The Unlikely Affair of the Crawling Razor

by Joe R. Lansdale

Genres: Horror, Mystery, Fiction

105 pages, Hardcover

Published April 1, 2024

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

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe R. Lansdale isn't referred to as the Champion Mojo Storyteller for nothin'!

Here, the indomitable Lansdale creates an awesome mash up of Poe's detective, C. Auguste Dupin, and Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. But then, he Lansdales it up with a gruesome villain: The Lord of the Razor. How could this be anything but phenomenal?

This novella sized bit of goodness only lasted me an hour or two, but I was relishing every moment of it. I'm not sure what goes on in Lansdale's head that he can even come up with a story like this, but I'll be honest here: I would read his grocery list and love it at this point.

Before this turns into an all-out Lansdale love fest, I'll reluctantly stop singing his praises here. I'll leave it at this: Imagine what Joe R. Lansdale could do with a figure like The Lord of the Razor-from how he would look to the things such a Lord would be capable of. Got that picture in your head? Good, because that should be enough to convince you to read this book!

Highly recommended!

*Thanks to Subterranean Books, NetGalley and the author for the eARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*

[Ben A · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Unlikely Affair of the Crawling Razor brings together Joe R. Lansdale's classic villain: The God of the Razor and Edgar Allan Poe's great detective C. Auguste Dupin for a short horror novella set in the streets and Catacombs of Paris. The story was incredibly entertaining from the go (honestly Lansdale never really disappoints me). There's a reason why he's called the champion mojo storyteller after all. And I loved that we learned more about the God of the Razor and his mythology alongside Dupin and his unnamed assistant. I hope that the author will return to the God in the future and maybe even have him take on some original Lansdale creations.

Special Thanks to Subterranean Press and Netgalley for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.

[Alex Budris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda gimmicky, but hey, I bought it. An unlikely mash up of Poe's Inspector Auguste Dupin, the Lord of the Razor (Lansdale his ownself's creation), and, ha, the freakin' Hounds of Tindalos. The Hounds are Lovecraftian entities originating in the writings of Frank Belknap Long. So, yeah, all that makes for a pretty cool premise. But there's not much to it. And I'm unsure as to where Dupin had acquired his proficiency with magic - if I recall, there was little, if any, supernatural stuff in Poe's original stories. The Lord is always a welcome treat, though. Overall sort of uninspiring, but I don't regret buying it. I certainly don't hold my minor disappointment against Joe - IMO he will always be one of our best writers.

[Evan Ladouceur · Rating 4 out of 5]

An elegant and succinct reimagination of Poe’s gentleman detective, C. Auguste Dupin, who investigates and battles Landsdale’s own famous creation, the Lord of Razors. Clearly written in Lansdale’s typical smooth and polished prose, the story is effective, even though the twist is quite predictable. Highly readable and fun.

[Robin Hobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, the caveat. I have met Joe R. Lansdale several times, and been amazed at every meeting.
And this lovely volume was a gift from Bill at Subterranean Press as he knows that I am extraordinarily enthused by Lansdale's work.

Neither of those things will affect this review.

So, you already know that I will pick up and read anything my Lansdale. I've loved his Hap and Leonard books, and his collections of short stories.k

When he does humor, he can leave me laughing so hard I'm gasping for breath, especially if I'm listening to him read aloud from his own works. When he goes dark, he goes very dark indeed, and some of his work is heart wrenching (Edge of Dark Water.) But strange to say, I think this is the first horror novella of his that I've read that is written in such a classic style. The style invokes Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, and other classic mysteries with clearly delineated characters. Like Holmes and Watson, Archie and Nero, and Travis and Meyer, the interplay between the characters made me hope to see more of them.

The style of writing charmed me even as it led me into darker places. And every now and then, in the midst of the stylized writing, I'd hit a typical Lansdale phrase or sentence.

This is a novella, a short book of about 110 pages. The quality of the book itself is typical of Subterranean. Good paper, stunning cover, all production values of wonderful quality. This is a volume that will last long beyond my lifetime.

Highly recommended.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

The Unlikely Affair of the Crawling Razor is a horror novella in classic style by Joe R. Lansdale. Released 30th April 2024 by Subterranean Press, it's 112 pages and is available in a limited edition hardcover format.

This is a novella which fits into the God of the Razor horror mythos and is indelibly steeped in Lansdale's full-on high octane style. Blood and gore aplenty, deeply disturbing imagery, and one reviewer called it violence porn which is certainly apt. This pastiche draws heavily from Edgar Allan Poe's Dupin, in a careening violent adventure in the catacombs of Paris with a truly ineffable gruesome monster as a foil.

The story itself is solid and certainly engaging/mesmerizing. It's very difficult to put down or even look away from. Additionally, this edition is enhanced by cover and internal art by Tim Truman.

Four stars. Heartily recommended for horror fans, as well as fans of the inimitable Lansdale. He's a masterful storyteller and craftsman and he just doesn't write bad stories (or they never see the light of day).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[John Bruni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm usually not a fan of authors using another author's creation and mixing it with their own, but Lansdale has a history of doing this and doing this well. This book is no exception. I find I enjoy some of the Lord of the Razor stories but not all of them. This is one of the good ones. Poe's Dupin and his assistant are hired to find out why their client's brother is locking her up in her bedroom at night while he visits the Catacombs. (This happens in Paris, of course, on Rue __.) Before long Dupin knows who he's fighting and how to do so. For the most part Lansdale tries to keep his own style to a bare minimum, but it slips through a few times. He tries to stay true to Poe's vision while at the same time adding a bit of his own humor. There is also a great twist near the end, which is pure Lansdale. So of course you should read this.

[Preston Postle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Joe Lansdale, and I love the God of the Razor. I was really looking forward to this, but it's just a straightforward, basic little novella in which a French detective, wise in things supernatural, purchases a bunch of magic spells and potions and uses them to dispatch a creature from Beyond Human Understanding. Lansdale makes an effort to write in period style and mostly avoids his inclination toward vulgarity, but this creampuff of a story doesn't add much to the lore of the Razor Lord and is, with the exception of one obvious "twist," completely predictable.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

This was an interesting mashup of Poe, Doyle, and Lovecraft with a Lansdale twist. We have the master logician detective attempting to solve the mysteries of the bloody corpse, the missing brother, and the threatened beautiful young woman. Told from the unnamed sidekick's POV, of course. I would definitely seek out further tales of this crime-solving team.

[Brennan LaFaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine Sherlock Holmes investigating Hellraiser-esque alternate dimensions and monsters/gods that defy the laws of nature, and you've got some idea of what Joe Lansdale has cooked up for you in this novella. Poe's Auguste Dupin delves into murderous mystery and shades of the occult, traversing through the streets and catacombs of Paris to take down a terrifying foe. 112 pages of mojo storytelling, fun, and intrigue as only Joe Lansdale can do it.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading more about the Lord of the Razor, after having read Joe Lansdale's other short stories about it. This was kind of Sherlock Holmes prelude. It was very entertaining and look forwardto more from Lansdale. I'm providing this review in exchange for the free ebook, thanks to Netgalley and Subterranean Press for another great book. @SubPress

[Lisa Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poe, Lovecraft, Doyle, and Simon R Green all came to mind while reading this. Which is appropriate, considering how Lansdale works in so many genres, often blending them in fun ways. I was so excited that NetGalley let me read this short story, which was dark and exciting and in a fantastic, creepy location

[Joshua Begley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lansdale does a great job of merging his style with Poe's and creates an incredibly fun adventure for Dupin and his nameless assistant. There are also allusions to other great pulp works that add fun spice to the mix, although I won't spoil it here. I hope Lansdale writes more Dupin stories, and, as always, we get more God of the Razor tales.

[Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another very enjoyable read from Joe R Lansdale. Can't remember every reading a bad one from him. Back to the God of the Razer and included Poe's detective Auguste Dupin, this story had a great plot and pacing. Only wish it had been longer. #TheUnlikelyAffairoftheCrawlingRazor #NetGalley

[TC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended.

Review posted at Tzer Island book blog:

https://www.tzerisland.com/bookblog/2...

[Eddie McKee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lansdale - enough said!

[Martha Spear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good - a novelette

[Ashlee Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found Dupin to be annoying and a copy-paste of Sherlock Holmes (he specifically reminded me of Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal of Sherlock in the Sherlock show). These Sherlock-esque scenes also only happened a couple of times throughout all of Dupin's interactions, making it seem like Lansdale was actively thinking of Sherlock and trying to make Dupin appear like him in those scenes only. He was relatively more laid back throughout the rest of the story so his characterization felt inconsistent.

The villain was also confusing to me - I thought he was a real person using a razor to murder his victims but he is actually some sort of spectral being from another plane or dimension. I guess this is on me since this book is labelled as Sci-Fi / Fantasy but it still confused me when he was being described with these gruesome fantastical details. Once I got over that I did like the God of Razor's descriptions, he sounds terrifying and I hope to never be visited by something like him in my nightmares.

There also weren't any indentations for speakers and/or new paragraphs, which was annoying in it of itself but sometimes if there were characters talking back and forth there wouldn't be a new paragraph and sometimes it was hard to tell who was saying what. Not the end of the world but definitely annoying.

Would I re-read? No, probably not.
Would I read more from this author? IDK, I liked the idea of this story but the execution was lackluster.

Thank you to the Author, Subterranean Press, & NetGalley for this eArc.