Mammoth Books presents Christmas with the Dead

by Joe R. Lansdale

Taken from The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror Volume 22, edited by Stephen Jones

"I wrote 'Christmas with the Dead' simply because I wanted to write a holiday horror story," Lansdale admits. "This was the result."

Genres: Horror, Zombies, Christmas, Short Stories, Fiction, Post Apocalyptic, Holiday

25 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2010

About the author

Champion Mojo Storyteller Joe R. Lansdale is the author of over forty novels and numerous short stories. His work has appeared in national anthologies, magazines, and collections, as well as numerous foreign publications. He has written for comics, television, film, newspapers, and Internet sites. His work has been collected in more than two dozen short-story collections, and he has edited or co-edited over a dozen anthologies. He has received the Edgar Award, eight Bram Stoker Awards, the Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the British Fantasy Award, the Grinzani Cavour Prize for Literature, the Herodotus Historical Fiction Award, the Inkpot Award for Contributions to Science Fiction and Fantasy, and many others. His novella Bubba Ho-Tep was adapted to film by Don Coscarelli, starring Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis. His story "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" was adapted to film for Showtime's "Masters of Horror," and he adapted his short story "Christmas with the Dead" to film hisownself. The film adaptation of his novel Cold in July was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and the Sundance Channel has adapted his Hap & Leonard novels for television.

He is currently co-producing several films, among them The Bottoms, based on his Edgar Award-winning novel, with Bill Paxton and Brad Wyman, and The Drive-In, with Greg Nicotero. He is Writer In Residence at Stephen F. Austin State University, and is the founder of the martial arts system Shen Chuan: Martial Science and its affiliate, Shen Chuan Family System. He is a member of both the United States and International Martial Arts Halls of Fame. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife, dog, and two cats.

Reviews

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Era una cosa assurda, da fare, e durante gli ultimi due anni Calvin
non se n'era mai preoccupato, non dopo la morte di sua moglie e
sua figlia, ma quell'anno, in quella tarda mattinata, la solitudine e
la monotonia lo convinsero a farlo. Decise piuttosto all'improvviso,
avendo preso nota sul calendario, che l'indomani sarebbe stata
la vigilia di Natale, e che gli zombi fossero dannati. Avrebbe allestito
le luci e le decorazioni natalizie.

Avevo già letto questo racconto breve natalizio di Joe R. Lansdale in digitale qualche anno fa, e lo possedevo già in cartaceo all'interno dell'antologia Best New Horror 22, uno di quei libri trovati per caso la cui copertina ti invita irresistibilmente a comprarli e che prima o poi leggerò, ma quando ho trovato un paio di mesi fa in fumetteria questa edizione limitata per collezionisti, impreziosita dagli splendidi disegni di Giorgio Finamore, visto che non c'è due senza tre ho comprato pure questa.



Un po' costosetto, ma per un collezionista ossessivo compulsivo come me ne è valsa decisamente la pena, perché Christmas with the dead non è solamente un rifacimento in chiave zombi di Io sono leggenda secondo me, ma una delle migliori storie dello scrittore pulp texano: un gran bel classico di Natale che ne coglie perfettamente l'essenza, spaventando e divertendo allo stesso tempo.



Il libro contiene anche la sceneggiatura non del trashissimo omonimo film del 2011,  ma del remake la cui lavorazione doveva iniziare nelle intenzioni di Keith Lansdale, figlio di Joe, l'anno scorso, ma abbandonata in favore di The Pale Door, un weird western horror del 2020 dal budget purtroppo limitatissimo.



Buon Natale.

[Russell Holbrook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I read Joe R. Lansdale I think to myself, "Man, I really should read more Joe R. Lansdale!" This story is so, so good! To me, it captures the true essence of Christmas, not fake-ass department store Christmas, and it's creepy! This story has heart, tension, suspense, blood, and beauty. I loved this story and feel that it's definitely a Christmas / holiday classic. I hope that all zombie and horror fans will check this out!

[Francesca kikkatnt 'Free Palestine, Stop Genocide' · Rating 4 out of 5]

Racconto in stile Io sono leggenda ma in chiave natalizia. Alcune parti sembrano pressoché uguali: Calvin che gira da solo per la città, Calvin che trova e si affeziona ad un cane...
Non mi è dispiaciuto.
Questa versione deluxe contiene delle tavole colorate illustrate da Giorgio Finamore
http://www.giorgiofinamore.com/

e la rivisitazione della sceneggiatura del film da cui è tratto. Ho visto il trailer e sembra alquanto imbarazzante.

Attenzione, visione consigliata ad un pubblico adulto.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbkL3...

Ma sono tornati. Si sono tornati e gli è stata data un'altra possibilità per farci sapere che loro sono del Signore e che la vita è eterna. Posso avere un Amen?

[Marianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Il racconto è scritto molto bene, sia come stile, sia come ritmo: si sente l'ansia che avverte il protagonista e la sua tristezza nel ricordare il passato recente. In questi racconti post-apocalittici mi piace sempre notare come gli autori si concentrino molto sul pensare a come si farebbe se l'elettricità andasse via del tutto, e vedere le varie soluzioni che propongono.
Il finale però secondo me lascia a desiderare: si capisce che l'autore voleva dare al suo piccolo racconto comunque un po' di spirito natalizio, però secondo me proprio non ci stava, soprattutto per come lo ha scritto.
E poi gli zombies non sono proprio my thing.

[Adam Light · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy reading Joe Lansdale's stories and books. I saw this one and had to grab it, never having heard of it before. I read it on my lunch break today which worked out perfectly. Just the right length.

This is a pretty straight-forward zombie short with a little more imagination thrown in than most that I have read. Lansdale's patented turns of phrase are abundant here, there is plenty of action throughout, and I sympathized with the narrator's plight. A nice dash of dark humor contrasted with the gore effectively.

While it could not come close to rousing me like "Tight Little Stitches in a Dead Man's Back", this was still a fun read. Apparently there is a film version in the works as well.

[Ben A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part of my Christmas Eve traditions as I read this perfect bite-size story of pure Lansdale horror goodness every year.

[Marvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am Legend with Christmas trees and presents. Kind of sweet for a Lansdale story. I hear they are making this into a movie. I can't really see it as a movie but still loved the story.

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very short but good xmas zombie tale "I am legend" style.
Great holiday reading!

[Ga.selle (Semi-hiatus) Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It was a new world, and it sucked. And sometimes it chewed."
"He wasn’t sure which was worse, becoming one of them, not knowing anything or anyone anymore, being eternally hungry, or surviving, losing his wife and daughter and having to remember them every day."



-Another zombie apocalypse story set around Christmas time. 🧟🧟‍♀️🧟‍♂️🌲
Only a man and a new found companion (dog named Buffy) are the sole survivors in this story. Any ending with an animal being a hero and thriving is an instant win for me 💪🐕🐈‍⬛

E-📖

[Lars (theatretenor) Skaar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun little Christmas zombie story from Joe Landsdale! Tis the season! Bought off Amazon kindle for .99

[David Veith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun, quick read. Christmas with zombies, what a fun idea lol.

[Lyle Boylen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic Lansdale short horror story.

[Derek Pennycuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This shouldn't really even count as a book. But it got published as a stand alone Kindle release. I think Lansdale has published stuff of around this same length on his website.

He rotates through a new short story every Thursday. That's a great way to try out his writing style with a very low commitment both in terms of time and money, by the way: http://www.joerlansdale.com/stories.s...

If you like Lansdale and you like zombies and you like dogs you'll probably like this. We're not talking high brow here. And there's even one scene where I swear a weapon gets knocked away, then we see him use that same weapon, and then we see him pick that weapon up. It's possible I misread. Or it's possible it's a purposeful edit goof as a homage to the sort of B movie schlock this story emulates. Or it could be a legitimate editing error.

[Gwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet. I really enjoyed the descriptions.

[Michael Fredette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christmas with the Dead, Joe R. Lansdale [Encyclopocalypse Publications, 2024].

Includes:

“Christmas with the Dead,” [2010] a short story by Joe R. Lansdale. By turns gruesome, funny, and poignant, “Christmas with the Dead” is the story of Calvin, a survivor of a zombie apocalypse that breaks out on Christmas Eve.

Christmas with the Dead, [2012] a screenplay adaptation by Keith Lansdale. Lansdale expands his father’s story to feature film length introducing new characters, subplots and motifs. Calvin and his friend GM are kidnapped by disciples of an insane cult leader, who intends to offer them as tribute to the zombies.

***
Joe R. Lansdale is “The last surviving Splatterpunk, sanctified in the blood of the Walking Western Dead” (The Austin Chronicle) and the “Champion Mojo Storyteller.” His next major novel, Hatchet Girls, featuring series characters Hap & Leonard is due in August 2025.

***
In addition to Christmas with the Dead, Keith Lansdale has written for Creepshow (the tv series) and the X-Files comic book series. Lansdale is a two time Brom Stoker Award winning writer.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I wrote 'Christmas with the Dead' simply because I wanted to write a holiday horror story," Lansdale admits. "This was the result."

Heather's Notes
I did not realize this was a horror story. It wasn't too horrible :) It was actually a zombie story. It was ok. I don't care for horror as a whole, but I actually thought this was pretty good. He even got a dog out of the story.

[GONZA · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually do not appreciate Zombie, but I always make an exception for Lansdale, and Buffy of course....

Di solito gli zombi non mi piacciono, ma faccio sempre volentieri un'eccezione per Lansdale e Buffy.....

[S. Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A chapbook by Joe R. Lansdale about a lonely post-zombie apocalypse Christmas Eve. Like most of Lansdale's work, it is both violent and touching, and full of the human experience. Merry Christmas, you monsters.

[Lelouch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Calven goes shopping for christmas lights and thinks about the day he shot his wife and daughter in the face. He politely executes trespassers on his way home and gets rescued by Buffy the zombie slayer. Must be tuesday in Sunnydale.

[Thomas Hobbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished the short story by Joe Lansdale and the screenplay by his son Keith. Honestly I thought the screenplay was better probably because it was longer and more descriptive. Joe's story was about 25 pgs. I want to watch movie now.

[DA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this!

My first time reading Lansdale and I really enjoyed this story. It wasn't your typical zombie tale. The main character really touched me and I enjoyed the mix of Zombie apocalypse and Christmas.

[Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ring in Christmas time yuletide cheer and all that jazz come zombie apocalypse or not. Grab a beer cuddle with your pooch and watch it all go to hell

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read. Excellent zombie story.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Joe Lansdale story, but a cute way to end my reading for the year.

[Shane Kegler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun, quick read. Enjoyable zombie Christmas tale.

[Simone Volponi · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Io sono leggenda" in salsa Lansdale e sotto Natale. Un racconto breve che leggerlo male non fa.

[Rachel Stevenson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Christmas and Santa and Zombies.

[Matthew House · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.75

[Reading Under the Northern Lights · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up

I stumbled across this little gem when I was looking for some new seasonal reads and I'm so happy I did. This short audiobook was the unique take on holiday chaos that I needed. I talk more about how I rate books (and why this one landed where it did!) over on my blog:

✨Reading Under the Northern Lights ✨

https://readingunderthenorthernlights....

[Joe Hempel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review comes courtesy of www.topoftheheapreviews.com

It’s Christmas in July! Today’s Flash Friday is a heartwarming zombie horror tale (yes, you read that right), by genre master Joe R. Lansdale. Originally appearing in Mammoth Book of Best New Horror Volume 22, you can now read just this story for .99 cents.



I don’t even remember where I picked this up, but something about the combination of Horror and the happiness of Christmas mashed together always makes me take a bit of notice.

This story is a bit different than I thought because it takes place after the zombie apocalypse. Clive is barricaded in his house and surviving day by day after having to kill his wife and daughter two years prior, on Christmas Eve no less. Today is Christmas, and come hell or high water he’s going to put his decorations up and have a proper Christmas to remember them by.

I was surprised that in such a short time, I made a connection and felt for Clive. Joe weaves the present with a little back story incredibly well in these 20 or so pages. You feel bad for him, you ache for what he’s been through, and you root for him to get his display up, and to be able to have this one pseudo happy Christmas.

You get a glimpse into his life as he goes into town, for supplies, and the mentality of how he goes on from day to day.



The Bottom Line: The ending will surprise you a little. It was very heartwarming, even with the zombies being around. Joe managed to create a tale that was violent, horrifying, and touching all in about 20 pages. When I was done with it, I couldn’t help but just smile.