SST Publications

[Splync]

So that HAS to be Lansdale!

Or Chizmar. I hope Lansdale though, as I'd love to see more of his older titles get the SST treatment.

[jeffingoff]

Nope, not Hendrix or Malerman.Â

So that HAS to be Lansdale!

[sholloman81]

Grady Hendrix?

Nope, not Hendrix or Malerman. 

[dannyboy121070]

Grady Hendrix?

[Splync]

It's actually one of the other authors that they have done multiple books for already. Sorry to be vague. Think the email said that newsletter subscribers will have the next stab at pre-order this upcoming Sunday 10/20/24.  Once cool to post the author/book, I will do so.

Hmm... Well that only leaves a handful. I'll have to keep an eye out for the regular newsletter.

[sholloman81]

I presume that it's a Malerman title? I didn't buy the last two, which would explain why I didn't get an advance notice.

It's actually one of the other authors that they have done multiple books for already. Sorry to be vague. Think the email said that newsletter subscribers will have the next stab at pre-order this upcoming Sunday 10/20/24.  Once cool to post the author/book, I will do so.

[Splync]

Anybody else receive the secret pre-order email from SST over the weekend? May only have been offered to people who purchased the author's last book. Was wondering if they were going to do this title and have held off picking up a trade hardcover; so, I was happy to see it being offered and picked-up a copy. Even though I want it, I do think I will pass on the optional slipcase as they are getting a bit too pricey for my blood when they are practically as much as the book itself.

I presume that it's a Malerman title? I didn't buy the last two, which would explain why I didn't get an advance notice.

[sholloman81]

Anybody else receive the secret pre-order email from SST over the weekend? May only have been offered to people who purchased the author's last book. Was wondering if they were going to do this title and have held off picking up a trade hardcover; so, I was happy to see it being offered and picked-up a copy. Even though I want it, I do think I will pass on the optional slipcase as they are getting a bit too pricey for my blood when they are practically as much as the book itself.

[sholloman81]

Just received my copy of Black Mad Wheel. Arrived in less than 2 weeks which is always nice with international orders. As usual, the book itself turned out amazing. Don't think I've ever been disappointed by an SST production, especially at their price-points!

[Sock Monkey]

I've been noticing a bit of that, too. Hope fortune comes your way! When it does, it'll look like this:

https://x.com/ron_clinton/status/1483111982823657476

I am sufficiently jealous! It’s a great looking book. Maybe one day I’ll get my hands on one at a decent price.

[RonClinton]

Though, more older Centipede books are hitting the market recently.

I've been noticing a bit of that, too. Hope fortune comes your way! When it does, it'll look like this:

https://x.com/ron_clinton/status/1483111982823657476

[Sock Monkey]

Interestingly, one of my early influences on the same topic was also a Lansdale collection, though mine was BY BIZARRE HANDS. Until that book in '89, I'd dabbled in a few Dark Harvest titles and a couple McCammons and whatnot -- and, of course, Stephen King -- but it really wasn't until BY BIZARRE HANDS that my I had my reading and bookbuying opened to all sorts of new avenues of horror beyond the narrow path I'd kind of kept to until that point. So, yes, his short fiction holds a special place in my reading heart as well.

As far as Gresham's NIGHTMARE ALLEY, absolutely, that's a great read, and deserving of the acclaim it continues to receive long after its publication in the 1940s. On a related note, while the original B&W is pretty good, I really dug the 2021 adaption directed by Guillermo del Toro...just a beautiful piece of work.

It's nice to hear that Lansdale had that kind of impact on you as well. I know that Lansdale is pretty highly acclaimed, but I just still think he's underrated as far as mainstream audiences go. In my opinion, he should be topping charts all the time.

Del Toro's Nightmare Alley didn't do much for me--something just fell absent; I don't know, it's hard to put my finger on it--but I could tell that the story was good, if that makes sense. But I've been feeling that way about a lot of Del Toro's recent stuff. I've been meaning to pick up the book, but I've kinda been holding off until I can grab the Centipede edition (two birds and all), but I don't know if I'll ever be able to find a reasonably priced copy. Though, more older Centipede books are hitting the market recently.

[RonClinton]

Lansdale's short fiction holds a special place in my reading heart as Writer of the Purple Rage was one of my first horror short story collections--and first Lansdale, I think--and it variety of stories and breadth of imagination just blew me away. It really opened up my eyes to what horror could encapsulate.

Interestingly, one of my early influences on the same topic was also a Lansdale collection, though mine was BY BIZARRE HANDS. Until that book in '89, I'd dabbled in a few Dark Harvest titles and a couple McCammons and whatnot -- and, of course, Stephen King -- but it really wasn't until BY BIZARRE HANDS that my I had my reading and bookbuying opened to all sorts of new avenues of horror beyond the narrow path I'd kind of kept to until that point. So, yes, his short fiction holds a special place in my reading heart as well.

As far as Gresham's NIGHTMARE ALLEY, absolutely, that's a great read, and deserving of the acclaim it continues to receive long after its publication in the 1940s. On a related note, while the original B&W is pretty good, I really dug the 2021 adaption directed by Guillermo del Toro...just a beautiful piece of work.

[Sock Monkey]

Yeah, that SST four-volume set is pretty sweet. I passed on it when it was offered since I have pretty much all of the Lansdale collections already, but it was very tough to do as I think it's neat having all the stories grouped by type. I also agree that an SST volume of More Better Deals would rock! I'd also love SST to do the Hap & Leonard series. Only a few of those books ever got the LE treatment and were spread among various publishers. I think it would be super cool to have a uniform set!Â

I bought the four-volume set specifically for that grouping. What I would really love is a comprehensive set of all of Landsale's short fiction in something along the lines of Centipede's Lafferty series. Lansdale's short fiction holds a special place in my reading heart as Writer of the Purple Rage was one of my first horror short story collections--and first Lansdale, I think--and it variety of stories and breadth of imagination just blew me away. It really opened up my eyes to what horror could encapsulate.

And I second your thoughts about a Hap & Leonard set from SST. I was hoping that's where they were going when they did their two collections of Hap & Leonard short fiction, but that has come to pass yet. And now we've veered off into a new line of "classic" Lansdale books, starting with Cold In July, which I'm excited about, by the way. Maybe they'll do Freezer Burn that Ron mentioned and that'll kill two birds with one stone for me!

And just on a slight tangent, I'm going to plug, once again, the movie adaptation of Cold In July. I've never read the book, but I've read a decent amount of Lansdale and after my wife and I finished watching it, I told her that it hit the tone and feel of Lansdale's work perfectly. And it has the ever-reliable Michael C. Hall, the underrated Sam Shepard, and probably one of the best performances by Don Johnson hands down. Highly recommended!

[Sock Monkey]

If that's your jam, don't miss Lansdale's FREEZER BURN, another great noir and set in a traveling freak show / circus. It doesn't get near the amount of love it should.

And, yeah, that overlap in his collections is tough to contend with if value is the barometer. That said, SST did God's Work when they did their four-volume set of his short stories a while back. No, they don't have ALL his stories, but it's an exhaustive representative and might even be the lion's share (haven't explored and counted to know for sure).

So I'm familiar with the Freezer Burn title, but never looked into it much. However, your description of a noir set in a traveling freak show/circus sounds like something I need to add to by TBR pile post-haste. Maybe pair it with Gresham's Nightmare Alley?