Joe R. Lansdale

July 16, 2015

The magnificent Christina Hendricks joins the cast of HAP AND LEONARD

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized christina hendricks, crime, elizabeth story, hap and leonard, joe lansdale, Joe R. Lansdale, sundance tv, texas noir

(Photo: Delta Sky)

According to HOLLYWOOD LIFE, Christina Hendricks in her first major post MAD MEN role will play Hap Collins’ ex-wife Trudy on Sundance TV’s HAP AND LEONARD, the adaptation of Joe R. Lansdale’s acclaimed crime series.

Trudy shows up in the rural south after two years, with a proposition that her ex cannot refuse. Hap and Leonard takes place 1980s East Texas, and will give a look at race, class and friendship of that time.

Christina joins previously announced cast members James, Michael Kenneth Williams (The Wire,”Inherent Vice, 12 Years a Slave, Boardwalk Empire), Bill Sage (Boardwalk Empire, We Are What We Are) and Jimmi Simpson (House of Cards, The Newsroom).

Hap and Leonard follows the story of Hap Collins (Purefoy) and Leonard Pine (Williams). Hap is a white working-class laborer who spent time in federal prison for refusing to be drafted into the military and serve in the Vietnam War. Now in his 40s, he is just barely making ends meet picking roses on an East Texas plantation. His confidante and lifelong best friend is Leonard, an openly gay, black Vietnam vet with anger issues. Having been raised by an uncle who shunned him after learning he was gay, Leonard’s only support in the not so progressive, rural South is Hap. Together, they struggle through misadventure in a bid to stay on the right side of the law in 1980s East Texas.

Hap and Leonard has been picked up for six one-hour episodes and will air in early 2016.

For more details, visit HOLLYWOOD LIFE.

Also coming in early 2016 from Tachyon is HAP AND LEONARD, a collection of the finest Joe R. Lansdale short stories featuring the not-so-dynamic East Texas duo.

HAP AND LEONARD cover by Elizabeth Story.

June 19, 2015

How Joe R. Lansdale found his way to PARADISE SKY

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized black cowboys, deadwood dick, essay, joe lansdale, Joe R. Lansdale, mulholland books, paradise sky, western

Over at Mulholland Books, Joe R. Lansdale recounts the events that lead him to the black cowboys, THE TRUE LIFE ADVENTURES OF DEADWOOD DICK, and ultimately to his new novel PARADISE SKY.

In the late 1970’s, I became intrigued with nonfiction material I read about black cowboys and soldiers in the Old West. I was surprised to find that their contribution to the West was much larger than I had been led to believe by general history books, Western novels, and films over the years. The reason for this is painful but real: Racism had hidden their contribution. The information was there, and in abundance, but it hadn’t been properly mined. A full quarter or more of the cowboys in the Old West had been black or of color. You didn’t see this in Westerns. Blacks were always maids and cooks in novels and film, if they were represented at all.

Most of the material about their lives and times in the West, was nonfiction. John Ford had touched on it in a safe way in his film Sergeant Rutledge. Still, on the posters the main star was Jeffery Hunter, not the black actor, Woody Strode, who played the title character. There were a few novels about blacks in the West, but I didn’t encounter any that were epic. I was thinking of writing one in the vein of Wild Times by Brian Garfield, Little Big Man by Thomas Berger, The Big Sky by A.B. Guthrie, Jr., or The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters by Robert Lewis Taylor. I wanted to write about the real black experience in the West, and at the same time, make it larger than life. I had also read an autobiography about Western life by a black cowboy named Nat Love. Nat Love’s experiences were no doubt influenced by the dime novels of his era, so it has to be taken with a grain of salt, but his story was epic, and it was clear he knew his business when it came to being a cowboy. He knew the world of his time, and was able to express it in such a way as to put you there. It was the kind of book I wanted to write. Better yet, it was a book by an actual black cowboy. He was doing the same thing that many white Westerners had done. He was “stretching the blanket,” as they used to say, taking kernels of truth and turning them into a kind of hybrid product that housed both reality and dadburn lies. He claimed to have acquired the nickname Deadwood Dick due to a shooting match he won in old Deadwood, and he also claimed the dime novels about Deadwood Dick, the Black Rider of the Plains, were based on him. No doubt they were not, but this was a kind of wish fulfillment for Nat, so he took his life and welded it to the Wild West tale. Unlike so many dime novel heroes, Nat’s adventures seemed real.

Read the rest of Lansdale’s fascinating essay at Mulholland Books.

May 27, 2015

COLD IN JULY is fantastic

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized a fine dark line, cold in july, elizabeth story, ethan chapman, hap and leonard, interview, joe lansdale, Joe R. Lansdale, structo, the bottoms

In a recent interview with STRUCTO, short story writer Ethan Chapman lauded the works of Joe R. Lansdale.

I read a lot of Joe Lansdale. It doesn’t take me long to get through one of his books. His HAP AND LEONARD series is brilliant, but his other books such as COLD IN JULY (which was recently made into a brilliant film), THE BOTTOMS, and A FINE DARK LINE are also fantastic.

Read the rest of the Chapman interview at STRUCTO.

For more about COLD IN JULY, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story.

HAP AND LEONARD cover by Elizabeth Story.

April 30, 2015

The actor who will be Joe R. Lansdale’s Hap is finally revealed

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized bill sage, collecion, crime fiction, deadline, elizabeth story, hap and leonard, hap collins, james purefoy, jimmi simpson, joe lansdale, Joe R. Lansdale, leonard pines, michael kenneth williams, sundance tv, television, texas noir

Thanks to DEADLINE, we at long last know the identity of the actor to play Hap Collins in the Sundance TV’s HAP AND LEONARD, the adaptation of Joe R. Lansdale’s acclaimed crime series.

SundanceTV has found its Hap. James Purefoy (The Following, Episodes) has been cast in a co-starring role opposite Michael Kenneth Williams in Sundance’s straight-to-series drama Hap And Leonard. It follows the story of Hap Collins (Purefoy), a white, working-class laborer, and Leonard Pine (Williams), a black, openly gay Vietnam vet with anger issues. Having been raised by an uncle who shunned him after learning he was homosexual, Leonard was left with Hap — who spent time in federal prison as a young man for refusing to be drafted to serve in Vietnam — as his only source of support in the not-so-progressive rural South of the 1980s. In addition to Williams, Purefoy joins previously announced series regulars Bill Sage and Jimmi Simpson.

For more details visit DEADLINE.

Also coming in 2016 from Tachyon is HAP AND LEONARD, a collection of the finest Joe R. Lansdale short stories featuring the not-so-dynamic East Texas duo.

HAP AND LEONARD cover by Elizabeth Story.

April 20, 2015

Help wish Peter S. Beagle a happy birthday by winning a SIGNED book

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized a fine and private place, Ann Monn, anthology, birthday, collection, elizabeth story, fantasy, giveaway, gregory maguire, Joe R. Lansdale, jonathan lethem, michael dashow, peter s beagle, SF Signal, sleight of hand, t. c. boyle, the last unicorn, the line between, the rhinoceros who quoted nietzche, the secret history of fantasy, the urban fantasy anthology, we never talk about my brother

In celebration of Peter S. Beagle’s 76th birthday, we, with the help of the fine folks at SF SIGNAL, are giving away a SIGNED copy of THE SECRET HISTORY OF FANTASY. The book is signed not just by editor Beagle but also contributors Jonathan Lethem, T. C. Boyle, and Gregory McGuire.

Best know for his seminal work THE LAST UNICORN, Beagle has produced numerous acclaimed and award-winning works including A FINE AND
PRIVATE PLACE, THE INNKEEPER’S SONG, THE FOLK OF THE AIR, and I’M
AFRAID YOU’VE GOT DRAGONS. His short stories were collected in THE RHINOCEROS WHO QUOTED NIETZSCHE AND OTHER ODD
ACQUAINTANCES, THE LINE BETWEEN, STRANGE ROADS, WE
NEVER TALK ABOUT MY BROTHER, MIRROR KINGDOMS: THE BEST OF PETER
S. BEAGLE, and SLEIGHT OF HAND. Beagle edited THE SECRET HISTORY OF FANTASY and with Joe R. Lansdale, THE URBAN FANTASY
ANTHOLOGY. In 2011, Beagle was given the prestigious World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement.

All of us at Tachyon wish Peter a very special birthday.

Visit SF SIGNAL for details about the giveaway for the *SIGNED* copy of THE SECRET HISTORY OF FANTASY.

“…set[s] out to rewrite our concept of fantasy, and with the help of some of the world’s best writers, succeeds admirably.”
—The Agony Column

THE SECRET HISTORY OF FANTASY, THE LINE BETWEEN, SLEIGHT OF HAND, WE NEVER TALK ABOUT MY BROTHER, and A FINE AND PRIVATE PLACE covers by Ann Monn

THE RHINOCEROS WHO QUOTED NIETZSCHE AND OTHER ODD ACQUAINTANCES cover by Michael Dashow

THE URBAN FANTASY ANTHOLOGY cover design by Elizabeth Story

March 31, 2015

STEAM MAN, comic based on Joe R. Lansdale’s story in STEAMPUNK, coming this October

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized ann vandermeer, anthology, comics, dark horse, jeff vandermeer, joe lansdale, Joe R. Lansdale, mark miller, novella, piotr kowalski, steam man, steampunk, The Steam Man of the Prairie and the Dark Rider Get Down: A Dime Novel, western

At the Emerald City Comic Con, Dark Horse announced the new comic STEAM MAN, based on the Joe R. Lansdale story “The Steam Man of the Prairie and the Dark Rider Get Down: A Dime Novel,” written by Mark Miller and art by Piotr Kowalski. The short story most recently appeared in Ann & Jeff VanderMeer’s groundbreaking anthology STEAMPUNK.

The Old West (but not as we know it): Giant robots that run on steam power are created to take down invading Martians and armies of killer albino apes in an all-out brawl. The Steam Man, a giant metal man operated by a team of monster hunters, seems to have the town protected and the West under control, until a crazed and powerful vampire comes to town to bring forth the apocalypse.

For more info about STEAMPUNK, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Ann Monn.

Image by Piotr Kowalski.

March 25, 2015

Both the book and movie versions of COLD IN JULY will leave you in shock and awe

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized bryan cyr, cold in july, elizabeth story, everything noir, jim mickle, joe lansdale, Joe R. Lansdale, movie, nick damici, texas noir

At EVERYTHING NOIR, Bryan Cyr reviews Joe R. Lansdale’s classic Texas noir COLD IN JULY and the Jim Mickle movie adaptation.

So what is better, the film or the book. I read the book and then watched the movie twice, and I would have to say I would go with both. Nick Damici and Jim Mickle stay true to the source material, even having the film take place in the late 1980’s when it was written. I actually think watching the movie first may be the way to go. The story is so fresh and original that you will not see what is coming in the film, leaving you with more shock and awe then if you read the book first. Then read the book as soon as you can get your hands on a copy.

Read the rest of Cyr’s review at EVERYTHING NOIR.

The movie tie-in edition of COLD IN JULY is currently available from all finer outlets.

COLD IN JULY the movie, starring Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Sam Shepard (Black Hawk Down), and Don Johnson (Miami Vice), is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Book cover design by Elizabeth Story.

March 10, 2015

The actor who will be Joe R. Lansdale’s Leonard

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized crime, east texas, elizabeth story, hap and leonard, hap collins, joe lansdale, Joe R. Lansdale, leonard pine, michael kenneth williams, sundance tv, texas noir, variety

Thanks to Variety, we at long last know the identity of the actor to play Leonard Pine in the Sundance TV’s HAP AND LEONARD, the adaptation of Joe R. Lansdale’s acclaimed crime series.

It’s a big day for Michael Kenneth Williams.

“The Wire” and “Boardwalk Empire” star has been cast as a lead in Sundance TV’s “Hap and Leonard,” plus IFC’s “The Spoils Before Dying,” alongside Will Ferrell, both cablers announced Monday.

In “Hap and Leonard,” an original series from Sundance TV that tells the story of an unexpected friendship between an unlikely duo, Williams will co-star as Leonard Pine.

Williams’ character, Leonard, is an openly gay black Vietnam war vet who struggles with anger issues, and was raised by his homophobic uncle, causing him to lean on Hap — a white, working-class laborer — for support in the non-progressive rural South of the 1980s. Hap (who has yet to be cast) spent time in prison for refusing to be drafted and serve in the Vietnam War. Now in his 30s, he works on a plantation picking roses with little financial means, but still has Leonard, his lifelong best friend and confidant.

The drama is produced by Sundance Studios, and created by director-writer Jim Mickle and writer Nick Damici. The duo has adapted Joe Lansdale’s “Hap and Leonard” novels, novellas and short stories of the same name for this series. Lansdale will also serve as a co-exec producer on this project, along with Lowell Northrop and exec producers Nick Shumaker, Jeremy Platt and consulting producer Linda Moran.

Sundance TV ordered six hour long episodes of “Hap and Leonard.” The series, set to bow in early 2016, marks the net’s third original scripted series, following “Rectify” and “The Red Road.”

Read the rest of the article at Variety.

Also coming in 2016 from Tachyon is HAP AND LEONARD, a collection of the finest Joe R. Lansdale short stories featuring the not-so-dynamic East Texas duo.

HAP AND LEONARD cover by Elizabeth Story.

February 19, 2015

The subdued and strange BAR TALK from the mind of Joe R. Lansdale

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized /film, bar talk, bubba ho-tep, cold in july, elizabeth story, hap and leonard, incident on and off a mountain road, joe lansdale, Joe R. Lansdale, lowell northrop, masters of horror, movie, movie tie-in, short film, the bottoms

The short film BAR TALK, based on a story by Joe R. Lansdale (COLD IN JULY) and directed by Lowell Northrop, is now available for all to see.

In a dusty Texas bar, a chatty stranger insists on striking up a
conversation with the man sitting next to him. The more this
out-of-towner talks, the more obvious it is he’s not from ‘round here.
Heck, he’s not even from this planet! Based on the short story by
legendary author Joe R. Lansdale (“Bubba Ho-Tep”, “Cold in July”).

This is not the first Lansdale story to be filmed. Just last summer COLD IN JULY, directed by Jim Mickle and starring Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Sam
Shepard (Black Hawk Down), and Don Johnson (Miami Vice), garnered
abundant praise. It is currently featured on the Showtime networks.

His novella “Bubba Ho-Tep” was the basis for the cult film of the same name, directed by Don Coscarelli and starring Bruce Campbell as
Elvis. Coscarelli also helmed “Incident On and Off a Mountain Road” for
the MASTERS OF HORROR series.

A movie based on the
Edgar award winning novel THE BOTTOMS is scheduled to begin production
this spring as is the Sundance Channel’s show HAP AND LEONARD, which is
based on the popular series of crime novels.

For more about COLD IN JULY, visit the Tachyon page.

Book cover design by Elizabeth Story.

HAP AND LEONARD cover by Elizabeth Story.

February 12, 2015

Get Ellen Datlow’s must-have anthology LOVECRAFT’S MONSTERS for $2.99!

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized anthology, Brian Hodge, Caitlín R. Kiernan, cthulhu, Elizabeth Bear, Ellen Datlow, Fred Chappell, Gemma Files, horror, howard waldrop, Joe R. Lansdale, john coulthart, John Langan, karl edward wagner, Kim Newman, kindle, kindle daily deal, Laird Barron, lovecraft, lovecraft's monsters, mythos, Nadia Bulkin, neil gaiman, Nick Mamatas, short stories, Stefan Dziemianowicz, Steve Rasnic Tem, Steven Utley, thomas ligotti, William Browning Spencer

Ellen Datlow’s acclaimed anthology LOVECRAFT’S MONSTERS is a Kindle Daily Deal for Thursday, February 12, 2015.

For today only, the ebook is available for just $2.99!

“Some of the best Lovecraftian short fiction of the past 30 years.”
—Washington Post

Behold these newly-illustrated legends of modern horror’s most wicked progeny. In Lovecraft’s Monsters, H. P. Lovecraft’s famous creations—Cthulhu, Shoggoths, Deep Ones, and more—are celebrated in all their terrifying glory. Contributors include such literary luminaries as Neil Gaiman, Joe R. Lansdale, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Karl Edward Wagner, Elizabeth Bear, and Nick Mamatas. The monsters are lovingly rendered in spectacular original art by World Fantasy Award–winning artist John Coulthart (The Steampunk Bible).

“If you like Lovecraft even a little bit, this collection is a must.”
—Book Riot

“Ellen Datlow’s second editorial outing into the realm of Lovecraft proves even more fruitful than the first. Focusing on Lovecraftian monsters, Datlow offers readers sixteen stories and two poems of a variety that should please any fans of the genre.”
—The Arkham Digest

A Creature Feature Top Ten Book of 2014
“Fans of the HBO True Detective series (and those who are not) will love this new themed anthology from acclaimed genre editor, Ellen Datlow.

—Creature Feature

“There’s no need to have previously read Lovecraft’s work to enjoy Lovecraft’s Monsters, but the collection will surely leave you with the desire to acquaint or reacquaint you with HPL canon.”
—Rue Morgue

“In the case of Lovecraft’s Monsters, edited by the great Ellen Datlow, the quality of the stories is both a celebration of HPL’s legacy and a reminder of the wealth of talent the genre has to offer…. It’s simple: if you like Lovecraftian fiction, you need to get this.”
—Horror Talk

“[T]he queen of anthologies, Ellen Datlow, has brought together the usual outstanding group of writers…. This is a must-have anthology for fans of things that go squick in the night.”
—Lit/Rant

“Each story is a dark wonder and the volume itself is absolutely gorgeous, sumptuously illustrated throughout with steampunky-baroque original art by World Fantasy Award-winning artist John Coulthart. Lovecraft’s Monsters is a must-have for every fan of dark speculative fiction, so click on the cover graphic and grab it!”
—Count Gore

“…amazing and creative tales each with a striking illustration by John Coulthart…I fully recommend adding this nice anthology for all fans of Lovecraft.”
—Dark Corner

“The result is a delightful array of little pieces that range in mood and subject. Unholy sacrifice, forbidden love, a private dick on the trail of a murderer—there’s something there for everyone.”
—The Jaded Consumer

“Editor Ellen Datlow has put together an anthology that will rock your liquid fantasies. Tachyon Publications has produced an excellent themed anthology. Lovecraft enthusiasts will plunge into the volume and be happily immersed in the content.”
—Diabolique Magazine

“Where else, in one anthology, can a reader jump from roman noir werewolves to steampunk tanks in the Amazon to tales of forbidden love on the Innsmouth shore to Pinkerton agents in the Wild West?… Fortunately, we have Ellen Datlow to lead the way.”
—Hellnotes

“With Ellen Datlow at the helm, there was never really any doubt about the quality of the selections on hand … .Lovecraft’s Monsters is certainly a worthy addition to any horror library.”
—Innsmouth Free Press

“Lovecraft’s Monsters is a must-read for any fans of the Cthulhu Mythos.”
—Geek Smash

“[A] delightful array of little pieces that range in mood and subject…. Unholy sacrifice, forbidden love, a private dick on the trail of a murderer—there’s something there for everyone.”
—The Jaded Consumer

“So I am telling you now, in the name of Yog-Sothoth, get this book, and prepare to lose some sleep.”
—The Bookend Family

“Lovecraft’s Monsters, edited by Ellen Datlow and published by Tachyon Publications, is a reprint anthology of some carefully chosen and mighty fine Lovecraftian short stories, novellas and poems…. All in all it is a terrific selection of works, and one that any fan of Lovecratian works should add to their collection.”
—Fear.net

“…an entirely enjoyable read… for Mythos devotees I would highly recommend picking it up”
—Seattle Geekly

“There’s a lot to love in Lovecraft’s Monsters, an anthology which is both faithful and inventive at the same time. Unafraid to take risks and snazzily illustrated, this collection is proof that the Cthulhu cult remains as strong as ever.”
—Starburst

“Datlow brings together some of the top SF/F and horror writers working today and has them play in Lovecraft’s bizarre world. And that’s a delight.”
—January Magazine

“For Lovecraft’s Monsters, each writer had the same agenda: come up with a fresh take on one of the legendary author’s otherworldly creatures, like Cthulhu, the Shoggoths, the Elder Things and Yog-Sothoth. (Trust, they’re scarier than those tongue-twisting names suggest.) Adding to the book’s excellence, illustrator John Coulthart provided gorgeous new black-and-white artwork for each story.”
—Complex

“Lovecraft’s Monsters will appeal to fans of Lovecraft’s work, particularly his Mythos stories, and to readers of dark fiction everywhere. Datlow is an experienced and keen editor of dark fiction and has assembled a truly impressive list of stories.”
—LitReactor

“[A]n amazing and diverse treasure trove of stories. As an avid fan of Lovecraft’s monstrous creations, THIS is the anthology I’ve been waiting for.”
—Shattered Ravings

Introduction by Ellen Datlow
Foreword by Stefan Dziemianowicz

“Only the End of the World Again” by Neil Gaiman
“The Bleeding Shadow” by Joe R. Lansdale
“Love Is Forbidden, We Croak and Howl” by Caitlín R. Kiernan
“Bulldozer” by Laird Barron
“A Quarter to Three” by Kim Newman
“Inelastic Collisions” by Elizabeth Bear
“That of Which We Speak When We Speak of the Unspeakable” by Nick Mamatas
“Red Goat Black Goat” by Nadia Bulkin
“Jar of Salts” and “Haruspicy” by Gemma Files
“Black as the Pit From Pole to Pole” by Howard Waldrop and Steven Utley
“I’ve Come to Talk With You Again” by Karl Edward Wagner
“The Sect of the Idiot” by Thomas Ligotti
“The Dappled Thing” by William Browning Spencer
“The Same Deep Waters as You” by Brian Hodge
“Remnants” by Fred Chappell
“Waiting at the Cross Roads Motel” by Steve Rasnic Tem
“Children of the Fang” by John Langan

For more information on LOVECRAFT’S MONSTERS, visit the Tachyon site.

Cover and illustration by John Coulthart.

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Joe R. Lansdale

In celebration of Peter S. Beagle’s 76th birthday, we, with the help of the fine folks at SF SIGNAL, are giving away a *SIGNED* copy of THE SECRET HISTORY OF FANTASY. The book is signed not just by editor Beagle but also contributors Jonathan Lethem, T. C. Boyle, and Gregory McGuire.

Table of Contents

In celebration of Peter S. Beagle’s 76th birthday, we, with the help of the fine folks at SF SIGNAL, are giving away a SIGNED copy of THE SECRET HISTORY OF FANTASY. The book is signed not just by editor Beagle but also contributors Jonathan Lethem, T. C. Boyle, and Gregory McGuire.