Unchained and Unhinged

Dust jacket and interior illustrations by Glenn Chadbourne

These short pieces, are, like The King and Other Stories, a collection of easy to read stories and articles that are designed to be treats for my readers. Nothing to hurt the head, but perhaps something to make you smile, or even think a little--but not too much.

The stories in The King were all pretty much pulp and absurdist pieces. This collection contains a few stories of weight, even though they are short.

The bottom line is they are designed for immediate consumption, the perfect kind of story for the busy day. Because, if you're like me, even on my busiest day, I like to find a few moments to read, even if it's only a chapter from a novel, a scene I've enjoyed reading before, a short story, or, what we used to call short-shorts. The articles though a little less flash like, are still quick reads and are probably best appreciated by those who like to read about writing and writers.

Again, I thank all of you who have bought my short story collections and novels and comic books. Stay with me. I keep having new stories come to visit all the time. They're friendly, and they like to meet other readers other than me. Here are a few of the friendlier ones. They aren't complex friends, but you couldn't find any more well meaning than these.

Read on.

Limited: 750 signed numbered copies

Table of Contents:

Unchained (essays)

• Just Do It
• Little Boys Unite
• Typewriter Mystique, the Bull of It
• Kuttner Sharpens His Literary Sword
• Leslie Whitten: Neglected Master

Unhinged (stories)

• Surveillance
• Coat
• Dragon Chili: From the Grand Church Cookbook
• Big Man: a Fable
• Jack’s Pecker
• Hanging
• Little Kitty
• Hole
• December
• Rainy Weather

From Publishers Weekly:
“A must for Lansdale completists, this short collection is also a nice introduction to this unique author’s work.”

From Locus:
“Lansdale is the first to admit these aren’t major works, calling them small, fun, and meant for quick reading, but the book works surprisingly well as a whole, and has more depth than you might first think.”