Pulp Fiction discussion
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Welcome and Introductions
I confess that noir is an acquired taste for me. The movies - at least the top drawer offerings including The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, etc. - have always appealed, but the novels never appealed...until last week.I had an epiphany over breakfast with a friend in Orinda, California, when he mentioned he was reading a lot of noir. It suddenly occurred to me that I needed to review the situation. I came away with Benjamin Black/John Banville's The Black Eyed Blonde.
Last night I moved on to James Ellroy's The Black Dahlia, which I am finding even better.
But I notice no thread devoted to Ellroy's considerable body of work in this group. Is that an oversight, or does he get no respect here?
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Hi everyone! I'm a newby with the group and am looking forward to some great suggestions for reading. I've been a fan of pulp for ages, and was excited when I found this fan group! Some of my favs are Chandler, Bradbury, Hubbard, Abernathy, and Gibson (Grant.) Anyone have suggestions for newer authors I might enjoy?
I've enjoyed chandler, ellroy, ross macdonald, as well as most things published under the Black Lizard imprint.Looking for something that's set more modern and doesnt quite fall into the detective genre perhaps.
Hi everyone! I am Evgeny. I stumbled upon Dashiell Hammett in my early twenties and he is one of my favorite authors in any genre since then. My second all-time favorite noir writer would be Raymond Chandler. I am also about to try reading Mickey Spillane for the first time.
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Many of our members are well-read experts on all manner of pulp and noir. Stick around, check out the topics, group reads and monthly polls, and I'm sure you'll find some of your old favorites, plus new authors to check out.
Evgeny wrote: "Hi everyone! I am Evgeny. I stumbled upon Dashiell Hammett in my early twenties and he is one of my favorite authors in any genre since then. My second all-time favorite noir writer ..."Hello,Evgeny!
I wish you the best with Spillane. He's better appreciated as an appetizer with Hammett & Chandler as main courses.
Spillane is fun (as you'll soon find out)but his character "Mike Hammer" is juat a wee bit nuts when it comes to Commie Symps (communist sympathizers).
Some of Mike Hammer's extreme-Right Wing diatribes are unintentionally hilarious & the violence level is over the top.
He would have loved Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck -in fact, Hammer's almost too perfect for these times.
Enjoy- especially the 1st three entries in the Hammer series.
As far as I'm concerned, nothing beats Chandler's novels & short stories or Hammett's Red Harvest and his various collected Continental Op short stories or novellas.
There's a whole world of noir out there waiting for you -new and old.
I am afraid I read Chandler too early: I could not find anything in noir close to his writings in quality. I consider Make Hammer to be mindless entertainment and hope he will deliver :)
Matthew wrote: "I've enjoyed chandler, ellroy, ross macdonald, as well as most things published under the Black Lizard imprint.Looking for something that's set more modern and doesnt quite fall into the detective..."
Mathew, my series "Mike Angel" is set in the 1960s and includes humor and a pinch of paranormal. Even more contemporary you might try the Bennington series, set in Wash. DC with an older investigator protag. The writing isn't always smooth but the books are well plotted. I just finished my 2nd one of these by DW Ulsterman, "Take Two and Call Me in the Morgue" - great stuff.
Good lord, following up the poetry of Chandler with the knuckleheadedness of Spillane sounds like a recipe for disappointment. I'd suggest instead Fred Zackel's criminally underrated COCAINE AND BLUE EYES. Zackel was a student of Ross MacDonald, and so in a way keeps the literary line going: this novel is as close as you could imagine to Chandler hitting the typewriter in the 1980's, without being straight pastiche. (Maybe James Crumley would also get a nod for such a designation, but to me Crumley has always felt more like an offspring of Willeford than Chandler. Still, THE LAST GOOD KISS would be another candidate for you. And apologies to any Spillane fans for my bias--I can't read his work without thinking he's writing a parody of the genre.)
Mark, I sometimes get that parody response to my Mike Angel series, but also hear a Chandler-like take. I suspect you haven't read much of Spillane, for there's a wide variety of style and substance in his work. But about Chandler I'd just say that's the ultimate compliment for any mystery writer--he took the genre to a whole new literary height, and isn't given enough credit.
Mark wrote: "Good lord, following up the poetry of Chandler with the knuckleheadedness of Spillane sounds like a recipe for disappointment. I'd suggest instead Fred Zackel's criminally underrated COCAINE AND BL..."
Thanks for the recommendation. I added the book to my ever-growing to-read shelf.
Thanks for the recommendation. I added the book to my ever-growing to-read shelf.
Hello. My name is Lauren. Thank you for letting me join this group as a new member. I am an English woman in my 30s. I have been a bookworm from a very young age. I read all genres, but I have developed a keen interest in thrillers and crime novels in recent years.
Mark:I've read most of the Crumely's but the very last one of all his novels I read but enjoyed the most was The Wrong Case
Own a paperback of his One To Count Cadence but can't for the life of me remember a single moment. Perhaps because I've always confused his war-time memoirs with Willeford's wonderful WWII era memoir b.s. (I hope!) Something About A Soldier.
Not familiar with Zackel.
Intrigued.
Lauren:
Welcome to my favorite group on GR!
Hi, I am Andrew. I wanted to be a hard-boiled detective when I was a kid after growing up watching films such as The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep etc. Dream didn't materialise (though I am investing in a trenchcoat ahead of the winter!), but my passion for the genre remains today. Raymond Chandler is probably my favourite.
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Melki wrote: "It's nice to meet you, Andrew. Trench coats are optional here, but always welcome."Thanks :)
Hi, All. I just joined the group and am looking forward to suggestions for great new books in this genre. My favorite authors include Robert Parker, James Lee Burke, Sue Grafton, Dennis Lehane, Elmore Leonard, and Raymond Chandler. Recently discovered Megan Abbott and Christa Faust.Again, suggestions welcomed!
Regards, Sandra
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Nice group and I like seeing some renewed interest in what was an under appreciated style.Hopefully it catches on to counter the sensitive touchy-feely PC tone that appears to have spread like warm margarine.
More straight liquor, unfiltered cigarettes and steely glares!
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Melki wrote: "I've got those steely glares down pat - just ask my husband. "Welcome to the group," she mutters gruffly, taking a swig straight from the bottle."I like that quote, Melki. I can feel the cynicism. :)
Melki wrote: "I've got those steely glares down pat - just ask my husband. "Welcome to the group," she mutters gruffly, taking a swig straight from the bottle.""With looks that could kill and a stare to back it up, I stayed focused on the shooter of rotgut. I wasn't just out of my league, I was in the wrong ballpark."
Revo wrote: "Nice group and I like seeing some renewed interest in what was an under appreciated style.
Hopefully it catches on to counter the sensitive touchy-feely PC tone that appears to have spread like war..."
Hello all, I'm Mc from New York, lover of noir & pulp of all kinds (Making my way through the Hard Case Crime books now). Nice to meet you. Recommendations welcome.Thanks,
Mc
Hiya, Mc.Welcome aboard.
I`ve read 17 of the HCC books.
Enjoy ;-O
Thanks Brian,I've read 16 so far… 17 if you count Shooting Star/Spiderweb as two.
Have slowed down a little as I'm making my way through The Pulp Fiction Megapack: 25 Classic Pulp Stories & The Complete Fiction but I'm looking forward to starting up again soon.
No worries, Mc.Good work on the Hard Case Crime front. Shooting Star / Spiderweb always fascinated me, what with the two stories and covers. Funnily enough, I`m ploughing through The Pulp Fiction Megapack on my phablet at the mo, as well as yer actual factual Shoot The Piano Player.
Take Care :-)
Dames seem to love the Mike Angel PI series more than mugs, which is jake with me I suppose, as long as they appeal to some. Often compared to Spillane though Chandler is my idol. Reading him over I doubt he could get by with all that description today, but I like it. Hard to criticize the master. I'm working on #10 in the series, set in the 1960s; #9, Dark Red, is now available for pre-order -- it comes out Sept. 1. If you like a tangled hardboiled tale, these will turn your crank. Sex and violence are icing.
Greetings, One and All. My name is Jemir. I'm a long time crime fiction lover (one of the first books I "enjoyably" read from cover to cover was "Hound Of he Baskervilles")that kind of back doored his way into noir (seeing the the Bogart led version of the "Maltese Falcon" at a young age when public television would be one of the only places to show older black & white films) and pulp (My Uncle had some worn Shadow and Doc Savage books he gave me to read {i.e: "shut me up" lol} on a long bus rip from New York o Florida and back). The styles were influential on my reading preference and the inspiraion behind my own "hip hop pulp" (to use a cliche Hollywood buzzterm)creaion Jay Nova. Glad to be here. Thank you tons for having me.
Hello people, I'm Harvey.I'm new here, so -- an introduction:
I got into reading pulp and noir novels because of a teenage love for film noir cinema, The Maltese Falcon, The Thin Man, Scarface. I began to realize later that some of the movies I loved could be re-experienced through reading the novels that birthed them, and was instantly hooked by how much more versatile and dimensioned books can be than movies...
And so, here I am.
Mod
I'm new here, so -- an introduction:
I began to realize later that some of the movies I loved could be re-experienced through reading the novels that birthed them, and was instantly hooked by how much more versatile and dimensioned books can be than movies..."
Welcome, Harvey. I had the book/movie experience when I was a kid. After forcing my dad to sit through The Poseidon Adventure several times, he finally bought me a copy of the book. Until then, I had no idea that many of the movies I loved were available to read.
Glad you decided to join us.
Melki wrote: Welcome, Harvey. I had the book/movie experience when I was a kid. After forcing my dad to sit through The Poseidon Adventure several times, he finally bought me a copy of the book. Until then, I had no idea that many of the movies I loved were available to read.Glad you decided to join us.
Thanks Melki, glad to be here!
So glad I found this group. Looking forward to getting to know you all and reading your posts. I'm a writer from Arizona. My wife of 42 years and I raise chickens in our backyard, and last year we adopted five children; neither of these endeavors did I anticipate being involved in, in my sixties. None of this seems like I'd have the makings of a noir author, but on August 12, Random House Alibi released my Prohibition-era noir novel, The Yankee Club, the first in a four-book series. If you get a chance, I hope you'll take a look at some of the Goodreads review of The Yankee Club. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
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On the shelves for just two weeks. "The Predator" By Anthony V. Aqua.This will shake you tree.
He stood at the front counter waiting for his change when he saw a rather large woman sashay past the front door of the liquor store. Don acted like a big tomcat that smelled an amorous kitty cat in heat. He could not take his eyes off of her. Could that be Julie? Certainly looks like her!
He did a double take and almost forgot to collect his change for the “C” note he had handed the clerk. He bolted out of the store just in time to see her going into the Blue Bag Grocery next door. Hurriedly, he made his way to his car to stash his booze. He reached up and pulled the trunk lid down with a slam as he glanced back to the store. He ran toward the entrance and grabbed a grocery cart on the way through the sliding glass doors.
In no time, he caught up to her. Don felt the excitement; his heart raced with amorous desire. He went up one aisle and down the next, following her all of the way. He tried to get closer to her. His cart overflowed as he grabbed almost every item he passed, pretending to shop.
If he could just talk to her, he could make sure it was really Julie. Beads of perspiration covered his forehead as his anxiety built; finally, he made his move. With a hop-skip-jump, he bumped into her as if she were a hockey player he was going to check on the ice. She turned, and their eyes met. Don was face to face not a foot away from her.
Julie’s eyes opened wide, “Oh, why don’t you watch where you’re goin'?” With that, she put her hand on her hip, “That hurts!”
“Oh, I am so sorry ... I ... I didn’t see you. Please forgive me!”
“Yeah, yeah, but be more careful, will ya’?”
Don then made a quizzical face, “Julie, is that you?”
“Do I know you? Who are you?” She didn’t let on he’d gotten her name right, but this made her uneasy.
“Don’t you remember me? From grade school ... remember fourth grade?”
“Fourth grade, are you kiddin’?” Julie scowled at him with disdain, “No! Leave me alone, you jerk!” Then she pushed her cart forward, around the corner to the next aisle, and out of his life.
Don stood there dumbstruck and feeling lost in the spice aisle between the Spanish and Italian herbs.
Melki wrote: "Welcome to the group, Michael. Between the chickens and the children, I'm amazed you find the time to write. Best of luck with your book. I see you've already garnered some great reviews."It's a juggling act every day!
Hi All,I'm a 'noir', 'hard-boiled' fan and this group looks amazing. Just by reading a few of the threads I've realized there are huge gaps in my 'noir' reading. This year, I finally got around to John D. MacDonald, Ross MacDonald and Donald E. Westlake, after a steady diet over the years of the likes of Cornell Woolrich, Charles Ray Willeford, Raymond Chandler and Peter Rabe. I tried some "Mediterranean Noir" recently, with the Jean-Claude Izzo trilogy of "Total Chaos", "Chourmo" and "Solea". I admit with great embarrassment that I have yet to read David Goodis! But that'll change soon. Glad to be here...
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Hi. New to this forum, glad to be here. I'm obsessed with noir and I'm excited to share my passion with others.Brad
Good afternoon,I must say that a few years ago I never thought that I would have published a novel.
I have lived in Boston all of my life and in 2005 moved to Naples to continue my career in real estate, for not.
The market crashed and the sales were far and in between.
I started a new job where I had plenty of time to read. One dark stormy night after finishing the "Ice Man". I said out loud, "I can write that!" Taking my computer I started to type. Six months later I joined a writers group and to my surprise they enjoyed the dark novel that was coming from who knows where. One gentleman after class walked up to me and asked "Is this fiction?" That was a wonderful complement. All that I could say was, "Thank you, thank you very much."
Some readers compare my work to Mickey Spillane where I hope that you can see, smell, and taste what is on the page.
I hope that you will enjoy my first book.
"The Predator"
I'll look for your novel, as my novels have often reminded some of Spillane also (though my hero is Chandler much more than Spillane).
Hi All,'Greetings from Cape Town, South Africa!
I've dabbled in Pulp Fiction before (Maltese Falcon; I consider Mark Gatiss' The Devil In Amber pulp - but stand to be corrected!) Am currently reading Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep - and loving it!I'm really keen to explore this genre and hopefully make some new friends.
Have a great Friday!
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Hi; Pleased to join this group. I read crime fiction, particularly comic crime fiction. I have also written one by another name, as well as more than a dozen other books in several genres. Regards
Glad to be here. Hope to discover some good character-driven crime fiction. Just published my debut novel in that genre so it'll be nice to connect with others in the genre.
Hello everyone. I've always been a fan of noir cinema and I've recently penned a Novella that shot to #1 of the US amazon ebook chart. It's kind of a mash between Leon: the professional, Sin city and my own literary inspirations (as wide and varied as animal farm to the broken empire series.)This has pretty much cemented my love of the genre, knowing people actually like the stuff I have to say is a big boost.
I can't believe I hit the number one spot and now I'm keen on learning more about the genre, specifically noir.
Glad to be here!
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I hope you will share with us the movies you believe were most influential in your formation. We have a topic around here somewhere about movies, and another about promotions.
Hello all. Glad to have found this group. I'm a novelist and translator (of German Krimis mostly) whose always been drawn to pulp, noir and crime—and how they relate to war and its aftermath especially. To me, the drama and tragedy of war are simply an ultimate extension of the hardboiled state of mind. And that's the optimistic part! ; )
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Best of luck with your latest book.
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 happy to have found your group! I love all kinds of detective books and was weaned at a young age on Nancy Drew. Since then, my tastes have expanded but my love for the detective tome remains. I've recently started a four-part series on fictional detectives. The first installment can be found on my blog at:
http://martatandori.com/fictional-det...
This same installment as well as the second one can be found on broowaha.com here:
http://www.broowaha.com/articles/1913...