Joe R. Lansdale’s In the Mad Mountains: Stories Inspired by H. P. Lovecraft collects several stories where weirdness prevails. “The Bleeding Shadow” features a blues recording with vinyl magic which opens the gate between dimensions. Dread Island is a tale of Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer, and Jim exploring an island in the Mississippi that appears and disappears with sinister aspects.
I really enjoyed Lansdale’s Edgar Allan Poe tribute in “The Gruesome Affair of the Electric Blue Lightning.” The Necronomicon makes a cameo appearance. “The Tall Grass” reveals an incident where a stopped train exposes a passenger to the horrors around it. “The Case of the Stalking Shadows” tells the story of a young girl’s experience with inter-dimensional terror. “The Crawling Sky” is one of Landsdale’s weird westerns. “Starlight, Eyes Bright” confronts the impact of alien artifacts.
If you put Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness, the Titanic, and Philip Jose Farmer into a blender, the result would be “In the Mad Mountains.” Survivors of the sinking of the Titanic face more peril when their life boat lands in a freezing, bizarre hell-scape. If you’re a fan of Lovecraft pastiches, In the Mad Mountains delivers plenty of eerie entertainment. GRADE: B
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction by Joe R. Lansdale — 1
“The Bleeding Shadow” — 11
Dread Island — 47
“The Gruesome Affair of the Electric Blue Lightning” — 91
“The Tall Grass” — 123
“The Case of the Stalking Shadows” — 135
“The Crawling Sky” — 159
“Starlight, Eyes Bright” — 189
In the Mad Mountains — 201
About Joe. R. Lansdale — 251
I’m up and down about Lovecraft pastiches, but I am a big fan of Joe Lansdale, so this is a maybe. I know I’ve read one of his Lovecraft-related stories in the past, but not sure if it is one of the ones included here on not.
What’s the latest from your sisters in Florida? Are they staying put?
Jeff, Hurricane Milton seems to be aimed at Sarasota, Florida now. I’m still not convinced that hunkering down in a Hurricane is a Good Strategy.
No. I’d have left days ago, but what can you do?
Jeff, I just heard on NPR that 40% of Florida gas stations are out of gas. Yikes!
I can’t imagine that Lansdale’s prose is better than Lovecraft’s.
Do we know if Jerry House is in the pathway? I fear as much.
France 24 (the French gummint news channel in English) is now debunking Marjorie Taylor Greene, et alles’, assertions about Weather Controllers. Well. She is among the ornaments of our current political class, and thank goodness she can be held up to international ridicule. Now her district has to stop re-electing her.
Todd, I think Jerry is safe…but my two sisters who live in Florida have a lot to contend with…
Todd, I’m very much safe, with nary a drop of rain here on the Panhandle. As with George and his sisters, I am concerned about some cousins who may be in the path of the hurricane. As for MTG, if “they” controlled the storms, “they” would have have it centered directly above her pea-brained head
I meant to type, I can’t imagine that Lansdale’s prose in this collection ISN’T better than HPL’s.
Thanks for the reassurances, Jerry and George…and may all your family get through this mess with as little trouble as possible. (There are still a few I’d like to hear from in NC, myself.)
Todd, my sister in Clearwater survived Hurricane Milton. And, she has electricity and water services so that’s a plus. But, my sister reports that debris is EVERYWHERE!
George, I am criminally behind in my reading of Lansdale, with 8 books — including this one — lurking on Mount TBR. Hope to remedy that before year’s end.
Jerry, I’m behind on Lansdale’s books, too. But I moved IN THE MAD MOUNTAINS to the top of my READ REAL SOON stack. Glad Hurricane Milton isn’t showing up in your part of Florida. But Milton is going to pay a visit to my sister in Clearwater and my other sister in Merritt Island.
I’ve read the title story and quite liked it.
While I like weird westerns, Lansdale’s entries into that sub-genre have largely put me off with the style he uses. Still, I’m curious enough that I’ll check this one out at some point.
Randy, I’m okay with Lansdale’s weird Westerns. Lansdale writes that he doesn’t like Lovecraft’s writing style. I know what he means.