The Beginner’s Guide to Pulp Fiction: The Heroes, the Villains and the Writers

by Jonathan W. Sweet

From comic books to the superhero movies that dominate theaters to the serialized shows we stream on Netflix, the impact and influence of the pulps can be seen throughout pop culture today. They were mass entertainment at a time before radio and television, and continued through two World Wars, the Golden Age of Radio and the beginning of television.
Many writers who went on to greater fame got their starts working in the pulps. This guide includes entries on some of the most prominent writers, heroes and villains from the golden age of the pulps. Consider it the 101-level course on the pulp magazine writers and heroes that dominated popular entertainment in the first half the 20th century.

140 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 13, 2019

About the author

Jonathan W. Sweet is an award-winning journalist who lives near Minneapolis, MN, with his wife, two exceptional children and one fairly dim-witted dog.

He is the founder of Brick Pickle Pulp, which publishes classic pulp fiction and new fiction in the pulp genre. He is also the host of the Pulp Nostalgia and Old Time Radio and World War 2 Radio podcasts at BrickPickleMedia.com/podcasts.

Reviews

[Joe Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief bio sketches of many pulp writers and some notable heroes and villains. Solid for fans of the pulps and reference but not overly interesting. I would suggest Encyclopedia of Pulp Heroes by Nevins as better bang for the buck and especially the brief history of the pulps at the start of that book. Then if you want to check off writers as you read them and get a brief bio, come here.