Tagged: fantasy

NEW PULP AUTHOR PALMER RELEASES ‘4 TERRORS!’

From the mind of New Pulp author James Palmer comes four bizarre tales of fantasy and weird horror.

The House of the Witch-Gideon Cain is a Puritan charged with tracking down the demon Azazel, who was responsible for setting off the Salem witch paranoia. But when another town is believed to be infested by witchcraft, will he be able to tell friend from foe in time to save it?

The Tunnels of Lao Fang-A daring young man goes to Hong Kong to rescue his friend and uncovers an evil older than time.

The Hand of Yogul-Can a former criminal and slave stop his former master from unleashing a terrible evil on the world?

The Meteor Terror-A meteor strikes a small Georgia farm and brings with it a terrible evil from beyond space.

Ripped straight from the classic pulps, and inspired by such visionaries as Robert E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft, these four, previously published tales of weird menace and cosmic horror will leave you gasping for breath and asking for more!

If any of you guys missed these stories the first time around, now’s your chance! And it’s a steal at 99 cents.
You can check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0085MQV08/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb 

DOC SAVAGE RETURNS IN LATEST ADVENTURE-THE INFERNAL BUDDHA!


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May 8, 2012



THE INFERNAL BUDDHA

Altus Press is proud to announce the release of the third volume in its acclaimed Wild Adventures of Doc Savage series, written by Will Murray and Lester Dent, writing as Kenneth Robeson.

Set in the Fall of 1936, THE INFERNAL BUDDHA tells the epic story of Doc Savage’s desperate quest to control the Buddha of Ice, a relic of unknown origin—and
what may become the most dangerous object on Earth!

When a mummy arrives at Doc Savage’s New York headquarters wearing
the clothes of his missing assistant, engineer Renny Renwick, Doc, Monk, and Ham rush to Singapore where they get on the trail of a swashbuckling pirate who calls himself the Scourge of the South China Sea, in whose hands a piece of the infernal Buddha has fallen. The trail leads to Pirate Island, the fate of Renny, and a mysterious box
containing a terrible, unstoppable power.

But that is only the beginning of the quest into which the Man of Bronze plunges—one that will take him to the upper reaches of the Yellow Sea and a series
a wild ocean battles against the vicious factions fighting for control on the infernal Buddha.

Before it is all over, every human life on Earth will tremble on the brink of eternity, and Doc Savage will face his greatest test.

“This may be my wildest Doc novel to date,” says author Will Murray. “THE INFERNAL BUDDHA is a fantasy epic full of corsairs, criminals and other culprits. The menace is planetary. The threat, extinction. Doc Savage has a reputation for saving the world. This time he does it on the greatest scale possible. I began this book back in 1992, working from an opening situation Lester Dent started in 1935. Together, we have produced a true Doc Savage epic. And it only took about 75 years….”

THE INFERNAL BUDDHA will be released as a trade paperback and e-book in May, with the hardcover edition following in June. All editions will feature a startling cover painted by Joe DeVito, depicting Doc Savage as the Buccaneer of Bronze! This cover was painted from a still taken in 1964 of legendary model Steve Holland, and is a variant pose shot for famed illustrator James Bama’s classic cover to THE MAN ON BRONZE. There has never been a Doc cover like it!

The hardcover edition will include two bonus features—an Afterword by Will Murray detailing the creation of this story, and a memoir by James Bama of his days painting the Bantam Books Doc covers.

For ordering information, go to www.Adventuresinbronze.com 

Hugo Deadline Fast Approaching

  • News
  • March 11, 2012

I always leave these things to the last minute, so I just submitted my nominating ballot. It’s not as full, or as well-informed, as I’d like to be, but this process works best the more of us take part — however much, and however well, we can.

So, if you’re eligible, and you haven’t yet done it, take a few minutes before midnight PDT tonight and fill out some of your favorites from 2011. The nominating ballot is here. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t read or seen “everything;” none of us have. You’ve read or seen some things, and if you thought some of those are good enough, nominate ’em.

FORTIER TAKES ON DOC VOODOO!

  • News
  • February 5, 2012

ALL PULP REVIEWS by Ron Fortier
DOC VOODOO
Aces & Eights
By Dale Lucas
Beating Windward Press
201 pages
Last year well known fantasy author Charles Saunders delighted the new pulp community by releasing his novel DAMBALLA, making it the very first pulp novel set in the 1930s to feature an African American hero.  Just this week that same book has been nominated for the Pulp Factory Awards of 2011 for Best Pulp Novel.
Of course good ideas often emerge simultaneously amongst multiple creators and this was the case here.  While DAMBALLA was making its big splash from its widely respected new pulp publisher, Airship 27 Productions, another hard hitting new pulp thriller was debuting from a little known outfit called Beating Windward Press.  This one also featured an African American avenger operating in Harlem, only this one was set in 1926, the heart of the Roaring Twenties.  Written by California based Dale Lucas, “Doc Voodoo” shares several iconic similarities with Damballa to be sure, yet there are also enough differences to define each hero as unique and original in the world of pulpdom.
The hero is a World War One veteran of the famous Harlem Hellfighters 369th Infantry Division named Booker Dubois Butler Corveaux, a practicing M.D. known in his community as Doc Dub Corveaux.  Raised in Haiti and  having traveled the globe during his service years, Doc Corveaux is well versed in the Voodoo Religion and has become the physical agent of three  powerful entities who, when possessing his physical body, imbue it with supernatural abilities that make him virtually indestructible.  Thus in this state, he dons the garb of the Cemetery Man, black clothes, twin .45 automatics, magical clay bombs, a top hat and white painted face to resemble a skull. This frightening entity has assumed the mantle of Harlem’s protector and as we learn in this first book, she needs one desperately.
Two rival gangs are battle for control of the streets and the action is focused on a tough minded woman known as Queen Bee attempting to open a posh speakeasy called Aces & Eights.  Her opponent is a sadistic gang lord called Papa House who will do anything to ruin her plans even if it means unleashing a terrifying magic to corrupt the entire neighborhood and bring about untold suffering and misery.  Into this vicious contest comes the Cemetery Man, guns blazing, determined to thwart that black magic and save the innocent souls caught in the crossfire.
Dale Lucas is a superb writer with an eye for period detail. His research is meticulous and he knows New York from one end to the other, painting a virtual setting that is truly authentic for its period.  His command of slang and mood of the times pulls the reader into a world in flux, a world caught between the past horrors of the first world conflict and the heady exuberance of a social order challenging the mores of the future.
And like any classic pulp tale, the pacing is fast, the characters brilliantly etched and the action non-stop.  This is a true page-turner that will have you cheering with each new gun battle, from this new pulp hero’s first appearance to his last.  And Lucas wisely leaves the finale open ended for many more sequels, all of which we eagerly await.
“Aces & Eights” is as good a pulp actioner as any other there on the market today.  It’s one and only flaw is its packaging.  Most new pulp publishers are aware of the demands of the genre in regards to marketing.  True, one cannot judge the contents of a book by its cover, but then again, one can’t sell a good book with a bad cover.  “Aces & Eights” isn’t so much a bad cover as a non-existent one.  The tiny image of a white skull and a little color design manipulation do not make a great pulp cover.  I would argue this book would have won lots more attention had it sported a traditional pulp painted front, visually debuting Doc Voodoo in full regalia, guns firing away.  So please, Dale Lucas, if you do indeed have more of his wonderful adventures in store for us, give your packaging the extra attention it really deserves.

ALL PULP INTERVIEWS PULP FANTASY AUTHOR NANCY HANSEN ON LATEST BOOK AND IMPRINT!

  • News
  • January 27, 2012

ALL PULP: Nancy, share some background with our readers, both personal and professionally.

NANCY HANSEN: I’ve been an avid reader since a very young age. Writing was always something I was good at; I was that lone kid in the classroom who actually looked forward to the essay questions on the test. When my sons were young and I was a stay-at-home mom, I took that opportunity to explore a lot of creative endeavors in arts and crafts areas. I eventually settled on writing because it worked the best with my busy home life. Once I knew what I wanted to do when I grew up, I never looked back.

I took a couple of writing correspondence courses over those years, and put the insight and instructions to good use. Along the way, I taught myself to use a computer, and once we finally got internet (we’re rural) I started looking for like-minded souls. I spent the better part of 5 years as a volunteer moderator for first a big software company’s gardening and landscaping forums, and then Prodigy Internet’s Books and Writing Bulletin Board. In the first forum set I learned quickly how to explain complex ideas and instructions within the context of a limited space, and with the second position honed my writing skills while learning from the pros and helping a lot of new writers get started. From that latter experience came some long lasting friendships with other writers that remain to this day, as well as a lot of the story material I am mining now. I wrote a lot of poetry back then also, and managed to win a couple of local awards. So I was living the writing life, though the mainstream publishing field was always a dead end for me.

I have a very diverse household with three generations under one roof, and it gets hectic. Now that my sons are adults, I have more time to pursue writing. Because of that, most of my professionally published work has happened in the last couple of years. I’m another one of those overnight success stories that only took 20+ years in the making…
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AP: THE TALES OF THE VAGABOND BARDS, your latest release, is a short story collection.  What can you share about the characters and tales found within its pages?

NH: The initial story, The Arcane Codex, was the first and it was based on a vivid dream I had. My dreams tend to be in color and very cinematic, like movie trailers, and they even have background music. I did what you’re supposed to do if you’re a serious writer; I sat up in bed, and jotted it all down. It was just the very beginning of a tale, but it was enough to build upon. Later on, I decided to set it in that familiar sword & sorcery fantasy world I had created years ago where many of my stories—including my novel FORTUNE’S PAWN—take place. Since music was part of the dream, the idea of roving bards as teachers and keepers of the history of their land became appealing, and I just ran with it. Little by little I’ve been fleshing our their part of the overarching world, giving each bard a tale of his or her own, with a common thread binding them all. That’s what this book is, an introduction to the world of these restlessly footloose musicians, poets, singers, and keepers of the lore. Within those pages you will find three distinct stories about the adventures of three different bards.

AP: This is also the debut of your own author based imprint via Pro Se-Hansen’s Way.  First, tell us how it feels to have such a body of work that you’ve been given your own imprint?

NH: There are times when it is mindboggling, and I’m surprised I can keep the details straight. I keep wondering if the well will run dry, but I never seem to run out of ideas. It does help to have some series diversity amongst the stories so that if X doesn’t seem appealing, or I’m stuck for an idea, I can go write something for Y or Z.

Over the years I have kept writing down story concepts and shoving them in files, with the idea I would sit down someday and flesh them all out. Some were actually finished tales, others no more than a few sentences. I remember when I first hooked up with Pro Se back in the spring of 2010, I told Tommy Hancock I had lot of mothballed stories I could write up and send him, and he said bring it on! I don’t think he was expecting 21 short stories from me that year! LOL He was a very good sport about it, and encouraged me to keep sending them in. Many of them were set in that same world, just different places and characters.

When I was approached about having my own imprint—which is an honor for someone who previous to 2010 was an unknown writer—I immediately thought about all those Terran World short stories, and bringing them in under one banner. I have 5 different series amongst those right now; each series with its own unique setting and recurring characters, and there have been some crossover characters and settings between them. It just makes more sense to keep them under one flagship imprint than scattering them hither and yon in other publications. I have other series that I write outside this world setting that will still be appearing elsewhere, as well as full length novels and other projects. So I’m going to be quite busy!

AP: What is the direction or guiding mission of Hansen’s Way?  What do you hope to do with the imprint?
NH: The main thing for now is getting these 5 story lines off the ground and establishing characters and settings, and hopefully a loyal following of readers. What I hope to do down the road is interest other authors in contributing stories that fit within the concepts of each separate series title and the overall Terran World. For the present time I have enough backlog of work that I can fill anthologies fairly easily. When the time comes that I can’t keep up, and I feel enough reading material is out there that interested writers should have a good grasp of how to handle these series, I’ll send out the call for submissions. It’ll be a while though! I have not yet plumbed the depths of my files.
AP:   You’re fairly a newcomer to Pulp.  What about Pulp appeals to you, a fantasy writer.
NH: I am relatively new to both pulp writing and the published work, though I have been a big Robert E. Howard fan for many years. I didn’t really know anything about pulp per se, just that I loved Howard’s breathless pacing and direct approach to getting a story told. I’ve always been an avid fan of the epic/heroic swashbuckling adventure fantasy—could never get enough of that. It’s the kind of thing that works so well for pulp, which is big on action and heroes. If it’s got magic and swordplay, mythological creatures and a big otherworldly backdrop, I’m in!

Now that I’ve written on both sides of the line, I can say that the fundamental difference between mainstream fantasy and pulp fantasy is that pacing. The mainstream books tend to be very long, with convoluted plots and some sort of hero’s quest involved. Pulp is generally shorter, more straightforward, and a simpler plot that is easily satisfied in 200 pages or less. Both share a tendency for recurring characters in series stories, and that ‘larger than life’ hero opposing some arch villainous force over the course of the story.

Now that I’ve had a chance to write to a pulp audience, I find I prefer that quick pacing with shorter intervals between action scenes. Even reading mainstream fantasy now, I get impatient when the story plods through some long introspective moments. I don’t mind those sections as long as the action doesn’t bog down while our heroine is discovering her destiny. Keep that bow twanging during the breathless chase across the tundra while you’re soul searching and it makes for a far more exciting read, and you still get the point across.

AP:  Readers of Fantasy and/or Pulp, what will they find that they love in TALES OF THE VAGABOND BARDS?
NH: In all my fantasy writing these days, I tread a tightrope between what I know the mainstream fantasy readers are looking for and what the pulp world expects. I don’t want to alienate either camp, because at the end of the day, all I want to do is tell a good story well. With the Vagabond Bards, which are not necessarily a fighting group, it’s been a real test of skill to make the stories appeal to the mainstream fantasy reader, who will have certain expectation; and yet maintain that headlong excitement throughout that pulp fans crave. Mainstream fans want a complex world setting with plenty of details and characters they can relate to and cheer along. Pulp readers want a wild ride with lots of action and adventure. So since I already have that big world behind all this, it comes down to characters and plot.

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What this book has is three unique and separate tales of three different bards doing what they do best—using their talents and knowledge to help and educate the folks around them. I think what really shines in these is the characters themselves, and their dedication to what they do, and to each other. Each bard has a distinct personality, some claim to fame, and a background history, and yet they are brought together by a common cause. The three adventures are very different and not at all tame: a desperate attempt to secure a handwritten book of history before it is confiscated, a frantic search for a talented young boy before something happens to him that will alter his life forever, and a rather comical and poignant ‘rescue’ attempt for a local thief by the man who loves her and the bard who gets dragged into the whole sordid mess. If you love good old fashioned adventures in a world where magic and religion are often at odds, you’re not going to want to miss this book.
AP: What are your future plans for the Bards?
NH: Definitely more tales! I’ve barely begun to plumb their depths yet. I’ve brought in some new bard characters along the way that are begging for their own stories. What works well about these is that because they are not your typical fantasy action hero out swinging a sword or flinging spells, there is room for all ages and abilities to have a starring role. For instance, within this book, I have mentioned both a senior female bard and a young boy who will be joining them in the not distant future, and both could easily be featured in their own adventure stories. I see no reason why I can’t use a blind or disabled character, someone with a checkered past (done that once already in fact), bards with varying ethnic or gender identities, or addiction issues (ditto, though it’s outlined in another series). That’s one thing that is fun about these characters; they open a lot of possibilities.

I’ve already mentioned the idea of bringing in other writers to the imprint at some point, and it’s very likely that the Vagabond Bards series is going to be the first place that happens. I think the whole nature of having a rotating cast works very well for that. This is the one series under the imprint where other writers would have a good opportunity to create a brand new character. I’m really looking forward to seeing what others can come up with when we get that far.
AP:  If you had to point out one thing about your writing that you hope readers take away from reading one of your books, what would that be?
NH: Actually, I have a couple of goals…

First of all, I like to make the point that everyday people can still do extraordinary things. Throughout my writing, many of my heroic characters don’t fit the mold of ‘superb physical specimen’ that you see quite often in pulp. Some of them have nagging emotional issues, less than ideal appearance, there are various vices mentioned—and a few are downright flawed. I do that on purpose, because I want these characters to resonate with readers, so that instead of seeing someone whose looks and personality are superhuman and unattainable, they remind you of someone you know, and can feel comfortable with. So when the character does rise to the occasion, you’re right there with them, wrapped up in that situation, cheering her or him on.

I want my villains to have real motivation, something that while it might be skewed thinking, is understandable. That’s how it is in the real world. We’re judged on our deeds today, but our background plays a long way into what we’ve become. Don’t worry, these scoundrels are nasty and you’re going to want to see them get their due, but it’s understood there is more reason to their madness than this is someone who is pure evil incarnate.

Most important of all, I want to tell some rousing good tales. While a story can uplift, enlighten, and make you think, it should also be entertaining. That’s the most important part of fiction writing as far as I’m concerned. I want you to shut that cover at the end of a book feeling good about what you read, and a little sad that it’s over. If I can accomplish that, then I’ve done what I set out to do: write the kind of stories I love to read.

PRO SE ANNOUNCES NEW BOOK AND IMPRINT-PULP FANTASY DONE ‘HANSEN’S WAY’!

  • News
  • January 26, 2012
Pro Se Productions

Press Release for Immediate Release-

FANTASY DONE ‘HANSEN’S WAY’-NEW IMPRINT AND NEW BOOK FROM PRO SE!

Pro Se Productions, a leading Publisher in the New Pulp Movement, announced its latest release today!  A three story collection entitled ‘Tales of the Vagabond Bards’ written by Nancy Hansen is now available.   Hansen, a prolific author in Pulp Fantasy, follows up her first novel, “Fortune’s Pawn” with this trio of tales set in the same world as the novel, but looking at events through a different set of eyes.

According to Pro Se, “In a time of upheaval, where magick and religion often collide, those who keep the old ways are increasingly shunned and ridiculed. The Vagabond Bards, a dedicated group of musicians, singers, actors, poets, and teachers of the unwritten oral folklore of the Terran Worlds, are finding themselves coming under pressure to disband or face probable imprisonment—even death. For generations these roving men and women have spread throughout the population, dedicating their lives to educating and assisting their fellow Humans while recording and preserving their knowledge and experiences, making sure the tales of the past are kept alive throughout the mostly illiterate masses. Sworn to Understand, Love, and Keep the Truth, they now face strong opposition from the upstart religion of Helios the Sun God, whose belief is sweeping the countryside, rewriting history and changing views of the past in the most alarming manner. These are the tales of those heroic troubadours, who fight for justice not with weapons, but with words.”

This exciting collection of fantasy fiction from one of New Pulp’s brightest stars in the genre not only debuts a whole new cast of characters and tales from Hansen, but is also the first volume in Pro Se’s latest author focused imprint-Hansen’s Way!

There are times when it is mindboggling,” commented Hansen concerning her work leading to her own imprint, “and I’m surprised I can keep the details straight. When I was approached about having my own imprint—which is an honor for someone who previous to 2010 was an unknown writer—I immediately thought about all those Terran World (the home of the Vagabond Bards) short stories, and bringing them in under one banner. I have 5 different series amongst those right now; each series with its own unique setting and recurring characters, and there have been some crossover characters and settings between them. It just makes more sense to keep them under one flagship imprint than scattering them hither and yon in other publications.”


“Nancy is a hit,” stated Tommy Hancock, Partner in and Editor in Chief of Pro Se, “both with the company and readers eager to follow her work.  “Fortune’s Pawn” had a great showing as a debut novel and Nancy has so many stories bubbling and ready to boil over, stories that appeal to all sorts of readers-Pulp fans, fantasy followers, and more!  And now they can all easily find her work by following ‘Hansen’s Way.’”


Hansen’s Way is the latest Pro Se imprint.  Following the announcement mid 2010 of Reese Unlimited, the first Pro Se imprint, Hansen’s Way is the second Author Focused Imprint from the publisher.  “When an author,” Hancock commented, “presents not only with a large, but a solid body of work, such as the imaginative worlds of fantasy whirling around in Nancy’s mind, it makes sense to put them in a package, in a sense.  Especially when the stories hit a vein with fans as Nancy’s obviously have.” 


“Tales of the Vagabond Bards” is available via Amazon as well as via Pro Se Pulp’s CreateSpace store (https://www.createspace.com/3778916) in print and will be available via Smashwords and Amazon as an ebook within the next week!


For more information on this title or any Pro Se publication, email Hancock at proseproductions@earthlink.net and check out Pro Se at www.prosepulp.com!


Uneasy Lies The Crown on Anthony Head as Merlin Begins Fourth Season on Syfy Tomorrow

  • News
  • January 5, 2012

The poetic irony of Shakespeare’s phrasing is not lost on Anthony Head. When the Bard wrote that “uneasy lies the head that wears a crown,” even he could not have known what was in store for the actor Head’s royal character as the fourth season of MERLIN begins tomorrow at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Syfy.

As the new season opens, Head’s character – King Uther – is a mere shadow of himself, mired in bleak despair after realizing that his illegitimate daughter Morgana has arisen to become his greatest enemy, using dark magic to besiege Camelot and its leaders.

The first of a two-part episode, “The Darkest Hour, Part 1” finds Morgana’s blinkered determination threatening not only Arthur’s future, but the very balance of the world. With her magic stronger than ever, the sorceress summons the mighty Callieach (pronounced “kay-lix”) to tear open the veil between the worlds. Hellish creatures – the Derocha – pour forth, killing any who succumb to their touch. With King Uther in dire straights, it falls to Merlin, Arthur and his loyal Knights to protect the kingdom.

Head, the beloved Rupert Giles of Joss Whedon’s cult classic TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, enters his fourth season as Camelot’s monarch Uther Pendragon. The actor has been particularly busy for the past year working in television on both MERLIN and reprising his role
on NBC’s Free Agents, as well as appearing in feature films, including The Iron Lady alongside Meryl Streep and the upcoming sequel Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.

QUESTION: After all that happened in Season 3, how has Uther’s perspective changed entering Season 4 … and how does that change things in Camelot?

ANTHONY HEAD: Uther is broken man. Everything that he basically believed in and held
as reality has shifted. I’d say he’s not playing with a full set of marbles. And all of that means Arthur has more responsibility, and there is another – Nathaniel Parker has joined the cast as Agravaine – who has been drafted to act as the chancellor, to politically help
Arthur. It’s an interesting and kind of logical progression from where we were. (more…)

PRO SE PLANS FOR PULP POETRY IN 2012!

  • News
  • January 2, 2012
Pro Se Productions, a Publisher known to be on the cutting edge of New Pulp, announces an ambitious new project today that, if successful in 2012, will lead to a new imprint from Pro Se in 2013.

According to Tommy Hancock, Editor-in Chief and Partner in Pro Se, “Being a Publisher of both books and magazines, Pro Se obviously gets quite a few queries.  One of the very first we got upon announcing we would be publishing Pulp magazines back in 2010 concerned whether or not we were interested in something described as ‘Pulp, but poetry instead of prose.’   At the time, we weren’t, but that hasn’t stopped the queries from coming in, at least one every week to two weeks about whether or not we’ll accept crime poetry, space poetry, fantasy poetry, and so on.   Well, after a year and a half of requests as well as research and study, Pro Se has decided to test the waters via our magazine, PRO SE PRESENTS, by having an all Pulp Poetry volume.”

When asked to define Pulp Poetry, Hancock stated, “Well, if there’s a definition out there that is clear cut as to what it is, I haven’t found it. Pulp writers, most notably Robert E. Howard, have been known for their poetry as well.  Defining Pulp is subjective often anyway and that is something it has in common with Poetry.  Basically what we’re looking for is poetry that deals with subjects and genres that are a part of Pulp.  So, action, adventure, heroes and villains, conflict, and genre.  Genre is important in determining Pulp Poetry.  Pulp is all about genre, be it western, crime, fantasy, and so on.   So, Pulp Poetry definitely has to be something that deals in a particular genre that is a part of Pulp.”

As far as other requirements for Pulp Poetry, there are no requirements that it rhyme or be a certain length. Hancock stated that submissions would be open from January 2nd to March 1st 2012 for poems to be included in this volume.

The May 2012 issue of PRO SE PRESENTS, the tenth issue of the magazine, will be an all Pulp Poetry issue, edited by newly appointed Pulp Poetry Editor for Pro Se, Megan Smith. 

“I have been writing Poetry,” Smith explained, “since I was little. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t enjoy writing it or reading it.  There has always been an interest in Poetry and with the increase in the interest in Pulp in the last several years, it seems the perfect time to show the world what Pulp Poetry can be.”

Currently the only Pulp Poetry title on the Pro Se Schedule is the special magazine issue scheduled for May 2012.  Smith will serve as editor of Pulp Poetry regardless of the form it continues in, either as a continual part of the magazine format on a monthly basis or as its own line with Pulp Poetry collections in 2013.

“This,” Hancock pointed out, “is an experiment, but it’s one we have full faith in.  Pulp is known for being speculative and a field of literature where anything can happen.  The concept of Pulp Poetry fits perfectly and just wait and see what Pro Se does with it.”

Submissions for the Pulp Poetry volume can be made to Smith at pulppoetryeditor@yahoo.com or to Hancock at proseproductions@earthlink.net.  Submissions must be made by March 1, 2011.

To follow what Pro Se has coming check out www.prosepulp.com and www.pulpmachine.blogspot.com.

Pulp Modern Issue Two Delivers Christmas Cheer

  • News
  • December 14, 2011

Leaner, meaner, and two bucks cheaper! Just in time for the holidays, Pulp Modern #2 is now available at Createspace.

Publication Date: Dec 01 2011
ISBN/EAN13: 1467974072 / 9781467974073
Page Count: 144
Binding Type: US Trade Paper
Trim Size: 6″ x 9″
Language: English
Color: Black and White
Related Categories: Fiction / Short Stories
Price: $7.99

Pulp Modern issue 2 can be found at https://www.createspace.com/3730618.

Pulp Modern issue 1 is still available as well.

The inaugural issue of Pulp Modern, a quarterly dedicated to crime, fantasy, and western fiction. Includes new stories by Jimmy Callaway, James Duncan, C.J. Edwards, Garnett Elliott, Melissa Embry, Edward A. Grainger, Glenn Gray, David James Keaton, John Kenyon, Chris La Tray, Yarrow Paisley, Matthew Pizzolato, Thomas Pluck, Stephen D. Rogers, Sandra Seamans, Copper Smith and a classic tale by pulp fiction pioneer Lawrence Block. (Edited by Alec Cizak)

Publication Date: Sep 27 2011
ISBN/EAN13: 1466300655 / 9781466300651
Page Count: 170
Binding Type: US Trade Paper
Trim Size: 6″ x 9″
Language: English
Color: Black and White
Related Categories: Fiction / Short Stories
Price: $9.99

Pulp Modern issue 1 can be found at https://www.createspace.com/3683805 or at http://www.amazon.com/Pulp-Modern-Autumn-2011-1/dp/1466300655/ref=zg_bsnr_227890011_8
　
You can learn more about Pulp Modern at http://pulp-modern.blogspot.com/.
Issue two of the critically acclaimed pulp fiction journal, Pulp Modern is now avaialable. This issue includes stories by Patti Abbott, Steven Axelrod, Stephen G. Eonnau, Matthew C. Funk, Jc Hemphill, Jerome K. Jerome, David James Keaton, John Kenyon, Chris La Tray, Michael Moreci, Leland Neville, William Dylan Powell, Jeremy Shane, And Jack Webster. Once again, the journal is edited by Alec Cizak and features stunning cover art by Jeremy Selzer.

Pulp Modern issue 2 can be found at https://www.createspace.com/3730618.

FORTIER TAKES ON FAIRIES AND GOBLINS!

  • News
  • December 11, 2011

ALL PULP REVIEWS BY RON FORTIER

GLAMOUR JOB
By Doug Farrell
BookSurge Publishing
484 pages
ISBN – 10: 141967496X
ISBN – 13: 9781419674969
Release date – Sept 21, 2007
(fantasy – adventure – pulp)
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About the Author –
Doug Farrell has been a professional actor most of his adult life and spent several years performing comedy a Los Angeles improve troupe. He’s married to his best friend Ellen and raising three remarkable children with her. He taught college classes, was a vegetarian chef and installed home theaters. Recently at night he’s been a guide for ghost tours, telling Savannahs’ paranormal stories to people from around the world. This is his first novel.

Every now and then, I trip over a book that’s really hard to describe genre-wise and this is such a case. It’s a madcap adventure that falls somewhere between fantasy, slapstick comedy and social satire. That all these elements mix effectively and in the end produce a heady concoction of genuine adult delight is a testament to Farrell’s own imagination in brewing what he aptly describes as “A Fairy-tale for Grown-ups.”

The set up deals with a fairy war that occurred in another dimension wherein the goblin race lost and was forced to flee to our world, arriving in 1947, two years after the end of World War II. Convincing certain human scientist to help them, the goblins invented special disguises that allowed them to go undetected in our world and for decades walked among humans, some even interbreeding with them. Ultimately the same scientists who developed these sophisticated camouflages saw the potential for monetary wealth by using the same formulas to create beauty aids for human women. They create Glamorine, a Chicago based million dollar cosmetic empire built on the results of these techniques and certain globin magics.

The book’s theme plays with duel definitions of the word glamour. The first being a quality of fascinating, alluring, or attracting, especially by a combination of charm and good looks. It also means magic or enchantment; spell; witchery.

The protagonist is super model and the face of Glamorine, Laurie Morgan, whose grandfather was one of the scientist who created the company. As the story opens Laurie has become disillusioned by her near perfect life and is in the process of divorcing her loving husband, Nick. Laurie is suffering from ennui unable to explain her own dissatisfaction and believes she’s become trapped in a dull, boring routine of existence. No sooner is the divorce granted then she is contacted by a blue gnome name Hawley disguised as a little girl. He warns Laurie that her life is in danger. As if confronting an actual blue dwarf weren’t enough, Laurie begins to running into women throughout Chicago who looked exactly like her.

As paranoia begins to set in, Hawley explains that there is a goblin revolution in the works. After decades of living in secrecy amongst mankind, a group of goblin leaders have concocted a scheme to take control of Glamorine and replace its board of directors, including Laurie and her grandfather, with phony disguised goblins. Once they’ve achieved this end, they plan on poisoning the cosmetics produced to Glamorine to eliminate all of mankind and take over the Earth.

Needless to say having an army of vicious goblins out to do her in is more than enough motivation to snap Laurie out of her malaise and back into living at full tilt if only to stay alive. Before the book’s conclusion arrives, she will have been held prisoner in an underwater complex below Lake Michigan, met and been devoured by a fire breathing dragon and allied herself with tiny pig-fairies only she can see. “Glamour Job” is a rollicking tale that never lets up and is filled with satirical jabs at how we treasure a make-believe beauty that is simply an illusion devised by Fifth Avenue to milk millions from starry eyed little girls all wanting to grow up and become runway princesses. But do be warned, this is only the first chapter in a trilogy and the ending does come somewhat abruptly.

We also note by the print date that “Glamour Job” is four years old. All the more reason to seek it out as it might have flown under your radar. Urban fantasy isn’t one of this reviewer’s most favorite genres, but “Glamour Job” has enough action muscle to sustain it for even the most jaded pulp reader. If you are looking for something truly different and fun, you would be hard press to do much better than this book.

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