Joe R. Lansdale was born October 28, 1951 in Gladewater, Texas. A free lance writer since 1981, Lansdale has written horror, science fiction, westerns and mysteries. He has expressed a preference for short stories but has also written novels, comic scripts, screenplays and stage plays. He has edited several short story anthologies and has contributed to numerous genre magazines. All his works are informed by his life-long immersion in the culture of deep East Texas.
Lansdale was awarded the Bram Stoker award for "Night They Missed the Horror Show" in 1989 and for "On the Far Side of the Cadillac Desert With Dead Folks" in 1990.