BARE BONES is a great resource for pulp enthusiasts; in this issue (Winter 2023), I discovered a bunch of new-to-me books, series, and authors which IBARE BONES is a great resource for pulp enthusiasts; in this issue (Winter 2023), I discovered a bunch of new-to-me books, series, and authors which I'd love to add to the collection. The downside? Most of the books featured in this particular issue are extremely expensive and out of reach of most who'd want to read more of the fiction reviewed here.
Highlights include: - The Agent 008 series by Clyde Allison; the books sound pure pulp cheese, combing a heady mix of soft core, crime, and action-orientated story telling akin to Bond. There are 20 books in the series, most with fantastic covers and short, sharp, entertaining stories (at least from what I was able to gleam from the reviews!) - Sleaze Alley; a review section dedicated to reviewing, well, sleaze pulps of course! Wanton D.O.A by Andrew Shay and The Orgy Inspector by Alan Marshall piqued my interest. This really is a great part of the magazine. - Duane Swierczynski's article focusing on Goodis's days of couch hopping on a virtual tour of his stomping grounds was great to get insight into one of my Favorite authors written by one of my favorite authors! - Get Me Lou Largo!; much like the Agent 008 series review, the features a review of the six books in the Lou Largo pulp private eye series from the 1960's and some of these sound great! It's a shame the series didn't continue past the last published installment, Give Me This Woman by William Ard given that looked to have been the best in the series. Another one to add to my list! ...more
A solid 3.5 star read. Very informative. A character index would've been useful to keep track of the many mobsters/politicians/and starlets in the booA solid 3.5 star read. Very informative. A character index would've been useful to keep track of the many mobsters/politicians/and starlets in the book. ...more
"It cost an arm and a leg just to live on your knees,
And I'm trying to keep my sanity, God help me please"
- Snoop Dogg, Midnight Love
As an 80's kid g"It cost an arm and a leg just to live on your knees,
And I'm trying to keep my sanity, God help me please"
- Snoop Dogg, Midnight Love
As an 80's kid growing up in Australia, Hip Hop & Hymns provided the nostalgic trip down memory lane I didn't know I was craving until after I'd consumed every crumb off my plate. Commonwealth Banks' Dollarmites program, Bi-Lo, The Source - these were parts of my childhood I got to relive through the authors' easy flowing writing style. Yet, Hip Hop & Hymns takes the trip further, providing a behind the curtains look at a perspective most Aussie kids aren't privy.
"To make bread I gotta steal for sport,
So I stole the show and made some pennies for my thoughts"
- Onyx, Last Dayz
Dabbling in petty crime, exposure to drugs and alcohol and making bad decisions with members of the opposite sex paints a picture a lot of teenagers can relate. The raw honestly is refreshing and welcome. The ying to the yang in the ups and down of life is so eloquently depicted in Hop Hop & Hymns.
"I rap divine Gods check the prognosis, is it real, or showbiz?
My window faces shootouts, drug overdoses,
Live amongst no roses, only the drama, for real"
- Nas, Memory Lane
While there's plenty of drama, the strife life in Hip Hop & Hymns is accessible and relatable. The influence of circumstance and situational bias we experience as teenagers resonates throughout our adult lives and is beautifully articulated here. It's so pleasing to feel the profound impact rap has on author Mawunyo Gbogbo, equally as much as it has had in this reviewer's formative years.
True, there's a distinct lack of shootouts or drug overdoses in this memoir (per the Nas reference above), however the themes of hardship, perseverance, resilience, and survival in the face of adversity resonate throughout the chapters. Despite featuring little reference to the Queensbridge emcee; Nas' early albums Illmatic and It Was Written were playing on constant rotation in my head as Mawunyo Gbogbo took me by the hand and walked me down her memory lane, not shying from any truths or tribulations as she laid bare her story for all.
"So put your money on the bread winner.
I kick lyrics so dope that the brothers call em head spinners."
- Lady of Rage, Afro Puffs
I get a kick out of reading 'feel-good stories', particularly those where real people overcome hardships, personal demons, and bad situations for the betterment of their growth and maturity. It's inspirational and relatable. Hip Hop & Hymns makes for a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience....more
Simple young adult autobiography. The style and tone fit perfectly with the Goosebumps formula, right down to the ‘cliff hanger’ chapter endings. SomeSimple young adult autobiography. The style and tone fit perfectly with the Goosebumps formula, right down to the ‘cliff hanger’ chapter endings. Some nice insights into the authors’ plight. Overall a cosy one-sitting read. ...more
I like non fiction I can dip in and out of. Had this on the go for a year (yikes!). Solid enough read of synopses for 40+ sword and sorcery films. WouI like non fiction I can dip in and out of. Had this on the go for a year (yikes!). Solid enough read of synopses for 40+ sword and sorcery films. Would’ve benefited from some cover art though. Also could’ve done without the shameless plug by the author at the end of the book about his own sword and sorcery novel. ...more
Much like Cults Uncovered, Unsolved Murders offers up an eclectic mix of murderous morsels of some of the most notorious crimes over the past 100 yearMuch like Cults Uncovered, Unsolved Murders offers up an eclectic mix of murderous morsels of some of the most notorious crimes over the past 100 years. From JonBenet Ramsey to Tupac and Biggie to the Black Dahlia murder(s), authors Amber Hunt and Emily G. Thompson bite off each crime, providing short, sharp, factual and fascinating glimpses into the case to whet the readers appetite.
With 21 unsolved murders packed into a little over 200 pages, there's a lot to take in, yet the authors write each chapter in such a free flowing and easily readable way that the book never feels overwhelming.
Be it a crime committed pre DNA, a bundled investigation, or simply a killer who looks to have outsmarted law enforcement, each unsolved murder case is equally as heinous as the one preceding it. How these killers remain free is as much as a mystery as is their identity.
Unsolved Murders is a great place to start if you're looking to delve deep into the annals of crime. ...more
Cults, religious fanaticism, terrorism, brainwashing, mass murder, and gross scale manipulation of the vulnerable and at-risk are all scary and confroCults, religious fanaticism, terrorism, brainwashing, mass murder, and gross scale manipulation of the vulnerable and at-risk are all scary and confronting elements explored in delicately balanced morsels of madness ripped from straight from newspaper and social medial headlines worldwide.
Non-fiction, and in particular, true crime can be difficult to read. For one, unlike fiction, the murder, horror, and heartache is real. In Cults Uncovered, many followers and bystanders alike suffered in the most inhumane conditions and were exploited by virtue of their ignorance and manipulated by their (at times, misguided) beliefs.
In short, sharp chapters sticking to facts and telling the hard truths, author Emily G. Thompson's recounting of these horrific happenings is a beginners guide to uncovering what lay beneath the glossy magazine spreads and prime time coverage of some of the most memorable and disturbing acts of human depravity in the last century.
Cults Uncovered serves well to introduce those with a casual curiosity of the atrocities taken place in these cults and provides plenty of reference points to dig deeper....more
A fun resource for horror and (to an extent) vintage sci-fi enthusiasts. The first three issues of the fanzine are collected here and each brings someA fun resource for horror and (to an extent) vintage sci-fi enthusiasts. The first three issues of the fanzine are collected here and each brings something a little different, however, a common theme seems to be a lean towards the short forms of fiction such as short story collections and anthologies. Personally, I've hunted down three books mentioned here and will be on the look out for more.
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