Pure Pulp

by Ed Gorman (Editor)

Celebrates American pulp fiction in this volume which anthologizes 1920s and 1930s innovators such as John Jakes and Robert Bloch alongside later masters of the form, including Mickey Spillane, Ed McBain, and Donald Westlake

Genres: Crime

565 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

Edward Joseph Gorman Jr. was a prolific American author and anthologist, widely recognized for his contributions to crime, mystery, western, and horror fiction. Born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Gorman spent much of his life in the Midwest, drawing on that experience to set many of his novels in small towns. After working over two decades in advertising, political speechwriting, and industrial filmmaking, he published his first novel, Rough Cut, in 1984 and soon transitioned to full-time writing. His fiction is often praised for its emotional depth, suspenseful storytelling, and nuanced characters. Gorman wrote under the pseudonyms Daniel Ransom and Robert David Chase, and contributed to publications such as Mystery Scene, Cemetery Dance, and Black Lizard. He co-founded Mystery Scene magazine and served as its editor and publisher until 2002, continuing his “Gormania” column thereafter. His works have been adapted for film and graphic novels, including The Poker Club and Cage of Night. In comics, he wrote for DC and Dark Horse. Diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2002, he continued writing despite his illness until his passing in 2016. Critics lauded him as one of the most original crime writers of his generation and a “poet of dark suspense.”

Reviews

[Dylan Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have given a higher rating if not for the novel at the end, The Box. Loved all the shorts and I felt that the box was out of place and honestly weak. I might have enjoyed it had I read it as a stand alone.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection includes a number of excellent stories and tremendous authors (including one of my personal favorites, Frederic Brown). However, IMHO there are at least an equal (if not greater) number of lesser stories. And the volume concludes with what is actually a mediocre novel.

I should also mention my feeling that there is some iffy "marketing" going on with this book, in particular the back cover copy. This copy begins by talking about how pulp magazines flourished between 1920 and 1950. Yet only 20% of the "stories" are copyrighted prior to 1950 (and these 5 are all from the 1940's). The copy then displays a list of authors "whose work originally appeared in the more artful pulps of the 1950s and 1960s" yet there are still another 20% of the stories copyrighted AFTER 1970.

So I guess I would not recommend this volume as there are I suspect other and better compilations available. Maybe someday I will search them out.

[Mark Proudfoot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed them all; maybe I’m a sucker for the form.

[Harri Vaalio · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was 32 pages missing from my book (pages 119-150). How can this be? This is the first and only Carroll & Graf printing from 1999.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

oridinarily i don't read short story murder mlystery anthologies. this one has given me a grat sourc for new authors (some very old actually)
i prefer to get to know the protaganist,the short story form isn't my stype but i thoroghly enjyed the ones i read.