Pulp Books

I was in Oregon when I read about Portland resident Jan Underwood winning a contest with this collection of stories, so I put it down on my list to read. Well I finally got around to opening Day Shift Werewolf and found it every bit as charming and readable as I'd hoped it would be. These are not horror stories, more like imaginative twists of everyday reality, and I can see why Jan Underwood came out on top in the competition!

Nominally a novel, it's really a set of intertwined stories -- the werewolf sees the mess left by the zombies, and so on. They're laugh-out-loud funny, but grounded in real characters that you feel for. As I flip back through the book to write this review, I can't decide who I like best. The werewolf is awfully sweet, but the evil twin, struggling between his demonic career goals and love of Play-Doh calls to me, too.

Be forewarned that this does not fit in the horror genre. Look elsewhere for chills. I don't think there is a defined genre that you can shoe-horn this book into. It is funny and touching. The closest comparison I can think of is Christopher Moore.

The idea is original and well thought out, it is a fun read, and yet at times it makes you think; somehow drawing parallels within your own life.

A charming, lighthearted, yet poignant, set of stories -- written by an especially charming person. And although I may be biased, this time I'm also right. Written by Jan's Mom.

As a big fan of DOA since the late seventies, I was really looking forward to reading this book. Joe gives you a great amount of background about one of the hardest working bands ever.
If you love punk music and the DIY attitude, this book is must read.

Anyone, and I do mean ANYONE, who is interested in the west coast punk scene needs to read this book. Keithley gives a fantastic first hand account of how he formed his band and all of the tests they endured going from relative nobodies to one of the biggest and best known punk bands in North America.

The book is also a mini how-to manual for anyone interested in starting up their own punk band. Keithley talks about the business side of the music industry, what it's like to play gigs to crowds of different sizes and interests, and above all, he gives a great first hand account of just what it takes to make it in the music business.

Finally, Keithley's writing style is very easy to digest. The book is written like the lyrics to many of his songs; straight ahead without and BS! What's more, the book contains many pictures and personal anecdotes about Vancouver and places beyond. In reading the book it easy to see yourself sitting at a bar with Keithley as he tells a couple tales over a couple of beers.

If you're a punk, or even think about calling yourself a punk, then you owe it to yourself to give this book a read.

Sit down at a kitchen table with Joe Keithley. Open a few beers, and hand him one, or two... Ask him to give you a crash course on himself and his legendary punk band, D.O.A., making sure not to gloss over the interesting bits.

If you can't arrange to do this with Joe, picking up a copy of this book would be your only alternative. It's 200+ pages of compelling reading, written by a man who helped define punk music both in and out of Canada, and who certainly put Canada at the roots of the punk historical tree.

Unlike a lot of books about punk bands, this is first-person stuff of the first order.

I will start by claiming 100% bias as I've known the author for well over 20 years and have greatly enjoyed his contributions to punk rock for over 25 years. DOA taught a lot of us how to go out and get it done, with "it" being spreading the music and message to the less than masses spread out among the world. Joe's book is simple, straightforward blast of history that will interest anyone into the punk rock way of existence. Essential reading, so get it and enjoy!

Among all the famous writers who started in the pulp era, the name Paul S. Powers is one that is not well known. This is likely because most of the stories he wrote for Wild West Weekly (and others) were published under pseudonyms and house names. Also because his one novel, Doc Dillahay (also known as Six-Gun Doctor), was not a big seller, and it is a rare author who achieves fame and fortune by writing only short works -- short stories are easily forgotten, whereas novels last much longer in the memory.

Pulp Writer: Twenty Years in the American Grub Street is Paul Powers's memoir of his years in the pulp machine, producing thousands of words a week, primarily for publisher Street & Smith's cadre of genre magazines, and most recognizably under the name "Ward Stevens." His most popular characters were Sonny Tabor and Kid Wolf, and Tabor's adventures were even adapted for a short time on radio.

Equally as interesting is the history behind the publication of Pulp Writer. Written around 1943, Powers tried to get it published but was rejected. He then placed it in a trunk where it stayed until his granddaughter Laurie Powers, who had done her thesis on Doc Dillahay, began asking family members for information about her grandfather. Amazingly enough, one relative had boxes of Powers's old papers, including this manuscript.

She tells this story in the introduction of Pulp Writer, and she also uses the other papers to piece together some facts about the remainder of her grandfather's life after the writing of the memoir. Altogether, this gives a much fuller picture of the life of a very interesting (and productive -- it is estimated he wrote over ten million words in twenty years) writer whose name is little-known even among pulp-era aficianados.

And Powers is not shy about revealing how he succeeded during this era. Because of his persistence (he started out writing short, two-line jokes), and his ability to gear his stories to their markets, he states that the Depression hardly affected his income. Powers also goes into the process of getting published, working with editors, and how important it is to be flexible in a constantly changing marketplace. This is information straight from the man who used it, making Pulp Writer: Twenty Years in the American Grub Street vital for anyone interested in being a published writer, or just interested in the process.

Powers writes his story just like you'd expect a pulp writer to: smoothly and with very little dressing. His plain, clear language makes it easy to go right along with him as he tells his tales of writing and publishing and struggling for the next paycheck while trying to make ends meet with a family depending on him. It's a really great read, and one of the best books I've read all year.

And after you read about Powers's life, make sure to pick up some of his fiction. A collection of four Sonny Tabor novellas called Desert Justice was reprinted in 2005 by Leisure Books as an affordable paperback. Others are available in hardcover and large-print formats, and they're a lot of fun: filled with action and engaging characters, especially Tabor himself. In addition, they allow the modern reader to essentially go back in time, if not to the real Wild West, at least to the period when they brought a lot of joy to readers looking for an escape during a rough period.

Laurie Powers, editor of "Pulp Writer: Twenty Years In The American Grub Street", had for many years lost contact with the Powers side of her family. What she found upon reuniting with them while researching a thesis she was working on is a gold mine of Americana. A true treasure in the memoir of her grandfather Paul Powers, a writer of pulp westerns way back in the 1920's, 30's and 40's.

Bookended by two wonderful and interesting essays by Ms. Powers describing the family history she learned and her course of researching and a follow up on Paul Powers after the writing ceased to exist, you will find Paul Powers' memoir of his work and the times of the real pulp fiction writer. It is one of the most interesting and exciting memoirs I have ever read.

Although the son of a prominent Doctor, Paul Powers had writing in his blood. He could knock off an entertaining and adventurous 12,000 word read for fans of his popular characters like "Sonny Tabor" and "Kid Wolf" in a week.
He writes of trying to break into the business, writing 2 line jokes for various magazines, all the rejection slips on his stories and then finally breaking into the pulp business. He touches on his very nomadic personal life a bit- giving us the feel of the western towns of the early 20th century - but mostly, the reader will get a real feel for the life led by those of wrote for the pulp magazines, riding the highs and lows from pauper to king of the wild west stories, and back again. Power's tales are enthralling as they are funny, often told in a much self-deprecating manor.Also, between, Paul's memoirs and Laurie's research the business of pulp back in the days is a very detailed eye opener as well.

"Pulp Writer" will appeal to and entertain fans of the pulp western genre,is an educational read for history buffs, as well as writers researching their own family history and would certainly be an inspiration to anyone writing their own memoir. How fortunate we are that Mr. Powers wrote down for us this very important part of history that he was such a big part of, one that was so popular that even during the depression, fans still plunked down their precious pennies to read all the adventures. And we are fortunate as well, that Laurie Powers had it published for us to savor.

A highly recommended read. One that will not only keep your interest throughout, but may peak your curiosity so much that you may start looking up some of those old stories. So maybe we can hope for a companion piece to this book with some reprinted stories by Mr. Powers!

Happy Trails and Enjoy the Read....Laurie Shirley

An excellent book. The true background of a man who made big bucks writing for pulp magazines when they were a favorite form of reading for millions of people. This man had published over 450 stories in the 15 years from 1928 through 1943. His wanderings and commentary are exceptional reading for anyone who is interested in this time period.

"Toward the bottom of the container I found a manila envelope ... I opened it. PULP WRITER: TWENTY YEARS IN THE AMERICAN GRUB STREET. I looked through it quickly ... I clutched it, disbelieving ... I'd found the lost life of my grandfather." - Laurie Powers

PULP WRITER is, above all, a journal of discovery - discovery by Laurie Powers that her dimly and ill-remembered paternal grandfather, Paul Powers, had a successful career as a western pulp fiction author during the 1930s and early 1940s, and the discovery by Paul himself of that uncertain road that sometimes leads writers to a hard-won success.

The core of the text, pages 55 to 221, is Paul's reminiscences, written around 1943, of his evolution as a writer, first as a contributor of jokes to newspapers and national magazines, then, as his skills matured, as a creator of short stories and novelettes for pulp magazines dedicated to stories of the Old West, principally "Wild West Weekly" (WWW) published by Street & Smith, until demand for such fizzled out at the end of World War II and teenagers switched to comic books. Indeed, the quality of Paul's professional and personal life deteriorated after 1943. He died an alcoholic in 1971, disappointed and financially strapped.

Paul's narrative is buttressed at both ends by granddaughter Laurie. Up front, she gives a brief history of pulp magazines as a genre, her grandfather's place within it, and her investigations into his writing career, which produced not only the single novel of which she'd previously been aware, Doc Dillahay (subsequently re-issued with the title Six-gun doctor; (A Bantam book), but more than 440 stories for WWW alone comprising an output of an estimated 10 million words. The key to this amazing discovery was the realization that Paul had written under several pen names, and his cowboy heroes included the likes of Sonny Tabor, Kid Wolf, and Johnny Forty-five. She ends the volume with the chapter "Life after the Pulps", in which she summarizes Paul's relatively unhappy existence after the demise of the pulps until his own death.

Paul's memories are almost exclusively of his development as a writer and his relationship with his distant editors. The other major events of his life are barely mentioned. Indeed, his first marriage is given short shrift on page 116 - "So I got married and brought a wife back with me to Kansas" - as well as his divorce from the woman, on page 156 - "I had domestic troubles that quickly ended in divorce" - and his subsequent second marriage, on page 170, mentioned somewhat more romantically:

"In Arizona I had found some romance of my own, and that summer I married a Tucson girl, the one who will still be with me, I hope, when the last story is written and the dust cover is dropped over the old typewriter." (She was.)

In a sense, PULP WRITER is rather esoteric. It's most likely to be relished, perhaps, by lovers of literary fiction, and especially anyone who enjoys the art of stringing written words together for whatever reason, be it business or pleasure. The illiterate will be bored to tears. But for those who read this engaging volume, there are observational nuggets to be found.

Paul relates a letter to WWW by a reader from Ohio, who remonstrates, "Keep the gals out of your magazine - they only spoil things." Well said!

I grew up with comic books, and my generation now bewails young people's preoccupation with computer games and social networking websites. But, in 1943, Powers writes, "The 'comic books'... have made inroads, especially among the youngsters of teen age who used to have enough mental energy to read, at least."

And finally:

"Writers simply don't like to be told of (their) brainchild's faults. When they say they do, they lie ... Not for nothing are critics despised people!" (After nearly 1000 reviews, I'm most certainly despicable.)

Laurie Powers is responsible for bringing PULP WRITER to print. It was a labor of love, and honor is due.

The Real Jerk is my fave restaurant in Toronto. We live in Hawaii and whenever we hunger for authentic Jamaican food, we rely on this book to put together whole meals. We love that it offers advice on which recipes mix & match to make the ultimate meal, plus everything is super easy to cook. The ingredients are easy to shop for and don't have you hunting down obscure ingredients. You can pick up everything at the local supermarket. We've been to Jamaica and these recipes are as authentic as it gets. Definitely buy this book!

The Jerk phenomenon in Toronto started at this sunny little place on the corners of Broadview Avenue and Queen Street East. True to the original recipes all these years later, Ed & Lily Pottinger create the best darn jerk around! The cookbook really shines in its inspiration for home cooks. Simple and quick, sizzling and fiesty!

Lily and Ed Pottinger own and operate The Real Jerk, a premier Caribbean restaurant in Toronto, Canada. In The Real Jerk: New Caribbean Cuisine, the Pottinger's draw from their more than eighteen years of experience to compiled list of helpful cooking tips, as well as recipes from sauces, salsas, dips, and dressings. Then they go on to showcase outstanding recipes for fish and seafood, meat and poultry, side dishes, breads and snacks, drinks and desserts. Of special interest is a section devoted to Menu Ideas. From Cool & Creamy Carrot Salad; Mashed Coco & Codfish; Jamaican Pot Roast; and Stewed Cow's Foot; to Sweet Potato Balls; Baked Bananas; Easter Spice Buns; Coconut Pudding Surprise; and Ginger Beer, The Real Jerk: New Caribbean Cuisine is a welcome and highly recommended addition to multi-cultural and ethnic cookbook collections.

The other day I went through my cookbooks, to see if I could weed some out, because I have too many to mention. It's hard getting rid of a cookbook, especially one with a few recipes in it that you've come to love. But I've scanned the recipes I need to keep forever into my MacBook. However, there were an even dozen I couldn't part with. These are books I turn to time and time again, even though I consider myself somewhat of a gourmet chef.

THE REAL JERK is one of the books I kept. Okay, so Lily and Ed's book is based on the recipes they serve up in their Toronto restaurant and not on, say, the recipe for doubles you might find a vendor selling at the outdoor Port of Spain vegitable market. So maybe this is Caribbean cuisine served up nouville with a Canadian twist, that's okay, because the meals made from this book are simply to die for. For example, I'm not a big fan of mussels, but the "Mussels in Coconut Sauce on page 74 of this delightful book will simply curl your toes, they are so good. And if you've ever wanted a recipe for flying fish (I know I have), then there is the author's "Fried Flying Fish" dish on page 61, ummmm, ummmm good.

One recipe I've used quite a lot, because it's my hubby's favorite starter, is the "Crunchy Shrimp Salad" on page 41. It is so easy to do and it tastes divine. And if you follow the shrimp salad with a main course which includes the "Honey-Glazed Baby Back Ribs" on page 83, you'll have a meal which will make any man swoon and I know, because I've made hubby Dub swoon a lot.

Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne

This is the second in the series of reprints from Nostalgia Ventures. There are two stories in this volume, as well as some historical information that is fun to read about the author.

The first story, "The Chinese Disks" pits the Shadow against a master diguise artist who keeps slipping away from the Shadow's agents who are trying to tail him. A very fast-paced story, this tale shows where several of his standing agent came from, with this being their first appearance. The mystery of how the thefts are occuring helps keep the drama going. A very fun read!

The second story is my favorite. "Malmordo" has an international master criminal attempting to set up operations in New York. he and his followers are called "human rats" by the police due to their choice of hidouts, clothing and behavior. There are several great story twists, and the last twist at the end was a complete surprise, and involves a natural enemy of rats. (I'll let you try to figure that one out!) This was as much fun to read as it was trying to solve the mystery based on the clues in the story.

If you're a fan of action films, this will be your style of novel!

Clear your calendar when you start reading this one. Again viable plots and with "rats" like these only The Shadow and his organization can defeat their plans. Keeping who is who in the Chinese Disks is part of the fun.

Volume Two of Nosotalgia Ventures' pulp reprints presents another pair of Classics. The Chinese Disks continues the trend from the "Crime, Insured" storyline in the first volume by intorducing more of the Shadow's agents, some appearing for the first time. Although not as fast paced as the latter, "Disks" has some good action sequences as well as more insight on how the Shadow and his agents go about trailing and eventually foiling the schemes of the Bad guys, usually by piecing together information gathered as well as the some good old fashioned spying.
Diamond Bert, the villian, is not as imposing or siniester as some of the other foes the Shadow has faced, but he does have history. He appeard in the first Shadow novel, "the Living Shadow", as well as "the Shadow's Shadow", in which he no doubt ends up in Jail, where he remains until this story takes place (Dont worry, you don't have to read either novel to catch on to the story, but if you must, both novels were reprinted in the 1970's by Pyramid books and can be found on ebay, ussualy for around $10-$20).
Again, this book contains a standout tale by Walter Gibosn, who penned about 282 of the 325 Shadow novels, not all of which were masterpieces I must admit, but considering the sheer number of novels as well as the short time he took to produce each of them, there is no doubt that Mr. Gibson's Shadow canon is an impressive one, and an achievement deserving more notice and readership next to other serial heroes such as Batman, James Bond and the rest who survived the eras in which they were created and flourished beyond that.

Nostalgia Ventures is an ingenious publishing company to begin to reprint the original printed adventures of The Shadow. He was THE predecessor of Batman, and a good deal more freer about his crime-busting. Unlike the lesser radio show incarnation, Walter B. Gibson's Shadow is VIRTUALLY invisible, a take-no -prisoners guy who wields two automatic pistols.
The best of the two (unabridged, thank God) Shadow novels is the first, The Chinese Disks (1934). The Shadow first assembles his vast network of agents to combat his old nemesis, Diamond Bert Farwell.
The second, Malmordo (1946), is a perfectly atmospheric mystery (the ending of which I guessed before I read it), but it seems to lack the Shadow feeling of the vintage era (1931-1939).
I HIGHLY recommend this volume (the second in a series) to anyone who loves detective and/or (very action-oriented) mysteries. This IS The Shadow, and Nostalgia Ventures has done a justice to faithful fans.

Pulp fiction is a genre which needs no prior knowledge other than a general suspense of disbelief: if that is your view regarding the pulps then you may read no more. But if you appreciate the unadulterated fun ride that can be obtained from the pulps, and also like to know more about the heroes & villains, you need to read a few books. These include: "Encyclopedia of Fantastic Victoriana" by Jesse Nevins, and the twin volumes of "Shadowmen" written by Jean-Marc Lofficier. "Shadowmen" also include brief description of the original French pulp works which had hosted these personalities, tempting you to search for more. Highly recommended!

SHADOWMEN VOLUME 1: HEROES AND VILLAINS OF FRENCH PULP FICTION provides a very informative overview of characters from French fantastic fiction of the 19th and 20th Centuries. Compiled by Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier, each entry contains biographies and photos of the creators/writers, biographies of the characters, and lists of book, comic, film, radio, and TV appearances... and illustrations are plentiful! I have to admit - prior to reading this book, the only characters I was familiar with were Jules Verne's Captain Nemo and Robur the Conqueror, and Alexandre Dumas' Count of Monte Christo. Now I can also call Arsene Lupin, Belphegor, Rouletabille, Judex, and Fascinax acquaintances of mine.

As these characters began appearing in the mid-1800s, some are quite similar, with distinct trends being very apparent. For example, more than enough of them run around Paris dressed in tuxedos and top hats. Some are actually criminals, or at least have criminal tendencies. Others are quite interesting for what sets them apart from the crowd, such as Sar Dubnotal - occult investigator, and le Nyctalope, with his glowing yellow eyes and artificial heart. In any case, the write-ups are very comprehensive, and if I either can't find or am not interested in reading the original adventures, I can at least get a good idea of what these characters are about. As indicated in the book's title, they make up a broader category of related fictitious characters known as the Shadowmen, which is something of a French version of Philip Jose Farmer's Wold Newton Family. The text posits that some characters are actually multiple aliases for one person, as confusing or excessive as it may be. Others are given direct links to characters from British and American fiction. Connecting the dots makes for fascinating reading, although it does tend to get a bit excessive. This book doesn't really have any shortcomings, although it might not be appreciated by all comic or fantasy fans due to its focus.

An excellent cover by Andrew Paquette tops off the book. Be sure to check out volume 2 of SHADOWMEN, which covers characters from French comics!

This is fascinating: a study of a great lot of popular heroes, but not from the usual American or British litterature. This time, they come from the French pulp fictions! And gathering together such characters as Arsene Lupin, Belphegor, Rouletabille or Fantomas, together with a whole lot of much more obscure ones (who knows Sâr Dubnotal?!?) these studies and timelines forms both a great reference work and a real game of fiction.

Most of us know very little about French popular literature. I include myself. I had read THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, THE THREE MUSKETEERS, and several of the stories of Jules Verne but I had only scratched the surface.

SHADOWMEN is a wonderful study of the little-known characters of the larger than life characters from French Fiction who parallel Tarzan, Fu Manchu, Doc Savage and others from the English speaking world.

The book is an encyclopedic guide to a number of htese characters. The Nyctalope, whose altered eyes can see in the dark, the quintessential mad scientist, Dr. Cornelius, and Judex, who is possibly the first of all caped superheroes in film.

It is a delightful world the book opens up to non-French speakers and one that fans of pulp stories and students of pop culture alike will enjoy.

As the author of, The Second Virgin Birth, I have to say that Hopkinson book is very believable, with well developed-characters with amazing dialogue that surrounds several action-packed stories that will keep you guessing the entire time. It's an easy read, and extremely well written.

The stories are short but packed with depth and information. Fantastic writing from authors who should be paid attention to. A must buy for anyone interested in postcolonial writing, science fiction, race, and gender among others.

Speculative fiction, at least that popular in the West, usually projects Western and White attitudes into the future or supernatural situations. This important book, which gets its title from a quote by Harriet Tubman, collects stories on such matters from people of color who have been informed by the colonial experience in their homelands. These submissions often utilize non-Western storytelling techniques featuring unexpected moral constructions and non-linear plotlines. Thus, several of these stories seem to have abrupt and inconclusive endings, but that's if you perceive them in a standard linear fashion. Meanwhile, a common motif in this collection is science fiction treatments of White/European colonialism through the eyes of aliens who are being colonized by humans. That's a great twist on a trusty sci-fi device, but many of these writers apparently came up with the concept before constructing their plots, leading to some stories that are very contrived and preachy (the most heavy-handed example is by Carole McDonnell).

But on the other hand, the stories here are almost uniformly haunting and incredibly thought-provoking for informed readers of any culture. Karin Lowachee and devorah major really make the aforementioned humans-colonizing-aliens motif work in exciting ways. Tobias S. Buckell offers an intriguing space war with a Mesoamerican twist, and Opal Palmer Adisa brings redemption in an alternative history of slavery. Wayde Compton creates a marvelously updated version of a piece of old African folklore, to illustrate post-human discrimination, while Larissa Lai finds the inherent humanity and prejudice of supposedly inhuman robots. The most moving tale here is by Celu Amberstone, in which humans who have been forcibly relocated by aliens to a new planet try to connect with this strange new Earth in a Native American fashion. As with any collection of stories by different authors, some submissions here work better than others, with preachiness being a common drawback. But overall, this is an especially stirring collection of tales that tackle shopworn sci-fi and fantasy concepts from fresh non-Western viewpoints, offering the reader new ways of looking at the past, present, and future of the real world. [~doomsdayer520~]

Nalo Hopkinson and Uppinder Mehan have joined forces to produce a powerful and insightful anthology of Science Fiction literature from a broad spectrum of experience and (counter) experience. Please note, Amazon doesn't credit Boston-based professor Mehan (who teaches at Emerson College) with having much to do with this book, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out he had just as much say in assembling the contents as did his co-editor, Nalo Hopkinson, the famous novelist of Canada whom many credit as being the "next Octavia Butler." Together they make an imposing duo and they are wise indeed both in what they decided to do for and the people to whom they appealed for new work. The result is smashing and one of the very best books of 2004.

Wayde Compton's "fairy tale" is almost too beautiful to describe. A "growing ball of light as bright as a sky full of half moons" appears to our hero and tells him that his name is Mr. Polaris. By the way, the hero is called Lacuna and thus describes the position of writers of color, often, marginalized within the already marginalized community of science fiction. That is, it's a world filled with its own rules and domains, yet those in charge of the dominant culture regard it with skepticism and even violence, based on the fear of losing their own Antaean strength--the exploring strength of the colonizer.

The blind Victorian writer Celu Amberstone contributes a diaristic and chilling account of a mother-daughter relationship gone tragically wrong. In this brief and pointillistic tale, the daughter is called "Sleek" and she is almost like the spirit of the mother before society's pressures (and the pressures of colonization) took the free will out of her. The months and the days are each given beautiful and poetic names. The penultimate entry will bring tears to your eyes--even if you are a rock.

I wish I had time to list all the stories and what makes them good. Before I sign off I could add that, although Compton and Amberstone are both Canadian, the anthology has many writers from other parts of North America too, including the USA, as well as from other parts of the world. This world--our world. The editors have skillfully suggested to their readers the ways in which all science fiction embodies aspects both of colonizing and post colonialist teleology. It's an eye opener. Hooray for Arsenal Pulp for bringing us the news in this handsome and durabe volume.

This book is the epitome of excellence, the characters are intriguing, especially the fox. The use of 3 voices is just phenomenal. Read this book.

I was almost put off by the three different voices narrating this book, but it was easy to read from the first page. The characters are so interesting, you will want to read it all at once. It is very woman-focused and addresses issues of sexuality and ethic identity in a low-key way that does not take away from the story.

This must one of the most remarkable and readable magical-realism books ever written in English. In her part-mystery, part-historical novel, part- fantasy, Ms Lai manages to lead us in and out of different dimensions without the slightest degree of confusion. I was never a fan of this genre but have become entranced with this skilfully and delightfully-written work, which uses fantasy to teach us to look at ethno-cultural identity and belonging in a new way. Chapeaux off to Press Gang for a fine production job, with a delightful icon-in-the-margin trick to save the innocent reader from confusion.

Written in three narrative voices, moving between China and Vancouver and between centuries, this is a wonderful tale. While the fox moves towards a thousand, and immortality, we also journey with a ninth-century female Taoist poet, and Artemis, a young Asian-American woman living in contemporary Vancouver.

This novel combines aspects of Chinese mythology, medieval China, and life in modern-day Vancouver to revise the myth of the Fox (a figure who can inhibit women's bodies in order to cause mischief) and to explore some of the identity and dislocation issues experienced by migrants. Ms Lai's imagination results in a tale that continues to haunt long after the story is told.

'When a fox is fifty, it can take the form of a woman. When it is one hundred, it can take the form of a beautiful girl. When it is a thousand, it can speak to Heaven and will never die. '

Recommended to both lovers of fantasy as well as to those who enjoy well-crafted fiction more generally.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

A great coffee table book for fans of illustration. A lot of great images to look at, if some are kind of small. But there's over 300 so, you can't beat that for the price. Check out the author's website as well if you're interested in Pulp Magazines.

Fans of pulp magazines and the art that graced them will find this, the first volume in the proposed "Pulp Art Masters" series a must have. This oversized paperback volume presents roughly 350 color cover reproductions, arranged by the various genres Belarski's illustrated (detective, air war, weird menace, etc.). The book is nicely laid out with annotations of various detail and worth along the outside edge of each page. The color reproduction is rich and sharply focused and clean up of the original pulp covers (many of which were no doubt flaked, creased, torn and otherwise marred) is masterful. In fact, the images reproduced here are probably the best these cover painting have ever looked. This is a wealth of pulp history and a great beginning for a series that is supposed to eventually include volumes devoted to Walter Baumhofer (illustrator of the Doc Savage covers) and George and Jerome Rozen (illustrators of The Shadow and Wu Fang among others). Great volume. Greater series (if all goes as planned).

Compiled and edited by John P. Gunnison, Belarski: Pulp Art Masters is an superbly organized and presented artbook showcasing the distinctive work of Rudolph Belarski, a commercial artist best known for his action-packed, eye-catching covers of (in)famous "pulp" magazines. Numerous covers presented in full-color, each with a very brief yet insightful caption concerning the scene, hallmark this eye-catching collection especially recommended for fans of the uniquely captivating appeal of pulp magazine art of a yesteryear American popular culture.

CARRY TIGER TO MOUNTAIN: THE TAO OF ACTIVISM AND LEADERSHIP pairs a modern interpretation of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching to Western leadership goals and values, considering how these principles can be applied in a new era of spirituality in activism. Experiences of present leaders of social causes blend with the author's own decades of experience as a social and political activist: from mistakes to ego in organizational management, everything is covered.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This is a fascinating book about carrying the Tao of Lao Tzu to leadership in social issues and activist movements in Western Civil society. It is a timely book about the role of spirituality in activism that covers the left side of the social and political spectrum. It is a relief to see that the whold world hasn't been converted to the fundamentalist Christian conservative side.

Steph Legault offers an unusual perspective on activism in his new, thought-provoking book. It is a highly personal take on the spiritual, passionate nature of taking part in the world in a positive way. While I think it's a great book for "professional" activists to read, I also think the person who lives life actively will get something out of too. Highly recommended!

(I should also disclose that Steph interviewed me for the book, but I'd like it even if he didn't!)