Order HAP AND LEONARD here
(also reviewed)
Order SAVAGE SEASON here - Read the Review
Order MUCHO MOJO here - Read the Review
Order THE TWO-BEAR MAMBO here - Read the Review
Order THE DRIVE-IN here - Read the Review
Order COLD IN JULY here - Read the Review
Order THE BOTTOMS here - Read the Review
Order SUNSET AND SAWDUST here - Read the Review
Order PRISONER 489 here - Read the Review
The true power of ideas is that they never die. Ask racism how it's doing in 2016 and you might be surprised what it answers. Same for its cousins sexism and genocide. Fortunately for us, great ideas are immortal too, no matter what the pundits and intellectuals would like to claim on social media. Adventure novels might not be what they once were, but they're still being published and read, and the driving force behind the genre today, Joe R. Lansdale's Hap and Leonard have just been granted their own television show by Sundance Channel. Tachyon Publications released a collection of Hap and Leonard's best short stories to celebrate the event and it is absolutely glorious.
Hap and Leonard features Hyenas and Dead Aim, two important novellas in the characters mythology that were previously hard to find in print. Fortunately, they also happen to be two of Joe R. Lansdale's best Hap and Leonard stories. It shouldn't be surprising. short stories and novellas are often sharper than novels because they don't factor in length. They're over when they're over. They don't need a certain number of words to exist. In Hyenas and Dead Aim, Hap Collins and Leonard Pine are sharper, wittier and involved in wilder and more violent adventures. Every couple of pages or so, Lansdale bends the story in an unexpected angle in a way only he can. If you're read him before, you know exactly what I'm talking about. A tip top shape Joe Lansdale is completely unpredictable.
The two novella account for more than 50% of Hap and Leonard. There's a lot of shorter material in there too. Veil's Visit, co-written with Andrew Vachss was a pleasant surprise. I'm not a fan of Vachss' writing, but the back and forth between his character and our two heroes was seamless and fun. If you're familiar with the early Hap and Leonard novels, Veil's Visit is about the court case following The Two-Bear Mambo, after Leonard burned down the crack house he lived right next to. It is emphasizing what the series does best: vivid settings and transcendent dialogues. It was a nice, oddly realistic wrinkle to add for long-time fans like me.
But I'm avoiding the real subject here. Is that Lansdale guy freakin' good or what? I have consumed Hap and Leonard faster than it would've taken to burn the damn book. Joe R. Lansdale's economy of language is second to none. There is not a single word wasted in that collection. Every scene has just the necessary breathing space to be fully efficient and flows seamlessly into the next. I believe the short form is part responsible for showcasing the absolute best side of Joe Lansdale. Don't get me wrong, the man can write a novel and a half too. I've been a fan for several years now. It's just that the less constraints there are in his way, the more impressive he gets.
Hap and Leonard was an absolute blast for long-time fans like me. It reignited my passion for the two characters. It's also a great place to begin your long and wonderful journey in the two adventurers' mythology. The stories in Hap and Leonard are only loosely related to the novels. There's enough to make the long-time fans smile, but they are more than sturdy enough to exist on their own and give great insight into both characters' background. I know this blog has turned into a Joe Lansdale lovefest over the last two years or so, but what can I say? The man is really good at what he's doing and he's been recently canonized by pop culture for being awesome. So if YOU'RE not into Lansdale yet, seems like YOU'RE the one late to the party and Hap and Leonard is your way in.