Thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a huge fan of Joe Lansdale having read Savage Season and The Nightrunners back in the day. Many of this short stories were revisits for me having read them in the past. Several, believe it or not, were first-time reads. I have never read Bubba Ho-Tep or watched its faithful movie adaptation. It was a deilight to read for the first time.

Highly recommended horror collection.

4 stars--I really liked it. I've read a few Lansdale stories before in various anthologies, but this is the first time I've really dug into his vast and assorted works. I need to read more Lansdale--he's an excellent writer, with a knack for capturing a certain (usually Texan) grittiness.

Some of my favorites from the collection:
“Hoodoo Man and the Midnight Train”: The image of Zach, the "hoodoo man," with his "baggage" (in the shape of an old woman clinging to his neck) was really creepy.

“God of the Razor”: Some gods are monsters.

“Tight Little Stitches in a Deadman’s Back”: Sci-fi apocalyptic horror about things that might emerge if the oceans dried up.

“By Bizarre Hands”: Truly creepy story of a pastor-predator.

"On the Far Side of the Cadillac Desert with Dead Folk": The image of cadillacs standing on end, lining the road, was striking.

“The Bleeding Shadow”: I LOVE horror stories about haunted songs/musicians, and this one is especially good. The Lovecraftian monster is terrifying.

"Bubba Ho-tep": Perhaps Lansdale's masterpiece.

“Fish Night”: A rare bit of whimsy. It reminded me of a Barron story--the ancient spirits and prehistoric things beyond our understanding.

“Night They Missed the Horror Show”: The author calls this an anti-racist story. Not sure I agree, but it's dark as anything.

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

4.5 stars
As far as short story collections go this is one of the best. It enjoyed every single story, which is quite rare for me. Landfall is top tier as far as horror goes and if you haven’t read him or wanted to dip your toes, this is the perfect palace to start.

A wonderful collection of the author's darker tales, often described as Southern Gothic. In particular Buba Ho-tep, which I have long heard about but never read. In it are a cast of famous character who may or may not be who they say they are, fighting an Egyptian mummy. This is my favourite in this collection, though I liked them all even though the stories that shone a light on some very nasty people were a little hard to read. For watchers of Love Death and Robots there is Fish Night, an episode from the first season, and another of my favourites from this collection.

As a reader, Joe Lansdale makes me happy. He somehow writes exactly what I want to read. To paraphrase a recent Stephen King title, I like it darker, and Lansdale always, always delivers.

As a sometimes writer, Joe Lansdale makes me pissed off. Despite how prolific he is—and make no mistake, he’s very prolific—and despite working in a wide variety of genres, including horror, crime, suspense, science fiction, fantasy, and often a mix of any and all of them, his work is always so damn good. He sets unreasonably high expectations for the rest of us. I mean, come on, Joe. Slip up once in a while. Write a shitty sentence.

The Essential Horror of Joe R. Lansdale is, as the title suggests, essential reading for horror fans. This collection is a retrospective of sorts, dipping into every part of Lansdale’s career, including some of his earliest work. While there is plenty of humor here, as there nearly always is with Lansdale, this is a dark, dark, bunch of stories. There are monsters here, of both the supernatural and human variety. Lansdale never looks away from violence, racism, hate, and evil, and he never allows the reader to look away either. In prose honed to a razor sharp edge, he plays all over the horror sandbox, from crime and suspense to southern gothic, science fiction to Lovecraftian horror.

If you’re a Lansdale fan, as I am, you’ll find many of your old, bloody favorites here. Mine include:
• God of the Razor
• Tight Little Stitches in a Dead Man’s Back
• On the Far Side of the Cadillac Desert with Dead Folk
• The Bleeding Shadow
• Bubba Ho-tep
• Night They Missed the Horror Show

Honestly, I could have made it easier and listed all the stories. Lansdale is a national treasure.

The Essential Horror of Joe R. Lansdale will be published October 7, 2025, and is available for pre-order now. If you’re easily frightened, or easily offended, this might not be your cup of tea. Otherwise, don’t miss this one.

More recently Joe R. Landsdale is better known for his off-beat, gritty crime novels and weird westerns, but this aptly titled collection reminds us just how great a horror writer he is.
The book features many of his finest horror short stories from across the decades, many of which have been previously collated in other collections before - so value here may depend on your existing Landsdale library.
But taken as a standalone horror collection this one packs one hell of a wallop and reminds us that Landsdale is a tour de force when it comes to the darker side of fiction.
Landsdale's character work and worldbuilding has always been first rate and it's again on show here with a range of rich worlds populated by nasty characters ranging from the supernatural (demonic nuns) to the worst of humanity (rapist preachers).
Of course, his most famous short story Bubba Ho-Tep gets a run but it's just one of many great stories such as Tight Little Stitches in a Deadman's Back, On the Far Side of the Cadillac Desert with Dead Folk and the Bleeding Shadow. But ultimately every story here is a standout in its own right.
Due for an October release, mark this one down as essential reading for this year's Halloween period.

Every single Joe R. Lansdale book is a treasure. Perhaps, some more than others -- The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent comes to mind -- but all still treasure, nonetheless, and books themselves are treasures, Lansdale or otherwise, but there's something just right, just perfectly tantalizing about a Lansdale tome.

What I suspect it is, beyond flat out damn good story telling, is that there's none other. Joe R. Lansdale is hisownself through and through, and thus is his own genre: the Lansdale genre. Which, that's a vibe I get down with.

Whether it's horror flavored, science fiction, mystery, or what all else, I'm here for it. Lansdale gets me to the page so fast there isn't even time to ask, "where are we going?"

And that answer just may depend on the terrain.

With this book, we're in the horror zone, and as such, where we're going is hell. But fret not, for there are refreshments aplenty.

This book, it "gives me a chill just thinking about it." Talk about a fun chill.

If Lansdale's your style, if horror's your style, this one's for you. It's got it all, and it's brilliantly paced/sequenced, too. You'll be slipping from one world to another with speed and ease. Just, I don't know, maybe hug a puppy now and then between stories. These pages are dark. Exquisite, yes. But dark.

Joe R. Lansdale has always had a talent for dragging readers down dusty backroads into strange, terrifying, and often darkly funny places and The Essential Horror of Joe R. Lansdale is a prime showcase of that talent at its finest. This collection is lean, brutal, and consistently strong throughout—something rare in most story collections.

"The Hoodoo Man and the Midnight Train" kicks things off with a sharp, atmospheric tale that feels like Lansdale at his pulp-noir best. "Tight Little Stitches in a Dead Man's Back" might be one of the most haunting stories I've read in years—emotionally raw, visually harrowing, and deeply unsettling in ways that linger.

Lansdale’s unique blend of western grit and horror is on full display in standouts like "On the Far Side of the Cadillac Desert with Dead Folks," "The Hungry Snow," and the now-iconic "Bubba Ho-Tep." They read like grindhouse westerns filtered through an apocalyptic fever dream—and it works so well.

"The Bleeding Shadow" feels like it could exist in the same universe as Sinners (if you've seen it, you'll get it)—blues, demons, and darkness in equal measure. And of course, the collection ends with a gut punch: "Night They Missed the Horror Show." It's raw, grotesque, and disturbingly relevant—a reminder that the real horror sometimes wears a human face.

Most story collections have a few forgettable entries, but this one doesn’t. Even the lesser-known tales land hard. The Essential Horror of Joe R. Lansdale lives up to its name: it’s essential. Whether you're a longtime fan or just discovering him, this is a hell of a ride.

As all good horror should be, these stories are rooted in the vicissitudes of everyday life. Racism, exploitation of the poor, the disabled, the elderly, the use of religion as a tool for evil; nothing is off limits in this collection. Story length is easily digestible and engaging.

Title: The Essential Horror of Joe R. Lansdale
Author: Joe R. Lansdale
Introduction by: Joe Hill
Publisher: Tachyon Publications
Release Date: October 7, 2025
Genre: Horror / Short Fiction / Southern Gothic
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)

Joe R. Lansdale doesn’t write horror—he body-slams it, gut-punches it, and then cracks a beer with it while the devil sings backup. The Essential Horror of Joe R. Lansdale is exactly what it promises: a brutal, bizarre, and brilliant retrospective that cements Lansdale’s place not just in the horror canon, but at the bar where Twain, Poe, Faulkner, and King are all trying to outdo each other.

From undead strippers to demon nuns, possessed cars to pissed-off Elder Gods, these sixteen stories are pure Lansdale: irreverent, outrageous, and unexpectedly profound. He writes with the voice of a Southern preacher who’s seen too much and decided to laugh anyway. There’s gore, sure. But also grit. And rage. And a surprisingly tender awareness of what it means to survive in a cruel world, especially when that cruelty wears a human face.

“Night They Missed the Horror Show” still hits like a loaded shotgun blast—timely, merciless, and necessary. “Bubba Ho-tep” remains a genre-busting classic, and “God of the Razor” proves once again that Lansdale’s monsters are often metaphors wearing meat suits. Racism, religious extremism, and American rot are tackled with razor-sharp narrative teeth.

Joe Hill’s introduction is the perfect setup: smart, reverent, and just self-aware enough to match the tone. This isn’t just a horror collection. It’s a syllabus. If you’ve ever called yourself a horror fan and haven’t read Lansdale—fix that. Now.

Final Verdict:
If horror is a house, Lansdale is the guy in the basement breaking all the rules and building new ones with blood and bile. The Essential Horror of Joe R. Lansdale isn’t just a best-of—it’s a reminder that the genre lives and breathes because writers like Lansdale keep dragging it into uncomfortable, unforgettable places.

Recommended for readers who enjoy:

Splatterpunk with soul

Southern Gothic with bite

Subversive, character-driven horror

Short fiction that leaves a scar

An excellent collection that proves Joe R. Lansdale is one of the greatest horror writers. The stories range in tone and length, but remain fun and engaging.

A solid collection of stories by Lansdale. I read most of them previously but will recommend this collection to those looking tong exposed to the author. The Love Doll story gave me a great laugh,

Joe Lansdale has always been a favorite author of mine. I do wish he wrote more books. My favorites being The Bottoms and The Thicket. This is a short story collection, and most of the stories I have read. So this is basically a reprint of his older stories ,but nice to read them again or gift to a friend that's never read the author.