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Unchained and Unhinged
These short pieces, are, like The King and Other Stories, a collection of easy to read stories and articles that are designed to be treats for my readers. Nothing to hurt the head, but perhaps something to make you smile, or even think a little—but not too much.
The stories in The King were all pretty much pulp and absurdist pieces. This collection contains a few stories of weight, even though they are short.
The bottom line is they are designed for immediate consumption, the perfect kind of story for the busy day. Because, if you're like me, even on my busiest day, I like to find a few moments to read, even if it's only a chapter from a novel, a scene I've enjoyed reading before, a short story, or, what we used to call short-shorts. The articles though a little less flash like, are still quick reads and are probably best appreciated by those who like to read about writing and writers.
Again, I thank all of you who have bought my short story collections and novels and comic books. Stay with me. I keep having new stories come to visit all the time. They're friendly, and they like to meet other readers other than me. Here are a few of the friendlier ones. They aren't complex friends, but you couldn't find any more well meaning than these.
Read on.
The stories in The King were all pretty much pulp and absurdist pieces. This collection contains a few stories of weight, even though they are short.
The bottom line is they are designed for immediate consumption, the perfect kind of story for the busy day. Because, if you're like me, even on my busiest day, I like to find a few moments to read, even if it's only a chapter from a novel, a scene I've enjoyed reading before, a short story, or, what we used to call short-shorts. The articles though a little less flash like, are still quick reads and are probably best appreciated by those who like to read about writing and writers.
Again, I thank all of you who have bought my short story collections and novels and comic books. Stay with me. I keep having new stories come to visit all the time. They're friendly, and they like to meet other readers other than me. Here are a few of the friendlier ones. They aren't complex friends, but you couldn't find any more well meaning than these.
Read on.
143 pages, Hardcover
First published July 20, 1992
49 people want to read
About the author
Joe R. Lansdale
820 books3,842 followersChampion Mojo Storyteller Joe R. Lansdale is the author of over forty novels and numerous short stories. His work has appeared in national anthologies, magazines, and collections, as well as numerous foreign publications. He has written for comics, television, film, newspapers, and Internet sites. His work has been collected in more than two dozen short-story collections, and he has edited or co-edited over a dozen anthologies. He has received the Edgar Award, eight Bram Stoker Awards, the Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the British Fantasy Award, the Grinzani Cavour Prize for Literature, the Herodotus Historical Fiction Award, the Inkpot Award for Contributions to Science Fiction and Fantasy, and many others. His novella Bubba Ho-Tep was adapted to film by Don Coscarelli, starring Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis. His story "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" was adapted to film for Showtime's "Masters of Horror," and he adapted his short story "Christmas with the Dead" to film hisownself. The film adaptation of his novel Cold in July was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and the Sundance Channel has adapted his Hap & Leonard novels for television.
He is currently co-producing several films, among them The Bottoms, based on his Edgar Award-winning novel, with Bill Paxton and Brad Wyman, and The Drive-In, with Greg Nicotero. He is Writer In Residence at Stephen F. Austin State University, and is the founder of the martial arts system Shen Chuan: Martial Science and its affiliate, Shen Chuan Family System. He is a member of both the United States and International Martial Arts Halls of Fame. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife, dog, and two cats.
He is currently co-producing several films, among them The Bottoms, based on his Edgar Award-winning novel, with Bill Paxton and Brad Wyman, and The Drive-In, with Greg Nicotero. He is Writer In Residence at Stephen F. Austin State University, and is the founder of the martial arts system Shen Chuan: Martial Science and its affiliate, Shen Chuan Family System. He is a member of both the United States and International Martial Arts Halls of Fame. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife, dog, and two cats.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 5, 2012
Unchained and Unhinged is a collection of Joe R. Lansdale writings. Half of the book contains columns or essays he wrote and introductions for a couple books. The rest of the book is full of really short short stories.
The essays are pretty good. Two about Robert Howard, one about writing, a rant about typewriters, the intro to a Henry Kuttner book, and a couple pages about Les Whitten, an obscure horror and suspense writer. They were all interesting and told in the Lansdale front porch bull-shitting session style.
The short stories were entertaining as hell. There's one about a world where everything is on camera, one about a ratty old coat, a story about the preparation of dragon chili, the story of a man who takes a pill that makes him grow uncontrollably, a suicide gone wrong, and a few others, but the best two are these:
Jack's Pecker:
Upon waking after a drunken tryst, Jack wakes up to find his genitals missing. They've abandoned him to go see the world. Hilarity ensues.
Rainy Night:
A loser is approached in a diner to kill a stranger's wife. Only wifey has other ideas...
Unchained and Unhinged, while slim and on the pricey side, is a welcome addition to any Lansdale fan's bookshelf, with the caveat that half of it is nonfiction.
The essays are pretty good. Two about Robert Howard, one about writing, a rant about typewriters, the intro to a Henry Kuttner book, and a couple pages about Les Whitten, an obscure horror and suspense writer. They were all interesting and told in the Lansdale front porch bull-shitting session style.
The short stories were entertaining as hell. There's one about a world where everything is on camera, one about a ratty old coat, a story about the preparation of dragon chili, the story of a man who takes a pill that makes him grow uncontrollably, a suicide gone wrong, and a few others, but the best two are these:
Jack's Pecker:
Upon waking after a drunken tryst, Jack wakes up to find his genitals missing. They've abandoned him to go see the world. Hilarity ensues.
Rainy Night:
A loser is approached in a diner to kill a stranger's wife. Only wifey has other ideas...
Unchained and Unhinged, while slim and on the pricey side, is a welcome addition to any Lansdale fan's bookshelf, with the caveat that half of it is nonfiction.
October 5, 2011
A collection of Lansdale's non-fiction, flash-fiction, and short stories. The non-fiction (compiled largely from his column in Subterranean Magazine) is stellar. Well written, funny, informed, often vulgar, but filled with a love for writing and the great forgotten pulp writers of his past. I will definitely be on the lookout for Henry Kuttner and Leslie Whitten.
The flash fiction is not as engaging. I think Lansdale struggles with the length. The weakest, "Surveillance", a rather cliche short about a man living in a world where there is no escape from the eyes of a camera, also happens to be the shortest. "Hanging", the next shortest is also weak. But as the tales lengthen, Lansdale's wit and vulgar charm become more and more evident. "Coat", a well worn tale of murderous clothing, is a little longer and a little more interesting. "Big Man: A Fable" and "Jack's Pecker" are longer still and really start to showcase Lansdale's imagination and perverse wit. The final and longest piece, "Rainy Weather", a tale of crime and double-dealing, is the best of the bunch. it manages to flesh out its main character rather well while throwing in an impressive number of plot twists before wrapping up neatly.
On the whole, I judge that this is a book for Lansdale completionists, and probably not the place to start for those unfamiliar with his work.
This is perhaps ironic considering this is the first and only thing I've read by him.
It won't, however, be the last.
The flash fiction is not as engaging. I think Lansdale struggles with the length. The weakest, "Surveillance", a rather cliche short about a man living in a world where there is no escape from the eyes of a camera, also happens to be the shortest. "Hanging", the next shortest is also weak. But as the tales lengthen, Lansdale's wit and vulgar charm become more and more evident. "Coat", a well worn tale of murderous clothing, is a little longer and a little more interesting. "Big Man: A Fable" and "Jack's Pecker" are longer still and really start to showcase Lansdale's imagination and perverse wit. The final and longest piece, "Rainy Weather", a tale of crime and double-dealing, is the best of the bunch. it manages to flesh out its main character rather well while throwing in an impressive number of plot twists before wrapping up neatly.
On the whole, I judge that this is a book for Lansdale completionists, and probably not the place to start for those unfamiliar with his work.
This is perhaps ironic considering this is the first and only thing I've read by him.
It won't, however, be the last.
November 4, 2009
Alas, though I love Joe Lansdale with all my heart, this book is a bit slight for what it is. It's a scant few essays on writing, two intros to books by other authors, and a couple of short-shorts. It went down easily, as Lansdale does, but it's no Bad Chili.
January 6, 2010
The essays portion was okay, personally I don't find Robert E. Howard as fascinating as Joe does. I did enjoy his rant about typewriters, though. The short shorts were quite enjoyable, ranging from hilarious to haunting. Fun times.
May 1, 2011
Much better than King and Other Stories. Some ribald essays and imaginative short stories. I especially liked Big Man: A Fable.
January 24, 2016
Funny, muscular, no-bullshit writing
July 11, 2011
I'm really enjoying Joe's essays. Can't wait to get into the meatier short stories though.
November 3, 2011
Lansdale is amazing, full review coming.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews