Paperback Fantastic Vol 2 - Fantasy - edited by Justin Marriott

The second of three projected ‘zines in Justin Marriott’s “Paperback Fantastic” series is devoted to fantasy fiction. The first issue focused on Science Fiction while the third will target horror fiction. As expected, this second issue matches the slick product of the first with another great cover designed by Bill Cunningham. 

The bulk of the book is allocated to reviews of fantasy fiction through the ages, although most tend to gear towards the 'sword and sorcery' or ‘sword and sandal’ stories ala Conan, Fafhred and the Gray Mouser, Elric, and Brak the Barbarian. Many of the authors represented here are house-hold names like Edgar Rice Burroughs, H. Rider Haggard, Andrew J. Offutt, Michael Moorcock, Fritz Leiber, and of course, Robert E. Howard. Naturally, there are many names you may be less familiar with. Eleven different reviewers offer their opinions in thoughtful reviews (Full Disclosure once again: I’m one of them), and even when I disagreed, I was pleased to see good supporting arguments as to why the reviewers felt as they did. Above all, they are informative. 

Along with the interesting reviews are a number of “Fantastic Factoids”. These are two-page spreads that spotlight themes or cover artists. These include subjects such as “DAW and Tarzan”, “Flashing Swords”, “Dray Prescott”, “Fantasy Femmes” and “Fantastic Stories”.

A real bonus in this volume (just as in the first issue) is the full color artwork. Almost every review is accompanied by a full color depiction of the cover. Again, the covers chosen aren’t necessarily the ones you’ve seen and known from the bookstore shelves. They offer a full mix of UK and US covers as well as 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. Fantasy 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.

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.

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. **

Paperbacks at War by Justin Marriott

Once again, the Justin Marriott team has produced an in-depth look at a specific sub-genre of men’s adventure fiction, this time with an edition devoted entirely to wartime book reviews. There is a wide-range of reviews here including classic war novels, poignant we-were-there books, testosterone-fueled paperbacks, pulp yarns, and even comics. This is another must-have companion volume for those readers who dig this stuff. 

There are over 170 reviews here by knowledgeable readers. Some are authors themselves but every single one is a fan. The vast majority of this volume is devoted to the reviews, however there are a couple of extra gems including an essay by Justin Marriott focusing on the “cynical and brutal school of paperbacks in the 1970s and 80s typified by Sven Hassel and Leo Kessler” as well as a nice B&W cover gallery. The reviews are not just about the stories themselves but often include interesting information about the authors, publishers and, in the case of comics, the pencilers, colorists, etc.

Fans will want to snatch this up but I think one of the major benefits of these kind of publications are the way they can entice those readers who are unfamiliar with the sub-genre or perhaps have been flirting with diving in but are not sure where to start. There are plenty of opinions offered within these pages by knowledgeable reviewers, and of course opinions may differ. But just to read through them provides a nice education in the subject matter.

Full disclosure: I have a few reviews included in this volume but a tiny percentage of the overall content.

Highly Recommended.

Pulp Apocalypse by Justin Marriott

Once again, the Justin Marriott team has produced an in-depth look at a specific sub-genre of men’s adventure fiction, this time with an edition devoted entirely to post-apocalyptic fiction. There is a wonderful mix of topics in here, covering the full gamut and will serve as a must-have companion volume for those readers who dig this stuff. 

Features include articles covering entire series such as Traveler, Roadmaster, Endworld, Deathlands, Wasteworld, Phoenix, Swampmaster and many more. There are in depth interviews with leading authors such as Laurence James (the original James Axler who launched Deathlands), Jan Stacy (author behind The Last Ranger series and co-author of The Doomsday Warrior series), David Robbins (author of the Endworld series and Blade series not to mention the lengthy Wilderness western series). I could go on and on. Rounding things out are a look at the Prepper movement, several apocalyptic comics, and a number of single novel reviews. 

Fans will want to snatch this up but I think one of the major benefits of these kind of publications are the way they can entice those readers who are unfamiliar with the sub-genre or perhaps have been flirting with diving in but are not sure where to start. There are plenty of opinions offered within these pages by knowledgeable readers and authors, and of course opinions may differ. But just to read through them provides a nice education in the subject matter.

Full disclosure: I have a few reviews included in this volume but a tiny percentage of the overall content.