ACT OF LOVE by Joe R. Lansdale - SIGNED FIRST EDITION THUS BOOK
See all titles by Joe R. Lansdale.In 1981, Joe R. Lansdale, then a noted short story writer, published his first novel, a paperback original entitled Act of Love.
A ferocious account of the search for a killer known as the Houston
Hacker, Lansdale’s debut was written years before the Hannibal Lecter
phenomenon left its mark on American popular culture, years before the
“serial killer novel” became a distinct — and highly marketable —
publishing category. Thirty years after its initial appearance, this
pioneering novel continues to exert a raw but undeniable narrative
force.
Set in the vividly evoked urban squalor of Houston, Texas, Act of Love
moves with great authority between the disordered mind of a compulsive
killer and the increasingly desperate perspectives of the policemen who
hunt him. In the process, it offers a detailed portrait of a complex
murder investigation and anatomizes a city under siege, a city held
hostage by a latter day Jack the Ripper.
As long time Lansdale readers will note, Act of Love
introduces the soon-to-be-familiar figure of homicide detective Marvin
Hanson. More importantly, it introduces, in embryonic form, some
characteristic authorial virtues: the deceptively effortless prose, the
flawless sense of place, the graphic depiction of inhuman violence, and
the casually profane, instantly recognizable Lansdale humor. Unavailable
for far too long, Act of Love makes a welcome reappearance in
this deluxe anniversary edition, which includes the definitive text of
the novel, a new introduction by the author, and a never before
published short story featuring Marvin Hanson. The result is a
significant — and necessary — act of rediscovery and an irresistible
gift for Lansdale aficionados old and new.
The Subterranean Press edition of Act of Love will contain not
only the novel proper but a brand new 10,000 word novelette, written in
the spirit of the original novel, and possibly featuring the
protagonist. Timothy Truman will provide a full-color dust jacket, while
Glen Chadbourne contributes copious black and white interiors. Act of Love proudly takes its place alongside the other essential Lansdale titles The God of the Razor and Deadman’s Road on any collector’s permanent shelf
