FICTION

The New Mammoth Book of Pulp Fiction

by Maxim Jakubowski
Running Pr. Apr. 2014. 512p. ed. by . ISBN 9780762452217. pap. $13.95; ebk. ISBN 9781472111807. MYS
COPY ISBN
The Golden Age of pulp mysteries spanned the 1920s to the 1940s and conjures up visions of Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade, and other wisecracking hard-boiled private eyes. This collection of 33 stories covers publications from 1929 through 1989, with only a handful written during the pulp fiction heyday. Few of the authors are those who defined the genre, and the stories lack the fast, terse language of the original pulps. However, most of these action-packed and well-written stories are by some of mystery's best writers, including Bill Pronzini, Donald Westlake, and Lawrence Block. There are honest cops and crooked ones, bank robbers, double-crossing dames, murderers, and even one vampire. Many have not been previously collected in mystery anthologies.
VERDICT One troubling feature here is that there seems to be no rationale for the order of the pieces, and a "nice to have" would have been short author biographies, since many of the writers, such as Dashiell Hammett, had unusual backgrounds. Clearly the bibles of older pulp mysteries are Otto Penzler's The Black Lizard Big Book of the Pulps and The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories. However, this anthology may attract pulp fiction fans interested in more contemporary interpretations.
Reviewed by Edward Goldberg, Syosset P.L., NY , Apr 25, 2014
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

FICTION

Secret Fling with the Billionaire
by Douglas, Michelle
FICTION

Holiday Under Wraps
by Mettner, Katie
FICTION

Tracking Down the Lawman’s Son
by Fossen, Delores
FICTION

Cold Case Protection
by Helm, Nicole
FICTION

One Waltz with the Viscount
by Martin, Laura
FICTION

When Cinderella Met the Duke
by Williams, Sophia
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?