Paperback Fantastic - Volume 1 - Sci-Fi by Justin Marriott (ed)

Once again, Justin Marriott has produced a slick ‘zine, with a cover designed by Bill Cunningham, that takes a good look at a specific genre of paperbacks and comics. This is actually the first of three related products, all devoted to speculative fiction. Here we have a focus on science fiction while the second will tackle fantasy and the third will examine horror paperbacks.

This volume is laser focused (see what I did there?) on the science fiction field. The bulk of the book is allocated to reviews of sci-fi through the ages, covering a wide variety of authors, eras, and styles. Many of the authors represented here are house-hold science fiction names like Silverberg, Asimov, Niven, Moorcock, Norton, Zelazny, etc. but many are names you may be less familiar with. Who knew Don Pendleton wrote "The Guns of Terra 10" before developing a whole new genre with "The Executioner novels"? We get reviews from every kind of sci-fi story out there, from David Brin’s “Startide Rising” to Jean-Claude Forrest’s “Barbarella”, from “Flash Gordon” to “Planet of the Apes”. Hard science fiction is found alongside humorous sci-fi and comics, swashbuckling planetary adventure, and end-of-the world scenarios. Nine different reviewers offer their opinions in thoughtful reviews (Full Disclosure: I’m one of them), but always with an eye for being informative. 

Along with the insightful reviews are a number of “Fantastic Factoids”. These are two-page spreads that spotlight themes or cover artists. These include subjects such as “Moorcock on Mars”, “Andre Norton and Ken Barr” and “Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction”.

A real bonus in this volume (and the next two) is the full color artwork. Almost every review is accompanied by a full color depiction of the cover. Often the covers chosen aren’t necessarily the ones you’ve seen and known from the bookstore shelves, offering a full mix of UK and US covers and even some from other countries. Sometimes, several covers are presented representing different styles and artists for the same book/comic. Additionally, each cover presented includes details of the artist and other facts about the book’s history.

As always, these products offer a great way to get a sampling of a specific genre. Sci-fi fans will soak this up while those who’ve only ever wondered about what this genre is all about will find plenty to whet their appetites. 

Highly recommended.

Fury From the Tomb by S.A. Sidor

Romulus “Rom” Hardy is a young Egyptologist in 1886, working out of New York, and has just received an endowment to lead a team of discovery to the Valley of the Kings in Egypt.  Once there, the team makes a startling discovery including five coffins and an over-large sarcophagus.  But upon returning to the US, it is clear that a fabled curse is all too real.

Thus begins this first-in-a-series novel that strives to blend the best of Indiana Jones, the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, the weird-west genre, and classic Universal monster movies.  And, for the most part, it succeeds.  I love all these sorts of adventure fiction themes and styles so I may be a bit prejudice towards liking this book.  Throw in cursed Egyptian mummies, Mexican banditos, Chinese vampires, bloated slickened worms the size of silos, asps, killer train wrecks, horseback-riding grave eaters – one with a flamenco guitar! and much more and you start to get the idea of what a mash-up story this is.  About the only thing missing is a gang of undead Caribbean pirates.  Perhaps in book two…

One might think this was all just too much to cram into a single novel but I didn’t feel that way at all.  It’s written in a style that reminds me a lot of Lovecraft, especially the horror aspects, and I thought it all held together quite well.  But the addition of three other main characters really brings out the emotional humanity of the plot.  A pretty occultist librarian, a gun-toting rebel of the old west, and an orphaned Chinese busboy round out the cast and their teamwork is fun to watch develop.

I recognize this sort of over-the-top adventure novel is not for everyone.  But if you want to take a chance on a pulpy throwback to the classics of yesteryear, this would be a good one to try.  The main story does conclude in this volume but it is easy to see how other books could flow forth. 

I’m looking forward to number two in the series. 

Dick Tracy - The Secret Files by Max Allan Collins & Martin H. Greenberg (ed)

In 1990, the film “Dick Tracy” was released. It starred Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, Madonna, and a bunch of other big-name stars. I have no evidence to support this, but it seems likely that this anthology, also published in 1990, was commissioned as a way to help market the film. Regardless, the choice of Max Allan Collins to edit the collection, along with prolific anthologist Martin H. Greenberg, could not have been a better one. Collins had taken over the writing of the Dick Tracy comic strip in 1977 when Chester Gould retired and had been at it for the 13 years prior to this book’s appearance. As a life-long fan of Dick Tracy, there can’t be many humans out there with a better understanding of what makes the world of Dick Tracy what it is.

Rarely have I read an anthology that I have enjoyed more than this one. Usually, they include some fine stories, some mediocre, and some best left on the cutting room floor. Not so with this one. I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed all but one of the stories included here and that one is by an author that is often troublesome for me anyway. But even then, it wasn’t “bad”. Hats off to Max Allan Collins and Martin Greenberg for their selections. The order in which the stories are presented is also well thought out. The very first story is entitled, “Origins” and written by Mike Resnick. It’s actually told from the point of view of a young, struggling writer named Chester Gould who meets a real-life detective who ultimately becomes a model for his new idea for a comic strip.

From there we have stories from the early Dick Tracy years in the 30s and 40s but also including more contemporary versions in a more modern age. We get to revisit villains from the strips such as Mumbles, Blowtop, B.O. Plenty, Gravel Gerty, Vitamin Flintheart, and Putty Puss but also read about brand new villains created just for this anthology. Some are written from some POV character other than Tracy himself. In addition to the aforementioned opening story featuring Chester Gould there is also one from the viewpoint of his wife, Tess Trueheart Tracy, and one from son "Junior".

The authors here are a real who’s who of speculative fiction and include Ed Gorman, F. Paul Wilson, Wayne D. Dundee, Barry N. Malzberg, Ric Myers, Stephen Mertz, Edward D. Hoch, Rex Miller, Mike Resnick, Ron Goulart, Barbara Collins, Henry Slesar, John Lutz, Terry Beatty, Wendi Lee, Francis M. Nevins Jr., Josh Pachter, and Max Allan Collins himself.

For fans of the original Dick Tracy comic strips or for those new to the character and just want a flavor for what it was all about, this collection is an ideal read. Highly recommended.

Steel's Treasure by Nick Auclair

Japanese general Tomoyuki Yamashita is known today for many heralded accomplishments during World War II. He conquered Malaya within 70 days from the British, earning him the moniker "The Tiger of Malaya". In October of 1944, when the war situation was critical for Japan, he assumed command of the Fourteenth Area Army to defend the occupied Philippines. But he is perhaps best known today for “Yamashita’s Treasure” or “Yamashita’s Gold” which is the alleged war loot stolen from Southeast Asia by Imperial Japanese forces and supposedly hidden in caves, tunnels, or underground complexes in different cities in the Philippines.

In this novel, US Air Force Captain William Steel is an intelligence officer stationed at Clark Air Base in the Philippines in 1985. He’s excellent at his intel job but he’s not exactly a by-the-book officer. In his spare time, he searches for Yamashita’s treasure, utilizing his network of locals that he’s accumulated over the past three years. He’s been called a “problem officer” more than once because he has a tendency to cut corners to achieve his goals.

This novel, the first in a series, is a dynamic story of Steel’s hunt for the treasure. But it’s also much more than that. Part mystery, part historical, and part men’s action adventure, it also has a nice bit of romance. Steel is a complex character, balancing his duty to the USAF with his own personal desires and goals which lead to several conflicting choices, often landing him in hot water. A healthy cadre of supporting characters round out the story and provide a real page-turning read.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of the novel is its realism. The author, himself, served as a USAF Intel officer for five years in the Philippines in the 1980s. As a retired USAF officer, myself, I can attest to the accuracy of the day-to-day activities of an overseas air base that we find here. The interactions of the Airmen, NCOs, and officers is so spot-on that it really brought back some memories for me. The lingo is perfect, not overdone like you see in the movies and on TV, but absolutely the way it is. And the setting of Clark Air Base and the surrounding territory, including Angeles City couldn’t be better.

I also enjoyed the flashback sequences showing the war effort from various points of view, including Yamashita himself. It added a nice touch of history without bogging down the plot.

Don’t go into this one expecting an over-the-top Indian Jones type of treasure hunting adventure. Sure, it has plenty of action including gun battles and a daring rescue of an American General. But there is no nuke-the-fridge kind of action here. This is a realistic, albeit dangerous approach to a treasure hunt. The author ought to know since he also spent his spare time in the Philippines searching for this same treasure.

I really enjoyed this one. Thankfully, there is a sequel out called, "Steel's Gold".

I'll Kill You Next! by Adam Knight (Lawrence Lariar)

Steve Conacher is a private investigator. He’s been hired by Luke Yorke, an aging cartoonist and well known as the man behind the famous “Caleb Straight” comic strip. Yorke has hired Conacher to locate Mike Smith, an up-and-coming cartoonist and Yorke’s protégé. Conacher is a good choice given his own friendship with Smith. But Conacher knows there is more to the story than just a missing persons case. Yorke is getting old, and he's ill. He needs somebody to take over the reigns of the comic strip and thinks Mike Smith has the talent to do so. Of greater concern to Conacher, however, is that Yorke’s spoiled brat of a nephew will take over unless Smith can be found.

The stakes grow higher when Mike Smith is found dead. It looks to be suicide, but Conacher knows better. The discovery of a new rival comic strip being readied for launch gives a prime motive for Smith to be cleared out of the way. But who is behind this new strip? Who has the talent? It seems likely that it’s one of three dames orbiting Luke Yorke’s world.

The author of this novel is Lawrence Lariar, writing under the pen name “Adam Knight”. He also wrote crime novels under the names Michael Stark and Marston la France. Lariar, however, was not only a novelist. He is perhaps better known in the world of comics where he worked as a cartoonist, a cartoon editor and as the compiler of the “Best Cartoons of the Year” series. He definitely knew the mid-20th century carton business and this novel reflects that expertise. At one point he couldn't resist having his main character, PI Conacher find a copy of “Best Cartoons of the Year” while searching a room.

So it seems the world of 1950s cartooning can be just as cut-throat as any other business, especially when three beautiful women are involved, each with their own agenda. Conacher gets beat up quite a lot over the course of the story, walking into ambushes, being clobbered over the head and waking up on some couch somewhere. But in the end, he proves his cerebral acuity, figuring out what’s been happening, and resolving the crime.

I should also mention the teaser quote on the back of the book: "She got what she wanted. She was an eye-catching dish with a low, throaty voice, and she purred like a caged tiger. As she slowly rose from the couch, she pointed the gun right at my stomach and whispered, “I got rid of him and now…I’ll Kill You Next!” Like many similar paperbacks of the 1950s, this quote and the title itself have little to do with the story. It’s pure marketing designed to get their readers (young men) to plunk down a quarter and buy the book. No such quote, or scene, appears in the novel.

While this wasn’t a remarkable reading experience for me, it was entertaining and kept me interested to see what happened next. Given the opportunity, I would read more of Lawrence Lariar’s crime fiction…and maybe check out his work in the comic industry as well.

Flash Gordon: Crisis on Citadel II by David Hagberg

Picking up immediately after the events of book 2, "Flash Gordon: War of the Citadels", Flash, Dale, and Dr. Zarkov find themselves wondering just what side of the Citadel war they should be on. The android known as “Martin” has proven duplicitous so Citadel 1 seems like the bad guys now.  But Citadel II is now also showing signs of manipulating them for its own ends. Their galactic war has been going on for thousands of years now, run mostly by computers, and it would seem that perpetual war is the only thing that keeps them all going.

The third novel in this set of Flash Gordon books is my favorite so far. I’ve gotten used to this “new” style of Flash Gordon and I’m really starting to enjoy the action-oriented space opera plot. This one sees Flash on his own for almost half the book, away from Dale and Zarkov and I think that is good. In the first two books we didn’t get to see him as the hero as much as just one part of a group, often overshadowed by Zarkov who could use his intellect to get them out of trouble. He was the go-to guy for the first two books with Flash often relegated to just being the muscle. But this time around he is on his own much of the time and can display his own intelligence and creative solutions. That’s what this series needed. In addition, there were some important plot developments along with finally turning the corner on the Flash/Dale relationship.

All six books in this series are one long story so be sure to read them in order. Looking forward to book 4, "Flash Gordon: Forces From The Federation", even though the title makes it sound like a Star Trek novel.

The Exotic Adventures of Robert Silverberg by Robert Deis, Wyatt Doyle & Robert Silverberg

I’ve been a long-time fan of Robert Silverberg but have almost always limited myself to his science fiction novels and short stories. He has been incredibly prolific for many years and has won just about every award out there for sci-fi. I also knew he wrote in other genres, and I even knew he wrote a lot in the men’s adventure genre for the MAMs (Men’s Adventure Magazines). However, up until now I’ve never run across any such stories or anthologies so never got to sample them.

Thankfully, as is so often the case, it is Bob Deis and Wyatt Doyle to the rescue. The years 1958-59 saw the publication of a short-lived MAM called “Exotic Adventures”. While Silverberg only had one story included in the first issue, his ability to write different stories in a variety of locales and do it very quickly resulted in him gaining more and more of the authorship in future volumes, under different pseudonyms. By the final issue of the magazine, he was writing almost the entire content.

Every one of Silverberg’s stories written for “Exotic Adventures” is included here for a total of 17 tales. They are all pulpy stories that include adventure, sexy girls, exotic locations, and more sexy girls. Some are written as pseudo-real stories, as if they are factual events with by lines such as in “Island of Exiled Women” by “Lin Charles as told by Sam Mallory”. All are told from a male character’s point of view with the exception of the final tale, “I Escaped from the Soviet Slave Camp”, told from a female’s POV. Every story includes some form of sexual adventures although the level of detail is quite tame by today’s standards.

Additionally, original advertisements are included, sprinkled throughout, just as in the original MAMs. It’s fun to peruse opportunities to acquire fine products such as “40 of the most sensational and exciting scenes and poses ever photographed of Bridgette Bardot”. Or perhaps learn how to “Run your car, half on gas, half on air”. I was certainly tempted to send in my $4.98 right now for “A Real Mobile Tank over 6 feet long”, or perhaps the “Genuine Stuffed Alligator for only $1.98”.

All in all, this is a dandy collection of stories, accompanied by the wonderful artwork of the original magazine. The introduction by Deis and Doyle provides a great background, not only on Silverberg himself, but also on the artwork and the original “Exotic Adventures” magazine. I’m very happy to have this volume in my collection.

The Saxon Shore (The Camulod Chronicles #4) by Jack Whyte

I continue to marvel at this series, enjoying every minute of reading it even though the individual books seem to be getting longer and longer.  Topping over 700 pages, this volume is not a quick read but I’m fine with that because while the richness of the story spurns me on to read faster, the atmosphere and Jack Whyte’s style of writing compel me to read slower just so I can spend more time with it.  Yeah…it’s one of those.

The final chapters of the previous book in the series, "The Eagles' Brood" end with Merlyn’s rescuing the newborn baby, Arthur Pendragon and I had assumed this novel would be mostly about Arthur’s education while growing up.  Instead, almost the entire book is devoted to but one year in the lives of these characters, with Arthur only putting in a cameo appearance now and then.  Only in the last 50 pages or so does time advance swiftly and allow us to see Arthur at the age of 7 and 8 years old, already exhibiting signs of the leader he will become. The bulk of the book revolves around Merlyn’s laying the political groundwork and gaining alliances for the coming of Arthur’s leadership in the future. Of course there is much that occurs to Merlyn and his companions along the way, both good and bad.

I think with this volume I have discovered one aspect of the overall series that makes it truly special for me.  Of course I enjoyed all of the standard aspects of high quality writing that makes a book an excellent read: strong fleshed out characters, well-paced plotting, etc. etc.  But these novels also allow the reader to see the world building actually happening on the page. I always love a novel with a well thought-out and developed world and usually remark on that in my reviews. But Jack Whyte has taken it one step further by allowing us readers to view the world being built by the characters themselves.  Whether it is the discovery of new techniques for breeding horses, advancements in weaponry (including Merlyn’s accidental discovery of what will become the jousting pole), or even societal advancements like new ways of governing the people, or evolving religious competition, it all unfolds for us and we get to be a part of it. I liken it to one of my favorite types of computer games: builder games like Civilization.

It is tempting to classify this series as straight historical fiction rather than fantasy even though it is the story of Arthur, Merlin, Camelot, etc. There is no fantasy here at all (other than the phenomenon of predictive dreams that Merlyn is blessed/cursed with). Merlyn’s reputation as a sorcerer is growing but it is simply because of tricks or misunderstandings about what people actually see. The author has done a marvelous job of removing the fantasy from this fantastical tale and making it almost entirely pure historical fiction of 5th century Britain.

On to book number 5, "The Fort at River's Bend".

Ace of the White Death by Robert J. Hogan

Unlike most pulp adventure writers, Robert J. Hogan wrote all of his stories under his own name. G-8 was a WW1 aviator and spy whose true identity was never revealed. The series lasted for 110 issues, from October 1933 to June 1944. His two comrades in flight were known as the Battle Aces: Bull Martin, a superstitious man who flew an airplane numbered 7 so as to get all the luck he could muster, and Nippy Weston, a short man who flew airplane number 13. While some of the G-8 stories were relatively straight forward (especially the early ones), many of them delved into supernatural and science fiction inspired gimmicks created and employed by the Germans.

This third book in the series, originally published in 1933, follows G-8 on a mission to assist an embedded French spy who has discovered a dastardly plot by the Germans to use a newly developed gas weapon against an upcoming American offensive. The gas, the “White Death” of the title, is said to be so lethal that not even the troops’ gas masks will stop it. Thousands of Allied deaths are inevitable unless G-8 and the French spy can thwart the plan. 

This is pulp adventure at its most fun. While the consequences are serious, there is never any doubt as to the final outcome. The plot is filled with adventure with one obstacle after another thrown at G-8. Edge-of-your-seat dog-fighting flying action bookends the novel, but most of the story takes place on the ground with G-8 using disguises to infiltrate the mining complex where the gas is produced. The primary antagonist is Herr Konig, a devious man that will be a thorn in G-8’s life for many stories to come. Sometimes readers must suspend their disbelief, as when G-8 is captured, searched and thrown in a jail cell, only to pull out a carrier pigeon from under his arm and send a note to his two Flying Ace buddies to come rescue him. I’m not sure how that poor pigeon survived all of the commando-style fighting action that came before, not to mention the search itself.

This was my first G-8 experience, and while I didn’t think it was quite up to the standard of some other pulp hero favorites, I did enjoy it and will be looking for more.