Joe R. Lansdale is a legend that does not need to hear my opinion on his writing. He has won several awards (including ten Bram Stoker Awards), has had his novels and stories adapted into movies and tv episodes, and his Hap and Leonard series of novels became a series that lasted three seasons. After publishing 40 novels and tons of short stories, my opinion is not going to change much. This is why when I look at his collection of Lovecraft inspired short stories, In the Mad Mountains, my opinions should be taken with a grain of salt. 

There are many stories in this collection that did not really do much for me. Lovecraft mythos is not on the top of my list of horror I adore, but I thought that if anyone could make stories that are great additions to the collection of writers who are doing great things with Lovecraft’s world, Joe R. Lansdale would be one of them. Instead many of the stories are not terribly engaging. Lansdale does some interesting things with putting characters into Lovecraft’s world. In “Dread Island”, Huck Finn and Jim have to find Tom Sawyer on an island that only shows in the middle of the Mississippi River on random nights before the island disappears again. “The Gruesome Affair of the Electric Blue Lightning” places Edgar Allan Poe’s detective, C. Auguste Dupin, with the Necronomicon. Two of the stories even bring his own characters from other books into his stories (“The Cast of the Stalking Shadow” and "The Crawling Sky"). 

These stories are good, but there are not really that many great stories. I really enjoy the first story, “The Bleeding Shadow”, about a ex-lover Alma May who wants the main character to find her brother, Tootie, and the final story “In the Mad Mountains,” about a group of people shipwrecked in the ice and weird things start killing them all. The rest of the stories are okay, and many of them have been published in other anthologies, or in the case of “The Tall Grass” adapted into an episode of Love, Death + Robots. These stories might be stronger in these original anthologies, surrounded by a variety of different voices because with this collection, there does not seem to be much variation in voice or structure.  Either way, Joe Lansdale is still a legend, and any book by him is worth reading. This one is just not his strongest.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Joe R Lansdale is one of those authors who could get 5 stars for writing the tax code. It's far too easy to be sure you'll love what he writes....you almost have to feel sorry for the other guys. Anyway, IN THE MAD MOUNTAINS is Lansdale's dip into the world of HP Lovecraft. Readers of my era ALL read Lovecraft, it was almost a requirement of passage. This collection of stories is easily recognizable as Lovecraft tribute. They are also VERY GOOD.....but we knew they would be. So good, they read quickly and leave you wanting more when finished. But most of Joe R Lansdale's fans feel that way after any of his books. 5 easy stars.

If you, like me, love the televised adaptations of Lovecraft because you just can’t wade through the thick formal Lovecraft prose, this book will be a treat. All the creepy atmosphere and thought-provoking plots with none of the convoluted wordplay to untangle. In the Mad Mountains definitely gives off Victorian horror vibes but also reminds me of Black Mirror too.

Some of these tales are genuinely frightening. The story named in the title really made me think for days after reading it of how I would deal with being put in the characters’ position.

In the Mad Mountains is a great example of a writer in his prime working at the top of his game. It will scare the pants off of you while also making you think about deep philosophical questions. That’s a hard feat to pull off and so this collection of eight tales is highly recommended. 5 stars and a favorite!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for providing me with an advanced review copy.

I am a fan of a lot of Joe Lansdale's work, and I found the pieces in this collection--some co-written with his daughter Kasey Lansdale--clever, entertaining, and original. Lovecraft was a massively racist, antisemitic, and misogynist writer whose cosmic horror has nonetheless become enormously influential in the genre, and Lansdale handles those legacies well, satirizing Lovecraft, taking the best parts and ideas, and turning Lovecraft's own prejudices against him. Lansdale uses pre-existing places and characters to heighten the pastiche and intersections of authors, horrors, and worlds: Auguste Dupin, Huck Finn, Jim, Brer Rabbit, the Necronomicon, and others will be familiar to many readers. It's a wild, fun, often brilliant ride of a book.

Mike Mignola's cover is simply awesome! Plus "Landsdale" and "Lovecraft" are trigger words for me: put them together, my brain goes numb and I start salivating. OK, that's perhaps too graphic (and hopefully a bit inaccurate), but it captures very well the impact of such a book to my hardened reading habits. Landsdale himself explains in his foreword that, though the volume does not contain every Lovecraft story he's written, it does contain his best stories of this type; and indeed, despite the absolutely non-Lovecraftian writing style, the 8 tales within are bound to impress for their wide range, their imaginative scope, and their distance from Lovecraft's actual writings: there's hardly any overlap, so, though the stories touch upon the Great Old Ones and the Necronomicon, standard Lovecraft fare, the claim of "stories inspired by H. P. Lovecraft" should be taken with a grain of salt. The opening novelette, for example, "The Bleeding Shadow," a hardboiled detective tale about jazz blues music, though obviously inspired by Lovecraft's short story of "The Music of Erich Zann," has African American protagonists (femme fatale included), and it's implausible that Lovecraft, being an elitist and a racist, would have approved of any of its details. As far as imaginative scope goes, look at a couple of stories such as "Dread Island," in which Huck Finn and Jim get a taste of cosmic horror when they visit an island offering some nasty Lovecraft-inspired encounters, and "The Gruesome Affair of the Electric Blue Lightning,” an Auguste Dupin pastiche, with a nod to Frankenstein, a rather funny story indicative of a hugely creative mind. That said, there's one story standing out above the others, one which I liked tremendously: "In the Tall Grass". The title reminds one immediately of the well-known Stephen King and Joe Hill short story, though as Lansdale himsef explains in his story notes (every story has a preceding story note), his story came earlier. This tale is truly creepy, and I totally loved it. There's a western cosmic horror story as well, and one from the the Love, Death+Robots series, However, there is one story that outstayed its welcome, and that's the last (and longest) story, "In the Mad Mountains" - I admit it was a bit of a chore to read, not because it's too bleak (it is) but because it tries to do cosmic horror in combination with action and adventure, the former undermining the latter. As the other stories though, it's consistently well-written and have no regrets I stumbled upon it. Overall, the collection does feel pulpy and the stories demand to be read with a "tongue-in-cheek" attitude; sometimes the author goes for comedy, other times for a noir atmosphere - but always with an eye on the horror aspects. I highly recommend it to all horror lovers who're looking for solid stories scary and entertaining at the same time,

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

I... did not like this. The undertones of a few stories felt racist and I also didn't see any connection to H.P Lovecraft. It was horror sure but that doesn't mean it was H.P Lovecraft. I guess "inspired by" doesn't mean it'll evoke the same emotions that Lovecraft's stories do but I guess I expected more???

Title: In the Mad Mountains: Stories Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft
Author: Joe R. Lansdale
Pub Date: October 15, 2024
Publisher: Tachyon Publications
4 of 5 ⭐

Joe Lansdale’s In the Mad Mountains: Stories Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft is a romp through literary voices and eras—from a noir devil-and-crossroads tale to a Twain-esque extension of Huck Finn’s adventures into the cosmic dark, and then onward to revisit Poe’s C. Auguste Dupin in solving a mystery of existential import. This reader walked away impressed with Lansdale’s uncanny ability to render into the vein of cosmic horror the style of other eras and authors who were most definitely not writing cosmic horror. Twain would be proud. As would Poe and some others. Lansdale’s tales are fun, carefully constructed, and an important contribution to the opus of cosmic horror in our fallen world.

Horror anthologies are like a mixed bag—some stories will chill you to the bone, while others may not land as hard. That's just the nature of the beast. This lands in the middle - it contains a refreshing variety of stories, and a few of them really stand out for their inventive scares and atmospheres that linger long after you've put the book down.

A major highlight is the inclusion of stories showcasing various perspectives on horror,

Of course, as with any anthology, not every story hits the mark. Some feel predictable or lack the punch you expect from a truly great horror tale. But that’s the trade-off with collections like this—you’ll find a few gems, some so-so entries, and maybe one or two that don’t quite leave an impression.

Overall, the anthology is worth a read, especially for the unique stories that explore the mythos. The diversity of voices here elevates it beyond your typical collection, even if not every piece is a home run.

In the Mad Mountains by Joe R. Lansdale - A Chilling Collection of Horror Short Stories

If you’re a fan of horror that lingers long after the last page, In the Mad Mountains by Joe R. Lansdale is a must-read. This fantastic collection of short stories draws inspiration from horror legends like Sherlock Holmes, H.P. Lovecraft, and Stephen King, delivering retellings that are both familiar and uniquely terrifying.

One standout story, “The Tall Grass,” left me utterly unsettled, and I couldn’t bring myself to switch off the lights after finishing it. Each tale in this collection expertly creeps under your skin, building an atmosphere of dread that lingers.

For fans of horror fiction searching for something spine-chilling, this book is exactly what you've been waiting for. A big thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title. Without a doubt, In the Mad Mountains deserves a full 5-star rating.

"Eleven-time Bram Stoker Award-winner Joe R. Lansdale (Bubba Ho-tep) returns with this wicked short story collection of his irreverent Lovecraftian tributes. Lansdale is terrifyingly down-home while merging his classic gonzo stylings with the eldritch horrors of H. P. Lovecraft. Knowingly skewering Lovecraft's paranoid mythos, Lansdale embarks upon haunting yet sly explorations of the unknown, capturing the essence of cosmic dread.

A sinister blues recording pressed on vinyl in blood conjures lethal shadows with its unearthly wails. In order to rescue Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn traverses the shifting horrors of the aptly named Dread Island. In the weird Wild West, Reverend Jebidiah Mercer rides into a possessed town to confront the unspeakable in the crawling sky. Legendary detective C. Auguste Dupin uncovers the gruesome secrets of both the blue lightning bug and the Necronomicon.

Exploring the darkest corners of the human psyche, here is a lethally entertaining journey through Joe Lansdale's twisted landscape, where ancient evils lurk and sanity hangs by a rapidly fraying thread."

I love the Poe/Lovecraft/Lansdale mashup!

A great set of stories. If you like Joe Lansdale and you like Lovecraft (like Joe says in his foreword, Lovecraft's stories and mythos, not his writing style) then you will love this.

I’m a huge fan of the author and was looking forward to reading In the Mad Mountains. I am also a huge fan of Lovecraft so this book was a ‘must read’ for me. The stories are cosmic horror which I don’t read very often but were clearly inspired by Lovecraft. I enjoyed all of the stories in this collection but a few stand out. Dread Island crosses Lovecraft with Huckleberry Finn. I know what mad genius had that brilliant idea? I also loved The Tall Grass and Dread. I’d recommend this collection.

This book is a must have for fans of all things cosmic horror.

Every story in this collection is a competent cosmic horror. A few of them like The Tall Grass and Dread are standouts. Dread especially so considering I've never read the source material. The titular story was good but not doing anything particularly original which is broadly true of this collection. Still, I'll be picking up a shelf copy for my Lovecraft collection because they are solid stories and I'll want to revisit them.

Just from reading the introduction I knew I was going to love this book. You see I love Lovecraftian stories. I think Lovecraft was a mad genius when it came to stories/concepts. But reading Lovecraft can be a struggle. So when Lansdale echoed my feelings in his intro I got excited. I’ve been reading Joe’s work for a long time and I know I like his writing style. So Lovecraft concept in Lansdale’s writing style? To quote Seinfeld’s Kramer, “Giddy up!” In this collection, Lansdale does a fantastic job delivering truly unbelievable tales. Seriously, who else but Lansdale would cross Lovecraft with Huckleberry Finn? Yeah, I’m not kidding, and I must admit in that tale ‘Dread Island’ Lansdale does a more than fair job of capturing the ‘voice’ Mark Twain used for those books. Will this be for everyone? Maybe not. Cosmic horror is a niche genre and one that is hard to get right, but I think Lansdale does the genre proud, and I feel Lovecraft would approve. (4.5 stars...rounding up to 5) I’d like to thank Tachyon Publications and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of In the Mad Mountains.

My thanks to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for an advance copy of this collection of stories based on works by a classic horror writer, but written in a way that only this modern master could write, unique, disturbing, sometimes rude, but always memorable.

When I started reading horror I was one of those people who read whatever I could find. What i could find though wasn't very good. Strip covers at library book sales, cheap mass markets at tag sales. Stories that were scary, but were aimed at a market that didn't want their fears to be to plumbed. I was lucky to work in a chain bookstore with a guy who knew his horror. And knew how to order it. This guy was into small publishers, which was Arkham House, at the time, and limited editions. There was a series Night Visions that he was big on, and I told him damn the price, if you think its good, I'll read it. This is where I discovered Joe R. Lansdale. I don't remember the name of the story, but it was a nasty, scary, violent dark story about taking the wrong road, winding up in the wrong place, and fighting for one's life. And I found a new writer I had to know more about. Over the years Lansdale has done comics, his Jonah Hex are classics, movies, Bubba Ho-Tep is one I highly recommend, and television. Along with short stories that continue to disturb, make one sick, and make one go, how can a person write this well. In the Mad Mountains: Stories Inspired by H. P. Lovecraft, Joe R. Lansdale looks to the past, to the Old Gods who still spread their influence on us today, creating stories that might refer to Lovecraft, but are completely Lansdale.

In the introduction Lansdale explains what Lovecraft has done to influence his work, and what he enjoys most about the writer from Providence. Lansdale prefers the ideas of the Old Gods, the lurkers on the threshold, rather than the eldritch horror of the unnamable. From there we enter the stories. The first is a really unique one dealing with jazz, early rock and roll, and featuring African American protagonists, and one of them female. Three things Lovecraft would have hated. The next again draws on both the idea of something beyond, along with a mix of southern folk lore, and a bit of the classics, featuring Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer and Jim against creatures who have been corrupted by darkness. There is a Poe pastiche, a few characters from Lansdale long oeuvre, and the final story which would have been a fit in any of the Weird Tales magazines from the 1920's and 1930's.

Usually in most collections there are stories that don't jib with me, and that is fine. This book I kept saying oh this is really good, I think this might be my favorite. I think it was the fact that those these were horror stories, and created with the flavor of Lovecraft, Lansdale has his own ingredients and ways of making his stories so filling. And disturbing. There is a stong sense to these things should not be, but told in such different ways, one can't get tired. Lansdale makes the characters all unique. A black private detective, Huck Finn, a young woman sharing a story about a life changing event. One cares about the characters, what might happen, and what might happen to their souls.

This is a very strong collection of stories, one that will appeal to fans of both writers. Also this would be a good introduction not only to these masters of the macabre, to use an old phrase, but to horror in general. How one genre can differ in so many ways, and leave one with doubts of what the world around them might be really made of.

So much fun! I know these have all been released in very places before but they were all new to me and I loved every one! My favorite is the title story and the Huck Finn one. Twain and Lovecraft go surprisingly great together!

Releasing October 15th. Thank you NetGalley and @joerlansdale for the ebook ARC!

I've been aware of H.P. Lovecraft's work for many years but never read his fiction. I started with the first story in Lansdale's book and loved it--the rhythm of the words on the page, the tone, the characters. I'll be reading more stories in this collection, and it's also inspiring me to read H.P. Lovecraft.

These were very good stories, there was only one that I was really thrilled with, and that may have been more of a personal thing than the story, it is well written, just bleak.
There are 8 stories in all
The Bleeding Shadow: a woman approaches a guy she knows to track down her brother who she hasn't seen for a long time and can't get a hold of him, the guy tracks down the brother in a run down hotel, where the brother has to play this record that he was given at a record store (more liked forced to take). He has to play the record alllll the time, or else.

Dread Island: a take on Huck Finn, an island that only appears at certain times has convinced Huck that he and Jim have to visit it, very weird stuff ensues, very good story.

In the Tall Grass: this one sorta reminded me of a Stephen King short story, a train on a trip through a remote area stops, the trainman tells everyone to stay on board, but one fellow, of course, gets off to stretch his legs, I doubt he'll do that again,

The Crawling Sky: another very good story that takes place in an old time western town, people that inhabit a house that had been built then abandoned have very bad things happen to them.

The Case of the Stalking Shadows: an investigatory that investigates cases out of the norm who relates her first case to an audience in a private club, another very good story.

Starlight Eyes Bright: be very careful when you pick up a really cool looking piece of glass and put it to your eye. Another very good story, though it was a tad on the short side.

In the Mad Mountains: this was the on that I wasn't really nuts about, a group of people end up in a lifeboat after their large ship sinks (very Titanic influence), they end up on an iceberg where there are a number of ships from different eras, very weird and very scary things ensue. Well written and a bit long, but very bleak.

Overall I would recommend especially if you like short stories and a bit of horror with them.

Thanks to #Netgalley and #Tachyon Publications for the ARC.

Some of these I loved, some not so much. All the stories were very much lovecraftian. Lots of eldritch horror, and monsters with tentacles.

My favorite story was the last and title, In The Mad Mountains. I’ve read In The Mountains of Madness and this definitely payed homage to that story. A ship (cruise ship?) one moment was cruising in warm waters and the next was in an ice covered nightmare. None of the passengers remember anything from before or how they got there. But this is not the world they’re used to. Skull eating monsters are using them as puppets and the mountains in the distance keep moving, almost like they aren’t mountains at all.

“Don’t try and tell me you’ve hear anything like this. That listening to it didn’t make you feel like your skin was gonna pull off your bones, that some part of it made you want to dip in the dark and learn to like it.”

Joe R. Lansdale brings a collection of wicked stories inspired by the writing of H.P. Lovecraft. Featured are stories that journey into the horrors of ancient evil and cosmic mysteries that will not be forgotten so easily.

Featured are the following:

📚An Introduction by Joe R. Lansdale
📚The Bleeding Shadow
📚Dread Island
📚The Gruesome Affair of the Electric Blue Lightning
📚The Tall Grass
📚The Case of the Stalking Shadow
📚The Crawling Sky
📚Starlight, Eyes Bright
📚In the Mad Mountains

I enjoyed reading this collection for many reasons. Each story is memorable for how creepy it is and the author does well in keeping with the Lovecraft tradition while also making it their own.

There were many stand out stories for me but what I also enjoyed was before each there is a short introduction on how it was written. Such interesting information such as similar stories featuring on a tv show and others inspired by Poe’s infamous detective as well as collaborating with his daughter.