Best Books by Joe R. Lansdale - Mystery, Horror & Western Novels Collection | Perfect for Book Clubs & Nighttime Reading

Joe Lansdale is the bare-knuckled, no-holds-barred voice of American fiction - a shrewd genius who buries in what seems on the surface to be good ole boy yucks and corn pone a keen insight and deep morality. "The Best of Joe R. Lansdale" is an extraordinarily entertaining anthology that captures the author's versatility and brilliance - a thrill and chill-packed collection of short stories crossing boundaries of horror, drama, and cynically black humor - all creative, off-the-wall, and a lot of fun.There's not a turkey in the bunch, but my favorites:"The Big Blow": a fictional but well-researched tale of the deadly Galveston hurricane of 1900, spiced with an illicit boxing match between the first black heavy weight champion, Jack Johnson, and the most vile, despicably drawn opponent I can even remember reading."Mad Dog Summer": a moving and poignant tale of racial tension and Great Depression economics combined with gothic mystery - suspenseful with a supernatural lilt. I assume this was the basis for "The Bottoms," one of my all-time favorite Lansdale novels."Incidents On and Off a Mountain Road": classic suspense and horror with a wicked and totally unexpected twist."On the Far Side of the Cadillac Dessert with Dead Folks": with a title like this, you know you're gonna get an extra dose of Lansdale's mischief. Sure to offend many, leave it to Lansdale to twist zombies and Disney and Christianity around a malignant version of a Michael Crichton plot."Bubba Ho-Tep": so what if Elvis really was still alive, and it was actually an Elvis impersonator that died? Whatever you can imagine, I can pretty much guarantee this is not what you're thinking."The Events Concerning a Nude Fold-Out in a Harlequin Romance": another wacky-great title, leading into an unlikely murder mystery with well drawn characters featuring Lansdale's unique brand of humor and razor-sharp metaphors.And perhaps the best, "Steppin' Out, Summer, `68": a coming of age tale so darkly funny that only Lansdale's beautifully warped mind could have spun a story that so-well captures the pressures and myths of a trio of teens' passage into adulthood combined with such hilariously disastrous results. Terrific character development, a sneaky pace, and an outrageous climax make this a classic that deserves a bushel of awards.Trust me - Joe Lansdale is the real deal, an all original American treasure. If you haven't discovered him yet, I can't think of a better place to start than here. And for the fan, what I great place to get some additional insight into the source of the author's creativity and prolificacy.