Hot Lead - Most Wanted All Review Special by Justin Mariott

As part of the Hot Lead series of fanzines, Justin Marriott brings us an all-review special. It came out last year, in 2020 and was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise horrible year. It's a wonderful resource for fans of western fiction. More than 160 pages and over 200 reviews representing the vast history of the western paperback are all here for the taking. It is perhaps the best such resource of its kind in existence today.

The Forward to this volume, by noted comic book writer and western author Chuck Dixon sets the proper tone of enthusiasm for the genre as a whole.  Justin Marriott himself provides a thoughtful introduction while three more informative and addictive essays are also included: Paul Bishop examines ten of his favorite western authors, Howard Andrew Jones takes a deep dive into westerns in the Gold Medal line and Gary Dobbs provides a thorough analysis of Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove Saga.   

The reviews themselves are organized chronologically with major divisions by “era” beginning in 1927 all the way to modern day westerns. You’ll find everything from stand-alone classics to western series, adult westerns, weird westerns, and even the comics. Each is granted a rating by the reviewer and of course, not all will agree, but there-in lies an extra bit of fun when reading them. I found more than a few that I at first disagreed with but the text of the review sells their rating and now has me thinking I might revisit them to see if my own opinion might change.

This is a fairly hefty product, especially considering the price. Most of the reviews are accompanied by black & white cover photos of the original publication and that in itself can be a fun way to browse.  One note of caution however: readers might well find themselves significantly expanding their wish lists for future reads so check your bank account before delving in.

** On a side note, I feel a little conflicted about reviewing this product at all since I have ten or so reviews in here myself. My words above reflect all the other content in the book, and I would feel the same even were I not included. Nevertheless, it was an honor and a privilege to contribute to the effort. **

The Eagles' Brood (Camulod Chronicles) by Jack Whyte

Once again I am marveling at this series known as “The Camulod Chronicles,“, the vast epic story of the Legends of King Arthur, but told as historical novels rather than fantasy.  This is a series to savor over time rather than rush through from one book to the next, tempted as I am to do so simply because of the fantastic storytelling and pure reading enjoyment.

This third volume starts a new “chapter” in the series as we have moved on to a new generation in the larger story.  The first two books are told from the viewpoint of Publius Varrus, but now we turn to events from his nephew’s perspective, Caius Merlyn Britannicus.  That’s right…the Merlin of legend is now the narrator of the story but this is not the long white bearded old wizard we often think of, at least not yet.  He is a warrior and leader of men, much like his cousin and best friend, Uther Pendragon.

This novel is a transitional book in the series as it takes us through the lives of the young Merlyn and Uther and ends with the discovery of a young 7-8 week old infant by the name of Arthur.  But more than that, the largely idyllic story heretofore of the building of the Colony of Camulod (Camelot) and the advancement of ideas and invention has morphed into the inevitable war torn strife of our heroes defending against the invading Saxons and others.  Much more about wars and battles in this one, and consequently more brutal than the first two, culminating in the final battles between Uther and Lot of Cornwall.  It’s also transitional in other ways as Merlyn’s encounters with influential people he meets during his travels alter his perspectives on religion, culture, and the motivations of countries.  He comes to realize, for example, that the invading Saxons, whom he has always thought of as inherently evil, are really no different than his own ancestors, the Romans, who also invaded the British Isles. No doubt these sorts of realizations will greatly affect his influence on Arthur.

I love the way the author presents a wonderful sweeping saga of a story, building in all of the familiar aspects of the legend but keeping it all at such a rich personal level.  A hint of magic does sneak into this one in the form of a few Merlyn’s dreams but they are more prescience than sorcery.  I really want to know how these same events unfolded from Uther’s perspective but alas I will have to wait, for Uther doesn’t get his own book until #7 in the series.  Meanwhile I greatly look forward to the next installment, The Saxon Shore, wherein I hope to discover just what sort of adventures Merlyn will be having with his new ward, baby Arthur.

Zorro - Volume 1 by Johnston McCulley

Don Diego Vega is the spoiled son of Don Alejandro Vega, the richest landowner in California and favorite of the governor. He’s a real dandy and despises anything that might be construed as work or that would require some amount of effort on his part. We know him better, of course, as Zorro, defender of commoners and indigenous peoples of California against corrupt and tyrannical officials and other villains. The early days of the Pueblo of Los Angeles was a cauldron of competing politics and devious motives. Dressed all in black and wearing a mask, Zorro relishes opportunities to one-up the mostly inept public officials who endlessly attempt to capture him. 

This volume opens with the very first novel in the Zorro cannon, “The Mark of Zorro.” This has been retitled after its original debut when it was known as “The Curse of Capistrano” first appearing in 1919 by American pulp writer Johnston McCulley. Interestingly, it was meant to be a stand-alone novel but the Douglas Fairbanks film adaptation in 1920 prompted more stories over some four decades. This volume collects two additional short stories: “Zorro Saves a Friend” and “Zorro Hunts a Jackal”.

I enjoyed these stories more than I expected I would. I worried that, like many pulp stories of that era, they might be rather dry due to the style differences from more modern works. Happily my concerns were for naught as McCulley writes in an easy-flowing, campfire-story-telling way that encourages the reader to keep turning the pages. The first novel, "The Mark of Zorro" was clearly meant to be the only story as it offers a complete account of Zorro’s adventures. It culminates in his ultimate success by exposing the corruption and winning the girl and even going so far as to reveal his identity to all. Subsequent stories have to deal with this and so they make it clear that only a select few, after all know that he is really Don Diego Vega.

A nice essay is included at the end of the book, written by Ed Hulse, wherein he takes a good look at how the Douglas Fairbanks film was conceived and its impact on the future of Zorro.

The stories differ from the movies and television series that readers may have seen but it was fun to read the original stories upon which they were based. Looking forward to more Zorro stories to come.

Last Days of Night by Graham Moore

This novel provides a fascinating portrayal of one of the most exciting times in world history, at least when it comes to scientific invention and the birth of technology.  It was enjoyable to read, to get to know the real-life characters, and at the same time learn about these historical events in a non-textbooky way.

The plot revolves around three main historical characters: Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, and Nikola Tesla.  The inventor, the businessman, and the genius.  All three men were primary warriors in what became known as the “current war”, i.e. the battle over whether or not A/C or D/C would win out in the end.  In the middle of this tripod of giant historical figures is a young 26 year old recently graduated attorney named Paul Cravath, a name not familiar to me when I began reading this book but who I learned became one of the giants of the legal profession, largely due to his involvement in the “current war” and its successful resolution (depending on one’s point of view).

This is a pretty fast-paced novel with short chapters and a swift narrative style.  The facts are well-researched and the author provides a welcome section at the end wherein he separates facts from fiction.  There is also a nice little romance sub plot. But where the novel really shines is in how it is capable of transcending the simple facts of the events during the late 1800’s when electricity was harnessed and helps us to understand the nature and value of the inventive process.  A relatively brief 15 years in our history saw not only many new discoveries related to electricity, but also the birth of new ideas on how we would go about “inventing” in the future.  The notion of an eccentric lone inventor working in his personal lab quickly morphs into the business of inventing.  Really, it’s the beginnings of how technology is advanced today. 

This was what made me interested to read this book.  But in addition, thanks to having Paul Cravath as the protagonist character, I also got to witness the concurrent development of the legal profession, seeing it change quickly from a cottage industry into a legal “factory” with Cravath’s introduction of the idea of associate attorneys and building an entire legal firm.  Pretty cool.

I’ve read this author’s previous novel, "The Sherlockian" and enjoyed it a lot and I’ve also seen the “The Imitation Game” movie for which he was the screenwriter.   Clearly, much like the characters he writes about, Graham Moore is a name to watch in the future.

Highly recommended!

Zelda by Carter Brown

Earlier this year I was able to acquire a bunch of Carter Brown (Alan Geoffrey Yates) paperbacks for a fantastically cheap price.  To be honest I was mostly interested in the cover art by Robert McGinnis which have become collectibles all on their own.  But I happen to be one of those people who can’t stand to have an unread book in their house (which is a real problem considering my TBR shelves currently top 1800 books…owned but not yet read…) so I went ahead and plunged into this one, a random selection from the bunch.

This is reportedly the first of the Rick Holman series, although I have seen references to it being number two.  It was published in 1961, an era I’ve been reading quite a lot of recently although not necessarily by design.  Rick Holman is a Hollywood PI, a cool cat who tends to know more about what is happening than he lets on.  He is hired by one of Hollywood’s hottest glamour queens, Ms. Zelda Roxane to be a sort of keeper of the peace/bodyguard during a weekend retreat at her house where she has invited five men, including three ex-husbands to a blackmailing party.  Seems Zelda is short of cash and…well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.  One of the five men gets murdered and it is up to Rick Holman to solve the case.

Parts of this novel were exactly what I expected: a good mix of characters, some innocent, some dumb, some downright slimy, lots of titillating tease scenes, and oozing 1960’s culture.  At first it seemed to be a straight-forward crime story but then it morphed into almost a Hercule Poirot locked-room mystery story with Rick Holman even spilling the results of his investigation to the room full of suspects.  But in the end it morphed one more time into a twist ending that I didn’t see coming but endeared the character of Rick Holman to me quite nicely.

Happily, I still have about 20 more of these Carter Brown novels with McGinnis cover art to make my way through and I shall look forward to them for quick reads when the mood strikes me.

Men's Adventure Quarterly, Vol 2 by Bob Deis & Bill Cunningham

The second volume of the continuing quarterly publication of stories and essays from the golden age of what are known as “MAMs” or Men’s Adventure Magazines continues the excellent content and visual representation of the first. MAMs were magazines mostly from the 1950s-60s that were geared toward men, often violent and with pulpy adventure style yarns. More often than not, the stories were accompanied by colorful art that featured scantily clad women. The publishers, after all, knew their target audience. This time around the subject is espionage and this value is packed full.

Once again, this is a large, slick, high-quality product. It’s chock full of reprinted stories and articles from the original MAMs as well as wonderful introductions by Bob Deis and Bill Cunningham. The stories presented are from the likes of “Man’s Action, “Man’s Illustrated”, and “Male” magazines complimented by impressive original full color and B&W artwork. It’s absolutely gorgeous. Additionally, there are a couple of in-depth articles as well as a full color art gallery of classic covers.

Just as in the first issue, what really drives it over the top are the introductions to each story and article. Often when I read anthologies, I feel lucky when a story is introduced with a paragraph or two providing some background. But here, we get two and three pages of intro, describing each story’s origins, the author’s life, the artists involved and even the publishing background. The folks behind this publication really know their subject and their passion for all of it shines through once again in spades.

Hopefully Robert Deis and Bill Cunningham can put their considerable knowledge of the MAMs to work for our enjoyment for a long time to come. This will have a permanent place on my shelves, right alongside every issue that is published in the future.

Flash Gordon: War of the Citadels by David Hagberg

The second book in the Flash Gordon: Citadels series picks up right after the events of the first book (Flash Gordon: Massacre in the 22nd Century).  Flash, Dale and Dr Zarkov find themselves caught up in a war between two super-advanced machine worlds that have been at war with each other for many thousands of years.  When they acquire knowledge of a weapon named “Ultimus” that seems likely to tip the balance, the trio travel to a communications center planet to retrieve it.

David Hagberg once again pens this entry in the series.  He’s known for his techno-thrillers featuring super-spy Kirk McGarvey and has also written numerous thrillers under the pseudonym Sean Flannery.  That writing style is on full display here, combining lots of technical detail with a plot that leads the main characters through one harrowing escape after another.  In fact, the middle two thirds of this novel is practically nothing but running and escaping various pitfalls as they fight their way through enemy androids. 

I was pleased to see Dale briefly leave her damsel-in-distress role for a moment when she assumed a warrior persona and bravely sliced two androids in two.  Unfortunately, she immediately resumed her former approach to life by bursting into tears and throwing herself into Flash’s arms.  Oh well.  This was published in 1980 but perhaps the author felt this was one area in which he could emulate the more traditional story from the 1930s. 

Once again, the book spends the final few paragraphs setting up the next volume.  It’s one long hi-tech adventure throughout the series so don’t expect much resolution to the plot elements in each book.  One can't help but wonder if our heroes are truly fighting for the right side or if that might be a revelation still to come. I'm enjoying these books so far though, in spite of minor annoyances.  It's not exactly a traditional take on the Flash Gordon mythos but as long as readers can live with that, it's a decent action-oriented space opera story.

Children of Amarid by David B. Coe

The people of Tobyn-Ser have a long history of trusting and relying upon the benevolent actions of an order of mages known as the Children of Amarid. But now, this trust is rapidly eroding as crops are destroyed, villages are burned, and innocent people are being killed, seemingly at the hands of these same mages. Are these renegade mages at work or is it something more dire? A young man named Jaryd, newly recognized as a mage, finds himself at the center of the effort to unmask the nature of the evil invading their lands.

I was introduced to the works of author David Coe through his Thieftaker novels and stories, written under the name D.B. Jackson. I liked them so much that I’ve wanted to go back and try his more traditional fantasy and I’m very happy I did. This book is actually his very first published novel and is the first part of the “LonTobyn” trilogy. I found it to be an excellent read with vivid characters and an interesting plot. The world building is nice, as is the magic system. It is not without the sort of flaws that one might expect from a first novel, however. For example, I thought it could have used a bit more focus in some areas and occasionally the plot was uneven and meandered a little too much. There was also quite a bit of background presented in fairly large info dumps, but he handled this in clever ways such as through a story from somebody or a lesson for Jaryd, allowing us to learn about some of the history right along with him. 

But these are nitpicky issues, far outweighed by the sheer fun of reading a traditional fantasy novel filled with as much hopefulness as peril. It’s not “grimdark” fantasy or hard-boiled; you’ll find no f-bombs here. In style it resembles Raymond Feist’s “Riftwar” series. I like almost all kinds of fantasy and relish variety so have no problems with grimdark, etc. But it is nice every once in a while, to read a smooth-flowing fantasy yarn that doesn’t leave you with a feeling of dread.

So, I offer my strongest compliment I can ever give to a first book in a series: I can’t wait to read the next one.

Updated: The version I read is dated 1998 but per the author, all three of the LonTobyn Chronicles have been re-released from Lore Seekers Press. After a thorough edit, making improvements to prose, syntax, etc. but not to story or character development, some 20,000 words have been pruned from this first volume. My comments about a meandering and uneven plot are likely no longer relevant.