Joe R. Lansdale Books In Order

Publication Order of Drive-In Books

Publication Order of Hap & Leonard Books

Publication Order of Hap & Leonard Collections

Publication Order of Batman Books

Publication Order of Lost Lansdale Books

Publication Order of Ned The Seal Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Publication Order of Graphic Novels

Publication Order of 30 Days of Night Graphic Novels

Publication Order of Picture Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

American author Joe R. Lansdale is well known and well regarded for his unique brand of comic-book fantasy and horror. Having written for some of the biggest names in comic-book publishing, such as DC comics, he’s created a name for himself that is well established within the industry. Not only that, but he’s also been at the forefront of his genre, being a pioneer within his field.

Early and Personal Life

Born in Gladewater in Texas on the 28th of October, 1951, Joe R. Lansdale has become an American institution in his own right over the many years of his career. Continuing to live in Texas to this day, he now resides in Nacogdoches where carries on writing and creating his many well received works. Taking inspiration from the environment about him from an early age, he has been a writer with a lot to say. Working as the writer in residence at the Austin State University, he also finds time to teach martial arts as well, operating from his own Shen Chuan school titled ‘Lansdale’s Self Defence Systems’ which he runs in his home-town. Martial arts has been one of his most favored past-times over the years. He also happens to be a member of both the national and international ‘Martial Arts Hall of Fame’ too.

Living with his wife in Nacogdoches, he continues to happily write his unique brand of fiction, along with all his other various activities. Being brought up around creativity due to his musician father, he carries on injecting this into his work. With still more to come yet as more is available on the horizon, he shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Writing Career

Creating his first full-length novel, ‘Act of Love’, in 1981 he hasn’t looked back since as he’s continued writing to this very day. Building a large body of work behind him, he’s largely focused on fantasy and science-fiction, with a penchant for more absurdist scenarios. A good example of this can be found in his novella ‘Bubba Ho-Tep’ which saw an elderly Elvis and JFK working together to battle an Egyptian-mummy.

Working within the world of comics, Lansdale has managed to produce some work for big-name franchises like Batman, where he’s worked on the animated series, along with some other properties for DC Comics. This has led to him becoming one of the biggest, most sought after names in the industry, with a long body of work surrounding him. He has also had a large number of films created using his work as well, such as the film version of ‘Bubba Ho-Tep’ starring Bruce Campbell.

Not without critical acclaim either, Joe R. Lansdale has earned the respect of his peers and managed to gain himself a large number of awards over the years. Winning an Edgar and the British Fantasy award, he’s accumulated plenty of accolades throughout his career. These will continue to come as his career progresses. With both critical and commercial success, his career grows from strength-to-strength with every passing year. Working across a variety of different mediums, he’s always willing to adapt to new formats and material. This looks like something that’s set to carry on from now into the foreseeable future as there’s plenty more work on the horizon.

Act of Love

Originally published in 1981, this was the first full-length novel that introduced Joe R. Lansdale onto the literary scene. Working as a crime novel, it’s an extremely graphic read that is the ideal book for anyone looking to understand the author better. Establishing both his style and his tone, it operates as an accessible way into his body of work.

Set in the city of Houston, Texas, it features a serial killer set on the loose as he wreaks his havoc in a ‘Jack the Ripper’ slew of bloody murders and killings. Using a lot of strong and graphic imagery it leaves nothing up to the imagination, as it charts every grisly detail of his murder spree. As a depraved killer goes on the rampage, it also manages to capture a lot of the on-goings within society at the time as well. Operating as a form of social-commentary, it works in examining the inside details of the police department and how they deal with such a case. The murderer himself is also a misogynist of the most unpleasant kind, another detail which is also explored in-depth. All in all, it manages to capture a certain tone at a time when serial-killers were en-vogue in literature. Will they be able to capture the killer, or will they strike again and where? What will it take to stop the killer and who will they attack next in their bloody murder spree? Why is the murderer doing this and what is motivating them to conduct such a horrific act?

Savage Season

First released in 1990, this was a novel released some time into Lansdale’s writing career as it was already underway. It’s another crime novel that follows in the vein of a lot of his previous style of work as it manages to capture a dark and gritty tone. The book was also nominated for a ‘Bram Stoker’ award on the year of its release as well.

This is the first in a series of eight novels overall featuring the characters Hap and Leonard, two Texas men in their mid-forties looking to get away from their low-wage lifestyles. Getting into trouble on numerous occasion, they usually end up on the wrong side of the tracks, as they get mixed up with the local criminal element. Living LaBorde, a fictional town set in East Texas, they have all sorts of adventures over the course of the series of novels. In this particular novel they find themselves helping out a woman from their youth who offers them the chance to make some big money. What she proposes is picking up some stolen money which she’s using to help fund her radical extreme left organization. Not everything is as it seems though and soon the pair find themselves in over their heads, as they look back upon the politics of their past. Will they be able to recover the money and live the good life? Can they make amends with their past and the cynicism that’s encroached them and their politics over the years leading them towards middle-age? What will become of them both as they start to enter the savage season?

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