Pulp Books

This book turns motivational science on its head and provides the antidote to the common-place 'ra-ra' of self-help books.

It is good for the occasional laugh...and little else.

This book is great in concept, and generally follows through in execution. It is the perfect antidote to the pretentious motivational publications that are nearly inescapable and which exist only to pander to the notion of self esteem through praise (versus actual accomplishment.)

Chris Gudgeon skewers the motivational industry like few others could. The book uses relentless satire and sarcasm to mock virtually every aspect of the feel-good industry, with examples such as "The Win/Whine Paradigm Matrix," "The Power of Negative Thinking," Men are from Mars, Dogs are from Pluto," and, of course, "Chicken Coops for the Soul."

Some of the jokes begin to wear a bit thin by the end, but overall this is a very well done piece of satire that is a quick, easy, and fun read.

If you are inbetween books and would like to read something fresh, witty, and quick, this book is it! I read it during sporadic 5 minute breaks over a few days and people were staring at me because I was laughing so hard! Really, it will make you laugh out loud. Buy the book. Feel good. Pass it on to a friend.

This book takes a great big laughable stab at the self help industry by reducing it to a profit generating circus of personality evaluation. My only gripe was that the book did succeed in demotivating me-- the attempt for a laugh was so blatent at times, it made me feel like I couldn't understand a joke unless it was bold and italicised.

A fast, funny book that finally bursts the bubble of all those crazy self-help books. I like the pith bits of wisdome like "You always get a second chance to make a bad impression" and "A journey of a single step starts with a thousand excuses." This book was a big bestseller in Canada, and it's easy to see why. There's a great comic mind at work here.

I suppose the book is interesting from a historical point of view - how gay life was portrayed during a certain period, etc. Unfortunately it's a great example of the "nothing good comes to you if you're gay" type of literature. Admittedly, I'm not a huge fan of coming-of-age stories, so I may be a bit biased. But I've slogged through lots (LOTS) of bad gay literature, and this is one of the few that I almost didn't finish.

At the opening of this novel, set in the 1920s, after the breakdown of his parents' marriage, 12 year old Matthew is taken to live in Paris by his mother. His inexplicable adoration of an older, male family friend becomes clearer to Matthew when he is sent to a French boarding school and experiences his sexual awakening with another boy - who at 13 is a year older, and is everything Matthew is not. Such hero-worship is later replaced when, at 15, Matthew falls in love with one of his teachers, Michel, who is in his late-20s. Inevitably the pair then face their own internal struggles as well as the external ones against a hostile society.

Fritz Peters' characterisation beautifully captures the naïve, isolated Matthew, and the somewhat bitter, cynical Michel, along with exquisite three-dimensional portraits of the members of Matthew's family. And in Finistère, the father of most contemporary coming-of-age novels, the author expounds those timeless sensations of burgeoning gay self-awareness: Matthew's love for Michel "had made him come to life"..."The sense of guilt that had formed questions inside him, pointing an angry finger at him, vanished".

Lest this simple exposition suggest that Finistère is a 'typical' gay coming-of-age novel, it should be stressed that it was originally published as a mainstream novel in 1951 - clearly a bold move by the author in that era. This is reflected in the content of the novel, which, unsurprisingly, portrays the life of a gay man as a dangerous one, and since two men could not constitute a 'family', the only thing left was for homosexuality to be equated with furtive, underground sex and ultimately, loneliness. What is surprising for a novel of its time is the sympathetic portrayal of the two lovers, Matthew and Michel. Undoubtedly this imbues the novel with a particular historical significance, and it is fortunate that it has been revived by a collaboration between Arsenal Pulp Press and the Little Sister's bookstore.

Much more can (and no doubt will) be said by readers about the importance of this novel in its historical context and how it sheds light on the lives of gay people in our past. Indeed, the eminent Michael Bronski ('Pulp Friction' etc) introduces this new edition with fascinating insight into this aspect of the work. However, it may reasonably be asked why it is important to revive novels such as this, when contemporary gay coming-of-age literature abounds on our bookshelves. Leaving aside the fact that Finistère is a beautifully written and poignant novel in its own right, clearly historical literature is important as a yardstick by which we can assess how society has evolved over the years, and it is for this reason, even if no other, that Finistère - and other works of its era - need to be kept alive. While one can point to many changes in the treatment of gay men since the 1950s, Finistère - as with other coming-of-age novels, is ultimately about the internal struggle that a young gay person goes through in trying to find his place in a hostile society. It thus serves as a necessary reminder that the torment that Matthew undergoes in the novel still exists, more than half a century later, for the young gay person struggling to "arrive at the only place where he has ever really belonged" - and this is one reason why Finistère remains as pertinent today as it was in 1951.

Moreover, it is illuminative that the 'shock value' of the novel when first published was its sympathetic portrayal of gay characters - not their respective ages. Disturbingly, the novel still has potential 'shock value' today - precisely because the relationship involved is that of a 15 year old adolescent and a late-20s man. It is therefore apparent that persecution and hatred have not disappeared in the 50-odd years since Finistère was published - they have merely found a new, more convenient, target. Clearly Matthew's consensual relationship with Michel was highly significant ("What had happened to him was an end to all fear...Michel had brought him back to life") - and yet the Matthews of today are still legally denied such life-altering salvation.

Ultimately, therefore, Finistère remains a work of importance and deserves to be read - not only for the beautiful sorrow and passionate emotions that the novel itself engenders, but because it provides a milestone from which the evolution of our society since 1951 (or regression, indeed) can be measured - and accordingly evokes the legitimate question of whether the persecution of minorities for their nature has really abated, or whether in fact the oppression and demonization suggested in the era of Finistère is still being perpetrated today.

Peters, Fritz. "Finistere", Arsenal Pulp Press, 2006. (originally issued in 1951).

A Classic

Amos Lassen and Literary Pride

One of the earliest explicit gay novels (1951) has been re-released by Arsenal Pulp Press. "Finistere" beautifully captures the gay scene and wrote what Gore Vidal says is a rare look at "the corruption and murder of innocence".
This coming-of-age novel has been acclaimed by many and if you are at all interested in early gay erotica, this is a must-read. It is beautifully crafted and Peters' characterization of the naïve, isolated Matthew and the bitter, cynical Michel are wonderful. We see those feelings that arise when self-awareness kicks in.
The novel takes place in the 1920's and Matthew is 12. He is taken by his mother to live in Pars after her marriage died. While at boarding school, Matthew realizes his sexuality wit an older boy and then with a teacher, Michel. They, together, face the issues of a hostile society and their own internal struggles.
Fritz Peters captures life and relays it to us. He sheds light on what life is all about. Somewhat melodramatic, some of the early gay stereotypes are here and some of the early sad aspects of gay life which we found in literature--suicide, non-acceptance and ridicule. We also get an in-depth look at Paris after WW II during one section but above all is the portrayal of the two gay characters. Their tender love affair and the strong characterizations made this book unique.
When first published the book sold over 350,000 copies. I remember reading it when I wrapped it in a paper bag so no one would know. This new edition contains an appendix of historical materials about both the book and the author and an introduction by gay literary critic and writer, Michael Bronski.
"Finistere" is important because we learn about what was. There is a lot written about coming-out today but we do not have much from the past. This makes it even more important because by reading this book and comparing it to what we have now, we can see how far we have come and how much society has changed its view toward us. What "Finistere" really does is show us the internal struggle that a young gay man has to face while trying to find a place for him. It was bold for its time and is still quite bold today.
This is not a typical coming of-age story. Remembering when it was written, it is important to note that the life of a gay man at that time was in danger and gay men were equated with secret and underground sexual activity. The end result of gay life was thought to be loneliness. However, "Finistere" is sympathetic in its characterization of the two lovers and this also helps give the novel significance. One can just imagine how shocking the novel was when first published. The two males were 15 and late 20's and that is still shocking. But, with all that said, this is a wonderful read and important to us all.

A Timeless Masterpiece, this book should be mandatory reading for all High School Graduates. The ability with which the author Fritz Peters has captured life, and conveyed it with his pen, is stunning. Beyond being excellent reading for all, this book sheds light on what it is like for many people you know, but don't really know, to live here upon this earth amongst YOU! A million words could not explain it better than Fritz Peters's FINISTERE does. For Humanities sake and your own - read the book!

Melodramatic to a fault, this book allows some of the typical early stereotypes to stand, especially that of the lead gay character dying (suicide) in the end. However, its historical value as one of the first explicitly 'gay' novels (despite the author, Arthur Anderson Peters, using a pseudonymn) is undiminished. It also offers a small slice of Paris's postwar gay nightlife during one sequence, and features an extremely sympathetic portrayal of its two gay characters, one a twenty-something French schoolteacher, the other a teenaged English student he saves from drowning.

Their tenderly drawn love affair and the strong character portrayals all-around make the book what it is. This deserves a wide audience, and even manages mostly to avoid its potential status as a period-piece.

I gave it four chapters until I was flatline.

The book gave me an intellectual lobotomy from which it took days to recover, and I lost pay.

I live in Florida and I've read many things about Florida, but I think this book just doesn't capture South Florida's TRUE crime, passion, magic and culture.

Additionally, it was boring. I didn't put it down...because I bet my grandmother $10 I would find something I hadn't heard before or something witty on the next page. So I owe her $10.
[...]
Now, I did read another book recently entitled Miami Psychic and that book was the BOMB!! I highly recommend it.

[...]

In Florida Pulp Nonfiction, Bob Norman exposes the shadowy underbelly of the Sunshine State through stranger-than-fiction tales that range from heartbreaking to hilarious and from deadly serious to simply bizarre. With a compelling combination of hard fact and reasonable speculation, he indicts deranged soccer mom and 9/11 terrorist, gangster and grifter, child abuser and con man. This is not the family-friendly Florida of sand castles, sunsets and Disney World. Be sure to read it before the Florida Department of Tourism has it banned.

A woman for whom "stalker" doesn't even begin to describe her pathology. ... A fatally intolerant Marine. ... A washed-up celebrity lawyer. ...

A wrongfully convicted Death Row inmate. ... An inadequate father trading on a famous son's name. ... A twisted federal bureaucracy driven by a corporate customer service obsession that can't distinguish tourist from terrorist. ...

A boy with impulse control so weak a teacher dies. ... A boiler room conman. ... A P.I. who personifies the notion that cops and crooks share more in common than either cares to confess. ...

In late 1997, journalist Bob Norman quit his daily newspaper job, resisted the conformity required for a corporate chain career, switched Florida coasts, hired on at an alternative newsweekly and slithered into the swamp in search of slime.

Eight years later, armed with a cast of characters only South Florida could accumulate and only he could ferret out, Norman has produced a book that's always compelling, always entertaining and -- in one must-read place -- of national importance.

The national importance lies in Norman's justifiably acclaimed "Admitting Terror," in which he proved the point he'd been trying to make all along by producing at an alternative newsweekly reporting of which neither corporate chain newspapers nor their yacking and yelling cable counterparts any longer seem capable.

The piece, which won him the Livingston Award for Young Journalists, documented how the (now rightly defunct) Immigration & Naturalization Service allowed the 9/11 hijackers entry into the United States. Years later, it remains a vital piece of journalism that every American should read, if only to better grasp what it is we have to overcome in our institutions in order to advance our national struggle with people who want to end our way of life.

It put Norman in an odd position, because "Admitting Terror" won him accolades from Bill O'Reilly, Michelle Malkin and Howard Hunt, with all of whom its hard to imagine Norman finding agreement on the time of day. It also armed him: For the rest of Norman's life, whenever anyone accuses him of pursuing his own political, philosophical or social agenda to the exclusion of all other points of view, he has only to gesture to that one piece of reporting to silence the argument. He doesn't need to say a word.

He is biased -- but unlike most American journalists he neither tries to voice the lie that he isn't nor fails to consider opposing views. He is refreshing because he is completely upfront about his biases.

"Florida Pulp Nonfiction" is a sampler of the best of what Norman found in eight years churning out columns in South Florida, and it reads like a Victorian compendium of strange and exotic creatures.

It reads like a book, too, rather than an assemblage of disparate columns, which is testimony to the oft-neglected fact that the journalist is producing both fodder for the news consumer and something more -- a body of work.

Like the best journalists, Norman allows his sources to tell their stories. When they need help, he's there to coax out telling quotations (A woman concludes a diatribe about cheerleaders, "Of course, secretly, we all wish we were cheerleaders") and note perfect details ("He poured ... Diet Pepsi into an old paper-clip holder he'd made into a makeshift ashtray.") When they don't need help, he gets out of the way (indeed, he notes that he felt more like transcriptionist to one subject than interrogator).

The book is nicely produced. The writing is disciplined and tight.

Norman may piss you off (one wonders why anyone in South Florida still risks an interview, but they never seem to learn) because he happens to diametrically oppose you on a particular issue, but how can you stay angry at someone who's so honest about where he stands? Norman's candor -- his heart -- is a rarity in journalism and to his great credit.

Norman's strength is the character study. Some writers have a compelling sense of place. Norman has a great sense of character, bringing people to life through quotations and details.

"Florida Pulp Nonfiction" is a showcase book that says Norman's talent deserves a wider, larger audience. It does. Norman clearly recognizes that reporting and writing aren't status quo gifts delivered complete and requiring no further work or maintenance. He has clearly been polishing his potential for years, and it really shows in this book. Some of the pieces, in particular, stand out as excellent examples of keeping the story short and tight and leaving the reader wanting more.

The pieces originally ran in the New Times. Introductions and concluding updates are a great touch that keep them current.

Anyone interested in true crime, fans of South Florida and those who enjoy a well-turned column will find "Florida Pulp Nonfiction" exceeds expectations, and the book will leave you wanting more. If it was labeled fiction, readers might call it contrived but it's not fiction -- it's strange fact.

Mr. Norman,

I just finished your book. It is an excellent compilation of what is wrong in law enforcement today. As I read each story and realized how much you know about abuse of power and illegal/unethical behavior by those who are sworn to protect us, I began to wonder why those in power don't get it. I also wonder if the readers of your book will get it.

I have been in law enforcement for fifteen years. It is a scary world that is made much worse by greed and bad judgment. The frightening part, though, is that someone we love, someone we care about could have something horrible happen to them and those in law enforcement will do nothing about it or worse, will make certain no one else does.

Too often cases like you have sited are very common, perhaps too common for the average citizen to comprehend who has never had this inside look at investigations. It only takes one case ignored by an investigator to become relevant--your case.

You have written an excellent, brave book, Mr. Norman. I hope there are many more to come. Hopefully readers will understand how close to home this problem is. Your book is about the WHAT. It will be up to the reader to decide WHY.

Susan Purtee
Columbus, Ohio

What can I say? I thoroughly loved every word, every page, every chapter. Bob Norman is a gifted storyteller and a top-notch reporter. I would have read the whole book in one sitting, but I only let myself read a chapter a night to stretch out the enjoyment. Buy this book for all the book lovers in your life. It'll be the best gift they ever received.

El libro del canadiense Don Hutchinson es una buena y muy interesante guia para conocer las historias, estilos y superheroes de la epoca dorada del PULP. Indiana Jones, Sky Captain y Jack Burton (de MASACRE EN EL BARRIO CHINO) son muestra de estos personajes que actualemente son más atractivos por cargar con ese estilo "retro" de un mundo donde todabia habia maravillas por descubrir, organizaciones secretas por encontrar, poderes fantásticos, tierras perdidas, civilizaciones olvidadas, criminales científicos egomaniacos que querian conquistar la tierra.
Darse cuenta de los personajes e historias que se movian en esa epoca enriquece el acervo cultural del lector fantástico y a los neofitos les habre un nuevo mundo que no conocian y que querran disfrutar despues de leer este libro:
La SOMBRA, Doc Savage, Los pilotos G-8, La Araña, Capitan Futuro y muchos más analizados y recordados en este excelente libro.

Don Hutchinson not only knows his subject matter, he loves it as well. There is a wondrous enthusiam that plays itself out in these pages and gives the reader the briefest glimpse on what the pulp era was truly all about. A great book, both for its fun and its information. Should be in the library of any pulp fan worth his or her salt.

From about the mid 1920's to the mid-1950's, one of the most popular entertainments available that were serious competition to radio and the movies was the pulp magazine. Printed on the cheapest kind of paper and with the most lurid covers, these magazines provided some of the most vivid action and suspence in print in the 20th century. While the medium is largely dead now and replaced by TV, comics and the paperback novel, the most famous heroes still created descendents of some of our most popular current fictional adventure characters. They include Batman(inspired by the pulp character, The Shadow), Superman(Doc Savage) and James Bond (Operator #5). In this book, Don Hutchison talks about this influential medium focusing on the major characters and the writers who spun these wild yarns. With detailed knowledge, the reader can learn about these characters, their development and the source of their appeal with wonderful vividness. The only shortcoming I see is that I would have preferred to have some more detailed thoughts on their latter day influence. However, if you want learn about what popular literature was like before TV was developed and the comic book hit its full stride, then this is a book for you.

This is one of the few books I've come across that features a solid overview of the hero pulp era and touches on all the major titles, characters and trends. In addition, Don Hutchison gives the reader some fascinating inside stories on the creators behind "the masked men" themselves. He obviously has a deep love and a detailed knowledge of his subject matter.

Unfortunately, this potentially great book is marred by some poor formatting, inconsistencies and more importantly, some really careless spelling mistakes. In fact, the editors at Mosaic must have had narcolepsy or something because I found one or more cropping up every couple of pages. It's just embarrassing, not to mention distracting. Sure, a couple of errors I could ignore. But c'mon guys, my edition is on the third printing! You should've caught all this by now. It's like they just threw the whole book together...which is too bad given the earnestness of Hutchison's writing.

It's also too bad the book doesn't go further than it does (it only clocks in at about 276 pages with a large font) and it would've been nice if the cover section had featured some glossy colour instead of plain b&w (but I assume they're just trying to cut down on print costs.)

Other than that, I certainly enjoyed the book and it's definitely worth the read...it's just all the errors I could've lived without.

The coverage of the characters, content, authors, and even some of the artists of the pulp hero era of American popular literature within this volume are excellent and help you really understand the blood, sweat and tears that went into the development of the pulps. A Must-read on the subject!

I read constantly and have dozens and dozens of books waiting for me to read-but when this one arrived I read it right away. I had to know all about beards. I LOVE facial hair on men though I don't particularly like beards. Make sense??? What I'm saying is that I like sideburns, goatees, soul patches, goatees without moustache, etc. Just seeing a man with a heavy shadow and the proverbial 5 o'clock shadow. ALL very sexy!! I would have liked more present day photos, but I liked it all. I wish someone would write a book about men's hairy legs. One thousand sets of hairy legs. Then I would really go crazy!!

I, for one, find body hair of any description totally abhorrent, so I found this book one of the most difficult and challenging reads of my life. Peterkin's description of hair follicles, for example, borders, at times, on the pornographic.
I had to skip the chapter where he waxes lyrical about the curl-to-density ratio of pubic hair because I became too nauseous to carry on reading.

Psychiatrist and writer Allan Peterkin has a playful and curious mind, and an obvious love of research. His past wanderings have taken him into the vagaries and varieties of the language of erotics, which he tackled enthusiastically - with a thesaurus, no less. The subject of beards is one that he admits he had never given much thought until one morning a few years ago.

His interest was piqued, he says in his introduction to this delightful book, in "one of those perverse moments of inspiration." Walking to work in downtown Toronto, "rather than indulging my own thoughts as usual," he started noticing faces, and he then noticed that more than a third of the males were in some fashion bearded, soul patched, sideburned, mustachioed - and so it began. He wanted to uncover the meanings of facial hair, the "unconscious reasons" that men grew and tended beards, and even the "ritualistic symbolism of shaving." He wondered what women thought about beards. His survey expanded to his colleagues, his psychotherapy patients, and strap-hangers on the Toronto subway. (You might guess that he asked his friends, too.) He was off and running.

This marvelous and generously-illustrated book is the result of his considerable ability to tackle his subject with energy, brainpower, humor and a sense of fun. It's a documentary, a history, a survey, an appreciation, and a catalogue. There are hundreds of black and white illustrations, and topical quotations from famous and not so famous beard-wearers. Chapter 6 deals with the (usually) unwanted thing: "The Feminine Beard." The compulsory beard (the Taliban being a recent and dramatic example of mandatory beardedness) is examined, too - in a chapter on religious beards. There's a "Timeline of Queer Facial Hair" among other remarkable bits of information in the chapter "The Gay Beard."

Facial hair's inevitable products and labors (shaving cream, razors, clippers, trimmers, and more) are included. Chapter 13, "The Personal Beard: Grooming Strategies" is a sort of owner's manual. If Great-grand-dad is no longer around to show you how to strop a razor, you can use Peterkin's instructions.

There are a lot of useful addresses and websites listed at this book's end (even "Where to Order False Facial Hair" should you need some), an extensive bibliography but, unfortunately, no index. Nonetheless this is a delightful book that is comprehensive and smart - and also a lot of fun. I know that I won't look at or think about facial hair in quite the same way ever again.

I found this book moderately amusing when I first came across it but that was before I discovered Fashions in Hair (2001-9th edition) by Richard Corson, certainly the ultimate, definitive source on the history of facial hair. This is sort of the cliff notes version of that book...lightweight, whimsical, jokey, brief, lacking the almost overwhelming detail, historical illustrations and info of the Corson book (first published in the 60's and updated numerous times since). The Corson book is the way to go if you're a beard afficianado.

I don't have a beard myself, but I know a lot of people who do, and this is a fascinating account of the history of facial hair that provides some interesting factoids and insight into the meaning of why some of us choose to wear hair on our faces. I gave this book to some of my bearded friends, and they loved it. It's a real winner.

Lovely photos and detailed directions for specific pieces. Of course, you need the molds for these pieces. There are instructions to make molds, but you need the positive to make the negative. This would all be fine, except there is no Resources List. After spending hours on the web, I haven't come up with much. But I'm sure I will. However, my attempt to find "sterling tinsel" yielded nothing. This book is well done as far as it goes and inspirational - but frustrating.

As lovely to look at as learn from, Teena Flanner's unique artistry is revealed in page after gorgeous page. Throughout, the author's warmth and passion for her craft inspires even beginners to go for the magic. As Flanner writes, "perfection is not my goal," it's all about loving the process. With this beautiful and informative guidebook in hand, budding papier-mache artists are off to an excellent start.

This book is as lovely as the author/artist herself. As a collector, I never had the understanding or appreciation for the art that I should have until opening the pages of this book. Teena takes you through the step by step process she goes through in creating each of these "one of a kind" pieces. Teena has now inspired me to learn the craft as well as collect. How kind of her to share her secrets!!! I especially enjoyed all her childhood/inspirational stories that she shared with us throughout the book. Family and nature certainly fill her heart!! As a photographer myself, it is an incredible joy to turn the pages to see picture after picture of as she journeys through the seasons show casing only a small sample of her special art. She even shares her precious pets with us!! This was a much anticipated book for me as a collector, but I'll be sharing it with friends for Christmas that enjoy my collection for their coffee tables as well.....it's that special! And then, after the holidays a new hobby awaits!!!

If you are creative and resourceful, this book is a guide AND an inspiration. There are a handful of projects that don't call for a mold, including her ever-popular snowmen. The rest? Sure, you need molds, but I saw three last weekend while antiquing and one was only $6 (and it was a lamb, too!). They don't have to be old, just a mold you like! Really, NOT HARD TO FIND.

This book gave me insight into the process and acted as a jumping point for my own projects. I had many lightbulb moments while reading this " ... Ah ha! THAT'S how you do THAT!", etc. I've got a project baking in the oven as I type and I'm so glad I checked this book out of the library. I'll probably buy it now!

To really use this book you will need (preferably) vintage chocolate or candy molds. So forget it if you don't have these available. Or better yet, start collecting them once you order the book.

I was always curious about the Spider, described to me as a more bloodthirsty version of the Shadow. Well, the "bloodthirsty" part was correct. The Spider takes all the conventions of the Shadow, blazing guns, long suffering girlfriend, cape, slouching hat, and does a poor imitation. Hundreds of people die at the hands of evil masterminds in both novellas and the Spider is in a constant state of rage throughout. Rage is the basic emotion and even that emotion is not effectively conveyed to the reader. Exclamation points are used throughout the novels for the purpose of creating excitement, it's the written equivalent of constantly screaming at the reader, it loses it's effect very quickly and in the end becomes annoying. The only reason for two stars instead of one is the general excitement of the first tale(The Devil's Paymaster)which at least tries to be creative.These stories lack the sheer mystery of the Shadow or the escapist fun of Doc Savage. Stick with them if your a fan of this genre.

You're a centuries old master villian. You're after loot and destruction and destroying everything good and decent in the world. So naturally you concentrate on destroying the bridges and sewer system of Cincinatti, Ohio! Kind of a kooky pulp-premise, but the SPIDER is up to the challenge as always! (Part II of IV)

While the Spider has often been compared to the Shadow, he was really more like the now forgotten "Operator Number Five", or perhaps even Doc Savage, an adventurer, not a detective, literally a crime FIGHTER: The Spider didn't bring criminals to justice. He hunted impossibly wierd super criminals and killed them. Lots of them. The books are savage, colorful, and strangely enough, in Norvell Page's hands, far better written than most of the pulp novels of the day (as good or better than William Gibson's Shadow novels)

However, Amazon.com has mistakenly listed the contents of most of these Carrol and Graff reprints. Volume one contains THE SECRET CITY OF CRIME and THE SPIDER AND THE PAIN MASTER, Volume three, DEATH'S CRIMSON JUGGERNAUT and THE RED DEATH RAIN, four, DEATH REIGN OF THE VAMPIRE KING and THE PAIN EMPEROR, five, JUDGEMENT OF THE DAMNED and MASTER OF THE FLAMING HORDE, while six contains the two listed on most of these pages, SLAVES OF THE LAUGHING DEATH and SATAN'S MURDER MACHINES

SPIDER stories so inexpensive -- what a great deal! In SLAVES OF THE LAUGHING DEATH, we get the master of disguise super-criminal, while in SATAN'S MURDER MACHINES, we've got giant robots pounding through the streets of New York. These reprints of the 1930's pulps have more action and adventure than anything being published today.

First they destroy his good name. Then they turn his friends against him. Then they take the millions. Then they kidnap his girl. They even take the penthouse apartment. But all this doesn't make THE SPIDER mad. Because THE SPIDER doesn't get mad; he gets even. Weather Forecast: Bad Times for Bad Guys!

There is plenty of books out there that covers the Object-Oriented concepts. This author seems to have rushed this book and is not all that acurate with the concept. Struggles in terms of trying to explain it, mostly with the fact that the author is not fluent with the concept, just trying to write a book to make a qucik buck. I recommend that you save your money and select a different book.

This book is targeted at people with limited programming experience and little-no C/C++ experience. It does a great job of explaining complicated concepts (e.g. pointers) without assuming too much in the way of prior knowledge. It does a great job of integrating humor into what many beginners would consider dry and boring material.

It's not really a reference book, although it does have a good index. It's not meant for people seeking object-oriented design tips and techniques.

If you fit the target market, this is a great book. My only complaint is that the material about the book at this sight doesn't do it justice.

I found this book particularly helpful indeed. Pointer concepts are most difficult but the author's presentation made it easy for me to understand. But, some material in the book might be too advanced for beginners, yet, I have no doubts that this book covers material other books omit or skip completely.

This book is targeted at people with limited programming experience and little-no C/C++ experience. It does a great job of explaining complicated concepts (e.g. pointers) without assuming too much in the way of prior knowledge. It does a great job of integrating humor into what many beginners would consider dry and boring material.

It's not really a reference book, although it does have a good index. It's not meant for people seeking object-oriented design tips and techniques.

If you fit the target market, this is a great book. My only complaint is that the material about the book at this sight doesn't do it justice.

There are so many places The Incredible Pulps: A Gallery Of Fiction Magazine Art could have been featured: in our art section for fans of magazine art, in our literary section for readers of magazine fiction - but it's featured here for the added interest collectors will have. Full-page color photos pack a small collection which sometimes holds several covers per page. While there are no accompanying values, the reproductions are stunningly rich in color and any with an interest in pulps will find it a worthy reference indeed.

Smaller than a postcard; overly tight binding makes skimming impossible; particularly poor gallery of bad, uninteresting covers. I give it one star because, for no reason I can imagine, it's well scanned and printed. But it's easily the least interesting collection of pulp art I have ever seen; I've seen a lot.

Pulp magazines were long gone before I was even a gleam in my father's eye and yet they have always held a tremendous fascination for me and are one of the very few things I collect today. The great thing about collecting pulps is that while many range into the thousands of dollars, many more such as the Sci-Fi pulps of the 50's are very affordable. "The Incredible Pulps: A Gallery of Fiction Magazine Art" focuses on one of the main reasons that people collect pulps...the incredible artwork, particularly those covers that just had to have mesmerized kids and adults back in the 30's and 40's.

Writer Frank M. Robinson (who also wrote the very excellent Pulp Culture) provides a brief, but enlightening history of pulp magazines, beginning with Argosy Magazines decision to move from slick magazine, to all-fiction pulp. One of the great things about pulps is that they virtually could appeal to any person due to the diversity of subject matter. The pulps covered it all: crime, mystery, western, romance, adventure, war, horror, Sci-Fi, sports...if it had a possible audience, there was probably a pulp to suit them. But perhaps the most popular were the hero pulps featuring characters like The Shadow, Doc Savage, and The Spider. The popular misconception was that the pulps were written by hacks but some of the great writers of the first half of the 20th century wrote for pulps, among them: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Ray Bradbury, H.P. Lovecraft, and Frederick Faust AKA Max Brand.

But this book is not about the stories, but rather that beautiful, often terrifying and downright shocking artwork. The artists are as legendary as the writers: Virgil Finlay, J. Allen St. John, George Rozen, and Frank Kelly Freas to name just a few. It was their job to create covers that would grab the attention of readers in a very crowded and competitive market. Today their works are worth thousands and many of them are on display in this great collection.

The book reprints hundreds of pulp covers and is divided by four main genres: Sci-Fi, Horror, Mystery/Detective, Adventure/Western. The book provides the name and date of the issue and the artists name if known. Tragically, so many of the artist names have been lost to history. The covers are reprinted beautifully and seemingly from flawless copies of the pulp. Frank Paul was one of the very early greats and did many classic covers for Amazing Stories in the 20's and 30's. He was a man well ahead of his time and his imagination was limitless as his paintings foreshadowed many technical advances that would not take place for decades. J. Allen St. John is best know for his Tarzan illustrations but a great cover in this book features Burroughs' other great character John Carter of Mars from Amazing Stories January 1941, for the story John Carter and the Giant of Mars.

My favorite pulps have always been the horror and weird menace pulps. So gruesome were some of the covers that the government eventually had to step in and force the publishers to clean them up a bit. One great cover is by Grave Gladney for Dime Mystery August 1937, showing a woman about to be sliced in half by a very large paper cutter.

George Rozen may be my favorite pulp artists of all-time. His Shadow covers were beautifully sinister. The cover to Shadow January 1933 is one of the all-time great covers showing a skeletal shadow emerging from behind a curtain. You think gore is a product of modern times? Then check out Rudolph Relarski's cover to Thrilling Detective from August 1940. It shows a table full of decapitated heads and a man locked in a stock, about to be the next victim of an evil Asian's sword. The book reprints numerous Rozen Shadow and Doc Savage covers.

It's really a great little book that anyone who is a pulp or pop culture illustration fan will love. I do have a couple of minor complaints though. First, there are no cover reprints from Weird Tales, arguably the most famous pulp ever. I can only assume that since Weird Tales is still being produced that perhaps the rights could not be obtained. Since there is no Weird Tales covers there are no examples, and not even a mention of Margaret Brundage, one of the truly great pulp cover artists. That aside, I highly recommend this book.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

COVERS OF PULP MAGAZINES ARE ALWAYS WONDERFUL TO BEHOLD.BUT FRANK M. ROBINSON'S "THE INCREDIBLE PULPS,A Gallery of Fiction Magazine Art" ,PUBLISHED BY COLLECTORS PRESS,INC. HAS ITS SHORTCOMINGS.ITS SIZE,FOR INSTANCE.THE BOOK IS TOO SMALL.COVERS OF A FEW OF THE GREAT PULP MAGAZINES ARE MISSING ( 'WEIRD TALES','STRANGE TALES, 'ASTOUNDING STORIES',FOR INSTANCE ).AND WORST OF ALL:CLASSIC COVERS BY FRANK R.PAUL ,ONE OF THE ICONS OF SCIENCE FICTION ILLUSTRATION,ARE NOT IDENTIFIED.FOR EXAMPLE:ON PAGES 16 (COVER FOR 'WONDER STORIES'),17( IDEM),23(COVER FOR 'SCIENCE WONDER STORIES'),24(COVERS FOR 'WONDER STORIES'& 'AIR WONDER STORIES),25(COVER FOR 'WONDER STORIES QUARTERLY'),27(COVERS FOR 'WONDER STORIES'),28(COVER FOR 'WONDER STORIES'),29(COVER FOR 'SCIENCE WONDER STORIES'),35(IDEM), 36(COVERS FOR 'WONDER STORIES'),and 55(COVER FOR 'SCIENCE WONDER STORIES).ALSO, THE GREAT EARLE K. BERGEY IS NOT IDENTIFIED ON PAGE 42 (COVER FOR 'STARTLING STORIES').LAWRENCE ON PAGE 40(COVER FOR 'FANTASTIC NOVELS Magazine').LEO MOREY ON PAGES 44 & 56(COVERS FOR'AMAZING STORIES').ROBERT FUCQUA ON PAGE 57(COVER FOR 'AMAZING STORIES').AND MANY OTHERS IDENTIFIABLE COVER ARTISTS ARE NOT CREDITED.SAD.I DON'T REGRET HAVING PURCHASED THIS BOOK.I REALLY LOVE PULP MAGAZINES.EVEN WHEN THE RESEARCH FOR THE BOOK IS SLOPPY,I LOVE TO PERUSE IT,ONLY FOR THE PLEASURE OF SEEING,AGAIN, THE AMAZING AND GARISH IMAGES OF THESE UNFORGETTABLE MAGAZINES.BUT I ADVISE:PURCHASE,NOT THIS ONE,BUT FRANK M. ROBINSON & LAWRENCE DAVIDSON'S 'PULP CULTURE,The Art Of Fiction Magazines'(1998),FROM COLLECTORS PRESS,TOO.IT'S A CLASSIC!

'Bow Grip' is an exceptionally well-crafted debut novel in which the author, Ivan E. Coyote accomplished to weave the silk and cotton threads of her sentences to create a vibrant tapestry of chapters.
The story introduces appealing and intriguing folks that one might know as neighbours, friends or relatives who modestly unfold propelled by the author's impeccable observation skills and refreshing sense of humour.
Like a passenger on a bus touring gently rolling prairie hills, the reader stays connected to these compassionate characters, the heart-warming language and ordinary yet idyllic scenery page after page and realizes that it just plain feels good to root for the protagonist, Joey.
He is a car mechanic in his forties who gets a kick-start towards a major challenge by trading a beat-up Volvo for a cello. Witnessing Joey's journey might bring back the belief in all of us who thread our way to catch a dream.
Already accumulated accolades for this book: Winner of the 2007 ReLit Award for Best Novel, Shortlisted for the 2007 Ferro-Grumley Award for Women's Fiction and an American Library Association Stonewall Honor Book.
Watch for more from the author who may be destined to loop sky-high in the literary horizon.

I am going to read everything this woman writes - yeah, everybody in this story smokes, but I thought that was just a Canadian thing. Rather unconventional tale of a man finding himself, graceful and full of hope.

While you do develop an affection for the lead character, and are pulling for him to make this journey of self-discovery in garages, blue collar restaurants, motels, "artists lofts", and rooms where he is offered herbal teas, the plot seems right out of a college sophomore writing seminar. The supporting characters have little nuance. It may be telling that almost every important "scene" has each and every character smoking cigarettes in the same way... I almost thought it was a deep literary device, but by the 20th scene like this it emerges as reliance on technique, just like when sloppy actors use cigarettes to disguise that they really don't know who their characters are. But it's got attempted suicide, dogs, death of parents, lesbian chic, white trash love, lonely gay men, and is better than TV and you can read it in just a few hours.