Joe R. Lansdale, Master Storyteller

I haven't stayed up late to finish a book in a few years. Having children cuts down one's desire to be groggy the next day. They're always on, and a parent isn't really allowed a day off.

Joe R. Lansdale weaves stories I would cringe to write (and give my left pinkie, to boot).  The cringe comes from his subject matter--he doesn't shy away from awful race relations, lynchings, and rape.  But damn, can this man write. My Saturday night became Sunday morning, but I had to finish The Bottoms.

The Bottoms (2000) is beautiful and thrilling, and a fine companion for an older audience looking for a read in the vein of To Kill a Mockingbird.The subject matter is challenging, but realistic, and man... Mr. Lansdale keeps the pages turning.

Review: High Cotton by Joe R. Lansdale

As a fledgling horror writer, I'm trying to digest some bits and pieces from masters of the genre. Consider this review more of a discussion of what I liked in the book. Like I said, I'm a fledgling writer myself, and once you start creating something, you realize how much easier it is to criticize than create--so I'm trying to keep it on the positive.

I enjoyed much of High Cotton. Personal highlights include "Mister Weed-Eater", "The Night They Missed the Horror Show", "Incident on and Off a Mountain Road", and my favorite, "Steppin' Out, Summer, '68". Each of these tales forced my hand, made me keep turning those pages to see what bizzare sight waited around the corner. Each contained just the right mix of black humor for my taste.

In this mix of 21 tales, the reader really gains a respect for Lansdale's style of storytelling. He is from East Texas, and you hear the voice throughout, even when the story might be a bit wide of the darkly humorous horror for which he's known. A warning to the squeamish: this book will offend your senses and offers enough racial ephitats to make political correctness roll around in it's grave.

Lansdale knows how to entertain, and when he's on his game, he's among the best.

Peace

Ubiquitous? Me?

From the Whispers of Wickedness discussion board:

"Theaker's Quarterly Fiction #24 is out now...the ubiquitous Aaron Polson writes a scary little story of a little metal man..."

I've been called many things in life; never ubiquitous. Even before I read this post, I was feeling a little overexposed. I think it's time to head to that shack in the Ozarks and write the great American novel.

The story in Theaker's, "The Brass Menagerie", was fun to write. PDF downloads of Theaker's are available for free.

One of my very first short stories (a piece based on *ahem* actual events) is up at Yellow Mama--"Adopting Julie". I always thought Julie was a people name.

Soon: a "review" of Mr. Lansdale's collection, High Cotton. (I just finished and need a couple of days to process...whew)