Bestsellers Guarantee [Paperback]

Joe R. Lansdale (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Necrofile calls this collection of short stories "essential Lansdale." Included are a children's fantasy with a nasty adult edge, a classic quiet horror tale, a traditional ghost story, a silly monster yarn, tall tales reminiscent of Bradbury, several horror stories with Lansdale's characteristic black humor and a final East Texas gothic that takes an uncompromising look at misogyny, racism, and sadism.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Ace; 1st edition (May 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441055028
• ISBN-13: 978-0441055029
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,355,452 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Joe R. Lansdale is the author of over thirty 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 eighteen 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 Hotep 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." 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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining on several levels!, April 16, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Sleepy Hollow, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bestsellers Guarantee (Paperback)

This collection of short fiction from Joe R. Lansdale will satisfy many different readers with its plethora of stories ranging from the humorous ("Bob the Dinosaur Goes to Disneyland") to the truly frightening ("God of the Razor"). A fascinating collection which showcases the versatility of Mr. Lansdale, I found myself running through a gauntlet of emotions from disgust in the pit of my stomach ("My Dead Dog Bobby") to being touched in the depths of my heart ("Not From Detroit"). And for those interested in the unexpected, such gems as "Chompers" and "The Shaggy House" deliver. The final tale "The Events Concerning a Nude Fold-Out Found in a Harlequin Romance" contains the flavor of Mr. Lansdale's more recent work and will please the readers of the Hap and Leonard books (as well as "Cold in July"). My personal favorite is the title tale as it provides a wickedly sarcastic, yet comical explanation behind the success of bestselling authors. In addition, the author provides introductions to each of his stories that are both inspiring and amusing (especially when he refers to his "popcorn dreams"--don't ask!) Scour the used bookstores and find this collection!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A book better left un-covered, January 30, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Bestsellers Guarantee (Paperback)

Joe Lansdale is one of the few writers who is truly a master of both the short story and novel, and this collection does a fine job of showcasing both his talent and range. If you are not familiar with Lansdale, this collection is a good place to start -- but don't trust the cover artwork; there's not a dragon or elf to be found in this hard-edged anthology