|
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
 I'm always getting on my soapbox and asking you to spend your hard-won dollars. I can't help it. If we love this stuff...movies, books, etc., the only way to do our part to ensure that our favorites can continue to bring us our daily horror bread is to speak out with our purchasing dollars.
I've had a lot of writers that I've called my favorites over the many years I've been a reader. Robert A. Heinlein, Frederik Pohl, Kurt Vonnegut, Philip Jose Farmer, Stephen King, Peter Straub, Robert Cormier, Bill Pronzini. And I still adore the works of these fine writers. But the one that has most constantly topped my list has been Joe R. Lansdale.
I first discovered Lansdale's work with his seminal novel, The Drive-In. Obviously, I've always been a fan of outdoor theaters and when I heard about a novel with the name, The Drive-In, I knew that I had to read it. I did and I was blown away by the storytelling of the writer. Joe R. Lansdale.
 Remember the first time you read Joe? Maybe it was a Hap and Leonard book. Perhaps it was The Bottoms or maybe Cold in July. Or maybe it was one of Joe's amazing short stories. I know that Night They Missed The Horror Show won him a lot of fans. Regardless of what your first Lansdale was, it's probable that you look back on it with a special sort of fondness. Much like the love of a drive-in theater from your youth.
Joe R. Lansdale has written in a lot of genres. Horror, Western, Thriller, Comics, Pulp and the just plain weird. I like it all, but my very favorites of Joe's work are the ones that have their feet firmly in reality. His suspense thrillers, like The Bottoms. A Fine Dark Line. Cold In July. Sunset and Sawdust. And Waltz of Shadows, which sorely deserves to be reprinted.
On August 5th, Joe Lansdale's latest novel will be released. It's called Leather Maiden and it's one of the suspense stories that I favor. Reading the plot synopsis, I have gotten really excited. This could possibly be his finest work to date.
This is a crucial time for Joe R. Lansdale. His career is at a crossroads and it's important for Leather Maiden to be a success. Every sale counts and I need you guys to help out with this one. I know that some of you use the library and I do too. I always make an exception on Joe's case and I'm asking you to do the same. Please don't wait for the paperback this time either.
It seems like I'm always asking you to spend your hard-earned money on something or other. Sorry about that, but I love fiction (and film and music) and the only way our favorites can succeed is for us to speak with out dollars. I usually ask to help people I admire. Not this time. This time I'm asking for purposes of greed. I want more Lansdale fiction to continue to be published. I want more Hap and Leonard and I want more suspense. I want more of the weird shit and whatever else he might have up his sleeve.
I'm not really asking all that much. Go ahead and order from Amazon and if you preorder it now, you'll save. Any new work by this writer is well worth more than $16.29. I promise you won't be disappointed.
|
