Pulp Fiction discussion
General
>
Welcome and Introductions
Hi My name's Robin Storey. I'm an indie author and lover of noir and I was so happy to find this group, especially as I am also an Aussie. (Sunshine Coast in Queensland). One of my favourite noir authors is Megan Abbott and at present I am about to start a debut novel by Aussie author Nick Seeley called Cambodia Noir.
Mod
Welcome to the group, Robin. Best of luck with your novel.
Hi,I introduced myself a week and a half ago - didn't have any reponse and I thought the group might have demised - glad to see it's still active - I feel I ought to re-introduce myself: I'm Lev. I read and write pulp (or pulp-ish) fiction - looking forward to some good interactions with the group - Lev
Robin wrote: "Hi My name's Robin Storey. I'm an indie author and lover of noir and I was so happy to find this group, especially as I am also an Aussie. (Sunshine Coast in Queensland). One of my favourite noir a..."Melki wrote: "Robin wrote: "Hi My name's Robin Storey. I'm an indie author and lover of noir and I was so happy to find this group, especially as I am also an Aussie. (Sunshine Coast in Queensland). One of my fa..."
Correction: I just discovered that Nick Seeley is American, not Australian.
Mod
I introduced myself a week and a half ago - didn't have any reponse and I thought the group might have demised - glad to see it's still active - I feel I ought to re-introduce myself: I'm Lev...."
Hi Lev, and welcome to our haunts!
We're a pretty laidback group who mostly enjoy sharing tips and reviews about the books and movies we love. I don't check the threads every day, but I'm always glad to find new fans of the genre from around the world.
We have a space called "Writer's Corner" where aspiring authors talk about their projects. I don't think it's very active, but it's there for those interested. Speaking for myselg, I have hundreds of titles on my wishlist and this list keeps on growing every month with input from our group members, but this list is mostly made up of older stuff, not currently published novels.
Algernon wrote: "Lev wrote: "Hi,I introduced myself a week and a half ago - didn't have any reponse and I thought the group might have demised - glad to see it's still active - I feel I ought to re-introduce myse..."
Hi Algeron - I'll definitely be checking out the 'Writer's Corner' - thanks for letting me know about it - good luck with your wishlist - Lev
Hello, first-time poster Patrick Murtha here, hailing from Queretaro, Mexico, where I teach English in my semi-retirement. I'm 58, single, a graduate of Yale (BA in American Studies) and Boston University (Master of Arts in Teaching). I have a strong lifelong interest in noir fiction and film, hardboiled and detective fiction, and everything related. Recent noir novel: Paul Cain's Fast One, problematic for me. Recent noir film: Jacques Tourneur's Nightfall, with Aldo Ray, first-rate.
Mod
Algernon wrote: "I haven't seen "Nightfall" yet. Thanks for the tip, and welcome to the group, Patrick!" There is a very nice print currently up at YouTube:https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b95AizO...
Correct aspect ratio and everything. The film is a corker. The young Aldo Ray was a helluva naturalistic actor (like the also underrated Audie Murphy).
First time poster. Big fan of weird fiction and two-fisted tales of adventure. Can't wait to begin participating.
Mod
I'm Randy from Long Beach, CA. I joined a few weeks ago but this is the first time I have posted.
I enjoy pulp fiction (specifically the genre but also the Tarantino flick) and my favorites right now are Chandler, Cain, Thompson, Leonard, and Mosley.
Short story anthologies I enjoyed:
- Unusual Suspects: A New Anthology of Crime Stories from Black Lizard
- Hardboiled: An Anthology of American Crime Stories
I saw the January read is The Postman Always Rings Twice and I'm looking forward to jumping in. I'm also trying to track down Dark Passage which seems to be the February front-runner.
Looking forward to meeting everyone!
Randy
Mod
I'm Randy from Long Beach, CA. I joined a few weeks ago but this is the first time I have posted.
I enjoy pulp fiction (specifically the genre but also the Tarantino flick) and my ..."
Welcome Randy, I look forward to seeing you in the monthly discussions.
I have a couple of the Black Lizard anthologies but haven't started on them yet. I believe it will be intriguing to see the evolution of the genre through short stories and less well known authors instead of focusing almost exclusively on novels
Mod
Thanks Algernon! To appreciate the evolution of the genre I would recommend Hardboiled: An Anthology of American Crime Stories. It arranges the stories in chronological order so you start reading the in 1920s and end in the 1990s (when the anthology was published). There are a lot of big name authors represented but a lot of lesser known names as well. I thought the anthology was out of print but I checked Amazon and they are still selling new copies - used copies are also available and at a much lower price I might add.
If you're interested, my review can be read here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I've been following this group for ages but haven't participated in a group read before. I have a copy of The Cocktail Waitress and have been wanting to read it . I have read The Postman Always Rings Twice and it surprised me...I had heard so much about it and...I won't spoil things but it wasn't at all what I expected. Hope to participate in both group reads. I am crazy about noir fiction and really thrilled that you can find complete noir films on youtube to watch.
Hello, I joined because I'm looking for some prompts and structure to get me back into a reading habit this year - and I'm looking for fiction that isn't too heavy but *is* well written. (And hopefully also gripping.) The noir books you're reading sound very appealing and I was quite into watching noir films a few years back. So here I am, waving from Scotland, and currently about half way through The Postman Always Rings Twice.
Joanna wrote: "Hello, I joined because I'm looking for some prompts and structure to get me back into a reading habit this year - and I'm looking for fiction that isn't too heavy but *is* well written. (And hopef..."Greetings Joanna. Postman is a great noir book. I'm just about ready to start another James M. Cain book that I've heard good things about, Mildred Pierce. I've also read several really good books by Scottish writers, Denise Mina and Gordon Ferris to name just a couple.
Hi all, I'm Brian, and this is my first Goodreads book club. I'm a long-time fan of noir and pulp, from Chandler to Hammett to more modern authors that occasionally dip into like Chabon. I look forward to going through back list of books you've already read and reading the group reads.To Joanna from Scotland, who also just joined, there's a great crime novelist from Scotland named William McIlvanney who wrote a crime series in the Seventies with the main character being a police detective named Laidlaw. I love this series and recommend it to you.
Brian wrote: "Hi all, I'm Brian, and this is my first Goodreads book club. I'm a long-time fan of noir and pulp, from Chandler to Hammett to more modern authors that occasionally dip into like Chabon. I look for..."Hi Brian, I hope you enjoy being part of the reading group here. Thanks very much for the recommendation - it's much appreciated. I've heard of this series but never tried any so they're going on my list!
Tom wrote: "Joanna wrote: "Hello, I joined because I'm looking for some prompts and structure to get me back into a reading habit this year - and I'm looking for fiction that isn't too heavy but *is* well writ..."Thanks Tom for the welcome and writer / book suggestions... I'm really appreciating getting suggestions for new stuff to read.
Hello. Just started looking for groups to join. This looks right up my alley. I saw someone mention FAST ONE, I heard about a bookstore playing THE BIG SLEEP on continuous loop... I look forward to getting up to date with this group.Currently reading: The Continental Op: The Complete Case Files and one quarter of Draw the Curtain Close: Mac Detective Series #1
Mod
Welcome, Chris! I plan to read some Continental Op. stories myself.
I'm sure you'll find more good stuff on these pages.
Hey folks, I've been in this club for a couple months but haven't kept up. New to Goodreads, too. I'm currently reading Don Winslow's The Cartel and am enjoying it. Earlier this year, I finished the Power of Dog (the prequel to my current book). I like books like noir, gory weirdness (Chuck Palahniuk), crime and other crazy stuff. Hoping I can get some good ideas on my next book and look forward to chatting it up with you folks!
The term "pulp literature" or "the pulps" came from the cheap, pulpy paper the books and magazines were printed on. They were considered not-quite-literature, and the writers were often derided a "penny-a-word guys" because that's what they were paid. Note that most science fiction fit into this category, too, along with the hardboiled stuff. .
I once saw a timeline that had the "pulp" era ended around 1960, which might actually be a little late, although digests and magazines are occasionally available still, especially in sci-fi.
.
Later, as I'm sure you know, this derided "subliterature" gained a reputation as a genuine American voice, Grand Guignol in print if you will, which is why in the modern era we got a movie with the title PULP FICTION. Q. Tarentino's movie was both a send-up and a celebration of that lurid, violent type of writing in movie form.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulp_ma...Elsewhere, I read the pulps died with a printing company in the late 50s when one of the main printers went out of business. They had printing shops set up along railroad tracks, so used to be able to print them out cheaply across the US, but times changed & they couldn't compete any more.
That's good to know, Jim. Thank you! Also the time was fast approaching when post-office mail was taken off the trains and given to trucking companies. Well before Chicago's Sears (now 'Willis') Tower was opened in 1974, the company's former headquarters on Homan Avenue was situated right above railroad tracks to expedite shipping of mail-order purchases. A bygone era!
Mod
Planet of Adventure
Maybe we could have a monthly poll in the future about John Carter of Mars or Tarzan
Algernon wrote: "For me the pulps include not only crime stories but also early science fiction adventures from Burroughs or Leigh Brackett. Some of the authors of the time did both Sf and crime. I am reading just ..."Quite right; in fact I mentioned science fiction in my first answer to Cphe. Funny you should mention Leigh Brackett: I read her juvenile delinquent crime novel about a year ago. I believe it was called THE TIGER AMONG US (1957).
Happy reading! - allen
ALLEN wrote: "That's good to know, Jim. Thank you! Also the time was fast approaching when post-office mail was taken off the trains and given to trucking companies. Well before Chicago's Sears (now 'Willis') To..."Interesting how seemingly unconnected things can change an industry so much. Thanks.
Algernon wrote: "For me the pulps include not only crime stories but also early science fiction adventures from Burroughs or Leigh Brackett. Some of the authors of the time did both Sf and crime. I am reading just ..."For me the pulps were all about SF & fantasy because that's what my father stocked. I read them voraciously & it drove me crazy when some were missing. I'd get 2 parts of a 3 part novella or something.
Tarzan hasn't aged all that well, but JC is still fun. I wonder how the Mucker & some of his others have aged. Howard is another favorite of mine.
Wow.This is great seeing all these new members who enjoy Pulp-Lit.
A few years ago I would have maintained that the Black Mask authors as the finest Pulp-Lit ever had to offer.
Recently I've discovered James Hadley Chase - a British gentleman who'd never visited America prior to writing what I consider one of the 10 greatest hardboiled pulp noirs ever published:
I was wrong about hardboiled/crime Pulp-Lit being American-centric.
This site wised me up.
With all due respect, I HATE James Hadley Chase.You know he got his start writing ersatz pulp when the supply dried up in the UK.
The thing is, the stories in GET A LOAD OF THIS read more like very bad Maugham than like anything in Black Mask.
As far as NO ORCHIDS, I think I gave it up at the point when one hood said to another "Rather you than me."
Christopher wrote: "With all due respect, I HATE James Hadley Chase.You know he got his start writing ersatz pulp when the supply dried up in the UK.
As far as NO ORCHIDS, I think I gave it up at the point when one hood said to another "Rather you than me." ..."
Which is another charming aspect of Chase's writing:
the occasional slipping by characters mid-dialogue from American slang & misuse of English into British mannerisms.
He's way over the top in much the same way that James Carroll Daly, Robert Leslie Bellem or early Mickey Spillane were.
The violence explodes across the page.
Much blood is spilled.
His devotion to American Crime Pulp is totally delightful though
I tend to enjoy his stand-alone crime novels more than his assorted private dicks.
Robert Leslie Bellem.Now there's someone whose bootlace James Hadley Chase is unfit to tie. IMNSHO.
Still wrote: "Christopher wrote: "With all due respect, I HATE James Hadley Chase.You know he got his start writing ersatz pulp when the supply dried up in the UK.
As far as NO ORCHIDS, I think I gave it up a..."
All I could think when I saw the Hadley Chase title you were reading recently was: "So, Twelve Chinamen and a Woman walk into a bar. The bartender says to the woman..."
Sorry, but it couldn't be helped.
Hello, I'm Max. I like the work of Raymond Chandler, Ross Macdonald and Dashiell Hammett. My other favorite authors are Len Deighton, George Orwell and Alexandre Dumas.The novel I just finished is Laura by Vera Caspary. It varies from the film in interesting ways.
I've written a mystery novel that won Kindle Scout. It's called "The Gods Who Walk Among Us," the protagonist is a failed lawyer working (barely) as a member of the paparazzi.
I see some good books in the group reads and I'm sorry I missed them.
Max wrote: "Hello, I'm Max. I like the work of Raymond Chandler, Ross Macdonald and Dashiell Hammett. My other favorite authors are Len Deighton, George Orwell and Alexandre Dumas.The novel I just finished i..."
Nothing is forever, Max. Really good books deserve new readers and new discussions!
Hello everyone. I first started reading mysteries and sci-fi in grade school - Father Brown, Sherlock Holmes, were early favorites. Asimov, Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, and then Raymond Chandler, and Hammett. And then Cornell Woolrich! Wow! And that was just through high school.Now I [self promotion]: own the PulpFictionBook.store where I get to read really great pulp fiction every day as we convert old pulp mag stories into .epubs and .mobis for tablets and eReaders.
AG wrote: "Hello everyone. I first started reading mysteries and sci-fi in grade school - Father Brown, Sherlock Holmes, were early favorites. Asimov, Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, and then Raymond Chandler, an..."I may have to check that out.
Tom wrote: "AG wrote: "Hello everyone. I first started reading mysteries and sci-fi in grade school - Father Brown, Sherlock Holmes, were early favorites. Asimov, Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, and then Raymond C..."Please do!
AG wrote: "Hello everyone. I first started reading mysteries and sci-fi in grade school - Father Brown, Sherlock Holmes, were early favorites. Asimov, Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, and then Raymond Chandler, an..."AG- do you know what happened to Munseys.com?
Does anyone?
Christopher wrote: "AG wrote: "Hello everyone. I first started reading mysteries and sci-fi in grade school - Father Brown, Sherlock Holmes, were early favorites. Asimov, Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, and then Raymond C..."Hello Christopher. All I can tell you is what you probably already know - munseys.com went down sometime around September 2015 and hasn't come back online. The domain itself is held by one of those domain reseller companies and is for sale. Their Biblio listing shows them as being "On Vacation."
Munseys.com as we knew it is gone.
If I had to guess I'd say the Conde Nast lawsuit over The Shadow and Doc Savage ruined them and it all just became unsustainable.
If you remember much about munseys.com you'll notice that http://books.planetmonk.com/ has pretty much the same catalog of books, although they are selling them for 99 cents. I don't know if PlanetMonk is associated with whoever owned munseys.com, or if it's someone that downloaded all the books and decided to try to make some money from them.
Edwin wrote: "If you remember much about munseys.com you'll notice that http://books.planetmonk.com/ has pretty much the same catalog of books, although they are selling them for 99 cents. I don't know if Planet..."I think PlanetMonk got a lot of its material for free when Munsey's was up, and is now charging for it. I did realize that since everything on Munsey's was free, they probably weren't making much money... for their legal fund, or whatever... web services.
Pulp and noir are really making a comeback these days. If you search you can find some really cool stuff out there. Just have to put the shoe leather to the road and look for some dames that might be looking for a guy in a trenchcoat that is carrying a .38 snubby.
Robert wrote: "Pulp and noir are really making a comeback these days. If you search you can find some really cool stuff out there. Just have to put the shoe leather to the road and look for some dames that might ..."Yes they are making a comeback. Dan Turner, Hollywood Detective doesn't have any trouble meeting dames. Not sure if he carries a .38 snubby or not. I think he carries a .45. But you could check him out at the PulpFictionBook.Store and find out. If he's not packing a .38 I bet someone else is.....
Hi, Adam here. New to Goodreads and to this group. Am a classic detective fiction fan (Chandler and MacDonald) and a huge old movie buff. Look forward to joining some discussions.
Hi all,Just joined the group and thought I'd say hello.
I have a question. Would you consider the Dresden Files to be hardboiled?
Mod
For me, the first Harry Dresden book was hardboiled inspired, but the series moved in a different direction from this point forward, focusing more on the fantasy elements.
I very much prefer the Garret P. I. (Glen Cook) files instead of Dresden for my alternative crime capers.
Pulp Fiction
Books mentioned in this topic
Hard Rain Falling (other topics)The Little Sister (other topics)
The Hunter (other topics)
The Killer Inside Me (other topics)
The Big Sleep (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Don Carpenter (other topics)Gordon Ferris (other topics)
James M. Cain (other topics)
Denise Mina (other topics)
Ken Bruen (other topics)
More...
I’m Lev from England (new to your group and to Goodreads)
I’m a big fan of all of Raymond Chandler’s books, including his last, Poodle Springs, which was completed by Robert B. Parker. I’m not sure I can see the join – can anyone?
I’m also an author, having just published my debut novel. I was hoping to ask for feedback/reviews, but this thread doesn’t seem the place for that – if anyone can point me to an appropriate thread, I’d be grateful.
Lev