By Max Allan Collins EDITOR'S NOTE: This piece originally appeared, in a slightly different form, as the introduction to 2001 New American Library edition of The Mike Hammer Collection, which collected I, the Jury, My Gun Is Quick and Vengeance Is Mine. It is reprinted here with the kind permission of the author, Max Allan … Continue reading Mickey Spillane: This Time It’s Personal
Category: Essays & Articles
P.G. Wodehouse: P.I. Writer
By Rudyard Kennedy "Consider the case of Henry Pifield Rice... I must explain Henry early, to avoid disappointment. If I simply said he was a detective, and let it go at that, I should be obtaining the reader's interest under false pretences. He was really only a sort of detective, a species of sleuth. At Stafford's … Continue reading P.G. Wodehouse: P.I. Writer
Talkin’ ’bout Ernest Tidyman– Can You Dig It?
A Son Remembers I can say with some assurance that my father (Ernest Tidyman) had no exploitative intent. He wanted his writing to be successful, sure, but he never intended to cash in on “black," per se. He just thought that it was time for a black hero, and he knew he could create a … Continue reading Talkin’ ’bout Ernest Tidyman– Can You Dig It?
Pulp Fiction Chez Vous: An Introduction to David Montrose’s The Body on Mont-Royal
By Kevin Burton Smith Here we are. David Montrose's The Body on Mont-Royal. The third and final of his books to feature private eye Russell Teed. First published in 1953, by Harlequin. Yes, Harlequin. And now it's finally back in print. Pulp fiction chez nous. As vivid as Raymond Chandler's Los Angeles, as Montreal as … Continue reading Pulp Fiction Chez Vous: An Introduction to David Montrose’s The Body on Mont-Royal
The Literary Life of Ralph Dennis
By Richard A. Moore RALPH DENNIS (1932-1988) was born in South Carolina and had a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina, where he also taught. For mystery fans, Dennis will always be associated with the City of Atlanta, the locale for the twelve novel series about Jim Hardman, former cop and unofficial private … Continue reading The Literary Life of Ralph Dennis
Down Those Mean Skies…
The Case of the Private Detective in Science Fiction, Fantasy and Related Genres "I've seen the future, brother/It is murder." -- Leonard Cohen, "The Future" "I checked out with K19 on Aldabaran III, and stepped out through the crummalite hatch on my 22 Model Sirus Hardtop. I cocked the timejector in secondary and waded through … Continue reading Down Those Mean Skies…
“What? You Want It to be Realistic as Well?”
An Essay by Joe Stein So, credibility? Right. Well, as my first agent told me, fiction is life with the boring bits taken out. Only he wasn't 100% right. True, many readers don't want to see their hero doing the washing, or changing the oil filter in the car, but I always thought (for that, … Continue reading “What? You Want It to be Realistic as Well?”
Just Who The Hell Was Miranda, Anyway?
An essay by Marcia Kiser Most Americans consider the framers of the Constitution of the U.S to be an unusually far-sighted individuals. After all, when embarking on the great experiment, they produced a document so all encompassing that it has survived over 200 years with only twenty-seven amendments. Unfortunately, many Americans still don't know they … Continue reading Just Who The Hell Was Miranda, Anyway?