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Bumper Crop by Joe Lansdale is an imaginative collection of 26 short stories each introduced by the author. Bumper Crop and High Cotton are a definitive collection of Lansdale's short stories.

The author's introductions to each story alone are worth reading the book. Lansdale advises us that many of his stories are the product of his wife's popcorn. Most of the stories are reprints from Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone, The Horror Show, and other publications.

Bumper Crop is appropriately titled as most of the stories have some food or food intake as a major theme. These stories are not for the feint of heart or for the easily frightened. "Chompers," in particular, gave me nightmares. The idea of cannibalistic dentures is fairly disturbing to dream about.

Each story has a definitive twist to it. From razor inspired to murderous teeth to prehistoric sharks and on, this collection is one you will not easily forget. One theme repeated in the stories is that inquisitive children, who find out why curiosity killed the cat, are not likely to forget the lesson. It is easy to imagine the mongoloid, albino banjo player from Deliverance to be serenading in the background.

Bumper Crop is Joe Lansdale at his finest. I purchased High Cotton to complete my addiction to these 'catchy' little stories.

Alisa discovered science fiction at the tender age of eight. She devoured The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis and never looked back. She lives in Chicago with her husband, cat, and 5000 books. For more information please visit her website at alisaandmike.com.