Photo by Karen Lansdale

Probably the only person in the International Martial Arts Hall of Fame who has received an Edgar, ten Stokers, a Grandmaster of Horror, the British Fantasy, a Spur, and the Herodotus Awards, Joe R. Lansdale has written more than 40 novels, 400 shorter works, and devised the Shen Chuan Martial Science.

His novels include the Edgar Award-winning THE BOTTOMS, COLD IN JULY, NIGHTRUNNERS, FLAMING ZEPPELINS, A FINE DARK LINE, THE DRIVE-IN, THE THICKET, PARADISE SKY, and BUBBA AND THE COSMIC
BLOOD-SUCKERS. Beginning with BY BIZARRE HANDS, Lansdale’s numerous short stories have been collected in several volumes including THE BEST OF JOE R. LANSDALE, WRITER OF THE PURPLE RAGE, HIGH COTTON, SANCTIFIED AND CHICKEN FRIED, DEADMAN’S ROAD, DEADMAN’S CROSSING, BLEEDING SHADOWS, MIRACLES AIN’T WHAT THEY USED BE, and DEAD ON THE BONES:
PULP ON FIRE. He’s edited 15 anthologies including RAZORED SADDLES (with Pat LoBrutto), DARK AT HEART (with Karen Lansdale), WEIRD BUSINESS (with Richard Klaw), RETRO PULP TALES, CROSS PLAINS UNIVERSE (with Scott Cupp), CRUCIFIED DREAMS, and THE URBAN FANTASY ANTHOLOGY (with Peter S. Beagle). As if this wasn’t enough, Lansdale has written comics for DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, IDW, and others.

Lansdale’s most famous creation is the unlikely duo of Hap and Leonard. Hap Collins is white, liberal, and even tempered. Leonard Pine, who is quick to anger, is black, conservative and gay. In a series of nine novels, beginning with SAVAGE SEASON, and several novellas, the best friends encounter violence, racism, and adventure in their East Texas haunts. The often humorous tales have garnered much praise and a legion of loyal fans. Many of the Hap and Leonard novellas and shorter tales were collected in HAP AND LEONARD and HAP AND LEONARD RIDE AGAIN. The 10th and 11th novels, RUSTY PUPPY, and HAP AND LEONARD: BLOOD AND LEMONADE came out earlier this year. In early 2018, the pair return to SUNDANCETV for a third season of HAP AND LEONARD, starring James Purefoy and Michael K. Williams.

Other works that have enjoyed the film treatment include BUBBA HO-TEP, COLD IN JULY, INCIDENT ON AND OFF A MOUNTAIN ROAD, and CHRISTMAS WITH DEAD, which Lansdale produced with a screenplay by his son, Keith. He has written many screenplays and teleplays, most notably for BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES and SUPERMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES. 

All of us at Tachyon wish champion Joe a happy birthday!

For more info about THE BEST OF JOE R. LANSDALE, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by John Picacio

For more info about CRUCIFIED DREAMS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Josh Beatman

For more info about THE URBAN FANTASY ANTHOLOGY, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more info on HAP AND LEONARD, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Elizabeth Story

For more info about HAP AND LEONARD RIDE AGAIN, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Elizabeth Story

For more info about HAP AND LEONARD: BLOOD AND LEMONADE, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Elizabeth Story

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

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more info about FLAMING ZEPPELINS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by John Coulthart

For more info about DEADMAN’S ROAD, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art “The Quick and the Undead” by Travis J. Elston

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more info about DEADMAN’S CROSSING, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art “The Quick and the Undead” by Travis J. Elston

Cover design by Elizabeth Story