20 Stories Pulp Fictions

Book Overview

1997 Barnes and Noble HB, 1st printing. The kings of hardboiled fiction: Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hamett, Elmore Leonard, Mickey Spillane, Quentin Tarentino and 15 more. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0760757240
• ISBN13: 9780760757246
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Barnes&Noble Books
• Length: 331 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.

Customer Reviews

undeserved tough guy pulp obscurity

This is a 1997 published, 331 page hardcover edited by an expert British editor/actor with a comprehensive knowledge of the pulp magazines of USA(not all of these came from the pulps). Apparently this is a reprint of a 1996 edition by Seventh Zenith Ltd in England. 20 stories in 3 categories(hardboiled dicks), (cops & G-men), and )hoods). The stories by long-established authors(Hammett, Chandler, MacDonald, Woolrich, Spillane, Cain) are excellent although most will be familiar to hardcore readers in this genre(I am one of them). I still have Carroll J Daly, WR Burnett, Robert L Bellem and couple more to read but at a glance they appear noteworthy also. The story by Jim Thompson(one of his rare shorts)is a highlight of the book-a conman story. I found disappointing(not to my taste) stories by Goodis, James H Chase, S Fuller, Elmore Leonard, P Cheyney. There is a 4 page knowledgable introduction by Haining and introductions to all the stories with a few old pulp illos reproduced. High word count book. Nice guy-being-mugged gray/pink/yellow cover. Also has stories by Stephen King, Q Tarantino, M Kantor, E McBain. Unqualified recommendation at bargin prices offered(I believe it sold for $6 in bookstores). Excellent introduction to this genre if you feel a yearning to see what it is about. Worthwhile to oldtimers just for obscure Bellem, Daly, and Thompson stories. From a bookmaking standpoint it appears to be as good or better made than the $24 ones being marketed today