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.
No comments:
Post a Comment