and an almost mythical wild boar that threatenshis family. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Hap and Leonard find more trouble
Long time friends Leonard Pine and Hap Collins are out in the woods, taking target practice and talking about an unfortunate turn in Leonard's love life (his lover,Raul, dumped him for another man, "Horse D**k" McNee).Without warning, a rabid squirrel explodes from the trees and attacks, zeroing in on Hap.The squirrel bites Hap on the right forearm before Leonard can kill it with his car.Hap, hospitalized for insurance reasons, starts treatment to prevent the onset of rabies.

Hap makes the best of his hospital stay, but is puzzled by Leonard's failure to visit.A friend on the police force explains why: shortly after Hap checked in, Leonard invaded a biker bar, beat the crap out of Horse D**k McNee, and fled.Unfortunately, Horse Dick later turned up dead, making Leonard a prime suspect.Hap, ignoring his doctor's wishes, and foregoing the chance to flirt with sexy nurse Brett Sawyer, checks out of the hospital to find his friend and clear his name.

Leonard does not remain a suspect for long, as he and Hap hook up and do what they do best, by which I mean they stir up trouble.They discover that Horse Dick was an undercover cop who apparently was investigating the producers of a series of stalk and rape movies in which gangs terrorize, then sodomize, unsuspecting gay men.Their investigations turn up Raul's corpse, and lead them to Charles Arthur, the self described "Chili King", who appears to be behind the movies and the killings.

Proving that a deck can have as many as three wild cards, Lansdale involves private detective Jim Bob Luke (who first appeared in Lansdale's brutal novel Cold in July) in the action.Investigating the case from another angle, Luke rescues Hap from an extremely tight spot (Hap's privates are wired up to a car battery at the time), and joins the pair as they close in on the lowlife behind all the mayhem.Luke adds a comic and savage element to the novel, helping propel it to a harrowing and surprising climax.

If you are a horror/suspense fan, I hardly need to sing Lansdale's praises--his distinctive voice and powerful storytelling are evident on every page.Like previous entries in this series (Savage Season, Mucho Mojo and The Two Bear Mambo), Lansdale uses Hap and Leonard's antics to counter the grim events occurring around them.Two of mystery fiction's more memorable characters, Hap and Leonard have a great talent for finding, then evading, trouble.An East Texas version of Travis McGee and Meyer, their philosophical discussions and wiseass humor will keep you laughing.

The highlight of the book is Jim Bob Luke, who gives new meaning to the phrase "larger than life."Luke steals every scene he's in (and some he isn't), leading me to speculate that Lansdale might inaugurate a new series featuring the hard boiled private eye.I, for one, would welcome it--hell, I'd welcome anything that puts more Lansdale books in my sweaty little hands.

This Chili's an acquired taste
Reading the "first sentence" and "statistically improbable phrases" above may just tell you all you need to know about whether or not this book is for you.This is, if I've got it right, the fourth in the Hap/Leonard series, and while the characters still manage some surprises, they haven't advanced much; Lansdale has to rachet up the action a bit to keep our interest.

But plot is secondary to characterization here, and these characters are stock Lansdale: leather-tough, casually obscene and unabashedly hard-boiled, but with generous dollops of self-doubt and existential angst beneath their battle-scarred exteriors.

Not quite as much fun as Mucho Mojo, the prior entry in the series, this tale requires a bit more suspension of disbelief and tolerance for brutality.But experienced Lansdale readers will find this a worthy effort. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the third volume in the Dark Voices series, which features award-winning, best-selling authors reading their own short fiction. A copy of the story also appears in print in a high-quality chapbook. Each volume features original music written by Bob Schaller to accompany the author's reading. ... Read more

Product Description
You can't kill the dead! Like any good monster, the zombie has proven to be ever-evolving, monumentally mutable, and open to seemingly endless imaginative interpretations: the thralls of voodoo sorcerers, George Romero's living dead, societal symbols, dancing thrillers, viral victims, reanimated ramblers, video gaming targets, post-apocalyptic permutations, shuffling sidekicks, literary mash-ups, the comedic, and, yes, even the romantic. Evidently, we have an enduring hunger for this infinite onslaught of the ever-hungry dead. Hoards of readers are now devouring zombie fiction faster than armies of the undead could chow down their brains.It's a sick job, but somebody had to do it: explore the innumerable necrotic nightmares of the latest, greatest, most fervent devotion in the history of humankind and ferret out the best of new millenial zombie stories: Zombies: The Recent Dead. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Against the grain
Well, I hate to break the streak here, but I found this to be pretty terrible.This is a revenge story, as the other reviewers have noted, about a husband and wife coming to grips with the rape of the wife and defending themselves from the friends of the rapist who track her down on Halloween to finish her off.The main problem is that the characters are strictly cartoons.You can get away with that for a while with psychotic villains, but the characterizations of the husband and wife are pretty laughable, as is just about every other character in the book - everyone is a stereotype.The dialogue is at time atrocious - every thought and emotion is made explicit and literal.For example, as the psychos are beginning their attack, the husband launches into an explanation of the "possession" of one of the bad guys that has to be read to be believed, it is so stilted and ham-handed.The story has its odd (yet blatant) politics as well, which are sophomoric and internally inconsistent.Even the paragraph structure at times demonstrates a lack of cohesiveness, as there is page after page of one or two sentence paragraphs, reading more like a screenplay than prose.Perhaps the intent was to make the action fast-paced, but it fails to do so, instead giving the impression that the story is being related by someone with some pretty severe ADD.The story is bloody and predictable, but the idea behind the God of the Razor (but not the plot of the actual story) gets it 2 stars.

Believe the hype on this book.
Mr. Lansdale is by far and away my favorite horror writter.I am a devout follower of his work and srongly suggest this book to anyone who has yet to meet his aquantance.

A rare gem . . .
This is Lansdale's first, and finest, work -- unfortunately, it's long been out of print and collectible prices are astronomical.Apparently now that Joe has gone onto bigger and "better" things (like his bestselling series about a gay Black southern civilian detective-hobbyist), he'd prefer to forget about his past.Woe be unto any fan of his mainstream novels who stumbles upon this nasty little secret by "that nice Mister Lansdale."

I'd never heard of this book before -- nor had a friend, who is a huge Lansdale fan.Looking up "splatterpunk" on Wikipedia I was surprised to see mention of the same Joe Lansdale I'm familiar with -- and the amazon reviews convinced me that this was going to be page after page of gratuitous and highly explicit violence, so I just had to add it to my Inter Library Loan queue.

If you're familiar with the splatterpunk sub-genre, or "extreme horror" as it's nowadays called, you'll probably find the violence somewhat tame.Yes, it is violent, but Lansdale is a skilled writer who doesn't need to linger unnecessarily on the description of said violence for the titillation of freaks attracted to such.Not a mainstream book by any stretch of the imagination . . . but it really should be.

Like King, Lansdale knows that it is not spooks and monsters that terrify us, but the atrocities of which humankind is oh so capable.The casual violence of the sociopath -- which degrades into rape and slow torture when he realizes that, hey, he's got a few hours to kill and ain't no-one gonna interrupt.This is what the goblins lurking outside our civilized society like to do.They are sadistic, they are vile, and they are REAL.Like the boogyman, wussified liberal dingbats want to deny their existance -- until, like the protagonists -- they come face to face with their worst nightmare . . . and Officer Friendly ain't there to save the day (or he's rapidly cooling on the front lawn with a bullet in his head -- several cop-killings in this story).

One thing that surprised me was the startlingly accurate depiction of demonic possession portrayed within.I've studied Comparative Demonology for years (accounts and legends from all cultures throughout recorded history), and folks, it ain't anything like "The Exorcist".The typical possession involves a malevolent entity taking near total control of a human host almost like slipping into a skin suit.They appear to be "normal", but the perceptive can see the malice in their eyes, hear it in their voice, and note it in their actions.Most sadistic sociopaths seem to have much in common with the demonically possessed."The God of the Razor" takes possession of a youth gang leader -- and when he dies, transfers the leader's mind to his lieutenant in a form of dual possession.The astral/oneric interaction with "The God of the Razor" seemed quite authentic to me.

This novel was very well written, sensitive to the delicate subject matter (without going into lurid detail), and an utterly absorbing read.The motivation of the sociopathic gang members is consistant with that of goblins I've met in the past (Clyde sodomizes a former teacher because, "She was nice to me once, and I've been thinking about that *** ever since").This book should be more widely read: there are genuinely evil creatures walking amongst us, and that fact is ignored at your peril.

The Darkest, Nastiest, Most Disturbing Mainstream Horror Book Ever
Here's a book that should NOT be read in the young adult circle. "The Nightrunners" is my stock answer to the question, "What's the most extreme horror novel you've ever read?" In the hands of most other writers, it would be dismissable as sick, even pornographic, with its hyper-violent storyline, sex-driven villains, and the whole "riding the razor" thing ... However, this was written by Joe Lansdale, and he's both talented and empathetic. His characters don't just force stories along. They resonate.

I will say, I read this book when I was much younger, and I still recall how disturbing, upsetting, and riveting the book was. It had a lasting hold and influence on me. That reason, more than any other, is why I include the caviat FOR ADULTS ONLY, that to date I have not put on any other book I've reviewed. Great stuff, but not for everyone.

(This review posted by Marcus Damanda, author of the vampire book "Teeth: A Horror Fantasy.")

The Nightrunners
I had read more recent Lansdale books (A Fine Dark Line, The Bottoms, etc.), so when I read this book I was little behind the times.Nightrunners is a show of the extreme dark side of human nature and what happens when light and dark begin to mix unwittingly.Lansdale is a master with the articulation of how good must fight the murky veil of evil without falling into the same mindset or abyss of an incredibly chaotic and insane situation that he draws so well in his story.The story compels one to reevalute the weakness of a person that when confronted with nightmarish horrors, as presented in this book, that person will not only rise to the ocassion, but can find a hidden strengh that may well take the breath away.Some books have to be read between the lines, not just as horror stories; i.e. The Drive-In: A Double Feature Omnibus, but as studies of human nature.When you read Nightrunners and are immediately plunged into the depth and degradation of the human spirit, you are also reading about the characters who are regular people who battle their own, albeit well-hidden, dark side.But when really examined, both are chasing their own demons and their own side of weaknesses and strengths.The big question is, which side will win out.Like the movies, we all want a happy ending.Just dont't go to the triple feature at the Orbit Drive-In.
I purchased a hardbound copy in excellent condition and it is on its way to Lansdale right now to be signed.
... Read more

Product Description
A lavishly illustrated look back at the Wild West features stories and articles by major writers, including Dee Brown, Loren Estelman, and Elmer Kelton, and photographs of such legendary figures as Kit Carson, Buffalo Bill, and others. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wild West Retrospective
A good guide to Who's Who in the wild west.Lansdale co-edited this, he didn't write it.If you're a completionist looking for Lansdale you can skip this.If you're looking for a well documented history of the Wild West, this is for you. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

good and lurid
Thought I recognized Landsdale's name and found this book. I read it fourteen years ago and remembered it had plenty of upfront horror and humor. Good for when you are in a rotten mood and need to read something about people who deserve a bad end. ... Read more

Product Description
If you're tired of the same ole business. If you want something unique. If youthink comic book swimsuit issues are the dumbest thing since Jesse Helms, then here it is, a hotbundle of short stories, a la graphic novel style.

Not only does Weird Business contain tales by Edgar Allan Poe, Ambrose Bierce, and the late,great Robert Bloch, it contains mostly original material that will, to put it mildly, blow the doorsoff your Chevy. From pure fantasy to dark horror, to humorous whimsy, to noir, toaction/adventure and science fiction, this baby is as hot as the devil's cigar.

With 23 stories, 56 creators, and 420 pages Weird Business is the largest original comic everproduced in the English language.

Weird Business was nominated for the 1996 Eisner Award for best anthology and hailed by theRocky Mountain News as "Possibly the greatest comic ever."Amazon.com Review
Dedicated to, and very much in the humor-loving spirit of, thelate RobertBloch, this original anthology of mostly black-and-white horrorcomics is a beautiful book to have and to hold, and is great fun toread. Don't expect literary subtlety from this one--these arecomics, after all--and your horror thirst will be slaked bystories in which blood flows, corpses move, monsters romp, skull-faceddemons walk the night, and only rarely does the good guy win. Thestories are almost all by established horror prose writers, rangingfrom contemporary pros like NormanPartridge and F. PaulWilson, to adaptations of classics like EdgarA. Poe's "Masque of the Red Death" and AmbroseBierce's "Oil of Dog." The artwork is by 20-somedifferent artists, and exhibits a range of graphic styles, includingsome on the cutting edge of today's comics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A wide-ranging, provocative collection
Often, when one fails to understand the content of something, it iseasiest to *blame the content*."Weird Business" readers willhave to do some thinkin' work along with the free shocks -- but thepleasures and terrors are worth it.This eclectic collection, boastinggems like "Hellbound Train," and -- yes -- "GorillaGunslinger," covers a range of tones and styles.Where else can yougo from Poe to alternate histories, to the wish-it-would- happen trenchantfairytale of bovine revolution,"Till the Cows Come Home?" Where else will you find dinosaurs and Marilyn Monroe's brain in the samestory?

Get it while you can, pardners, for tomorrow may bring nothin' butcomic collections of over-licensed, over-marketed, corporate-ownedcharacters, and hey:Here's some proof that once upon a time, *some*publishing companies were actually *independent.*

A well-done collection of literature-to-comics adaptations.
Not only does this book contain a bevy of stories by authors you'veactually heard of, like Joe Lansdale, E.A. Poe, Ambrose Bierce, NancyCollins, and Robert Bloch, but Weird Business manages to showcase somebrilliant artwork by known professionals and a few up-and-coming artists.If you are a fan of the old-school horror stories, without all of theoverly-pretentious hoo ha that goes with it, then grab this book now.Justmake sure you lock the doors before you sit down to read it...

WEIRD BUSINESS INDEED!One heapin' helpin' of horrific fun!
Hell fire & brimstone if this ain't the s***.WEIRD BUSINESS suceeds on so many levels that it's nearly imponderable.

Weird Business Has No Business Being Published...
In a nutshell, Weird Business sucks.I would love, in fact, to get arefund for this collection of vague, incomplete, and frequently pointlesscomic strip stories.They did not entertain me at all.Even The Masque ofThe Red Death was too brief and also sparsely delineated in terms of storyand plot.(I've read better plotting in some old Superman comicbooks!)

I also didn't appreciate Lansdale's put-downs of various unamedauthors which he found unable to work with.In fact, I don't really careabout reading a long-winded introduction to a collection of cheap comics. So I certainly don't care to read about Joey's vague beefs over variousauthors that he had to turn down for this project -- a project thatresulted in the worst collection of horror comics I have ever read.

Thisbook should never have been published.Most of the stories wereincomplete, often rambling -- to the point that I seriously wondered ifmost of these authors had ever recently been escapees of some psychiatricfacility?These stories, for the most part, weren't only witless, but theywere incomprehensible at best estimate.More like scribblings from abipolar schizophrenic subject thatn anything else.Hardly entertaining, ifyou get my drift.

Sorry guys!Better luck next time.Better yet, don'tmake any more of these stupid comics.Please!This book is about asinteresting and welcome as another OJ or Clinton-Monica in-depth presscoverage.

*yawn* ... *click* ... Read more

Product Description
Monster Lit meets Remix Culture in IDW's all-new, all-original story collection by top talents from horror, science fiction, and dark fantasy scenes. IDW's first foray into genre prose takes the formula of "literary classic/historic figure + supernatural element" and drives a stake through its heart with fourteen brand-new stories, all written specifically for this collection, that transform the so-called Monster Lit movement in ways the mainstream could never imagine. Notable characters include Huck Finn, Capt. Ahab, Billy the Kid, Emily Dickensen, Jim Morrison, Edgar Alan Poe, and Albert Einstein, with contributions by John Shirley, Nancy Collins, Mike Resnick, Kristine Rusch, Thomas Tessier, Marc Laidlaw, and Rio Youers, while a masterful new novella by Joe Lansdale anchors the collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Great Read with amazing illustrations!
This was a great anthology with some really good scary stories.Great horror fiction can be hard to find! I loved the detailed and disturbing illustrations by Mike Dubisch peppered throughout the book.It's a shame he's not metioned in the description, his art really added to it! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review
Necrofile calls this collection of short stories"essential Lansdale." Included are a children's fantasy with a nastyadult edge, a classic quiet horror tale, a traditional ghost story, asilly monster yarn, tall tales reminiscent of Bradbury,several horror stories with Lansdale's characteristic black humor anda final East Texas gothic that takes an uncompromising look atmisogyny, racism, and sadism. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Entertaining on several levels!
This collection of short fiction from Joe R. Lansdale will satisfy many different readers with its plethora of stories ranging from the humorous ("Bob the Dinosaur Goes to Disneyland") to the truly frightening ("God of the Razor"). A fascinating collection which showcases the versatility of Mr. Lansdale, I found myself running through a gauntlet of emotions from disgust in the pit of my stomach ("My Dead Dog Bobby") to being touched in the depths of my heart ("Not From Detroit"). And for those interested in the unexpected, such gems as "Chompers" and "The Shaggy House" deliver. The final tale "The Events Concerning a Nude Fold-Out Found in a Harlequin Romance" contains the flavor of Mr. Lansdale's more recent work and will please the readers of the Hap and Leonard books (as well as "Cold in July"). My personal favorite is the title tale as it provides a wickedly sarcastic, yet comical explanation behind the success of bestselling authors. In addition, the author provides introductions to each of his stories that are both inspiring and amusing (especially when he refers to his "popcorn dreams"--don't ask!) Scour the used bookstores and find this collection!

A book better left un-covered
Joe Lansdale is one of the few writers who is truly a master of both the short story and novel, and this collection does a fine job of showcasing both his talent and range. If you are not familiar with Lansdale, this collection is a good place to start -- but don't trust the cover artwork; there's not a dragon or elf to be found in this hard-edged anthology ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

"...a collection of early stories, experiments and exercises, published and unpublished"
This book is, in the author's words, "...a collection of early stories, experiments and exercises, published and unpublished."A companion volume of sorts to a Fistful of Stories, it gives further insight into Lansdale's influences and the evolution of his writing style--at times, you can almost feel Lansdale learning his lessons, finding his own voice, honing the enviable skills that make him the fine writer he is today.Lansdale's colorful introductions are almost worth the price of admission themselves--the preface to "The Junkyard," where Lansdale reminisces about his father, is especially moving.These factors, combined with attractive packaging, make this intriguing volume a "must have" for fans of this master of suspense.

Highly Sought After Lansdale Item
Collection of early and rare Lansdale stories assembled by a small press intended for die-hard fans only.Novices, please first check out the Drive-In trilogy and the Hap and Leonard series and then come back to this.A beautifully published cloth woven hardcover with a wonderfully illustrated dust jacket and a red ribbon bookmark.

Lansdale wrote an introduction for each of these rare uncollected stories,some are good, some bad... as the title says.

I would pay good money just for the introductions to the stories.Lansdale has a very funny and introspective outlook on life and the publishing industry and anything else he writes about.His folk humor shines here as he showcases his early works for those of us who care. ... Read more

Product Description
Call them steps on the way to greatness. Early stories and experiments, some published, none of them collected previously, many appearing here for the first time, along with Lansdale's frank commentary on growing as a writer. For a Few Stories More is the sequel to The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent, and contains a full-length unpublished Ray Slater private eye novel, The Long Fall. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Commentary, A Lansdale Essential
This collects early work by Hisownself... you should not be reading this unless you know who Hisownself is... If you do, and if you appreciate him, and if you can find this, read it.Some of the stories are hit and miss, but Lansdale includes a new introduction to each story detailing when it was written and how it came to be.Some of these intros are so funny you will fall off your seat.Especially the intro about how the Christian Right was about to conquer the world when he wrote the "face of Pat Boone" story.

Some of the stories are almost impossible to read, but they all offer a glimpse into the mind of one of the greatest writers alive today.Included is a "Ray Slater" novella that is a raw, well written early story that foreshadows the wry and hilarious detective style narration that has made his Hap and Leonard series so popular.That story trash talked the Hex comics that sent DC western star Jonah Hex into the future... I liked that series and have always wanted to see the series that brought Hex back into the Old West.Maybe someday...

But anyway, a must for Lansdale fans.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Beautiful Book
For Joe Lansdale fans, Subterranean Press publications are the ultimate reward.With SubPress, you always get what you pay for.A beautiful limited edition book comprised of the highest quality materials.Joe's writing is not for the faint of heart.Classic "Pulp" fiction, which takes the readers imagination to it's furthest extremes.Not for children. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

More for kids than adults.
Vol. 2 of The Lost Lansdale series is a children's story.It's a skimpy tale of innocence and growing up, of adults vs. kids and just a smooth story that only Joe Lansdale could pull off.

The neighborhood is looking sick...and 2 boys decide it is because of a new house that showed uprecently and without any of the adult's noticing.The kids decide to stalkit at night to see if what they think is true.

What they find out is soout-of-this-world and unbelievable that when they are confronted withsaving their neighborhood, all they can do is go by instinct.The scenesof this fight are so vivid and hilarious, and the ending is solid.A good,if somewhat pricey, story that may go over very well with kids more so thanadults. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

It just keeps getting better
If you read The Drive-In and thought Lansdale couldn't get any stranger, be prepared to change your mind.

The inhabitants of the drive-in are finally freed (what's left of them anyway) and the world they discoverbeyond the walls has changed quite a bit!This novel has it all.Thereare dinosaurs, monsters, aliens, true love, murder, horror movies, and lotsand lots of popcorn.

Once again Lansdale writes an amazingly inventivestory with lush scenery, well-thought out characters, an extremelyfast-paced story, and of course, the popcorn king. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

dark at heart
EXCELLENT PUBLICATION.I ALWAYS ENJOY ANYTHING WRITTEN OR EDITED BY JOE AND OR KAREN LANSDALE. ... Read more

Product Description
Containing stories from the dark side, the light side, and all shades in between, this is a masterful collection by one of America's rising storytellers. Storylines include that of a woman who discovers grisly horror on a mountain road, a plastic love doll who becomes liberated, and a baby's diaper that is possessed by aliens. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Dark marriage of horror and humor
One of the things that I have always liked about Joe Lansdale is that he dares to be different.His tales tend to have plotlines that you will not find in other writers' stories, and he has a dark sense of humor that will make you feel almost guilty for finding some of the bits funny.Not all of these stories are actually horror stories, but those that are will probably still disturb you even after you have put down the book.Almost all of the stories in this collection stood out to me for one reason or another, but the stories that made the deepest impression on me were "Love Doll: A Fable," "Bubba Ho-Tep," "Drive-in Date," and "In the Cold Dark Time."These four stories stand out to me as being the most exemplary of Lansdale's unique voice.However, "Godzilla's Twelve Step Program" is the story that is the most "fun" in the book.

Trailer trash, East Texas style.
Is Texas life really like Joe Lansdale portrays it? If so, I'll stay away. The characters in his stories make the guests of Jerry Springer seem classy in comparison.Nonetheless, his stories make for very enjoyable reads.

"Writer of the purple rage" is a collection of 15 short stories, most of them likely to be weirder than anything you've ever read.Here's what some of the stories focus on:

-A plastic love-doll comes to life
-Godzilla grows a conscience and enters a rehab program

-A baby's diaper gets possesed by aliens
-An old man in a rest home who thinks he's Elvis hops in his
wheelchair and battles a swamp monster.

I know some of this sounds a little cheesy, but don't worry, Lansdale somehow manages to pull it off. The only reason this does not get 5 stars is that like just about every short story collection, there are a couple of duds, like "the diaper", which plays like Robert McCammon's "Pin" on speed. But 2 bad stories out of a collection of 15 is nothing to crow about.

Oh, and for those of you who enjoy low-budget horror and b-movies, you'll get a real kick out of "Hard-on for horror", a non-fiction short where Lansdale explains his fascination with the b-movie.

Now that I've read this, I can't wait to get my hands on "High Cotton", another short story collection by this great author.

Stories from a master technician
There's no other way to say it: Joe R. Lansdale is Hemingway with balls.

Sex, violence, andtheAmerican dream.
Dark psychology and over-the-top stories characterize most of the stories in Writer of the Purple Rage.Lansdale is a combination of James Ellroy, Clive Barker, and K.W. Jeter.Everyman is confronted with death, decay, and a sociopathological society in stories that range from a blow-up sex doll which becomes a victimizer to two psychopaths with a taste for necrophilia to Godzilla on a twelve-step program.Lansdale twists and screws plots to make the supermarket horror writer look like a children's book writer ... Read more