Author: Tommy Hancock

HOLMES AND MORE FROM BLACK COAT PRESS IN OCTOBER!

  • News
  • October 2, 2011

From Black Coat Press- 

Our three October releases are:

BAAL by Renée Dunan (1924) which features the remarkable Madame Palmyre, a bold, brazen occult heroine to rival Sar Dubnotal or Canacki (whom she’ll meet in TOTS 8) fighting the eponymous Lovecraftian entity. The great and seductive sorceress Palmyre teaches her assistant Renée the secret of her magic, including her ability to interact with creatures from other worlds, such as the unspeakable Baal, whose octopus-like form is the three-dimensional projection of an unfathomable four-dimensional entity.

The book includes The Devil’s Lovers (1929), a heroic saga about Satanism and Witchcraft that follows the adventures of a poacher and his daring wife in war-torn 16th century France.

These two ground-breaking supernatural thrillers from early feminist writer Renée Dunan, also known for her crime fiction and erotic historical novels, depict witchcraft as having its psychological origins in sexuality, reflecting the repression of the sexual impulses by the social norms of the times. “Highly original works that fully deserve translation for the benefit of fans of modern horror fiction and exotic erotica.” Brian Stableford.

THE HUMAN ARROW, a proto-SF novel started before WWI and anticipating the future of aviation, and reissued in with a new ending in 1927 (also included here) by which time it had become an alternate history.This is the story of the first non-stop Paris-to-New York flight by rocket-powered plane as it never happened. French engineer Henri Rozal faces tough competition from rivals for the hand of his fiancée, as well as shady dealings from financiers trying to steal his invention. But as the shadow of war looms, is Rozal’s utopian dream of a peaceful planet traversed by powerful flying machines fated to turn into an apocalyptic nightmare?

This edition is the first time that the two versions of the story, the original 1917 edition as well as its rewritten conclusion published in 1927, to take into account Charles Lindbergh’s flight and the horrors of World War I, have been published in a single volume.

Also included is Champsaur’s novella, The Last Man (1885), which describes how a comet increases the oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere and causes Paris to revert to a jungle, and Man to an ape-like beast. 



SHERLOCK HOLMES VS JACK THE RIPPER adapted/edited by Frank Morlock which includes an 1889 play (the first fictional encounter ever) plus a a 1908 issue of the German series which later became HARRY DICKSON.”Jack the Ripper is one of the most enduring archetypes in criminal fiction. This book presents, for the first time in English, two of the earliest pieces of Ripper fiction ever written in French: Gaston Marot & Louis Péricaud’s stage play Jack the Ripper from 1889, and No. 16 of the French pulp series The Secret Files of the King of Detectives (which later became Harry Dickson) from 1908 in which the Great Detective matches his wits against Jack the Ripper. 

These two stories are translated by Frank J. Morlock, author of Sherlock Holmes: The Grand Horizontals.








COMING IN OCTOBER FROM www.blackcoatpress.com

NEW PULP AUTHOR GUEST AT FESTIVAL!

  • News
  • September 30, 2011

Crossroads Writers & Literary Festival

September 26, 2011
The 2011 Crossroads Writers Conference and Literary Festival starts at noon on Sunday, October 2, in downtown Macon, Ga. The festival, which includes children’s activities, a writing marathon and some unique offerings, is free and open to the public with readings by many of the conference’s writers.
   Two special guests reading at the conference include best-selling novelist Joshilyn Jackson, who was recently named a 2011 Georgia Author of the Year, and Melissa Fay Greene, who was just inducted into the Georgia Writers’ Hall of Fame.
Other writers from all over the country include best-selling writers such as Rick Moody, comic book scribe Gail Simone, poet Idris Goodwin, Jay Parini, Southern writer Terry Kay, screenwriter-turned-novelist Jeffrey Stepakoff, Adam Davies and sci-fi author Jack McDevitt.
Georgia talents include Macon’s own Tina McElroy Ansa, mystery novelist Nora McFarland, comedian writer Ad Hudler, pulp fiction writer Barry Reese, memoirist John Jung, Steampunk novelist Emilie Bush, and many more.
The conference schedule will contain the Kick-off Book Launch Friday night, the Writer’s Conference all day Saturday, and the Literary Festival Sunday. For more details about the schedule, visithttps://docs.google.com/leaf?id=17kNd7aPRRRfHykOMeUpmAv09ahE2q1C8xjOrsLwj6vjHTfgXBQCMOJqHFOEx&hl=en.
For more festival information and to register, visithttp://www.crossroadswriters.org/conference/.

SURF PULP-As Told to Chuck Miller!

  • News
  • September 30, 2011


AS TOLD TO CHUCK MILLER-Pulp Interviews

Chuck’s Guest today- Craig Lockwood 

CHUCK MILLER:  Surf Pulp is something that not too many of my colleagues who have loosely banded together under the “New Pulp” umbrella have been exposed to. And it’s a wonderful thing, since we are looking to broaden the definition of “pulp fiction,” and expand its visibility and appeal. Could you just give us a brief synopsis of how you got the idea and what steps you took to see it through all the way to Hard-Boiled Surf Pulp Fiction #1?

CRAIG LOCKWOOD:  I’ve often wondered if the term “New Pulp” or “neo-Pulp” isn’t misleading. While the great pulp publishing and fiction industry died out forty years ago, Ellery Queen and Analog are still published. So at least a tenuous thread to the pulp-past was maintained. And the pulps have been an enduring and arguably profound influence on America and Europe’s popular literary culture.


What’s telling is that when I started this project with Rick we had no idea that there was anything like a pulp revival.


I’d had the idea of publishing an all-surfing-related fiction magazine for years. And I loved the old pulp form. I’d done a pulp paper book The Whole Ocean in 1986.


Twenty-three years later I’d just finished writing a big book for a publisher, and decided to see if I couldn’t put an inexpensive magazine—a real pulp—together.


Rick’s a talented illustrator who had been an aficionado of the American pulp illustrative style of the 1930s and ‘40s and ‘50s. I’d read the sci-fi pulps like Galaxy and Analog, and the mystery mags like Back Mask and Ellery Queen, as a kid and been entranced the storytelling and action. My first published fiction – and the piece was wholly an adventure pulp sory — was in SURFER Magazine—despite SURFER being a “slick.”


Both of our mutual interests and our livelihoods center around surfing and the surfing sub-culture.

 That term may seem like an anomaly, but today there is an entire sub-culture—which is something like car-culture—but based around surfing, that had been growing in California since the 1930s. And I’m not talking “Gidget.”


There’s a multi-million dollar sustaining “surfing industry” that includes surfing apparel, surfboard manufacture, surf-related destination travel, surfing fine art with prestigious museum exhibitions, surfing cinema, TV shows, surfing music, surfing literature—including surfing journalism, with books and magazines—and even occasional surfing theater, and believe it or not, a nascent surfing academia.

And of course, there’s surfing crime. Which some older readers may recall getting both national notoriety and tabloid ink during the 1960s with a Florida criminal character nicknamed “Murph the Surf.”

Rick is academically trained, and a graduate of Art Center, here in Pasadena, California, which is one of he nation’s finest art schools. I studied creative writing at the University of California, Los Angeles. Rick’s work hangs in both private collections and at McKibben Gallery in Laguna Beach as well as in Rémi Bertoche, in France.


I’ve been a journalist and editor since college, mainly surfing but in the beginning the pickings were slim so I also worked as a lifeguard and deputy sheriff. Later I served as a war correspondent in Southeast Asia, Balkans, the Middle East and Afghanistan, a crime reporter, and a surfing historian whose last book “Peanuts” An Oral Biography Exploring Legend, Myth and Archetype In California’s Surfing Subculture” was reviewed last year by surfing’s most prestigious magazine, The Surfer’s Journal, as “This year’s Best book on Surfing, 2010.” Currently I serve as co-chair of the Oral History Committee of the Surfing Heritage Foundation, which is an endowed institution and museum. But I also shape surfboards and racing paddleboards – it’s all handwork – as a hobby/business.


We were well into the project when we started discovering you guys.


We looked at each other and went “Wow! Here’s real talent, good writing, and great storytelling.”

And you—the pioneers—were all out there taking great waves and cranking these stylish pulpy bottom turns and looking good. 


It was like wandering through the desert thirsty and alone and discovering this well-supplied big wagon train with the Bonanza cast at the reins.

CHUCK:  What would you say to potential readers who might be leery of your work because of their unfamiliarity with surf culture and the perception that this is a very specialized area that they just wouldn’t “get?” I think this could be really significant in terms of opening up new connections and exposing people to familiar concepts in a new context. That can be a difficult barrier to break through, which is sad because I think there are far more things in common than not.


Chuck, you nailed it. There are definitely more things in common in pulp fiction than not. To paraphrase Marshall McLuhan: The medium is the milieu.


I suspect we both see pulp fiction as a wonderful dimensional door through which readers are transported by writers into other realities. The vehicle of transmission is the combination of the author’s words and the reader’s imagination.


Surfing, and surfing fiction does reflect aspects of surfing’s specialization, just as espionage fiction is specialized. But specialization need not be exclusionary, and it’s never a reason to neglect the opportunity of an exciting read.


The English mystery writer Dick Francis, himself a jockey, set all his stories against a background of horse racing—which is like surfing, a kind of sub-culture. I’ve only been to one horse track in my life, and know nothing about horse-racing, betting on horses, or horse-racing as an occupation. But I’ve read and enjoyed at least a dozen Dick Francis mysteries, full of racetrack jargon, and enjoyed them.  


Reading masters of a specific genera—such as spy fiction’s John Le Carre´, or Alan Furst—means being immersed in that specific fictional world. This is a world the author has created. And when the author is good, and when the narrative’s coherent and the drama compelling we’re exposed and become both intellectually and emotionally involved in a very specialized environment—say Carré’s Cold War London in 1965, or Furst’s Eleventh Arrondissement in 1940 Paris, during the Nazi Occupation.


And in that fictional environment the magic of a reader’s imagination, a skilled author’s description, narrative and dialog—all provide enough information for the reader to understand and personally assimilate the  political climate, the geography, the tradecraft and techniques, the idiom and argot of espionage.


Compared to this kind of complex arcana, surfing’s lexicon is relatively easy. Especially when the format’s a short-story or novella. Here the author is going to be focusing less on some incidental technical aspect—such as a specific surfboard’s design limitations in a given wave—than say, on the protagonist’s efforts to get to the exotic location where a previously un-ridden but fabled wave exists. And—as in all adventure fiction—that requires an author’s commitment to narrative and a reader’s exercise of imagination.

And, if the author is skillful, he or she provides the reader sufficient expository detail so their imagination takes over. This, after all, is how we are able to read and immerse ourselves in—and find credible and enjoyable enough, and thus continue reading—our pulp fiction superheros.

Surfing is an activity rooted in American culture. Surfing comes out of that culture, and so much of what surfing authors are writing about is at least familiar. Most of us have either been to a beach, or seen film or stills of the ocean, and waves, and surfers. We have a sense of the beauty, power and grandeur of the sea. 

I’m not a skier, have never skied, hate snow, don’t know the precise meaning of terms like “mogul” or “screamin’ starfish” or “slow-dog noodle turn” and have never experienced the thrill of flying down a mountainside in deep powder. Yet I’ve read and enjoyed skiing-related fiction. So it wasn’t what I knew that entertained me, it was the author’s skill in creating a literary door through which I could venture in imagination.


I didn’t have to be an anthropologist like Colin Trumbull, living with the m’Buti, in the Congo and having to learn an entire non-cognate language to figure out the sub-culture. If I didn’t know the terminology, the story carried me along.


In one of our Vol. 1 No. 1 issue’s stories, “Sorcerer of Siargao” by Susan Chaplin, her surfer-protagonist is described this way:


“Marla was tall, with big shoulders and clear blue eyes. At forty-seven and recently divorced she was living out some pre-divorce impulse to surf her way around the world.”


There is nothing very exclusionary here for a non-surfing reader. You get her logline. Restless middle aged woman seeks adventure. The rest is storytelling—through a surfer’s eyes.


In “The Big Deep” hard-luck hard-boiled surfing private eye Sam Sand tells  surf syndicate enforcer Gang Lopez who’s bringing him an impossible-to-solve case: “Gang, you been laminating without a mask?”


Now a non-surfer may not have a clue that this wisecrack refers to the manufacturing process of saturating the “laminate,” the two fiberglass layers of a hand-shaped surfboard blank’s skin with catalyzed polyurethane resin, but you know he’s skeptical—and is obviously saying it in a colorful way.


One thing those of us who are attracted to the pulp milieu share is that we love imaginative storytelling. So if Hard-boiled Surf Pulp which is aimed at a primarily surfing audience has any chance of attracting non-surfing readers we think it will be because our writers can tell stories well.


CHUCK:  Name two or three of the biggest influences on your writing. Not necessarily limited to authors, but including ANYTHING that you think has shaped your style and the worldview that your fiction is built on.


My biggest initial influences in desire to be a writer were genetic, i.e., my mother and father.


My dad was a hard-boiled, hard-core, hard-bitten, hard-case WW I combat veteran—a newspaperman/journalist, war correspondent, and occasional pulp writer during the 1920s and ‘30s. He became a wire-service bureau chief, in Lisbon. My parents had lived in the same Paris neighborhood as Ernest and Hadley Hemingway and were part of the same literary and artistic circles.


My mother was an artist, a sculptor of some renown, and the daughter of three generations of newspaper men. And she had the storyteller’s gift. She’d been a fashion illustrator for Vogue Magazine, so her artist’s eye missed nothing. Decades after an event she could recall the most precise details, inflect the tone of voice of someone who’d been speaking, mimic accents, and connect everything to the weather, the political climate, how the women and men were dressed, how the food was prepared, was served and tasted.


Just before World War Twice they returned to California and Hollywood where he became a screenwriter for Fox. I came along soon after. Then the war came along and my father was killed, soon after Pearl Harbor.


As a child without a father—growing up in Hollywood during the war—my mother would tell stories about her early life. I was fascinated with her accounts of her famous family’s history, of my father’s life, their travels—including some exciting adventures with narrow escapes—and the now all-but-forgotten literary figures they’d known such as John Dos Passos, Sinclair Lewis, Theodore Dreiser, Sherwood Anderson, Sylvia Beach, Gertrude Stein, Ford Maddox Ford, James Joyce, Raoul Whitfield, and Dashiell Hammett.


When I was very young my mother would tell me serial stories of characters she’d invent. Then, taking a big drawing pad and using charcoal pencils, she’d quickly illustrate them while she was telling the story, drawing the characters—horses, boats, cars, guns—and the most outrageous and weirdly costumed arch-villains. We had a house full of books, and a beach house in Laguna Beach and so I grew up reading and surfing.


Pulp magazines were still on the newsstands when I was a kid and I became interested in reading and collecting science fiction magazines. Without question, much of my interest in writing fiction came from that early pulp exposure.


Going to the local newsstand with my weekly allowance was a ritual. What a visual feast! There were dozens of lurid covers, adventures, detective mysteries, westerns, romances, creepy shudders, and the ones in the back at the top—beyond kid’s reach—the spicy pulps.


So I pictured myself being able to write for these kinds of exciting magazines. I was just learning to type and submitted a few science fiction shorts in my early teens—which were promptly rejected. 

Unfortunately, by the time I had begun to write well enough to perhaps be accepted, the pulps were approaching extinction, and everyone in my college writing classes was trying to write like Jack Kerouac, J.D. Salinger, Kurt Vonnegut or Joseph Heller.


Ray Bradbury’s fiction was a strong early influence, and he spoke frequently at Robert Kirsch’s Art of Fiction course and workshops at UCLA where I was a student. I’ve never forgotten his closing words at one of his lectures:

“Always quit while you’re hot. And don’t forget to put the cover on your typewriter.”

      

FORTIER TAKES ON STRANGE GODS!

  • News
  • September 29, 2011

ALL PULP REVIEWS- by Ron Fortier
STRANGE GODS OF THE DIRE PLANET
By Joel Jenkins
Pulp Work Press
263 pages
Writer Joel Jenkins is one of the most prolific, exciting and talented members of the New Pulp movement today.  Through his association with Pulp Work Press, an outfit he started with fellow writers Joshua Reynolds and Derrick Ferguson, Jenkins has produced some of the most amazing, fast-paced pulp adventures ever to hit print.  The originator of several series in various traditional genres, STRANGE GODS OF THE DIRE PLANET, is the fifth book in this homage to Edgar Rice Burrough’s classic Martian books.
Having not read the previous four, I really appreciated Jenkins’ understanding that new readers would need a little extra background exposition to bring them up to speed on where the action was taking place and who all these characters were; while at the same time moving the story along at a breakneck pace to satisfy those fans who had been along for the ride from the beginning.  That he accomplishes this wonderfully is no small achievement and a big reason I enjoyed the book so much.
Here’s what any new reader will learn upon entering Garvey Dire’s world.  Dire is a modern NASA astronaut who, by some cosmic snafu, had his space craft hurled through an anomaly that sent him back in time millions of years to a Mars inhabited by humans like himself and all manner of beasts and fauna.  Realizing this is a one way trip; Dire accepts his fate and sets about making a new life for himself amongst the female dominated tribes of the giant red planet.  Jenkins has created a truly exotic social background that is fascinating with paying scrupulous attention to what each of these customs means to the entire culture he has created.
On Dire’s Mars, men are in short supply so they are protected and treasured and it is the abundant female sex that handles the affairs of state, commerce and warfare.  Obviously this is a different world than Dire is comfortable with, especially when adapting he realizes he must accept polygamy and marry several women to assume an active role in this society.  Like Burrough’s books, Jenkins’ Martian civilization is crumpling and the population struggling daily against both the forces of nature and time to survive.
The crux of this fifth volume centers about a long kept secret of an occult group of fanatics known as the Technopriests and Dire and his allies attempt to uncover it.  There is bloodshed galore, non-stop action and great heroic characters battling against truly beautifully crafted background.  It also ends on one of the most dramatic cliffhangers this reader has ever encountered.  Over the many years since Burroughs created his interplanetary pulp classics there have been dozens of imitators who have attempted to recapture the magic he wielded but none has ever come as close as Jenkins with the Dire Planet books.  These books rock!

PRO SE PRESENTS FOR OCTOBER-AN EPIC NOVELLA BY AN AUTHOR OF EPICS!

PRO SE PRESENTS FOR OCTOBER-AN EPIC NOVELLA BY AN AUTHOR OF EPICS!

  • News
  • September 28, 2011

Pro Se Productions, Publisher of New Pulp books, anthologies, and magazines, announces today that the October issue of its magazine, PRO SE PRESENTS, will be a special issue featuring the novella, THE HUNTER ISLAND ADVENTURE by well known New Pulp author Wayne Reinagel.

Never before in print, THE HUNTER ISLAND ADVENTURE features characters from Reinagel’s INFINITE HORIZONS Universe and his PULP HEROES trilogy.  “Infinite Horizons,” according to Reinagel, “explores the secret lives and revealing the unrecorded adventures of the greatest heroes and villains to ever walk the Earth.


“In the worlds of Infinite Horizons, the question is explored, what if the Victorian and Pulp era adventures actually occurred in our universe. And taking into account all of the events that have happened since that time, how would this have altered the pulp heroes from the 30’s and 40’s? The answers to these questions are presented in the first trilogy of Infinite Horizons novels entitled Pulp Heroes.



“Pulp Heroes is an epic adventure, spanning two centuries in time and linking the incredible lives of history’s most popular Victorian Age adventurers of the 1800’s with the greatest action heroes of the Pulp Era and an assortment of well-known, real-life figures.”

THE HUNTER ISLAND ADVENTURE is a story about Pam Titan, Doc Titan’s cousin and an adventurer in her own right, and three associates who end up on a wild adventure all their own.  Although available in ebook form, this will be the first time that the story has appeared in print.

“We are more than honored,” Tommy Hancock, Editor in Chief of Pro Se Productions says, “to be the home for Wayne’s novella.  Known for his epic storytelling and adventures that span decades, even centuries, full of his own creations as well as reinterpretations of real historical figures and literary characters, Wayne also proves he’s extremely capable in telling gripping tales in a short form.  And you an find out how capable in PRO SE PRESENTS #3 in October.”

More information will follow as the release date nears for PRO SE PRESENTS #3 in October!

AND AS A PARTING PIRATEY SHOT, PULP EMPIRE AND ANOTHER INTERVIEW!

  • News
  • September 24, 2011

PulpEmpire.com is proud to offer our newest anthology Pirates & Swashbucklers, a seventeen story collection of great pirate pulp fiction! Pirates & Swashbucklers author Kameron W. Franklin interviewed his fellow writers of the new Pulp Empire anthology out now!


Today he sits down with Viktor Kowalski, author of “The Treasure of the Lost Race”.


When did you first realize you were a writer?
When I wrote my first yarn. I was like: “Wow! I’m a writer! Awesome!”


What authors influence or inspire you?
Robert E. Howard.


What book(s) have you read more than once? What drew you back?
The “Complete Chronicles of Conan” by Robert E. Howard because it contains the best fantasy yarns ever written; “Prometheus Rising” by Robert A. Wilson because it is the absolutely best book about the workings of the human mind, and what you can do to make the most of yours.


Do you consider yourself a “pulp” writer? Why? Is there another genre you like to write?
But of course. I like to write pulps because that’s what I like to read.

I also write genre fiction like fantasy, historical fiction, adventure, horror and sci-fi, sometimes in pulp style, other times not. I’ve tried writing those contemporary dramas, steeped in emotional wallowing and whining, seasoned with quasi-intellectual and philosophical self-indulgence. It didn’t work.



In 25 words or less, how would you define “pulp” as a genre?
Robert E. Howard.




What made you decide to submit a story for the Pirates & Swashbucklers anthology?
It seemed like an excellent opportunity to showcase my exquisite writing ability. Seriously.




Read more of Kameron’s interviews at PensAndSwords.com.


Pulp Empire Presents: Pirates & Swashbucklers is now available at Pulp Empire.com. Until October 10th, use the code “62QUSQGC” at our CreateSpace bookstore to receive 15% off on the book!

HOLLYWOOD, DOC, SPIDER, THE UNEXPECTED, AND MORE FROM RADIO ARCHIVES!

  • News
  • September 23, 2011
September 23, 2011

NEW RELEASE – The Lux Radio Theatre, Volume 3

“Lux Presents Hollywood!”
Hollywood’s greatest actors and best directors. Star level writing and production values. A world renowned Hollywood legend as the host. And a full hour weekly to showcase it all to the listening public. Sound like the perfect formula for a drama program from the Golden Age of Radio? It was and Radio Archives has it here for you, The Lux Radio Theatre Volume 3!
The Lux Radio Theatre, based in New York, premiered on the Blue Network October 14, 1934. The name derived from the show’s sponsor, Lux Soap from Lever Brothers. Although Lux began primarily as an anthology based on Broadway shows of the period, it recognized the value of Hollywood star power from the start. Stories abound of the various imaginative and cunning ways that scouts for Lux snagged top talent.
Even with creative recruitment techniques, The Lux Radio Theatre teetered on cancellation within a year of its debut, due largely to lack of available talent in New York. Even a move to CBS on July 29, 1935 didn’t change the downward spiral. Danny Denker, an executive with the ad agency handling the Lever Brothers account, advised that production values of The Lux Radio Theatre had to be opulent and top notch and that films, not Broadway shows, should be the focus, and most of all, the program had to come out of Hollywood, not New York.
Denker’s suggestions became fact on June 1, 1936 with the first Lux Radio Theatre program from Hollywood. And from the first show, opulent and top notch was the new standard for the program: budgeted at $17,000.00, more than half of that going to pay Marlene Dietrich and Clark Gable, the show’s leads, and acclaimed director Cecil B. Demille as host.
As the six programs in this third volume of Lux Radio Theatre clearly show, there were many reasons that this hour long program was a top-ten network show for much of its nearly twenty year run after moving to Hollywood and remains one of the most beloved shows by OTR collectors today. The programs spotlighted in this volume are from early 1939 and are headlined by the seminal Hollywood talent of the era, including James Cagney and Maureen O’Sullivan. That combined with the sparkling audio quality of this newly restored and remastered set makes Radio Archive’s third volume of The Lux Radio Theatre an absolute must-have for OTR fans. Priced at only $17.98 for the six hour Audio CD set or $11.98 for the Digital Download version, you’ll want to add this to your personal collection today.



Radio Reviews of “The Unexpected Volume 1”
By Tommy Hancock


Even though it seems that all the audio gems that could be discovered from the Golden Age of Radio have been available for years, there are still several hidden treasures that haven’t been heard in many cases since the first time some radio station played them fifty or more years ago. Thanks to the work of Radio Archives, one such program, The Unexpected has risen from past obscurity and can be appreciated for all of its genre smashing greatness.
Produced by Hamilton-Whitney Productions for syndication in 1947, The Unexpected is a program consisting of fifteen minute long episodes, each one a self-contained tale involving some sort of situation that a protagonist found him or herself in, one usually of their own making, that led to adventure, action, or simply general chaos. Also, each show ended in exactly the same way. A resolution would be presented, seemingly the end of the episode, then the disturbingly deep voice of the announcer interrupted with “You think the story is over, don’t you? But wait! Fate takes a hand. Wait for the Unexpected!”
The Unexpected Volume 1 is just that, an unexpected treat for a variety of reasons. First, the cast pool that Hamilton-Whitney drew from consisted mostly of excellent character actors, like Barry Sullivan, Lyle Talbot, and Lurene Tuttle, many of which had experience behind the radio microphone as well. Even when there are flubs on the part of someone like Sullivan or Tuttle, it adds realism to the performance, accenting the anxiety already building for the character.
As mentioned, the scripts provided for The Unexpected are shining examples of just what a skillful writer can do with about twelve minutes of story. The pacing is frenetic, from the usually already in progress feel of the beginning all the way through the shock ending. Even though some of the outcomes may seem cliché to a modern audience, listeners will find they don’t care because they are caught up in the flow of the story. Add in the haunting melody of the theme music and the unassuming, yet unsettling tones of the announcer, and the production values of The Unexpected make this stand out well amongst other similar shows
The Unexpected is a stand out show that blends horror, mystery, adventure, and even a touch of comedy every once in a while. Stories in this volume range from adventure yarns like ‘Unknown Cargo’ to slice of life situations such as ‘Birthday Present’ and even into the realm of predestined justice with tales like ‘The Cripple.’ Each show is the audio equivalent of flipping through the yellowed pages of an old Pulp magazine, not knowing what thrills lay ahead. Excellent performances, dead on pacing, twist endings, and quality audio remastering insure that The Unexpected Volume One is one of the best series of its type! And it is available from Radio Archives for only $14.98 for the five hour CD collection or $9.98 for the Digital Download version.


31 New Digital Download sets now available
RA001 One Man’s Family, Vol 1                           RA002 Mr. President, Vol 1
RA005 Little Orphan Annie                                    RA008 The Shadow of Fu Manchu
RA009 The Kraft Music Hall starring Al Jolson   RA016 Frontier Town
RA017 The Milton Berle Show                              RA020 Dr. Christian

RA031 The Complete Cinnamon Bear                RA027 Birds Eye Open House, starring Dinah Shore

RA037 Mr. President, Vol 2                                    RA039 Richard Diamond, Private Detective, Vol 1
RA045 Matinee with Bob and Ray, Vol 1             RA064 One Man’s Family, Vol 2
RA068 Komedy Kingdom                                       RA079 The Big Bands on One Night Stand, Vol 1
RA080 The Mercury Theatre on the Air                RA082 The Big Bands on One Night Stand, Vol 2
RA083 MGM Theatre of the Air                              RA085 Mystery House
RA127 The Couple Next Door                               RA128 Screen Director’s Playhouse
RA131 Space Patrol, Vol 1                                     RA156 Imperial Leader
RA158 Date with the Duke                                     RA160 Curtain Time, Vol 1 
RA169 Luke Slaughter of Tombstone                  RA163 The Big Bands on One Night Stand, Vol 3
RA171 Command Performance, Vol 1                 RA174 All-Star Western Theatre
RA178 Radio Hall of Fame, Vol 1
RadioArchives.com continues to bring the best of the Past to You via the technology of Today! With Digital Downloads, the amazing quality audio content that Radio Archives is known for can be yours on your phone, computer, iPod or portable device! Set at a great price with immediate delivery once you click and purchase, the audio you love from Radio Archives is available now as Digital Downloads! Click here to see all the sets available for download.
The Spider Arrives in First Audiobook

RadioArchives.com takes pulp audiobooks to a new and exciting level, with the release of Prince of the Red Looters, the first Spider audiobook, coming October 7.
Producer Roger Rittner says, “Prince of the Red Looters will be a stunning addition to RadioArchives.com‘s audiobook line. This action-packed story will have two stars of stage and film narrating and voicing the character parts. Nick Santa Maria and Robin Riker have done outstanding work in this exciting novel-length adventure of the classic pulp hero, The Spider.
“Nick has the perfect voice to narrate the fantastic adventures of The Spider. And Robin, who played Pat Savage in The Adventures of Doc Savage, has turned in a stellar performance as his companion and confidant, Nita Van Sloane, as well as other female characters.
“This new and exciting audiobook enhanced with sound effects and full music score takes you on a roller-coaster ride of danger, action, thrills, and adventure.”
In Prince of the Red Looters, The Spider faces one of his most cunning criminal enemies The Fly! The Fly’s ruthlessly efficient crime organization commits a chain of bold and deadly atrocities on New York City, while The Fly taunts The Spider in a series of ever more dangerous duels.
“The result is a listening experience that will thrill every fan of audiobooks and pulp fiction,” Roger says.
Listeners who have previewed early chapters are enthused:
* “It’s excellent. Really held my attention. I think it works wonderfully.”
* “An exceptional job.”
* “The results are amazing.”
Prince of the Red Looters will be available in a six-CD set at $19.98, and an MP3 Digital Download at just $14.98.


Doc Savage Audiobooks Continue to Delight Fans
RadioArchives.com‘s first two Doc Savage audiobooks, Will Murray’s Python Isle and White Eyes, continue to attract and delight Doc fans as well as those just discovering the greatest adventure hero of the 1930s.
Narrator Michael McConnohie’s extended audio-visual sampler of Python Isle, the first Doc Savage audiobook, is available for viewing on the Python Isle Liner Notes in the Audiobook category. Python Isle will soon be available at selected comic book retailers.
White Eyes narrator Richard Epcar has been talking up the second Doc Savage audiobooks at recent comic and video game conventions, and says many of his fans are enthusiastic when they learn about the adventure hero.
Python Isle and White Eyes are available in impressive CD sets, as digital downloads, and also in special Signed Director’s Editions.
New Pulp Fiction Reprints
Need a dose of Action?  Want to infuse some Adventure into your every day life?  Do you need a Hero?  Then find all of that and more in the classic pulp novel reprints from RadioArchives.com featuring the greatest heroes, the highest adventure, and the most action from the best Pulp Fiction has to offer!
Doc Savage, Volume 51: Halloween Special
The Pulp Era’s legendary superhero follows terror trails in classic thrillers by Harold A. Davis and Lester Dent writing as “Kenneth Robeson.” First, the Man of Bronze journeys to “The Land of Fear” hidden deep within Africa to discover the deadly secret behind the “skeleton death” that dissolves human flesh to the bone. Then, a grisly vampire murder in the lobby of his own headquarters building leads Doc Savage and his beautiful cousin Patricia to the South Atlantic in pursuit of “The Fiery Menace.” This classic pulp reprint showcases the original color pulp covers by Robert G. Harris and Emery Clarke, Paul Orban’s classic interior illustrations and a behind-the-scenes article by Will Murray, writer of eight Doc Savage novels. Only $14.95 at RadioArchives.com


The Shadow, Volume 53: Vampire Triple Feature!
The Knight of Darkness investigates deadly vampire attacks in two heart-stopping chillers by Walter Gibson writing as “Maxwell Grant” and a classic radio mystery! First, the Master of Darkness must battle a giant vampire bat and enter the dangerous “Garden of Death” to discover the secret behind a deadly drug monopoly. Then, The Shadow enters haunted Haldrew Hall to unearth the bloody secret behind “The Vampire Murders” in a sequel to the legendary Victorian thriller, “Varney the Vampire.” BONUS: “Vampires Prowl by Night,” a lost thriller from the Golden Age of Radio! This instant collector’s item showcases both classic pulp covers by George Rozen, the original interior illustrations by Paul Orban and commentary by popular-culture historians Anthony Tollin and Will Murray. Available now for $14.95.


The Spider, Volume 20
The Spider returns in two thrill-packed adventures!  First, in The Devil’s Candlesticks, Only the Spider can combat a mystic murder spell turning the rich into ruthless fiends has fallen over Manhattan! Then, in Revolt Of The Underworld, America’s most ruthless criminals, led by the Fox, have declared war on the Spider. Nita Van Sloan apparently murdered! Richard Wentworth framed! Can the Spider successfully clear his name and find his beloved fiancé?  All this and more for $14.95 from RadioArchives.com!

Review of “Crime, Insured” from The Shadow, Volume 1
By John Olsen

“Crime, Insured” was originally published in the July 1, 1937 issue of The Shadow Magazine. A new racket has sprung up in Manhattan: crime insurance. Crime has gone ultra-modern. Bigshots have discarded old-fashioned methods and are now insuring their crimes against failure. But can they insure against intervention by that master of the night, The Shadow?
Nearly all of The Shadow’s agents appear in this story. Not only the main agents who are captured, but some of the secondary or “reserve” agents appear as well. Criminologist Slade Farrow shows up along with his assistant Tapper, whose expertise at picking a lock is second only to The Shadow. Giant African Jericho Druke is another reserve agent who appears. Doctor Rupert Sayre joins in to assist with some radio direction finding tasks.The New York Police is represented by Commissioner Ralph Weston and ace inspector Joe Cardona. Both get small parts, and don’t get to do much. Still, it’s nice to see them included here.
It’s mentioned that The Shadow is an expert at jujutsu. This isn’t the only time his martial arts abilities have been mentioned, but it’s nice to see them specifically identified.
In 1933s story “The Black Hush,” an amazing invention was detailed. A black-ray machine that could suppress all electrical activity. That machine reappears in this story, four years later. The black ray machine plays an important part in the rescue of the agents. Also, that strange code that The Shadow uses, the one that’s comprised of a silent eye-code shows up again. This time it’s Burbank who uses it to communicate with the other agents during their confinement. “Glances, with simple shifts of gaze, enabled them to spell out secret messages.”
This story is one of the pivotal ones in the saga of The Shadow. Read as The Shadow battles the boldest and most amazing racket in the history of modern crime, and nearly loses his entire organization in the bargain. Yup, this is the one. And it is available from Radio Archives in The Shadow Volume 1 for $12.95.

Will Murray’s New Doc Savage Book: The Desert Demons
by Lester Dent and Will Murray, writing as Kenneth Robeson

The Ultimate Pulp Hero is back after 20 years! Doc Savage and his mighty crew return in a brand-new series of nightmare exploits that can only be called The Wild Adventures of Doc Savage!
Ferocious blood-red Things drop down from the sky! The state of California is besieged by the Desert Demons, a phenomenon so fierce that it triggers a modern exodus! Only Doc Savage, the scientist-superman forged in the fires of scientific knowledge to battle the unknown, is equal to the challenge. From the Hollywood hills to the alligator-infested interior of Florida, the Man of Bronze wages war with cyclonic monsters that seem to possess an intelligence of their own and a murderous malevolence that smacks of the unearthly!
From ideas crafted by Pulp Legend Lester Dent, noted Pulp Author and Historian Will Murray uses his incredible storytelling skills to bring life once more to the penultimate fiction Hero of the 20th Century! Before Comic books there were pulps and before four color heroes, there was Doc Savage! And, thanks to Will Murray, Doc is most definitely Back in this first of The Wild Adventures of Doc Savage series.
The Desert Demons – Written by Will Murray! Based on concepts by Lester Dent! Cover Illustration by Joe DeVito! Get your copy today from RadioArchives.com for only $24.95!


Praise for The Desert Demons
My cover arrived today; it is fabulous! Without a doubt or hesitation it is worth every single penny! I hope fans recognize what a super bargain this volume is and support this release. From cover to cover this book remind me of times when publishers really took pride in their books; you folks obviously do and it shows! As always, I hope y’all know just how much Doc fans appreciate these new adventures! Will, you have really outdone yourself with this one; great fun! Wishing you all the very best!
Link Hullar
The Desert Demons resurrects Doc Savage and his friends in a way Lester Dent would be proud of. Will Murray, who fleshes out this novel from some previously unpublished notes and material written by Dent in the mid-thirties, seems at times to be channeling Dent in an almost supernatural way. Certainly The Desert Demons is a novel every fan of Doc Savage will not just enjoy, but thrill to. This one, certainly did.
Gerald W. Page, editor The Years’ Best Horror Stories
This took me back to my youth, when I spent summer afternoons avidly reading musty back issues of Doc Savage Magazine. It’s all here – the fantastic other-worldly menace, Doc’s crew of five, his cousin Pat, and the pre-World War 2 world of the ’30s. What more could I ask?
Ted White, author of The Great Gold Steal
A “lost” novel of the Man of Bronze, conceived in the 1930s by the great Kenneth Robeson and written by his brilliant successor, famed adventure novelist Will Murray the real Doc Savage lives again!
Richard Kyle, editor, Argosy

Deal of the Day

Deal of the Day

Looking for the best in quality Audio, Pulps, and classic DVDs at a price you just can’t beat? Then you’re in the right place for Radio Archive’s Deal Of The Day!
Not only is one item available daily at a discount, but there are Three Deals at All Times with the Deal of the Day! No limits! No minimum amount! Simply Great Products at Unbelievable Prices!
Every Day a Different Item is available at 10% Off. If you’re into Pulp, Tuesdays and Thursdays are the days to pick up a great Pulp deal at a 10% discount!
For The Next Two Weeks Only – 4 Hours of Western Audio Adventure for 25% off!
OTR and Pulp fans alike will thrill to the six gun two fisted action of yesteryear with this fantastic 4 hour set of classic Radio Westerns. Stars such as Jeff Chandler, Guy Madison, Roy Rogers, and Gene Autry as well as classic Western characters like Wild Bill Hickok and The Cisco Kid make this Western set a must have for fans of Cowboys and Frontier Justice! And until October 6th, it’s available for $14.98, 25% percent off regular price!
September Deal Of The Month – Zorro: The Masked Avenger
Out of the old Spanish West comes Zorro! Relive the classic tales of Zorro, the defender of the common people, the masked hero of the oppressed riding right out of the old Spanish West! This 3-DVD set features three classic movie serials from Hollywood’s Golden Age plus the 1936 feature length film “The Bold Caballero”. Swashbuckling sword slinging at its best for only $14.98, 50% off regular price! for the entire month of September!
Look for the yellow ‘Deal Of The Day’ price tag in the upper right hand corner of the home page and click it for a great deal Every Single Day from RadioArchives.com!


Comments From Our Customers!
Steven Goodrich writes:
Thanks for the response. You have a great company there. Keep up the good work.
Andy Howells reviews The New Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes Volume 1 and writes:
“a new collection of rare radio plays from the 1940s recently released by Radio Archives retells some of Holmes greatest escapades from the armchair of his closest ally, Dr Watson and despite the age of the recordings have excellent sound quality. The presentation and pace of the stories is very good and in all examples have a beginning, middle and end making them very listenable and enjoyable.
Steve Sher writes:
Listened to “Suspense” on the way home tonight–lots of traffic–and was held spellbound by “Donovan’s Brain.” Just had to tell you!
Gil Wilson says of The Unexpected Volume 1:
“This collection is perfect for any fan of mystery, thrillers, suspense and old time radio. If you are just plain curious, check them out they are a lot of fun, especially because the end of each story is Unexpected.”
If you’d like to share a comment with us or if you have a question or a suggestion send an email to Service@RadioArchives.com. We’d love to hear from you!

Fortier Takes on Sword and Soul Stories with "GRIOTS!"

  • News
  • September 23, 2011

GRIOTS
Edited by Milton Davis & Charles Saunders
MV Media LLC.
284 pages

This reviewer has often made it known that he enjoys anthologies for two reasons; the first being the concept of similarly themed tales from various writers collected between two cover is just plain fun.  The second is the continued encouragement of the short story format. For many years academics were decrying the extinction of this form with the loss of so many monthly literary magazines and they were right to do so. But thanks to the emergence of genre themed anthologies, the short story has truly had a strong resurgence in popularity over the past decade.

Now comes this truly unique book which heralds the supposed creation of yet another fiction genre, that of “sword and soul.”  In the opening introduction, editors Davis and Saunders, both African Americans and leading writers in the field of fantasy adventure, detail a history of the genre first established by pulp writer Robert E. Howard when he invented sword and sorcery with his well known Conan adventures.  Whereas Saunders entered the field in the 1970s with the creation of his own barbaric warrior hero, Imaro and later Davis followed suit, each imbuing this fantasy sub-genre with what they believe is a clearly felt African sensibility.  Davis argues this is a new, original evolution of the well established sword and sorcery theme.  Are they correct, or simply trying to sell us something old with a new coat of paint?

As always, reviewing an anthology to determine its entertainment worth is pure mathematics.  You simply count how many stories are in the volume and then during the course of reading label those which are exceptional, those which are simply mediocre and those that are ineffective. At the end, whichever way the scales tip, you have your verdict.  GRIOTS, that’s French  for African storytellers, collects fourteen tales of exotic action and adventure all presented by African American writers.  Here are my favorite six in this collection.

“Changeling” by Carole McDonnell is my favorite of the bunch.  It tells the story of three sisters and their fates in a poignant tale of human emotions from the noble self-scarifying nature of true love to the petty ugliness of greed and jealousy.  Three princesses, each cast in a different mold confront the meanings of their lives and truth while resigning themselves to destiny proving the age old adage that a leopard can’t change its spots.  McDonnell is a gifted writer and she lays out her plot with an efficiency of words that mesmerize and paint images long remembered after the reading.

“The Three Faced One,” by Charles Saunders was no surprise as my second favorite here in that it is us another great tale of the wandering warrior, Imaro, the hero of several of Saunders’ novels.  This story finds Imaro coming to the aid of a tribe of cattle herders being taken abused by a three-faced demon.  Once more the powerful hero must pit his muscles against the forces of evil sorcery.  This is pure Imaro gold and worth the price of admission by itself.

“Skin Magic” by P.Djeli Clark is a gripping, original action piece about the victim of a dying sorcerer’s curse.  A young thief must live with moving tattoos etched his chest that are actual portals to other worlds and the monsters that live there.  How he comes to deal with this horrid fate is a very gripping and exciting entry. 

Whereas co-editor Milton Davis’s own “Captured Beauty” is the rollicking action tale of Changa, who despises slavery and risks his own position with his sympathetic employer to find a kidnapped maiden and rescue her from a cruel master who wields black magic.  

Another winner is “The Demon in the Wall,” by Stafford L.Battle featuring beautiful Makhulu and her warrior grandson Zende.  Together they must rescue their captured family from the demoness Swallow and her human ally, the rich and fat Fabu. Together they are an unbeatable combination of sorcery and strength.
In “The Queen, The Demon & The Mercenary,” by Ronald T. Jones, Queen Zara’s land is besieged by an evil demon warrior and her salvation lies in the hands of an enigmatic mercenary with a cocky air of self-confidence.

The above half dozen are extremely well done and highly recommended.  At the same time honorable mention goes to “Awakening” by Valjeanne Jeffers, “Lost Son” by Maurice Broaddus, “The General’s Daughter” by Anthony Kwamu and “The Leopard Walks Alone,” by Melvin Carter.

The remaining four failed to impress me and one was so convoluted in its prose, I re-read it twice and still couldn’t decipher what exactly was going in the story.  You may have a different opinion.  Still six truly well crafted adventures and four equally well told make GRIOTS a winning anthology unlike most of the fantasy found on today’s book shelves.  Is it really a new genre?  I leave that for you to decide, me, I just enjoyed the stories regardless of what anyone wishes to label them.

+++

Review Postscript – I do have one final critique concerning GRIOTS, but as it does not concern its literary contents, I felt it best to set this issue apart from my main review.  Many readers do not give much attention to the accompanying artwork in such volumes but they are, at least to this reviewer, an integral part of the book’s overall presentation.  Following the tradition of classic pulp fiction, GRIOTS, besides its lovely cover painting, also showcases fourteen black and white interior illustrations, one for each of the stories. 

And therein is my frustration as the art is delivered by half a dozen artists.  At their basic core, anthologies are diverse stories all connected by a central theme.  Nothing helps cement that theme more than one artist bringing his or her talent to a book, giving it a visual cohesiveness that is crucial to the overall feel of the tome.  But when a reader is confronted by multiple art pieces done in a variety of styles with differing levels of quality that unifying thread is shattered. 

Consider this analogy if you will.  Imagine being invited to a fancy, hip hop dance with lively modern music.  You’re out on the dance floor have a grand time when suddenly you have to hold up because every new track being played has to be handled by a new D.J.  All too soon what was once a fun time is now a discordant mess.  A single, talented D.J. can clearly leave his or her personality imprint on such a party, a single illustrator for GRIOTS would have left the same kind of visual oneness.

I would strongly urge the editors to consider using only one interior artist for their follow up sequels.  And just so you do not think I’m anti artists, let me finish with saying I really liked the work of Stanley Weaver, John Jennings, Paul Davey and Shawn Alleyne found in this book.

IT’S A TWO PIRATE THURSDAY FROM PULP EMPIRE!

  • News
  • September 22, 2011
PulpEmpire.com is proud to offer our newest anthology Pirates & Swashbucklers, a seventeen story collection of great pirate pulp fiction! Pirates & Swashbucklers author Kameron W. Franklin interviewed his fellow writers of the new Pulp Empire anthology out now!

Today he sits down with Ken Lizzi, author of “Bravo” and Alva J. Roberts, author of “Stephen the Swift.”


First, Ken Lizzi-
When did you first realize you were a writer?
I realized I was a writer upon receiving the check for my first story; I was paid for writing so I must be a writer.


What authors influence or inspire you?
Glen Cook, Bernard Cornwell, Lindsey Davis, Jack Vance, George MacDonald Fraser, Roger Zelazny. Frankly, I’m influenced by whatever I happen to be reading at the moment. And I read constantly and widely.


What book(s) have you read more than once? What drew you back?
We can just take Tolkien as a given, right? I’ve gone back to “Silverlock” by John Myers Myers (not a typographical error, that was his name) again and again. The flawed, cynical, self-centered character always resonates with me. Take that as you like. The scope and depth of Myers world, the allusions piled upon allusions, reward each revisit.


Do you consider yourself a “pulp” writer? Why? Is there another genre you like to write?
I don’t consider myself attached to, or beholden to, any particular genre. I suppose my fledgling list of credits does tilt pulp – crime fiction and comic book science fiction (or science fantasy: I don’t intend to rehash the argument as to what genre precisely “Star Wars” fits into.)


In 25 words or less, how would you define “pulp” as a genre?
Pulp is a sensibility, an expectation of entertainment indulged at, or beyond, the borders of contemporary respectability.


What made you decide to submit a story for the Pirates & Swashbucklers anthology?
As an exercise/challenge undertaken by my writing group.

Read more of Kameron’s interviews at PensAndSwords.com.




Pulp Empire Presents: Pirates & Swashbucklers is now available at Pulp Empire.com. Until October 10th, use the code “62QUSQGC” at our CreateSpace bookstore to receive 15% off on the book!

 Now, Alva J. Roberts


When did you first realize you were a writer?
Just a few years ago, right around when my favorite author, Robert Jordan, passed away. I had tried to write a novel a few times before that but never made it past the first chapter. I always told myself I would finish one someday. Mr. Jordan’s tragic passing helped me realize that someday might never come and if I wanted to write I needed to do it now. Six months later I finished my first novel, it was a horrible, unpublishable, mess but it was done and I had the writing “bug”. Now it is something I do nearly every day.


What authors influence or inspire you?
Robert Jordan, JRR Tolkien, Patrick Rothfuss, George RR Martin, Raymond Feist, Anne McCaffrey, David Eddings, Fred Saberhagen, RA Salvatore, Stephen R Donaldson, Brandon Sanderson, Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, Terry Pratchett and probably a few dozen more I can’t remember right now, I’ve always been a voracious reader.


What book(s) have you read more than once? What drew you back?
I try to read the Lord of the Rings every year or so. The series was the first thing I ever read without pictures, in the fourth or fifth grade. Whenever I read the books I get that same magical feeling I got back then. It was my introduction to the fantasy genre, and was the beginning of my long and wonderful love 

affair with reading.



Do you consider yourself a “pulp” writer? Why? Is there another genre you like to write?
For novels, I am a fantasy author. I usually use short fiction as a way to practice things I need to work on, and as a way to relax. When I write short fiction, I just write something that sounds fun. A lot of the time that means fantasy or sci-fi in the “pulp” genre, but other times it means something a little darker or a humorous piece. My short fiction really depends on my moods.


In 25 words or less, how would you define “pulp” as a genre?
Pulp is action-packed fun. Pulp is larger than life heroes, exotic places, and over the top villains. It is something read purely for entertainment.



What made you decide to submit a story for the Pirates & Swashbucklers anthology?
I wrote a story and was looking for some place to send it. I saw the call for submissions and decided my story might be a good fit. I had already read some of Pulp Empire’s online content so I pretty confident that it was going to be a high quality publication.




Read more of Kameron’s interviews at PensAndSwords.com.


Pulp Empire Presents: Pirates & Swashbucklers is now available at Pulp Empire.com. Until October 10th, use the code “62QUSQGC” at our CreateSpace bookstore to receive 15% off on the book!

PRO SE STARTS YEAR TWO WITH TWO BOOKS AND A BANG!

  • News
  • September 21, 2011

PRO SE PRESS KICKS OFF SECOND PUBLISHING YEAR 
WITH NEW IMPRINT AND TWO NEW BOOKS!


Pro Se Productions, a New Pulp Publisher debuted its first title in August, 2010.  Entering its second year of Publishing after publishing an average of one book a month in its first, Pro Se shows no signs of slowing down with two new titles and the premiere of its first in house imprint all this month!

New Pulp Author Barry Reese, creator of the well known ‘ROOK’ series, works his storytelling magic once more with a whole new cast of characters! THE ADVENTURES OF LAZARUS GRAY is Reese’s entry into Pro Se’s The Sovereign City Project, showcasing a hero whose own life is a mystery to himself. On the road to discovering his own secrets Gray and his Assistance Unlimited team encounter weirdness, madness, and defend society from the evil that flows in the streets of Sovereign City and beyond! Come along for the ride for this new Barry Reese adventure, seven stories of mystery, action, and adventure that make up the first collection in The Sovereign City Project!  Thrill to THE ADVENTURES OF LAZARUS GRAY!

“There’s a lot,” Tommy Hancock, Editor in Chief of Pro Se Productions, “that goes into any concept, especially a shared universe such as the Sovereign City Project is going to be.  Barry being a part of this and actually laying the cornerstone of the whole world with THE ADVENTURES OF LAZARUS GRAY is not only a tremendous start, but its also the birth of another New Pulp Classic from Barry.  The characters, good and bad, jump off the page and the action moves at a breakneck speed, but there’s also this eerie disturbing undercurrent that puts a different spin on classic Pulp tropes.  This is one of Barry’s best works to date.”  Reese’s work is amplified by the fantastic cover art provided by Anthony Castrillo and the stylistic interior images  by George Sellas.

One of the most prolific writers in New Pulp, Reese has dozens and dozens of characters, adventures, and worlds that he has written or intends to write about, a wealth of ideas with plenty of room for more, both more stories and more people to write them.   “There are at least five books,” Hancock stated, “in the Pro Se Publishing pipeline that are either written by Barry or based on the cyclone of ideas whirling about in his head.  Barry’s also ready to see what others can do with some of his visions.  That combined with the general growth of Pro Se and the fact we intend to be an even bigger force in New Pulp in our second year made this next announcement an easy decision.  Pro Se is privileged to reveal its first in house imprint, Reese Unlimited!”

Reese Unlimited, an imprint centered around both the written work of as well as concepts created by Reese that may be written by others, debuts with THE ADVENTURES OF LAZARUS GRAY.  Already known for tales of action, adventure, fantastic characterization, and compelling storylines, Barry will bring his imagination and editing skills to bear as well with Reese Unlimited, acting as Imprint Editor and essentially being the creative force behind the entire endeavor.   This imprint will be the home of future Lazarus Gray adventures, as well as the upcoming Rook Trilogy written by Tommy Hancock and any other ideas from the fertile mind of Barry Reese.

Pro Se continues its one-two punch launching its second year in print with the debut novel from author Chuck Miller.  CREEPING DAWN: THE RISE OF THE BLACK CENTIPEDE centers on the aforementioned Centipede, Miller’s pivotal character in a mad, wild world of magic, mystery, murder, and almost more mayhem than it has historical guest stars.  His dark origins tied to Lizzie Borden, The Black Centipede is a mysterious individual who has no life other than that of masked avenger, vigilante, and consort of weirdness.  

“This,” Hancock reported, “is not just a novel.  Chuck has breathed every bit of himself into the creation of not simply this book or this character, but the insane universe that the Centipede -populates isn’t a strong enough world.  He is the axis that the lunacy of everyone around him turns on and in response he’s a valiant hero at some turns, a madman at others, and even the deus ex machina at times.  CREEPING DAWN is an introductory ticket to one of the wildest rides New Pulp has ever seen!

CREEPING DAWN is a fast paced New Pulp mash up of noir, masked vigilantes, historical fiction, and more mystery and suspense than a centipede has legs.  With evocative cover art by David L. Russell and interiors by Peter Cooper, CREEPING DAWN: RISE OF THE BLACK CENTIPEDE by Chuck Miller is one experience not to be missed!

Both books display the fantastic Format and Design work of Pro Se’s Design master, Sean Ali.

Pro Se is thankful for the success thus far of its books and magazines and to all the supporters and fans that caused said success.  “That,” Hancock said, “is why Pro Se wants to make sure our second year kicks off in a way that our readers will enjoy, giving them a double dose of the New Pulp quality they expect from Pro Se.  And that’s not the only way we’re saying thanks.  Things to come this year from Pro Se will blow you all away and its all our way of saying Thank You to those who support New Pulp and Pro Se.”



Available now at https://www.createspace.com/3693399 and soon at www.Amazon.com!
THE ADVENTURES OF LAZARUS GRAY
By Barry Reese
Cover by Anthony Castrillo
Interiors by George Sellas
A Reese Unlimited Book
Published by Pro Se Press
List Price: $12.00
6″ x 9″
250 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1466358348



Available Now at https://www.createspace.com/3689977 and soon at www.Amazon.com
CREEPING DAWN: THE RISE OF THE BLACK CENTIPEDE
By Chuck Miller
Cover by David Russell
Interiors by Peter Cooper
Published by Pro Se Press
List Price: $12.00
6″ x 9″  
196 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1466338135 
 FOR MORE PRO SE -WWW.PULPMACHINE.BLOGSPOT.COM

Pro Se Productions
Fuller Bumpers, CEO
Tommy Hancock, EIC

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