Review: Greylorn - Keith Laumer

Recently a friend mentioned the science fiction writer Keith Laumer to me, and I recalled reading quite a bit of Laumer’s fiction with enjoyment back when I was in high school. But I hadn’t read anything by him in many years, so I checked to see what’s available. As it turns out, there’s a free e-book edition of GREYLORN, a novella that appeared originally in the April 1959 issue of the digest AMAZING SCIENCE FICTION STORIES. It also happens to be Laumer’s first published fiction, according to the Fictionmags Index. So I thought sure, why not give it a try?

This is set in the future, naturally, when Earth is ruled by a one-world government and has sent colony ships out into the universe, none of which have ever been heard from again. Some sort of mysterious ecological catastrophe called the Red Tide has struck the planet and wiped out most of civilization except for North America. The government sends out ships to search for their lost colonies, hoping to get help from one of them, but these expeditions fail. As a last ditch effort, one more ship is sent out, equipped with a newly discovered faster than light drive, to try to find the last of the lost colonies. Its captain is Commander Greylorn, who invented the FTL drive and who narrates most of this novella.

Laumer raises the stakes even more by including a mutiny and the first contact with an alien race, a contact which quickly turns perilous. Greylorn has his hands full just surviving this trip, let alone succeeding in his mission and saving Earth.

GREYLORN is cleverly plotted and Laumer keeps things moving along at a nice pace. In some ways, such as the rather shallow characterization and the lack of female characters, it's reminiscent of the science fiction from the Twenties and Thirties, but I like the SF from that era so that doesn’t bother me. This isn’t a lost classic or anything (it’s actually been reprinted in numerous collections of Laumer’s stories), but I enjoyed reading it and it makes me think I should read more of his work. I own several of his full-length novels and maybe will tackle one of them in the reasonably near future.

A Rough Edges Rerun Review: Three Worlds to Conquer - Poul Anderson

While I’ve never considered Poul Anderson one of my absolute favorite science fiction authors, I realized the other day that I’ve been reading his books off and on for more than forty years, starting with his Flandry series back in the mid-Sixties. I don’t recall ever reading a book of his that I didn’t like, either.

THREE WORLDS TO CONQUER is a non-series novel from 1964 that I’d never read before. It’s set in the Jovian system, on Jupiter itself and on the moon Ganymede, where there’s a mining colony from Earth. Humanity doesn’t have interstellar space travel yet, but there are colonies scattered throughout the solar system. Somewhat to the surprise of the colonists, they’ve made radio contact with a fairly primitive, centaur-like species native to Jupiter’s surface. One of these beings is smart enough to have mastered the radio on one of the scientific instruments sent down to the planet’s surface from Ganymede, and a friendship has sprung up between him and one of the scientists at the mining colony on the moon.

Then things go to hell for both of them. Civil war breaks out back on Earth, and a warship with a captain that’s still loyal to the losing side shows up on Ganymede, where most of the colonists backed the winners. The spaceship captain takes over the moon and plans to use it as a base to launch a counter-revolution. Down on Jupiter, a horde of barbarians have invaded the country of the native being who’s in contact with the mining colony. It’s no surprise that these two storylines intersect, and the two friends from different species wind up helping each other out.

Anderson makes it believable that sentient beings could live on Jupiter’s surface, and those chapters of the book are my favorites because they read almost like a sword-and-planet yarn, what with all the barbarians and fighting with swords and axes and such. Anderson handles all that very well. The political intrigue in the scenes set on Ganymede aren’t as compelling, but at least Anderson keeps the pace moving along swiftly and the reader can’t help but wonder how he’s going to tie everything together . . . which he does, quite neatly.

THREE WORLDS TO CONQUER is a prime example of the sort of adventure science fiction I grew up reading. If you haven’t tried Poul Anderson’s work before, it wouldn’t be a bad place to start. If you’ve read and enjoyed Anderson’s novels but not this one, it’s worth seeking out. Plus it has a decent Jack Gaughan cover.

(Since this post originally appeared on January 8, 2010, I've found out that THREE WORLDS TO CONQUER was serialized in 1964 in the science fiction digest magazine IF. I saw issues of GALAXY now and then, but IF didn't get any distribution around where I lived, so I never would have come across that version.)

A Rough Edges Rerun Review: Conquerors From the Darkness - Robert Silverberg

As author Robert Silverberg explains in his introduction to the 1979 Ace reprint of CONQUERORS FROM THE DARKNESS, the story first saw life as a novella, “Spawn of the Deadly Sea”, in the April 1957 issue of the SF digest SCIENCE FICTION ADVENTURES. (I’d be willing to bet that at least one reader of this blog owns a copy of that particular digest magazine.) A few years later he expanded the story into a full-length novel that was published by Holt, reprinted in paperback by Dell, and then finally reprinted again by Ace in a double volume with Silverberg’s 1957 novel MASTER OF LIFE AND DEATH. That’s the edition I read. [It's back in print. Details below.]

CONQUERORS FROM THE DARKNESS is exactly the sort of vivid, galloping action yarn that made me a science fiction fan in the first place. At first it seems like a heroic fantasy novel, set in some totally different universe than ours. The oceans cover the entire planet except for a few floating cities. The only commerce is between those cities, and keeping the seas safe for the merchant vessels is a Viking-like group known as the Sea-Lords. The hero of the novel, a young man named Dovirr, lives in one of the cities but wants to be a Sea-Lord and take to the oceans. He gets his wish and rapidly rises in the ranks, and along the way the reader learns that this is indeed Earth, a thousand years after alien invaders flooded the planet for reasons known only to them, preserving a little of humanity in those floating cities. After a while, the aliens abandoned Earth, also for reasons unknown, leaving it in a vaguely medieval state except for a few remnants of the alien technology that still work.

You’d think that that background, along with Dovirr’s life among the Sea-Lords and his ascent to a position of power among them, might be enough material for a novel, but if you’ve read many books like this, the twist about halfway through won’t come as any surprise: the alien Star Beasts return to take over the planet again, and Dovirr and his comrades have to find some way to stop them with swords and sailing ships.

I really enjoyed this book. In his introduction, Silverberg mentions reading the work of Robert E. Howard, and I can see some Howardian influence in CONQUERORS FROM THE DARKNESS, most notably in the way Dovirr manages to seize command of every situation in which he finds himself, much like Conan, and in a very Howard-like final line. The pace is fast, the writing colorful, and the inner 14-year-old in me just loved it. The adult reader in me thought some parts of the story could have been developed a little more and a little better, but hey, adult readers weren’t the target audience for this yarn in the first place. I really like a lot of Silverberg’s early SF (as well as the sort-core novels he wrote as Don Elliott), and if you want to settle back and have a fine time, I highly recommend CONQUERORS FROM THE DARKNESS.

(This post originally appeared in a somewhat different form on July 24, 2009. Bill Crider provided the cover scan from the issue of SCIENCE FICTION ADVENTURES. CONQUERORS FROM THE DARKNESS is currently available in both paperback and e-book editions.)

The Digest Enthusiast, Book Sixteen - Richard Krauss, ed.

For those of us who are long-time fans of genre fiction, this is kind of a Golden Age. Not only are there more readily available reprints of vintage material than even the most devoted fan could ever get around to reading, there are also a number of magazines and journals devoted to the fiction we love. For example, MEN’S ADVENTURE QUARTERLY, THE SHADOWED CIRCLE, THE BRONZE GAZETTE, and the subject of today’s post, THE DIGEST ENTHUSIAST. Book Sixteen in that series is now available, and it’s one of my favorite issues so far.

It starts off with a very nice keyhole cover featuring pinup model Jeanne Carmen, who’s featured in a long article about her career, lavishly illustrated (as they say) with many photographs and magazine cover reproductions.

Inside, regular contributor Steve Carper starts things off with an in-depth article about Handi-Books and their publisher James Quinn. Handi-Books published one of my favorite Harry Whittington novels, SLAY RIDE FOR A LADY, as well as good books by Robert Leslie Bellem, Cleve F. Adams, Paul Evan Lehman, Leslie Ernenwein, and others.

TDE editor Richard Krauss examines the first year of Howard Browne’s tenure as editor of FANTASTIC and returns later in the issue with a look at Robert A.W. Lowndes’ editorship of various magazines published by Health Knowledge. I’ve long been interested in Lowndes, who was known for editing some entertaining pulp magazines on next-to-nonexistent budgets. Krauss’s article about the Health Knowledge magazines is fascinating. Those magazines were never distributed to any of the stores and newsstands I frequented as a kid, or I would have picked them up for sure. I have a few in my collection now and always find them interesting.

Peter Enfantino continues his survey of MANHUNT, the best crime fiction digest of the Fifties, and Anthony Perconti takes a look at some of the digest-sized comic book reprint collections published by DC in the Eighties. I enjoyed both of these articles as well. Perconti’s stirred up some nice nostalgic memories because I bought and read quite a few of those digest comics collections when they were new. I actually remember seeing some of the very late issues of MANHUNT on the stands when they were new, but I never bought any of them. I’m not sure why, unless my allowance and the money I earned just wouldn’t stretch quite that far. EQMM was my mystery digest of choice in those days.

So there’s something for just about everybody in Book Sixteen of THE DIGEST ENTHUSIAST, and it’s all well-written, informative, and entertaining. This is a great series, and the latest volume is available on Amazon in both a full color and a black-and-white edition. Highly recommended.

Last Stand Mesa - L.L. Foreman

LAST STAND MESA was first published in the February 1951 issue of ZANE GREY’S WESTERN MAGAZINE and then reprinted by Ace Books in 1969 as half of an Ace Double Western, on the other side of Philip Ketchum’s MAD MORGAN’S HOARD, which I read and reviewed last week. Steve Holland lends his iconic visage to the paperback cover by Sol Korby. This is the edition I read, not the magazine version, but as short as the Ace edition is (110 pages), I doubt if Foreman had to expand it much, if any.

The protagonist of this novel is Mike McLean, an outlaw on the dodge after a failed bank robbery. Mike may be an owlhoot, but he’s a decent hombre at heart and he often finds himself in danger because he can’t resist helping folks who are in trouble. In this case, as he’s fleeing a posse in New Mexico Territory, he pauses to rescue an eccentric old tinhorn gambler from a shootout. Throwing in together, they run from trouble . . . but wind up riding right into the middle of a three-cornered range war.

The Triangle T, run by Amery Roone and his gunhawk minions, Roose’s Regulators, wants to force out all the smaller ranchers in the area. Those spreads are targeted by the outlaw gang led by Bloodywire Brokus, as well. Mike McLean sticks up for the underdog, as usual, and tries to help the small ranchers, but the situation is complicated by the fact that the boss outlaw, Brokus, has a beautiful daughter known as the Cheyenne Flame, and Mike falls for her right away.

This is one of those novels where things don’t turn out exactly as you expect them to. Just when it seems like Foreman is setting things up a certain way, the situation reverses. These twists allow Foreman to pack a lot of plot into this book, as well as some good action and excellent characterization. Foreman’s work is usually a tad more eloquent than most pulp Westerns, and LAST STAND MESA is no exception. It’s a very well-written traditional Western that I really enjoyed.

If you want to know more about Foreman, here's an excellent article about him on the Pulp Flakes website. By the way, I wasn’t familiar with cover artist Sol Korby, but looking into his background led me to this interview with him conducted by Michael Stradford. I give both of these high recommendations, as well.

Art by Nicholas S. Firfires

The Digest Enthusiast, Book Fifteen - Richard Krauss, ed.

The history and evolution of Fantasy Tales as told by its editors Stephen Jones and David A. Sutton in a behind-the-scenes interview, complete with vintage photographs and artifacts.

Gary Lovisi exposes the licentious Marijuana Girl by N.R. de Mexico, as cited by the Select Committee on Current Pornographic Materials in 1952.

Howard Browne’s vision for the ultimate fantasy and science fiction digest: Fantastic. An in-depth review of its debut year, packed with the inside stories behind its fiction.

Tom Brinkmann uncovers the original 7 Year Itch with buxom beauty Vanessa Brown and Tom Ewell via the pocket-size pages of People Today.

Anthony Perconti corresponds with author William Preston about his Old Man series for Asimov’s Science Fiction, that includes a peek into the final episode, yet to come.

Peter Enfantino wraps up Manhunt’s third year in an edifying, gripping exposé, capped with his top ten picks for 1955.

Jack Seabrook lauds Avon’s Murder Mystery Monthly No. 31 with William Irish’s “If I Should Die Before I Wake” in a revealing examination of the master’s talent for terror and suspense.

Joseph Gollomb, once credited as the premier true crime reporter of the day, proves the conceit in our in-depth review of his digest classic: 11 True Crimes.

The crime fiction of “Lost Author” Carl G. Hodges is ripe for revival. Join the ranks of his fans as we recount his career with a deep dive into 1951’s digest novel: Crime On My Hands.

Steve Carper returns with a robust report on the rare children’s digest series, Boys’ and Girls’ Fiction, straight out of Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Robert A.W. Lowndes’ Startling Mystery Stories No. 2 gets its due in an inclusive review of its stories, with author backgrounds and feature summaries.

Industry news—with over 30 cover previews—from the digest world’s favorite editors, publishers, and writers.

In all, there’s nearly 150 magazine covers, cartoons by Bob Vojtko, and more. Cover by Rachel Krauss.

160 pages, published in color and b&w print editions, and Kindle, by Larque Press LLC.

There are a number of non-fiction journals devoted to subjects near and dear to my heart being published. One that I’ve been reading and greatly enjoying for several years is THE DIGEST ENTHUSIAST, which is up to Book Fifteen in its run. I was too late for the pulps, or rather, mostly too late; they were still being published after I was born, but I don’t recall ever seeing any new pulps except for some of the final issues of RANCH ROMANCES AND ADVENTURES, and by then it was only a quasi-pulp, not quite the same size and with trimmed edges. But I digress. I was talking about digest magazines, devoted mostly to genre fiction, and I was around for their heyday in the Sixties, Seventies, and Eighties. The format really got started in the late Forties and picked up a lot of steam in the Fifties, and when I was a kid those days were recent enough that I often came across used copies of those magazines and bought them, too, along with new issues off the magazine racks at the drugstore and grocery store.

To get back to THE DIGEST ENTHUSIAST, BOOK FIFTEEN, editor Richard Krauss and various contributors deliver the usual well-written, entertaining collection of articles, essays, and reviews pertaining to a wide variety of digest magazines. My favorites are Krauss’s article about the creation and first year of the SF/fantasy digest FANTASTIC; Peter Enfantino’s continuing examination of the iconic crime digest MANHUNT, this time focusing on the issues from 1955; and Krauss’s review of STARTLING MYSTERY STORIES, No. 2, Fall 1966. But as usual when I sit down with an issue of THE DIGEST ENTHUSIAST, I read it cover to cover and enjoyed everything about it. All the issues are available on Amazon, and if you’re interested in genre fiction, you really need to read these. Very high recommendation. 

The Legion of Lazarus - Edmond Hamilton

I’ve been a fan of Edmond Hamilton’s science fiction since reading his Starwolf novels in the Sixties, followed by the paperback reprints of some of his Captain Future pulp novels. Actually, I’d read and enjoyed some of Hamilton’s work before that—his Superman stories published in the comic books—but I didn’t know that at the time. Over the decades since, I’ve read many of his novels and stories in various anthologies, including the highly recommended Del Rey collection THE BEST OF EDMOND HAMILTON, edited by Hamilton’s wife, writer Leigh Brackett.

All of which brings us to the most recent work by Hamilton I’ve read, the short novel THE LEGION OF LAZARUS, which was published in the April 1956 issue of the science fiction digest magazine IMAGINATION. Hamilton contributed a lot of stories to IMAGINATION and its sister publication, IMAGINATIVE TALES, during the Fifties.

THE LEGION OF LAZARUS is a “lost loot” yarn, a plot common in Westerns and hardboiled crime novels. You know how it goes: a criminal, or an outlaw gang if it’s a Western, stashes either a lot of money or something worth a lot of money and then is either killed or caught and sent to prison. Years later, various factions, sometimes including the original thief, try to locate the loot and fight over who’ll get their hands on it first.

In this case, the lost loot is a cache of Titanite, a rare element found only on Saturn’s moon Titan, which is the last thing needed to power an interstellar drive that will allow mankind to escape our solar system. The protagonist, who was found guilty of murdering the guy who stole the Titanite in the first place, has been on ice for the past fifty years—literally. The justice system doesn’t execute murderers anymore, it freezes them for fifty years and then brings them back to life. Hence the reference to Lazarus in the title. But an unintended by-product of this process is that it gives the Lazarites (as they call themselves) the ability to communicate telepathically, along with other mental powers.

When our hero, who’s actually innocent of the crime for which he was convicted (another common hardboiled crime novel element), wakes up after his fifty years of punishment, he has to clear his name, find the loot, and navigate the treacherous waters of the various groups who want him and the Titanite. Hamilton establishes all this pretty quickly and then never lets the action flag in what’s basically a chase yarn across the Solar System.

I thoroughly enjoyed THE LEGION OF LAZARUS. Hamilton packs it so full of concepts that it probably would have been a thick 150,000 word novel these days, as opposed to the lean 30,000 or so it actually is. I much prefer galloping through a yarn like this instead of slogging through some doorstop. An e-book version is available for free on Amazon, and there are several inexpensive paperback editions to be found, as well. The Forties and Fifties remain my favorite era for science fiction, and if you enjoy SF adventures from those days, I give THE LEGION OF LAZARUS a high recommendation.

The Digest Enthusiast, Book Fourteen - Richard Krauss, ed.

The Digest Enthusiast continues to be a clear labor of love for editor Richard Krauss and one of the most beautifully put together publications around. What will you find in the most recent issue, you ask? How's this sound?

Reviews of Ed McBain's Mystery Book No. 3, Startling Mystery Stories No. 1, Vanguard Science Fiction (the one and only issue), The Dark City Oct. 2020, 20 Million Miles to Earth, Wonder Stories, The Haunt of Horror, Terror Detective Story Magazine No. 1-4, and Peter Infantino's continuing coverage of Manhunt. Plus industry news and cover previews from the digest world's favorite editors, publishers, and creators. New fiction from John Kuharik, Jack Seabrook, and Robert Snashall with art by Michael Neno. Nearly 100 digest magazine covers in full color, cartoons by Bob Vojtko, and more. 160 pages, published in full color by Larque Press.

There's sort of a tradition around there that when a new issue of The Digest Enthusiast comes in, it's read from cover to cover within a day or two, and that was the case here. My favorite feature this time around is the in-depth look at The Haunt of Horror, because I remember buying and reading those two issues when they came out. I had at least one issue of Ed McBain's Mystery Book, but I don't recall if it was the one reviewed here. I don't think I ever got around to reading it. Startling Mystery Stories came out when I was already avidly buying genre magazines, but I never saw a copy of it, or any of the other Health Knowledge publications, for that matter. I guess they just didn't get any distribution around here.

But I know one thing: every time I read an issue of The Digest Enthusiast, it takes me back to a fondly remembered era and provides a great deal of entertainment and information. I highly recommend Book Fourteen and all the earlier issues, too.

The Digest Enthusiast, Book Thirteen - Richard Krauss, ed.

The latest issue of THE DIGEST ENTHUSIAST is out, and even by the usual high standards, it's just packed with good stuff. Check out this line-up.

Interview with Analog and Asimov's Managing Editor: Emily Hockaday.

Peter Enfantino reviews Manhunt-1955 part one.

Jack Seabrook investigates the mysterious true crime reports of Leo Marr for Mystery Book Magazine. Gary Lovisi reveals the highly collectible digest paperbacks from Falcon Books.

Steve Carper uncovers the genre giants of Fantasy & Science Fiction Classics.

Vince Nowell, Sr. shines the spotlight on Robert A.W. Lowndes' reign of digests.

Catch up on breaking industry news-with cover previews-from the digest world's favorite editors, publishers, and writers.

New fiction by Richard Krauss, Robert Snashall, and Joe Wehrle, Jr. with artwork by Rick McCollum and Marc Myers.

Reviews of Switchblade No. 12, Sword & Sorcery Annual, Rock and a Hard Place No. 3, and Marilyn Monroe's digest cover trading cards.

Plus over 100 digest magazine covers in full color, first issue factoids, cartoons by Bob Vojtko, and more. Cover by Brian Buniak, 160 pages, published in full color by Larque Press.

I read it from cover to cover and enjoyed it, also as usual, but my favorites this time around are Peter Infantino's MANHUNT reviews, a great article by Gary Lovisi about Falcon Books (I used to have some of those books!), and Vince Nowell, Sr.'s article about Robert A.W. Lowndes. I find Lowndes' work very interesting, especially his long run as the editor of various pulp magazines (SF, mystery, and Western) where he had to work with very low budgets but consistently made something out of almost nothing. This article is about his equally impressive work as a digest magazine editor. I don't recall ever reading any of Lowndes' fiction, and I probably should remedy that. In the meantime, this latest issue of THE DIGEST ENTHUSIAST gets a very high recommendation from me. I really enjoyed it.

The Digest Enthusiast, Book Twelve - Richard Krauss, ed.

Interviews
• Tony Gleeson (Fantastic, Amazing Science Fiction, Mike Shayne, Personal Crimes).
• John Shirley (Weirdbook, Fantastic, The Crow, Constantine, Wetbones).

Articles
• Lester del Rey’s Five Ages of Science Fiction by Vince Nowell, Sr.
• Born of Other Worlds, it’s Science Stories, a digest Ray Palmer “tossed in your lap with little or no ceremony.”
• News and dozens of cover previews from around the world of digests, direct from the magazines’ editors, publishers, and writers.
• Mike Chomko and William Lampkin untangle the fate of PulpFest 2020 and The Pulpster.
• Richard Krauss exhumes the true crime sensation: Fotocrime.
• Steve Carper rediscovers the remarkable Photoplay Editions.
• Ward Smith spotlights Digest Science Fiction Novels.

Reviews
• Amazing Selects
• bare•bones No. 1
• EconoClash Review No. 5
• Guns + Tacos Season One
• Lake County Incidents
• Paperback Fanatic No. 43

Fiction
• Stories by Michael Bracken, Rick Ollerman, and Joe Wehrle, Jr. with artwork by Rick McCollum, Marc Myers, and Michael Neno.

Plus
• Over 100 digest magazine cover images, cartoons by Bob Vojtko, first issue factoids, and more.
• Cover by Tony Gleeson, 160 pages, published in full color by Larque Press.

(The Digest Enthusiast continues to be the most informative, entertaining magazine around, and if you have any interest in digest magazines or magazine fiction in general, you really need to be reading it. Great stuff as usual, with a slight emphasis on science fiction this time around, but my favorite part was the interview with Tony Gleeson, who provided the cover for the "Crimes in Other Times" issue of MIKE SHAYNE MYSTERY MAGAZINE with what I think is my best Mike Shayne story. It's really nice learning more about the cover artist all these years later!)

The Digest Enthusiast, Book Eleven - Richard Krauss, ed.

Interviews with Janice Law (Madame Selina series AHMM), Paul D. Marks (Bunker Hill series EQMM), and Jeff Vorzimmer (The Best of Manhunt).

Peter Enfantino summarizes 1954's final issues of Manhunt.

Vince Nowell, Jr. grapples with Beyond Infinity.

Richard Krauss spotlights Leo Margulies Giant of the Digests

Steve Carper dissects a Classic error.

Ward Smith quantifies Astounding's formats.

New fiction by John Kuharik, Vince Nowell, Sr., and Joe Wehrle, Jr. with artwork by Rick McCollum, Marc Myers, and Michael Neno.

Reviews of Homicide Hotel from Gary Lovisi, Tough 2, and Paperback Parade No. 104.

Plus nearly 150 digest magazine cover images, News Digest, cartoons by Bob Vojtko, first issue factoids, and more.

Cover by Rick McCollum, 160 pages, published by Larque Press.

The Digest Enthusiast--now in full color!--continues to be one of the very few magazines I read and one of my absolute favorite publications, bar none. This is a spectacular issue, and I haven't even finished going through it yet. Fans of the classic crime digest MANHUNT shouldn't miss this issue, with Peter Infantino's continuing series discussing the stories published there (I don't always agree with Peter's opinions, but they're sure fun to read!) and an interview with Jeff Vorzimmer focusing on his work on the great collection THE BEST FROM MANHUNT, as well as Jeff's other work with Stark House including the Orrie Hitt double for which I wrote the intro. Add in some fine reviews, a great article by editor Richard Krauss about Leo Margulies that brought back a lot of memories for me as both a reader and a writer, and plenty of other features, and there's no doubt that this new issue of The Digest Enthusiast gets a high recommendation from me!

The Digest Enthusiast, Book Ten - Richard Krauss, ed.

I've been waiting to have a copy of this book in my hands before posting about it, and now I do. THE DIGEST ENTHUSIAST is just about the best magazine out there, and the new issue, Book Ten, features the longest, most extensive interview I've ever done, with lots of cover reproductions and at least one photo of me that I'm pretty sure has never been published anywhere else. Doing this interview with editor Richard Krauss was a lot of fun and brought back many great memories of the early days of my career.

Of course, there's a lot more to THE DIGEST ENTHUSIAST, BOOK TEN, than just my ramblings. You can also read about the Creature from the Black Lagoon, a small publisher I'd never heard of called Bronze Books, and articles on wonderful digests such as MANHUNT, AMAZING STORIES, STARTLING MYSTERY STORIES, ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S MYSTERY MAGAZINE, and a great article on the short-lived CHARLIE CHAN MYSTERY MAGAZINE by Richard Krauss. That's just a ton of great reading, and as always, I give THE DIGEST ENTHUSIAST a very high recommendation.

The Digest Enthusiast, Book Nine - Richard Krauss, ed.

Interviews

• Filmmaker and author Susan Emshwiller reveals the inside story on her films, the work of her parents, Ed Emshwiller and Carol Emshwiller, along with nearly two dozen rare photographs of her famous family.

• Senior Art Director Victoria Green takes us behind the scenes of the art department at AHMM, Analog, Asimov’s, and EQMM, complemented by artist’s confidentials from Tim Foley and Maurizio Manzieri.

Articles

• Vince Nowell, Sr. charts Ray Palmer’s digest dynasty from 1948 to 1958, followed by the bibliography of S.J. Byrne, one of Palmer’s go-to SF storytellers.

• Tom Brinkmann uncovers Benedict Canyon, where Elke Sommer and Joe Hyams joined “A Neighborhood of Ghosts” from 1964 to 1969.

• Steve Carper wraps “One-and-Dones” with a final, fascinating batch of obscure and/or rare collector’s treasures.

• Peter Enfantino delivers a story-by-story synopsis of Manhunt from January thru June 1954. Plus a report on the rare western digest paperback, Sunset Showdownby Steve Frazee.

Fiction

• Crime, espionage, and fantasy fiction by Michael Bracken, Josh Pachter, and Joe Wehrle, Jr., with art from Marc Myers, Michael Neno, and Joe.

Also includes

• News from all your favorite genre digest magazines, straight from their editors’ lips, including every newsstand stalwart, and the new generation of POD/digital stars.

• In-depth reviews of EconoClash Review, Nostalgia Digest, Occult Detective Quarterly, and Hot Lead.

• Plus over 100 digest magazine cover images, cartoons by Bob Vojtko and Clark Dissmeyer, first issue factoids, and more.

• Cover by Ed Emshwiller,

THE DIGEST ENTHUSIAST is one of the best publications out there, and the just-released Book Nine continues that tradition of excellence. I particularly enjoyed Vince Nowell Sr.'s article about Ray Palmer, Peter Infantino's continuing coverage of MANHUNT issues (I don't always agree with Infantino's opinions on individual stories, but they're always entertaining), the piece about Steve Frazee's SUNSET SHOWDOWN, the review of the great Western fanzine HOT LEAD, and Michael Bracken's short story. There's plenty of good reading here, and I give THE DIGEST ENTHUSIAST, BOOK NINE a high recommendation.

The Digest Enthusiast, Book Seven - Richard Krauss, ed.

THE DIGEST ENTHUSIAST continues to be one of my favorite current publications, and the recently released Book Seven is no exception. Once again it provides an in-depth look at a variety of digest publications from past and present, leading off with a lengthy interview with Rick Ollerman, editor of DOWN & OUT: THE MAGAZINE, as well as the author of several well-received suspense novels and many top-notch introductions and essays from Stark House reprints of classic hardboiled, noir, and mystery fiction. The interview covers all these aspects of Ollerman’s career and is very informative and entertaining.

Other highlights for me include Peter Infantino’s continuing issue-by-issue survey of the iconic crime digest MANHUNT; a look at all the stories by Robert Edmond Alter (an author I really like) published in ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S MYSTERY MAGAZINE, also by Infantino; Josh Pachter’s look back at ESPIONAGE MAGAZINE, a publiction with which he had a personal connection (and which I remember buying faithfully off the magazine rack at the local grocery store); and an article by Joe Wehrle Jr. on the Telzey Amberdon science fiction stories by James H. Schmitz, some of which I’ve read, and this article makes me want to collect and read the rest of them. All in all, THE DIGEST ENTHUSIAST is well worth your time and money if you have any interest in these magazines at all, and if you don’t, it just might change your mind. Highly recommended.

Now Available: The Digest Enthusiast, Book Six

It's always a good day when the latest issue of THE DIGEST ENTHUSIAST arrives. This one starts off with a fine barbarian cover by Brian Bruniak. Some of the highlights inside are interviews with science fiction writer Edd Vick and mystery writer B.K. Stevens, articles on everything from a book authored by Bob Hope and his team of comedy writers to Brian Aldiss's series of "Hothouse" stories that originally appeared in THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION, and reviews of WEIRDBOOK #34 and an SF magazine I don't remember ever seeing, INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE FICTION. The highlight of the issue for me, though, is Peter Enfantino's in-depth review of the first four issues of the iconic crime fiction digest MANHUNT. I don't agree with all of his opinions, mind you, but there's still a lot of great information to be found here and I love the way Enfantino writes about such things. As always, THE DIGEST ENTHUSIAST gets a high recommendation from me.

Now Available: The Digest Enthusiast, Book Five

A new volume of THE DIGEST ENTHUSIAST is out, which means plenty of good reading for fans of digest magazines such as myself. For me the highlights of Book Five are a lengthy interview with Bill Crider, my oldest friend in the writing business; Gary Lovisi's review of the fine noir novel HONKY TONK GIRL by Charles Beckman, Jr.; and a couple of articles/checklists by Peter Infantino, one covering the relatively obscure crime digest JUSTICE, the other an extensive look at a magazine I've read a great deal about but never seen, MAGAZINE OF HORROR, edited by Robert A.W. Lowndes. I've long been interested in Lowndes' ability to put out some pretty entertaing pulps on tiny budgets, and he did the same with this digest. There's also a summary by DIGEST ENTHUSIAST editor/publisher Richard Krauss of a 1949 WRITER'S YEARBOOK article by Lowndes about writing fiction for the pulps. Great stuff all around, and highly recommended.

The Digest Enthusiast, Book Four

Interviews • Art Taylor (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine) • Editors: Alec Cizak (Pulp Modern), Jennifer Landels (Pulp Literature), John Kenyon (Grift Magazine), Kristen Valentine (Betty Fedora) and Sheri White (Morpheus Tales) on the new generation of digital digests.

Articles • Suspense Magazine and Suspense Novels by Richard Krauss • Galaxy Novels by Steve Carper • Galaxy Magabooks by Gary Lovisi • Criswell Predicts: Fate & Spaceway by Tom Brinkmann • Shock Mystery Tales by Peter Enfantino • Pocket Pin-Ups trading cards by Richard Krauss

Reviews by Joe Wehrle, Jr. and Richard Krauss • H.G. Wells Society Newsletter • Bulldog Drummond by Sapper • Mystery, Detective, and Espionage Magazines by Michael L. Cook

Fiction • “The Hideout” by Ron Fortier, art by Rob Davis • “A Rat Must Chew” by Gary Lovisi, art by Sean Azzopardi • “Strangers in Need” story and art by Joe Wehrle, Jr. • “Wounded Wizard” by John Kuharik, art by Michael Neno Includes explicit language.

Cartoons • Brad Foster • Bob Vojtko

Also includes • Editor's Notes • Suspense Magazine contents and reprint sources • Social media round-up • Opening Lines

Includes nearly 100 cover images.

THE DIGEST ENTHUSIAST continues to be one of the very best publications out there. I mean, look at that line-up. Highlights for me are the in-depth looks at SUSPENSE MAGAZINE, SHOCK MYSTERY TALES, and the Galaxy novels, plus some great fiction including a Brother Bones story by Ron Fortier. The Bulldog Drummond review also sparked considerable interest on my part, since I've read one of the books in that series and have been wanting to get around to the others for a long time. If you have any interest in digest magazines, you really need to be reading THE DIGEST ENTHUSIAST.

Now Available: The Digest Enthusiast, Book Three

The latest edition of THE DIGEST ENTHUSIAST is out, and as always, it's a pure pleasure to read, especially for those of us who are long-time fans of magazine fiction in all its forms. Highlights this time around are two pieces by Peter Enfantino: "The Horror of the Creeping Monsters", an in-depth look at SUPER-SCIENCE FICTION, including a synopsis and discussion of every single story in the magazine's 18 issues; and a similar treat of the even more short-lived (two issues) Western digest GUNSMOKE. I also thoroughly enjoyed Steve Carper's look at the digest appearances of Dashiell Hammett's novels and stories. All the articles and reviews are interesting, and there's fiction by Ron Fortier, Joe Wehrle Jr., and Gary Lovisi. A great package all around, and highly recommended.

The Digest Enthusiast, Book Two - Arkay Olgar, ed.

I've heard quite a bit about the new magazine The Digest Enthusiast, all of it good, and having read the second issue, I have to agree. For someone like me who grew up reading digest magazines—there was a wide selection of them available at most grocery and drug stores when I was a kid—this is a very entertaining publication.

The Digest Enthusiast covers all sorts of magazines. Included in this issue are articles about The Mysterious Traveler Magazine, Beyond Fantasy Fiction, Borderline, Paperback Parade, Asimov's Science Fiction, Analog/Astounding, and even the Archie Comics digests. Plus articles on other comics, like the very intriguing Italian publication Mister No (I wish some of these were available in English translations) and on literary magazines. There are also fine interviews with my old friend Gary Lovisi, publisher of Gryphon books; mystery writer Robert Lopresti; and Steve Darnell, publisher of Nostalgia Digest. Rounding out the issue, appropriately enough, are four short stories by Joe Wehrle Jr., D.D. Ploog, Richard Krauss, and John M. Kuharik. These are excellent crime and fantasy yarns.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Digest Enthusiast: Book Two, enough so that I've gone back and ordered the first issue so I can catch up, and I intend to be a regular reader from now on. Highly recommended.

The Continental Opposite - Evan Lewis

The Continental Op is one of my all-time favorite characters and has been ever since I was in high school and discovered the paperbacks reprinting the stories that featured him. If you'd asked me, I wouldn't have been sure that anybody could do justice to the character in a pastiche.

But by golly, that's exactly what Evan Lewis has done in his story "The Continental Opposite" in the May issue of ALFRED HITCHCOCK MYSTERY MAGAZINE.

He accomplishes this by doing something very clever. The Op is an important supporting character in this story, but the protagonist and narrator is another operative for Continental in 1953, a young Korean War veteran named Peter Collins (a nod to Dashiell Hammett's early pseudonym Peter Collinson). Collins works for the agency's Portland office and suspects that his boss is crooked. The Old Man, as Collins calls him (but we all know who he really is) is a retired operative sent to get to the bottom of the matter.

This set-up leads to a fast-paced adventure involving local gangsters, political corruption, opium dens, and other good stuff. Lewis doesn't slavishly imitate Hammett but instead tells the story in his own effective, hardboiled style.

"The Continental Opposite" is the first story in a series, and I eagerly await the next one. Highly recommended.

(If your local bookstore or newsstand doesn't carry AHMM, which is entirely possible in this day and age, you can buy single e-book issues or subscribe to the e-book version on Amazon.)