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Description:
In Lansdale's own words, this collection, and the previous collection High Cotton, "are, to date, the definitive volumes of my short work."Bumper Crop, like High Cotton, showcases some of the favorite Lansdale stories, most of which are out of print. These twenty-six stories contain some of Lansdale's most violent dark horror: "God of the Razor," where the dark god behind serial killers is introduced. A martial arts fight to the death, between a reluctant champion and a sadistic alpha-male, the ultimate "Master of Misery," clearly defines good and evil, but does good EVER win? Why would a man live and work in "The Dump," unless he had a special junkyard "dog" to care for? And human sacrifice, to insure prosperity, or as a coming-of-age ritual, are themes of "On a Dark October" and "Duck Hunt." And the influence of Bradbury is evident in "The Fat Man," where young boys learn, the hard way, that some mysteries should not be investigated. And what drives a serial killer, and what does he do on his nocturnal "Walks?" And why is "Old Charlie" such a good fisherman?
Many of the stories are truly weird tales, such as the story of false teeth with an appetite, in "Chompers." "Billie Sue" is away, so her mate will play with the available woman next door, for awhile; but Billie Sue is only a few spadefuls of earth away. "The Shaggy House" needs more than a facelift it needs something more, and it decides to fulfill its needs on a quiet street, peopled by retirees.
Writers and writer-hopefuls will appreciate "Bestsellers Guaranteed," where the secret of becoming a best-seller author, and the price of such, is finally revealed. A truly sad tale describes one of the many costs of discrimination, and makes one wonder why you hardly ever see a black
"Cowboy," at least in the popular Western literature.
These, and the other thirteen stories, all have individual introductions by Lansdale, where he explains the humorous, weird, and sometimes sad genesis for each story.
Cover art by John Picacio.
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