'The Drive-In' – Joe R. Lansdale (New English Library)

Sometimes, things just come together and you find that the next book you read more or less chooses itself. I'd had it in the back of my head that I'd barely read any of Joe Lansdale's work ('Conan and the Songs of the Dead', that's all) and that was something that I really wanted to change. Where to start though? Well, I happened to be reading one of Brian Keene's essay's, in 'Trigger Warnings', and he was waxing pretty lyrical about 'The Drive-In' so... My next read went and chose itself.

Before I go out and find myself more of Lansdale's books to read (recommendations welcome, I hear that the 'Hap & Leonard' books are worth a look), lets take a look at 'The Drive-In'.

It was the All-Night Horror Show at the Orbit drive-in. Four thousand high school scream-agers, Saturday-night-fevered for the in-car wrestling, the popcorn eating, the beer drinking – and the horror.

The horror that began where nightmare left off. When screen fantasy turned into mass savagery, murder, cannibalism and all know forms of anit-social behaviour including insane orgies and extensive property damage.

If the sun ever comes up again, will anyone be left to see it...?

I've usually got a few books on the go at any one time; the slim commuter read, the book that I read when I'm with my kids but they've got homework, I'm guessing you're probably the same. Well, for the last few days, all those other books took a backseat to 'The Drive-In', a book that I found I just couldn't put down. I was in it for the long haul and it proved to be a journey well worth taking. It's one of those books where I feel like I made a mistake not reading it a lot sooner. Oh well, I'm here now and that's the main thing.

There is so much horror on display, in a book that's only a hundred and fifty eight pages long, and the beauty is in how many different riffs we see Lansdale play on the same guitar. The horror of the drive-in takes centre stage, as it should, but even early on we're looking at a situation where strange cosmic horror is rubbing up against the darkness that people have brought into the drive-in with them. And we're not just talking about a general 'oh aren't people bad?' vibe. Everyone has their own darkness and it all comes out in an outpouring of violence, which is when we start to look at the horror which is what people will do to stay alive... Honestly, it doesn't stop. Not once. Just when you think you have a handle on things, Lansdale throws something else at you and it's all mad as hell, wall to wall horror with no door to escape through.

What really got me though (and it creates a really interesting counterpoint to the crazy insane shit running alongside it) is just how cool Jack, our narrator, is about the whole thing. Bob too. I don't know if it's a Texan thing, or if they've just shut down in the face of everything, but they're so matter of fact about the whole thing that it really makes you stop and think about what they're in the middle of and... you're back in the middle of it too. It's relentless but in a good way, there's a real 'Evil Dead' energy about 'The Drive-In' that keeps you on your toes, constantly looking out for the next bit of nastiness; just like all the best horror books.

I haven't even told you about the Popcorn King but he's a fellow best discovered for yourself and I've got a hell of a day looming on the horizon so I'll bring it to a close here. If you haven't read 'The Drive-In' though, don't leave it too long before doing something about that. You're missing out on a hell of a read, seriously.