🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Joe R. Lansdale
First released in 1990, this was a novel released some time into Lansdale’s writing career as it was already underway. It’s another crime novel that follows in the vein of a lot of his previous style of work as it manages to capture a dark and gritty tone. The book was also nominated for a ‘Bram Stoker’ award on the year of its release as well. This is the first in a series of eight novels overall featuring the characters Hap and Leonard, two Texas men in their mid-forties looking to get away from their low-wage lifestyles. Getting into trouble on numerous occasion, they usually end up on the wrong side of the tracks, as they get mixed up with the local criminal element.
All Book Series by Joe R. Lansdale
Veil's Visit
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 1999 Co-authored · Andrew Vachss
Hap and Leonard: Blood and Lemonade
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2017
Terror Is Our Business
Single-title series · published 2018 Co-authored · Kasey Lansdale
Something Lumber This Way Comes, Or, the House from Space
Book 2 of 3 · published 1999
The Drive-In 3: The Bus Tour
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2005
Big Lizard
Latest in the series · book 34 of 34 · published 2025 Co-authored · Keith Lansdale
The Events Concerning a Nude Fold-Out Found in a Harlequin Romance
Book 4 of 19 · published 1992
The Unlikely Affair of the Crawling Razor
Latest in the series · book 19 of 19 · published 2024
On the Far Side of the Cadillac Desert with the Dead Folks
Book 2 of 32 · published 1991
Written With a Razor - Short Stories and a Screenplay
Book 21 of 32 · published 2012
The Tall Grass and Other Stories / After the People Lights Have Gone Off
Book 24 of 32 · published 2014
Terror Is Our Business
Book 26 of 32 · published 2018 Co-authored · Kasey Lansdale
Things Get Ugly: The Best Crime Fiction of Joe R. Lansdale
Book 29 of 32 · published 2023
The Senior Girls Bayonet Drill Team and Other Stories
Book 30 of 32 · published 2024
The Essential Horror of Joe R. Lansdale
Latest in the series · book 32 of 32 · published 2025
Robert Bloch's Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper
Book 9 of 15 · published 2010 Co-authored · Robert Bloch,John L. Lansdale
H.P. Lovecraft's The Dunwich Horror
Book 10 of 15 · published 2012 Co-authored · H.P. Lovecraft
X-Files: Case Files
Book 14 of 15 · published 2018 Co-authored · Delilah S. Dawson,Keith Lansdale
Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Blood-Suckers
Latest in the series · book 15 of 15 · published 2019 Co-authored · Joshua Jabcuga
In Waders From Mars
Single-title series · published 2012 Co-authored · Keith Lansdale
30 Days of Night
Series opener · book 1 of 13 · published 2004 Anthology · Steve Niles
Bloodsucker Tales
Book 4 of 13 · published 2005 Anthology · Steve Niles,Matt Fraction
Eben and Stella
Book 7 of 13 · published 2007 Anthology · Kelly Sue DeConnick,Steve Niles
30 Days of Night: 30 Days 'til Death
Book 10 of 13 · published 2009 Anthology · David Lapham
30 Days of Night / The X Files
Book 11 of 13 · published 2010 Anthology · Steve Niles,Adam Jones
Final Night
Latest in the series · book 13 of 13 · published 2013 Anthology · Steve Niles
The Old Funny Stuff
Series opener · book 1 of 13 · published 1989 Anthology · George Alec Effinger
Swatting at the Cosmos
Book 5 of 13 · published 1990 Anthology · James K. Morrow
Tales from a Vanished Country
Book 7 of 13 · published 1990 Anthology · Elizabeth A. Lynn
Unthreatened by the Morning Light
Book 10 of 13 · published 1991 Anthology · Karl Edward Wagner
Nine Hard Questions About the Nature of the Universe
Book 12 of 13 · published 1991 Anthology · Lewis Shiner
It's Been Fun
Latest in the series · book 13 of 13 · published 1991 Anthology · Esther M. Friesner
The Best Horror of the Year: Volume One
Series opener · book 1 of 19 · published 2009
The Best of the Best Horror of the Year: 10 Years of Essential Short Horror Fiction
Book 11 of 19 · published 2018
Best Horror of the Year, Volume Eighteen
Latest in the series · book 19 of 19 · published 2026
The Book of Virtue
Series opener · book 1 of 40 · published 2012 Anthology · Ken Bruen
Pronghorns of the Third Reich
Book 2 of 40 · published 2012 Anthology · C.J. Box
An Acceptable Sacrifice
Book 5 of 40 · published 2012 Anthology · Jeffery Deaver
The Long Sonata of the Dead
Book 9 of 40 · published 2013 Anthology · Andrew Taylor
The Book of Ghosts
Book 10 of 40 · published 2013 Anthology · Reed Farrel Coleman
The Compendium of Srem
Book 11 of 40 · published 2014 Anthology · F. Paul Wilson
The Nature of My Inheritance
Book 17 of 40 · published 2014 Anthology · Bradford Morrow
It's in the Book
Book 18 of 40 · published 2014 Anthology · Max Allan Collins,Mickey Spillane
Reconciliation Day
Book 28 of 40 · published 2016 Anthology · Christopher Fowler
The Hemingway Valise
Book 34 of 40 · published 2018 Anthology · Robert Olen Butler
The Last Honest Horse Thief
Book 35 of 40 · published 2018 Anthology · Michael Koryta
The Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository
Book 36 of 40 · published 2018 Anthology · John Connolly
The Girl Who Did Say No
Book 37 of 40 · published 2020 Anthology · David Handler
The Honeymoon Trap
Latest in the series · book 40 of 40 · published 2022 Anthology · Peter Swanson
The Walls of the Castle
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 2012 Anthology · Tom Piccirilli
The Booking
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2016 Anthology · Ramsey Campbell
Ladycastle
Series opener · book 1 of 9 · published 2017 Anthology · Delilah S. Dawson
Spider-Man: A New Beginning
Book 3 of 9 · published 2019 Anthology · Delilah S. Dawson
Descendants: Twisted Field Trip
Book 4 of 9 · published 2019 Anthology · Delilah S. Dawson
Descendants: Fright at the Museum
Book 5 of 9 · published 2019 Anthology · Delilah S. Dawson
Firefly Original Graphic Novel
Book 6 of 9 · published 2019 Anthology · Delilah S. Dawson
Thor & Loki: Epic Tales from Marvel Mythology
Book 8 of 9 · published 2025 Anthology · Delilah S. Dawson
Sleepy Hollow: The Witches of the Western Wood
Latest in the series · book 9 of 9 · published 2027 Anthology · Delilah S. Dawson
Baby Shoes
Series opener · book 1 of 4 · published 2015 Co-authored · Walter Jon Williams,Jason Brick,Dani J. Caile,Wes Choc,Katherine Valdez,Linda Needham
Flash!
Book 2 of 4 · published 2017 Anthology · Jason Brick,Dani J. Caile,David E. Sharp,Walt Socha,Michelle Simkins
Itty Bitty Writing Space
Book 3 of 4 · published 2019 Anthology · Jason Brick,Dani J. Caile,Peter J. Foote,Christine Hanolsy,TerriClifton,Jean Harkin
Worth 1,000 Words
Latest in the series · book 4 of 4 · published 2020 Anthology · Jason Brick,Dani Caile
Flinch#2
Book 2 of 16 · published 1999 Anthology · Dean Motter,Bob Fingerman,Eduardo Risso,Bill Sienkiewicz,Brian Azzarello,Pat McEown
Flinch#3
Book 3 of 16 · published 1999 Anthology · Patricia Mulvihill,Marcelo Frusín,Matt Hollingsworth,Kelley Jones,Kieron Dwyer,Jason Wright,Garth Ennis,John Rozum,Scott Cunningham,Sue Coe
Flinch#5
Book 5 of 16 · published 1999 Anthology · Rick Burchett,José Villarrubia,Tim Sale,Mark Wheatley,Marc Hempel,James Romberger,Colin Raff,Marguerite Van Cook,Danny Vozzo,JoeR. Lansdale
Flinch#9
Book 9 of 16 · published 1999 Anthology · Patricia Mulvihill,Richard Corben,Alex Ross,Sean Phillips,Bruce Jones,Dave Taylor,John Estes,Steven T. Seagle,Thom Metzger,Pamela Rambo
Flinch#10
Book 10 of 16 · published 2000 Anthology · Lee Loughridge,Frank Teran,Tony Bedard,David Lloyd,Brian Azzarello,Danijel Žeželj,Ken Rothstein,Edvin Biukovi?
Flinch#12
Book 12 of 16 · published 2000 Anthology · Ryan Sook,Bruce Jones,John Arcudi,John Constanza,Frank Quitely,Esad Ribić,Scott Cunningham,James Sinclair,Mitch O'Connell,Danny Vozzo
Flinch#13
Book 13 of 16 · published 2000 Anthology · Timothy Truman,Rick Berry,Javier Pulido,Roger Langridge,Brian Azzarello,James Sinclair,Sam Parsons,Kevin Somers,JoeR. Lansdale
Flinch#14
Book 14 of 16 · published 2000 Anthology · Lee Loughridge,Bernie Wrightson,Darko Macan,Bruce Jones,Tim Bradstreet,Ted McKeever,Kevin Somers,Maria D'Agostino,Tim Levins,Michael William Kaluta
Flinch#16
Latest in the series · book 16 of 16 · published 2000 Anthology · Lee Loughridge,Jae Lee,Richard Corben,José Villarrubia,Mike Carey,Danijel Žeželj,Guy Gonzales,Charlie Boatner,Inc. G2 Technologies,Craig Hamilton,Philip Bond,Danny Vozzo
Jonah Hex, Volume One
Book 3 of 5 · published 2005 Anthology · Gil Kane,Robert Kanigher,Michael L. Fleisher,Arnold Drake,John Albano
Jonah Hex Classic Tales: Welcome to Paradise
Book 4 of 5 · published 2010 Anthology · Michael L. Fleisher
Jonah Hex, Vol. 2
Latest in the series · book 5 of 5 · published 2014 Anthology · Michael L. Fleisher
Black DahliaWhite Rose
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 2011 Anthology · Joyce Carol Oates
The Presidential Papers
Series opener · book 1 of 32 · published 1984 Anthology · John H. Kessel
The Left Left Behind
Book 3 of 32 · published 2009 Anthology · Terry Bisson,Eleanor Arnason
The Underbelly
Book 5 of 32 · published 2010 Anthology · Gary Phillips,Eleanor Arnason
Mammoths of the Great Plains
Book 6 of 32 · published 2010 Anthology · Eleanor Arnason
The Wild Girls
Book 7 of 32 · published 2011 Anthology · Ursula K. Le Guin,Eleanor Arnason
Modem Times 2.0
Book 8 of 32 · published 2011 Anthology · Michael Moorcock,Eleanor Arnason
The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow
Book 9 of 32 · published 2011 Anthology · Cory Doctorow,Eleanor Arnason
Report from Planet Midnight
Book 11 of 32 · published 2012 Anthology · Nalo Hopkinson,Eleanor Arnason
The Science of Herself
Book 12 of 32 · published 2013 Anthology · Karen Joy Fowler,Eleanor Arnason
Patty Hearst & The Twinkie Murders: A Tale of Two Trials
Book 13 of 32 · published 2013 Anthology · Eleanor Arnason,Paul Krassner
Raising Hell
Book 15 of 32 · published 2014 Anthology · Norman Spinrad,Eleanor Arnason
Fire.
Book 19 of 32 · published 2017 Anthology · Elizabeth Hand,Eleanor Arnason
The Atheist in the Attic
Book 21 of 32 · published 2018 Anthology · Samuel R. Delany,Eleanor Arnason
Thoreau's Microscope
Book 22 of 32 · published 2018 Anthology · Michael Blumlein,Eleanor Arnason
Utopias of the Third Kind
Book 28 of 32 · published 2021 Anthology · Vandana Singh
The Collapsing Frontier
Book 30 of 32 · published 2024 Anthology · Jonathan Lethem
She is Here
Latest in the series · book 32 of 32 · published 2026 Anthology · Nicola Griffith
Rocketeer Adventures Volume 2
Book 2 of 3 · published 2012 Anthology · Peter David,Matt Wagner,Michael Golden,David Lapham,Kyle Baker,Paul Dini,Louise Simonson,David Mandel,Marc Guggenheim,Stan Sakai,Tom Taylor,Walter Simonson
The Rocketeer: High Flying Adventures
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2017 Anthology · Bruce Timm,Kurt Busiek,Darwyn Cooke,Marc Guggenheim,Walter Simonson
The Case of the Bleeding Wall
Series opener · book 1 of 4 · published 2016 Co-authored · Kasey Lansdale
The Case of the Bleeding Wall, Vol 2
Book 2 of 4 · published 2023 Co-authored · Kasey Lansdale,Tom E. Napolitano
The Case of the Bleeding Wall, Vol 3
Book 3 of 4 · published 2023 Co-authored · Kasey Lansdale,Tom E. Napolitano
The Case of the Bleeding Wall, Vol 4
Latest in the series · book 4 of 4 · published 2023 Co-authored · Kasey Lansdale,Tom E. Napolitano
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2010 Edition
Series opener · book 1 of 15 · published 2010
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2011 Edition
Book 2 of 15 · published 2011
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror, 2012 Edition
Book 3 of 15 · published 2012
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2013 Edition
Book 4 of 15 · published 2013
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2014 Edition
Book 5 of 15 · published 2014
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2015 Edition
Book 6 of 15 · published 2015
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2016 Edition
Book 7 of 15 · published 2016
The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2017 Edition
Book 8 of 15 · published 2017
The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2018 Edition
Book 9 of 15 · published 2018
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2019 Edition
Book 10 of 15 · published 2020
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror, Volume 3
Book 13 of 15 · published 2022
The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, Volume 5
Latest in the series · book 15 of 15 · published 2024
The Year's Best Fantasy: Second Annual Collection
Book 4 of 127 · published 1989
The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Third Annual Collection
Book 5 of 127 · published 1989
The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror Fourth Annual Collection
Book 9 of 127 · published 1991
The Little Book of Horrors: Tiny Tales of Terror
Book 11 of 127 · published 1992
The Year’s 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories 1991
Book 13 of 127 · published 1992
The Mysterious Press Anniversary Anthology: Celebrating 25 Years
Book 24 of 127 · published 2001
Twilight Zone: 19 Original Stories on the 50th Anniversary
Book 36 of 127 · published 2009
Werewolves and Shape Shifters: Encounters with the Beasts Within
Book 43 of 127 · published 2010
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2010 Edition
Book 46 of 127 · published 2010
Triumph of The Walking Dead: Robert Kirkman's Zombie Epic on Page and Screen
Book 59 of 127 · published 2011
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror, 2012 Edition
Book 64 of 127 · published 2012
Beyond Rue Morgue Anthology: Further Tales of Edgar Allan Poe's 1st Detective
Book 71 of 127 · published 2013
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2013 Edition
Book 76 of 127 · published 2013
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2014 Edition
Book 86 of 127 · published 2014
Road Kill: Texas Horror by Texas Writers Vol 5
Book 107 of 127 · published 2020
Bullets and Other Hurting Things: A Tribute to Bill Crider
Book 109 of 127 · published 2021
Love, Death and Robots: The Official Anthology: Volume One
Book 111 of 127 · published 2021
Conan: The Songs of the Dead and Other Stories
Book 113 of 127 · published 2021
Professor Charlatan Bardot’s Travel Anthology to the MostHaunted Buildings in the Weird, Wild World
Book 114 of 127 · published 2021
Love, Death + Robots: The Official Anthology: Volumes 2 & 3
Book 117 of 127 · published 2022
Black is the Night: Stories inspired by Cornell Woolrich
Book 118 of 127 · published 2022
Hot Iron and Cold Blood: An Anthology of the Weird West
Book 121 of 127 · published 2023
Road Kill: Texas Horror by Texas Writers Vol 8
Book 122 of 127 · published 2023
Third Annual Collection
Latest in the series · book 127 of 127 · published 1989
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Joe R. Lansdale?
First released in 1990, this was a novel released some time into Lansdale's writing career as it was already underway. It's another crime novel that follows in the vein of a lot of his previous style of work as it manages to capture a dark and gritty tone. The book was also nominated for a 'Bram Stoker' award on the year of its release as well.
Which Joe R. Lansdale series should I start with?
The best place to start is The Drive-In series, the earliest of Joe R. Lansdale's multi-book series: it opens with The Drive-In (1988) and runs to 3 books across 1988–2005, ending with The Drive-In 3: The Bus Tour (2005). Joe R. Lansdale's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Joe R. Lansdale written?
Joe R. Lansdale has 579 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1981 and 2027. 351 of them belong to 25 named series — the largest being the Hap and Leonard series with 22 books — and 228 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Joe R. Lansdale's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Joe R. Lansdale's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Dead in the West (1986, 1 book), The Drive-In (1988–2005, 3 books) and Author's Choice Monthly (1989–1991, 13 books), plus 16 more.
How are Joe R. Lansdale's books organised into series?
This guide splits Joe R. Lansdale's 579 books into 25 named series and 228 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Hap and Leonard (22 books, 1990–2026); Flinch Comic (16 books, 1999–2000); 30 Days of Night Graphic Novels (13 books, 2004–2013); Author's Choice Monthly (13 books, 1989–1991); Delilah S. Dawson Graphic Novels (9 books, 2017–2027), plus 20 further series.