Things Get Ugly: The Best Crime Fiction of Joe R. Lansdale

This mixed-bag collection of 19 stories from Edgar winner Lansdale (A Fine Dark Line) features violent tales set mostly in East Texas. The highlight is “The Shadows, Kith and Kin,” an atmospheric and inspired attempt to get into the head of Charles Whitman, who, in 1966, climbed to the top of a tower at the University of Texas and gunned down random passersby. Lansdale uses the present tense to create a sense of immediacy as Whitman prepares for his murderous rampage, fueled by visions of faceless, shadowy figures. “Incident on and off a Mountain Rod,” about a woman’s desperate efforts to escape a psychopath, is also memorable, despite a familiar plotline. Elsewhere, innovative premises are poorly executed; “Mr. Bear,” which features a drunken, anthropomorphized version of Smokey the bear, is a muddle that doesn’t work as satire or horror. Lansdale fans may find enough to enjoy here, but first-timers would be better served to start with the novels. Agent: Danny Baror, Baror International. (Aug.)