Joe Lansdale has a new collection of horror short stories coming out. This is a huge career-spanning retrospective full of horror stories a-plenty, offbeat humor, elder gods, despicable humans, sarcasm, satire, and enough East Texas insanity to fill an El Camino. For fans of Lansdale, chances are this collection contains one or two charms that have yet to be rubbed. For Lansdale novices? Hoo-boy. Pull yourself a tall drink. Turn off the lights. Text your mom that you love her. And jump on in.
Welcome to the family.
| Title: The Essential Horror of Joe R. Lansdale (2025) Author: Joe R. Lansdale Publisher: Tachyon Publications Book jacket: In this career horror retrospective, World Horror Grandmaster Joe R. Lansdale tackles racism and human cruelty as deftly as he conjures demon nuns and Elder Gods. This much-anticipated volume showcases the best of Lansdale’s terrifying short stories—menacing, astute, and wildly inappropriate. Joe says: Damn, it’s a good read. |
The Essential Horror of Joe R. Lansdale contains sixteen punches to the gut. You see, Joe doesn’t write clever little campfire tales or rip-offs from season five of the Twilight Zone. No, no. Joe fires a shotgun into a terrorizing night sky, picks up the pieces from the scattershot, and lights it all on fire. He then forges those embers of the unexpected into something new, and twisted, and 100% unsettling. And man, it’s good.
This compendium covers it all. The classic “Bubba Ho-tep”. The heartfelt “Not From Detroit”. The brutal “God of the Razor”. The once-upon-a-time-insane-but-now-perhaps-notso-much “Night They Missed the Horror Show”. And this is all kicked into gear with a wild, palette-setting introduction by a man who needs no introduction, Joe Hill.
Now, admittedly, Joe conducts some pretty far out tunes. And not every melody is a number you can tap your toes to. “My Dead Dog Bobby” might not be a beat for certain animal lovers. But “The Folding Man” and “Hoodoo Man and the Midnight Train” are sure to jazz your soul. Or can help exhume your long dead Aunt Renee.
The wonderful thing about this compilation – other than the fact that such a celebration like this one exists – is that you can nibble away at it a little at a time. Or, you can go full on Cthulhu and swallow the damn thing whole. Either path you choose, you’re going to be a better human when you get to the end.
Or at least a different one. Maybe one that howls away at full moons. It’s possible.
The Essential Horror of Joe R. Lansdale is an imaginative, supernatural treat of an anthology that is sharp, authentic, and truly dark. Damn, it’s a good read.
Many thanks and a tip of the hat to Kasey Lansdale and Tachyon Publications for the advance copy treat.
Read @ Joe’s 
Leave a comment