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Murder Draws a Crowd: Fredric Brown Mystery Library, Volume One
“. . . enough good people put Brown on their must-read lists and then become evangelists to keep his name alive on the same high shelf as Hammett, Thompson, Ross Macdonald and other crime icons. Somewhere up in literary heaven, I hope he’s looking down, sipping a beer, playing his flute and smiling.”—Dick Adler, Chicago Tribune
While the editor of this series only recently came upon the above quote from 2008, these eyes read no truer words. Work has been underway for nearly four years assembling the first two volumes of THE FREDRIC BROWN MYSTERY LIBRARY. Now is your chance to get in on the ground floor of what is hoped to be the definitive collection of Fredric Brown sans his science fiction works. Assembled in chronological order of publication, this set will contain all the short fiction (of all genres: mystery, horror, noir, western, detection, etc.) and all of Brown’s novels (again, excepting his sf works). You’ll be able to enjoy Fredric Brown at his longer lengths from The Fabulous Clipjoint and Night of the Jabberwock to The Lenient Beast and Mrs. Murphy’s Underpants.
Assisting with this effort have been Brown bibliographer Phil Stephensen-Payne and Brown biographer Jack Seabrook. This massive undertaking could not have been accomplished without their help.
While the editor of this series only recently came upon the above quote from 2008, these eyes read no truer words. Work has been underway for nearly four years assembling the first two volumes of THE FREDRIC BROWN MYSTERY LIBRARY. Now is your chance to get in on the ground floor of what is hoped to be the definitive collection of Fredric Brown sans his science fiction works. Assembled in chronological order of publication, this set will contain all the short fiction (of all genres: mystery, horror, noir, western, detection, etc.) and all of Brown’s novels (again, excepting his sf works). You’ll be able to enjoy Fredric Brown at his longer lengths from The Fabulous Clipjoint and Night of the Jabberwock to The Lenient Beast and Mrs. Murphy’s Underpants.
Assisting with this effort have been Brown bibliographer Phil Stephensen-Payne and Brown biographer Jack Seabrook. This massive undertaking could not have been accomplished without their help.
744 pages, Hardcover
Published May 1, 2017
3 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Fredric Brown
810 books355 followersFredric Brown was an American science fiction and mystery writer. He was one of the boldest early writers in genre fiction in his use of narrative experimentation. While never in the front rank of popularity in his lifetime, Brown has developed a considerable cult following in the almost half century since he last wrote. His works have been periodically reprinted and he has a worldwide fan base, most notably in the U.S. and Europe, and especially in France, where there have been several recent movie adaptations of his work. He also remains popular in Japan.
Never financially secure, Brown - like many other pulp writers - often wrote at a furious pace in order to pay bills. This accounts, at least in part, for the uneven quality of his work. A newspaperman by profession, Brown was only able to devote 14 years of his life as a full-time fiction writer. Brown was also a heavy drinker, and this at times doubtless affected his productivity. A cultured man and omnivorous reader whose interests ranged far beyond those of most pulp writers, Brown had a lifelong interest in the flute, chess, poker, and the works of Lewis Carroll. Brown married twice and was the father of two sons.
Never financially secure, Brown - like many other pulp writers - often wrote at a furious pace in order to pay bills. This accounts, at least in part, for the uneven quality of his work. A newspaperman by profession, Brown was only able to devote 14 years of his life as a full-time fiction writer. Brown was also a heavy drinker, and this at times doubtless affected his productivity. A cultured man and omnivorous reader whose interests ranged far beyond those of most pulp writers, Brown had a lifelong interest in the flute, chess, poker, and the works of Lewis Carroll. Brown married twice and was the father of two sons.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 21, 2018
I am an enthusiastic fan of the great Fredric Brown. I knew him from science fiction, but when I discovered his wonderful old-time mystery, detective, and crime stories, I was really happy. Brown has a real gift; you'll never mistake his work for anyone else's.
This is the first volume of a multi-volume set of his complete mystery works. Two volumes have been published so far; I have high hopes for more of them.
This volume covers the first few years of Brown's work. You'll see he was good at the beginning, but developed over the years into something really special.
This is a true delight for any Brown fan.
This is the first volume of a multi-volume set of his complete mystery works. Two volumes have been published so far; I have high hopes for more of them.
This volume covers the first few years of Brown's work. You'll see he was good at the beginning, but developed over the years into something really special.
This is a true delight for any Brown fan.
May 18, 2022
A fun read to see the raw beginnings of such a prolific craftsman as Brown. But these stories are truly pulp, written to keep commuters amused and to provide some entertainment for salespeople at the end of a hard day.
Brown is always fun to read, but this is early fairly one dimensional work probably cranked out pretty quickly to pay the bills. But the twistier, darker side of Brown’s imagination starts to appear about 2/3rds of the way through this massive collection. Fun late night amusement, but a far cry from The Far Cry.
Brown is always fun to read, but this is early fairly one dimensional work probably cranked out pretty quickly to pay the bills. But the twistier, darker side of Brown’s imagination starts to appear about 2/3rds of the way through this massive collection. Fun late night amusement, but a far cry from The Far Cry.
February 21, 2018
Definitive edition of Brown’s classic mysteries. Transcribed with the original pulp illustrations and beautifully bound. Much better and more affordable than the McMillan published Detective Pulp series. Buy this book!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews