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Post by Calamas on Jul 27, 2018 8:00:27 GMT -5
Looking at that cover, I’d forgotten how prominent Anthony Boucher was in the SF field. Today he is mostly remembered because of Bouchercon, the annual mystery convention. That's similar to the fact that in the 1940s and early 1950s, you were just as likely to see stories by John MacDonald (of Travis McGee fame) in science fiction magazines as you were in mystery and detective magazines. Yes, that is certainly true but my point was more about how high Boucher was ranked on that cover. I don't think JDM ever reached that level of short story success, regardless of genre. Thankfully novels were his forte; he remains one of my all-time favorites.
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Post by Calamas on Jul 26, 2018 7:50:22 GMT -5
Frontiers in Space edited by Everettt F. Bleiler and T.E. Dikty c. 1955 Looking at the roster of authors on this cover, you'd think it was amazing, especially when you examine further and see it's a 'best of' collection from three previous 'best ofs'.. 1951-1953. The stories aren't just short though, most are microscopic... under 10 pages. While there are some fun concepts, like the first contact in 'Star Ducks' or the classic 'Oddy and Id' (Which I've read in more than one other collection), quite a few are standard 50s fare... playing on fears of nuclear war with the Russians, race relations, and gender roles. My favorite is Damon Knight's 'To Serve Man', a great take on a now classic concept. 'The Rats' is a close 2nd, very predictable, but fun none the less. Interestingly, a couple of the stories turn from sci fi to science horror at the end, which was surprising, but made for a couple of the more unique entries. The one I really wish was a novel was 'Ararat', which felt like the middle chapter of a novel I'd like to read. (a bit of research shows the author did in fact write several connected short stories, which is exciting). It's always fun when one of these collections leads one to something new. The actual content, though, is nothing too exciting... while it's rare I think so, this particular collection really felt 'dated'... in the 'seen it done better' way, not the cool retro way. Looking at that cover, I’d forgotten how prominent Anthony Boucher was in the SF field. Today he is mostly remembered because of Bouchercon, the annual mystery convention.
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Post by Calamas on Jul 25, 2018 8:33:42 GMT -5
That was my favorite of the Hap and Leonard books I've read... they way they handle the guys at the crack house is just amazing (and spills over into another book or two, if I recall correctly) I'll add my vote. This is also my favorite in the series. I, too, read it when it first came out (in paperback) and reread it before it was adapted as the second season of the series. Still highly recommended.
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Post by Calamas on May 4, 2018 9:04:23 GMT -5
Savage Season by Joe R. Lansdale. . . . I love that this isn't really a mystery but hearkens more to the Gold Medal paperback originals. That’s because that’s exactly what it is. Hap & Leonard was never meant to be a series. This and Cold in July were Lansdale’s (then) modern take on those Gold Medal crime stories.
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Post by Calamas on Mar 9, 2018 20:11:55 GMT -5
The Glass Key by Dashiell Hammett
I’d read The Glass Key years--maybe decades--ago and I didn’t remember any of it. Because I can recall entire stretches of Red Harvest and The Thin Man (The Maltese Falcon doesn’t count as it is the novel I’ve reread more than any other--by a wide margin) I just assumed it wasn’t worth remembering. I was wrong.
I think the reason my memory lapsed (aside from the fact that that’s what memories do, given enough time) is that the story is built on a couple of unsubstantial cornerstones. Ned Beaumont, unlike most Hammett protagonist, is not a private detective. What is he? Aside from being a gambler, his place in this world is murky. He seems to be a confidant and advisor to Paul Madvig, the man behind the local power structure. But it’s not an official position. He isn’t paid, and appears to have no regular source of income. And then there’s the question of where The Glass Key takes place? Apparently in a big town or small city somewhere in the Northeastern United States; it’s a day away from New York City by train, the preferred means of long distance transportation in 1931. Considering how much is made of the behind-the-scene manipulations and politics, you would think the arena would be more defined. And finally there is a murder of fluctuating consequence. There seems to be no pressing need to solve it except when it becomes the most critical of several points of contention in an upcoming election. Only at the conclusion does the solution carry any importance.
You have to get deeper into the novel before you realize The Glass Key is actually about this unnamed town and the behind-the-scenes battle for its control. It’s as if Hammett had taken the corruption-filled “Poisonville” of Red Harvest and decided to examine it from the other side, though this town is not quite that far gone. It is well on the way, however, which is probably why Paul Madvig is often mistakenly referred to as a gangster by readers. Oh, he’s a criminal all right; but more of a powerbroker, a chess master; and, yes, he is completely apathetic to those caught in the gears of his political machine. But he never orders murder. His opponent in the coming election, Shad O’Rory--also a behind-the-scenes operator--is much more of a racketeer. He has no qualms in ordering the severe beating of Ned Beaumont. And he is always accompanied by thugs where Paul Madvig walks the streets unattended.
I was mistaken in considering this a lesser work. That it doesn’t fit neatly into the rest of the Hammett cannon had allowed it to slip from memory. It lacks the layered protagonists of The Maltese Falcon and The Thin Man and the unrelenting pace of Red Harvest. What it strives for--and achieves--is something more. It’s a detailed look at the legal and governmental corruption that had always, for the most part, hovered at the perimeter of Hammett’s work. The final betrayal that closes The Glass Key is as close to any kind of real justice this world is capable of delivering. It represents the last chance this unnamed city has to keep from becoming Poisonville. It was all Hammett could do. He saw enough real life Poisonvilles in the world around him.
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Post by Calamas on Mar 9, 2018 20:08:06 GMT -5
Sorry. Your quote got lost as I tried to use up less space. berkley said: I'd agree that The Dain Curse is a lesser work but I always thought The Glass Key was considered by most Hammett readers to be up there with his best. Reactions like these force me to have to think. I’m prepared for comments on the book I reviewed. Of course I am; I just read it. But lines I gave no real consideration, put there only to give context to the point I really wanted make? So, why do I deem The Dain Curse and The Glass Key lesser works? Upon reflection it comes down to this: I don’t remember them. Hardly fair as a debate point, I know. And I’ll concede that memory lapses have become more common as the years have added up. But I remember entire stretches of Red Harvest and The Thin Man. (I have to discount The Maltese Falcon from this argument because it is the single book I’ve reread the most.) However, one of the advantages to aging is that you come to realize that often there is no point in being stubborn. If that many people feel otherwise about The Glass Key, it is worth looking into. When I’ll get around to rereading it, that’s another matter. It joins a fairly long list of titles. If it's any further incentive, I think that The Glass Key is a book that might be more interesting to an older than to a younger reader. You were right.
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Post by Calamas on Feb 20, 2018 19:52:57 GMT -5
I’ve come to the conclusion that Erle Stanley Gardner is not for me but I still want to complete the experience. I’ve gotten Perry Mason and Doug Selby under my belt. Can you give a recommendation or two for Cool & Lam? Thanks. If you can find it I'd say go ahead and read the very first one The Bigger They Come. It's a good read and sets the stage. And Donald Lam pulls a very cool lawyer trick that I think would have worked at the time, though it would not work now. Otherwise you could go with Top of the Heap, which was one of the earlier Hard Case Crime books and is more readily available than most of the rest of the series. Honestly the quality of the books is pretty uniform (though I've only read about half). There are a few that are just a bit less enjoyable, largely because there becomes a formula in the series and some are a bit more egregious in their use of the formula. But none of them that I've read have been actively bad. Thank You. And, no, I don’t need to read the first one. I’ve read enough reviews to know the formula of which you speak: A rich client arrives Donald is suspicious Bertha wants the money The client lied Donald gets in deep And deeper A convoluted ending solves everything But who cares because the fun is watching Donald works his way out of it. I just want to complete the Gardner experience.
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Post by Calamas on Feb 16, 2018 8:43:43 GMT -5
The second Perry Mason novel was an improvement on the first one but I still like Cool & Lam better. Nevertheless, it was a quick, enjoyable read. I'm a fan of Cool & Lam even though they start to fall into formula pretty early on. I've never been a big fan of Perry Mason though. I’ve come to the conclusion that Erle Stanley Gardner is not for me but I still want to complete the experience. I’ve gotten Perry Mason and Doug Selby under my belt. Can you give a recommendation or two for Cool & Lam? Thanks.
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Post by Calamas on Dec 29, 2017 10:06:58 GMT -5
Will do. But with everything else I’m reading I’m only getting to three or four of them a year. (I think he [Spillane] had a spy series too, though not nearly as popular as the Hammers). Don’t take “spy series” too literally. The only difference between Tiger Mann and Mike Hammer was Mann was facing down Russian agent tough guys in and around New York City instead of organized crime tough guys. Otherwise, the same character. Still entertaining if you accept it for what it is and account for the time period in which it was created.
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Post by Calamas on Oct 27, 2017 9:18:00 GMT -5
A little off topic, the funniest (or maybe stupidest) misfile I ever encountered was the novelization of Superman Returns in the horror section because it was written by Marv Wolfman. I mean, it has Superman in the title.
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Post by Calamas on Sept 28, 2017 8:24:27 GMT -5
When reading Scorpio Rose, think Madame Xanadu. Circa 1980 DC had an unused Madame Xanadu story by Englehart from the cancelled Doorway to Nightmare comic, and because 3-issue mini-series were beginning to take off, they commissioned him to produce two more scripts. In a pay dispute Englehart ended up taking back his new scripts and he eventually brought them to Eclipse, where they were suitably altered to avoid legal repercussions. You also might recognize Deadman and The Demon, or reasonable facsimiles thereof.
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Post by Calamas on Sept 27, 2017 12:12:23 GMT -5
I’ve read all four of the Max August novels but I can’t say how they rank in terms of genre as it’s not what I normally read. The first one I thought was good enough though showed multiple signs of being a first novel. The Long Man, #2, was much more polished, as it should be. 1981 vs. 2010; Englehart was a more experienced writer. It read like an adventure novel in a fantasy setting. The Plain Man was more solidly fantasy and he brought in two comic characters to which he owned the rights: Coyote and Scorpio Rose. The third, The Arena Man, I thought was the weakest of the sequels but still quality work. The three recent books reminded me of his Avengers work. Englehart would cut away from the main story to check in on other characters who are a part of the overall tapestry but are not necessary to the main storyline. My only complaint is that the publisher pulled something of a bait-and-switch. The first two novels were published as paperback originals but the finale was published as a hardback. As a result I bought the first two new and The Arena Man used.
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Post by Calamas on Sept 22, 2017 13:25:49 GMT -5
I don't think I've ever read an autobiography of a popular person before. . . That’s funny because I can count on one hand the autobiographies I’ve read: Linda Ellerbee, Waylon Jennings, Craig Ferguson. Connect those dots.
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Post by Calamas on Aug 19, 2017 13:04:59 GMT -5
Actually, Reacher is the toughest man in the room (or he is through the first four or five, which is all I’ve read). I think that’s part of the problem his fans had with the casting of Tom Cruise in the movies. No one looks at Cruise and thinks tough. And, though their style of story is in no way similar, I personal think of Reacher in the mode of characters like The Saint (more the classic TV show than the novels). Adventure finds him, he does not go looking for it. In fact, Reacher just wants to be left alone to explore America. But once pulled into something, he will bull his way to the finish and accept no interference.
I find the novels interesting though sometimes bloated. And both Paul and Jesse are right, Reacher very analytical, as is Lee Child. He slows the action down, way down; more than any writer I’ve ever read. He once described in detail the flight of a bullet.
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Post by Calamas on Jul 7, 2017 9:11:38 GMT -5
Woman in the Dark by Dashiell Hammett This novella was originally serialized in Liberty Magazine 1933. It remained unreprinted for a number of years. I'd never read it before, but I decided too for a couple of reasons. It remained the only Hammett I hadn't read, save for a few short stories and it's short...and I seem to be doing better with shorter works right now. It was, I believe, the last thing he wrote before The Thin Man, which was his last work (unless you count his work editing and assisting Lillian Hellman's writing). Luise Fischer, a kept woman, is trying to escape from the keeper, who brought her from Europe and doesn't feel he's done with her. Through happenstance she finds assistance from Brazil, who has spent time inside prison and isn't anxious to go back. They end up on the run, though ultimately we get what appears to be a happy ending, though there are enough dangling threads and ambiguity to show that it may not be that happy. This is by no means important or even particularly interesting Hammett. He was tired of writing the works that made him famous. He was in the throws of severe alcoholism and he was more interested...and possibly capable...of advising and assisting Hellman than in writing his own work. This one is for completists only. I'm not unhappy I read it. But I won't ever read it again. Yeah, the basic storytelling skills are still there but clearly no passion. I did like how he allowed the female lead to take over the story once she got passed the disorientation of an unfamiliar country and its street-level environments. The ending, though, was convenient and not particularly satisfying, mainly because of the ambiguity you mention. It felt as if a word (or page) count told him it was time to wrap it up--and he promptly did.
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