The Digest Enthusiast – Page 4 – Larque Press | The Digest Enthusiast

News September 18, 2020

News Digest Sept. 18, 2020

New Releases
Weirdbook No. 43
Contents
“An American Story” by Darrell Schweitzer
“Impervious to Reason, Oblivious to Fate” by John R. Fultz
“The River” by Sharon Cullars
“Taking Out the Trash” by by D.C. Lozar
“Arthur Wardrobe And Asia Anastacia: A Love Story” by Andrew Darlington
“Snack Time” by Franklyn Searight
“Godlike” by Edward Morris and Konstantine Paradias
Ronkonkoma” by Glynn Owen Barrass
“The Fury of Angels” by Adrian Cole
“Keisha’s Dinosaur” by Nicole Givens Kurtz
“Will Home Remember Me?” by Joseph S. Pulver, Sr.
“You’re Gonna Love This Song” by Michael S. Walker
“Frozen Time” by Rivka Jacobs
“Lucien Greyshire and the Ghost from Applebee’s” by L.F. Falconer
Plus poetry by Jeff Barnes, Maxwell I. Gold, Neva Bryan, Ashley Dioses, K.A. Opperman, Ann K.Schwader, W.D. Clifton, Ngo Binh Anh Khoa, Chad Hensley, Frederick J. Mayer, and Gregg Chamberlain.

Weirdbook Vol. 2 No. 13 Issue 43 August 2020
Publisher/Executive Editor: John Gregory Betancourt
Editor: Doug Draa
Consulting Editor: W. Paul Ganley
Cover: Fotolia
Interior Artwork: Allen Koszowski
184 pages, 6” x 9”
Print $12.00 , Kindle*
Wildside Press website
*Not available at the time of this writing

Fantasy & Science Fiction Sep/Oct 2020
Contents
“Of Them All” by Leah Cypess
“The Shadows of Alexandrium” by David Gerrold
“My Name Was Tom” by Tim Powers
“The Fairy Egg” by R.S. Benedict
“Weeper” by Marc Laidlaw
“Do AIs Dream of Perfect Games?” by Angie Peng
“The Martian Water War: Notes Found in an Airlock” by Peter Gleick
“Little and Less” by Ashley Blooms
“The Cry of Evening Birds” by James Sallis
“The Dog and the Ferryman” by Brian Trent
“This World Is Made for Monsters” by M. Rickert
“The Writing of Science Fiction” by Timons Esaias (verse)
Books to Look For by Charles de Lint
Games by Marc Laidlaw
Plumage from Pegasus: Keeping Up with the ISBNs by Paul Di Filippo
Television: The Devil in Devs by Karin Lowachee
Science: The Science of Printing by Jerry Oltion
Coming Attractions
Curiosities by Paul Di Filippo

Fantasy & Science Fiction Vol. 139 No. 3 and 4, No. 751, Sep/Oct 2020
Publisher: Gordon Van Gelder
Editor: C.C. Finlay
Assistant Publishers: Barbara J. Norton, Keith Kahla
Assistant Editors: Robin O’Connor, Stephen L. Mazur, Lisa Rogers
Contests Editor: Carol Pinchefsky
Cover: Bob Eggleton for “The Shadows of Alexandrium”
Cartoons: Arthur Masear, Mark Heath, Nick Downes, Bill Long
258 pages, $8.99 on newsstands until Nov. 2, 2020
Fantasy & Science Fiction website

Bud’s Art Books’ Weekly New Items Blog post.

Digest Novels
Harlequin Books meet Digest Art at Sleazy Digest Books! (NSFW).

Amazing Oct. 1965, Galaxy Oct. 1965, Worlds of Tomorrow Nov. 1965

Digest Magazine Reviews
John Boston reviews Amazing Stories Oct. 1965 at Galactic Journey.

Gideon Marcus reviews Galaxy Oct. 1965 at Galactic Journey.

Paperback Warrior Podcast No. 61 reviews The Best of Manhunt 2.

Victoria Silverwolf reviews Worlds of Tomorrow Nov. 1965 at Galactic Journey.

Digest Magazine Writers’ Updates
Sarina Dorie on “I, Bigfoot” from Analog Sep/Oct 2020 at The Astounding Analog Companion.

Zandra Renwick, whose “Killer Bisnez” appears in EQMM Sep/Oct 2020, discusses “The Moment Expectations Change” at Something is Going to Happen.

James McArthur writes about “The Devil’s Footprints” for Fate magazine.

Robert Reed on his cover story, “The Ossuary’s Passenger” from Asimov’s Sep/Oct 2020, at From Earth to the Stars.

Storytime
David Rachels’ “Death Comes to Uncle Bob” at Pulp Modern Flash.

Close to the Bone provides “The Otsego House” by DAH via their newsletter.

TDE Contributors’ Corner
Steve Carper delves into Jetta: Teen-Age Sweetheart of the 21st Century at Flying Cars and Food Pills.

Uncle Jack (Seabrook) and Cousin Peter (Enfantino) review Eerie No. 47, Vampirella No. 24, and Creepy No. 53 at bare•bones e-zine.

Readin’ and Writin’
Since it’s a reference guide, I’ve been slowly making my way through Martin Roth’s (1924–2000) The Crime Writer’s Reference Guide for several months now. He updated it in the early 1990s and this edition was published after his death in 2003. A fair amount of the data is dated, but the concepts remain solid and the author includes plenty of suggestions on how/where to get the latest information on various topics. The reference is divided into sections on Crime, Criminals, Cops, Investigations, The Courts, Prisons, and Language (slang and legal). It also includes an exellent list of further reading books for each of its sections. If one were writing a story set in the early 1990s it would be invaluable to set the stage on then current practices and techology.

Finished reading Unsolved Murders No. 1 from June 1954, the first of only two issues. The first thing that strikes you about this vintage true crime digest is its production values. Printed on a higher grade of paper than newsprint, UM is able to include a generous assortment of quality photographs to support its reports. The writing is also a notch above many of its rivals of its era. If I had to guess why it didn’t catch on, I’d cite it’s lack of closure. Although unsolved murders makes a great hook to grab attention, reading case after case without resolution leaves a void. Somewhat pricy, but worth the splurge, I’m still waiting for a copy of the second issue to surface.

Crime Writer's Ref Guide, Unsolved Murders 1, Paperback Parade 108, Rock and a Hard Place 3

Thoroughly enjoyed a few hours with Paperback Parade No. 108 this week. Full page cover repros dominate this edition, exposing the delights of Pan Books’ Agatha Christie novels (article be Jules Burt), Monarch movie novelizations (article by Bruce Tinkel), the British Tit-Bits crime books (article by Tom Lesser), and Canada’s Westerns and Northerns from Halequin Books (article by Jim Fitzpatrick). Editor Gary Lovisi and Designer Rich Greene round out the issue with news and features on artist Gil Cohen, paperback promotional matchbooks, and Spain’s Celebridades series. Outstanding!

I joined the Rock and a Hard Place fanclub this week, via issue three. Their tag line “A Chronicle of Bad Decisions and Desperate People” aptly sums up the package. The stories here are often crime and often noir, but the magazine also explores characters who may not be criminals in storytime, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they took the plunge somewhere down the line. A great collection of trouble and its aftermath, well worth the support of hardluck story lovers. See my full review in the upcoming TDE13.

Been a tough week motivation-wise. Air quality in the Pacific Northwest has been literarlly off the charts. It rained last night, and the weather people tell us we’re in for big improvements now. I sure hope so, three crises is becoming more than I can handle.

Bright spots: Rick McCollum is working on illustrations for my story, and I completed the retouch repair work on five covers for Steve Carper’s article on Digest SF Novels. Also did clean-up on two more issues of Head for the upcoming Roman Scott collection edited by Marc Myers.

Our current issue: The Digest Enthusiast No. 12 is available in print at Lulu.com and Amazon, and in digital formats at Kindle Books and Magzter.

Vintage Crime Digest
Mantrap No. 1 July 1956
Contents Page
Richard Hardwick “One-Way Cruise” art by Tom O’Sullivan
Jack Richie “A Torch for Tess”
Dan Sontup “Murder for a Doll” art by Dick Shelton
Derek Krull “Stake Out”
John R. Starr “Target Sighted”
Allen Lang “Body in Blue Jeans”
Robert Turner “The Man Who Never Hurried”
James J. Dwyer “Hunch”
Helen Nielsen “A Bad Night for Murder” art by Ray Houlihan
C.L. Sweeney, Jr. “A Certain Kind of Caper” art by Dick Shelton
Harold George Shadd “The Escape of Willie Croton”
Harry Whittington “The Glass Alibi”
Richard Harper “Storm” (from Best Western March 1956)

Mantrap Vol. 1 No. 1 July 1956
Secret Life Publications
Publisher: Michael St. John
Gen. Manager: R.E. Decker
Editorial Director: Walter R. Schmidt
Managing Editor: N.F. King
Associate Editor: William Manners
Art Director: Charles W. Adams
Assistant Art Director: Gerald Adams
5.5” x 7.75” 128 pages 35 cents

News September 11, 2020

News Digest Sept. 11, 2020

New Releases
Nostalgia Digest Autumn 2020
Contents
Steve Darnall “Hello, Out There in Radioland!”
Steve Darnall “Reflections of a Golden Age” (cover story)
Dan McGuire “At This Theatre Next Week” Chapter Four
Jordan Elliott “Man and Superman” (Clayton Collyer)
Clair Schulz “Smilin’ Through” (Pegy Lynch)
Walter Scannell “This Ladd for Hire” (Alan Ladd)
Wayne Klatt “Pleasant Screams” (radio’s scary shows)
Alex Udvary “Hollywood Madmen” (Clark & McCullogh)
Stone Wallace “Prince of Players” (Raymond Massey)
Mail Call
Plus, the Radio Program Guide for Those Were the Days and WGN Radio Theatre

Nostalgia Digest Book 46 Chapter 4 Autumn 2020
Editor: Steve Darnall
Cover: Mark Braun
5.5” x 8.5” 64 pages, b&w interior
$4.50 on newsstands
Four-issue subscription $17
Eight-issue subscription $30
Nostalgia Digest website

Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine Sep/Oct 2020
Contents Page
Linda Landrigan: A Word of Thanks
The Lineup
Elliot F. Sweeney “Mrs. White Hart” art by Kimberly Cho
Dan Crawford “Storage”
Jane Pendjiky “Fruiting Bodies”
Mysterious Photograph $25 fiction contest “The Handoff”
Christopher Latragna “Call it Sad, Call it Funny”
Sharon Jarvis “Who Killed What’s Her Name?”
Laurel Flores Fantauzzo: Booked and Printed
James Sallis “The Beauty of Sunsets”
Wouter Boonstra “Archored” translated from the Dutch by Josh Pachter
Steven Gore “Inflection” art by Daniel Zalkus
Mark Lagasse: Scrambled Hitch (puzzle, solution on page 192)
Arlene Fisher: Dying Words (acrostic puzzle, solution on page 192)
Richard Freeborn “Family Harmony”
John Paul Davies “Limited Edition”
Dave Zeltserman “Past Due” art by Kevin Speidell
Michael Nethercott “Old Echoes”
Tom Larsen “Buscando Tupac”
Bob Tippee “You Said This Was Business”
Josh Pachter selects/introduces a Mystery Classic: “Thubway Tham’s Hoodoo Roll” by Johnston McCulley (Detective Story Magazine Nov. 12, 1921)
Lee Lofland’s Case File: Excited Delirium
The Story That Won (May/Jun) “Never a Dull Moment in the Kitchen” by Rosemary Herbert
Coming in AHMM Nov/Dec 2020
Directory of Services/Indicia

Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine Vol. 65 No. 9 & 10 Sep/Oct 2020
Publisher: Peter Kanter
Editor: Linda Landrigan
Managing Editor: Jackie Sherbow
Senior Director of Art & Production: Porter C. McKinnon
Senior ADs: Victoria Green, Thomas Slosser
Cover: Erika Steiskal
192 pages
$7.99 on newsstands until Oct. 20, 2020
Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine website

Amazing Selects No. 3:
Adrift in the Sea of Souls by David Gerrold
Contents Page
Adam-Troy Castro’s Introduction: The Sprung Chicken
Steve Davidson’s Publisher’s Note: David Gerrold
David Gerrold “Adrift in the Sea of Souls”
David Gerrold “The White Piano”
David Gerrold “Jacob in Manhattan”
Author’s Afterword
About the Author
Art the Artist: M.D. Jackson

Amazing Selects No. 3
Publisher: Steve Davidson
Cover and interior artwork M.D. Jackson
5.5” x 8.5” 170 pages
Print $8.99 Kindle $8.99
Amazing Stories website

Also out is Mystery Weekly Magazine Sep. 2020, with stories by Nick LeGrand, Edward Lodi, Joseph S. Walker, Benjamin Mark, William Burton McCormick, Shea E. Butler, Stan Dryer, and Eric B. Rurark. Available in print $7.99 and Kindle $3.99

Kevin Tipple highlights Fiction River: Stolen at The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog.

If Oct. 1965, Mystery Weekly Magazine April 2020

Digest Magazine Reviews
John O’Neill gives an overview of the “Big 5” digests for Sep/Oct 2020 at Black Gate.

Robert Lopresti reviews Joseph S. Walker’s “Golden Lives” from Mystery Weekly Magazine Sep. 2020 at Little Big Crimes.

David Levinson reviews Worlds of If Oct. 1965 at Galactic Journey.

Kevin Tipple reviews Mystery Weekly Magazine April 2020 at Kevin’s Corner.

Digest Magazine Writers’ Updates
Alan Dean Foster, whose “The Treasure of the Lugar Morto” appears in Analog Sep/Oct 2020, talks about writing at The Astounding Analog Companion.

Iris Hockaday, whose story “The Thunderstorm” appears in EQMM Jul/Aug 2020, reflects on “mystery” at Something is Going to Happen.

Jason Sandford on “The Eight-Thousanders” from Asimov’s Sep/Ocy 2020 at From Earth to the Stars.

Storytime
Charlie Cancel’s “R/amitheasshole Posted by Tammy Whammy 2 Hours Ago” at Pulp Modern Flash.

Josh Pachter reads his “The Secret Lagoon” from EQMM Sep/Oct 2019 at Podomatic.

Zine Scene
Jim Main’s Brain Freeze No. 5 was released this week. Its contributor list is too long to re-create here, but includes TDE illustrator Rick McCollum. The 52-page zine is available for $6.25 post paid from:
Main Enterprises
PO Box 93
New Milford, CT 06776

Brave and the Bold 167, Batman 328, Detective 495

TDE Contributors’ Corner
Jack Seabrook and Peter Enfantino review The Brave and the Bold No. 167, Batman No. 328, and Detective No. 495 at bare•bones e-zine.

Richard Kellogg sent a press release for his new book: Barry Baskerville’s Christmas Mystery (Airship 27, 2020) by Richard Kellogg and lavishly illustrated by Gary Kato, is now available from Amazon.com. In the seventh entry of this series of mysteries for children, Barry uses all his skills of observation and deduction to identify a thief who has been stealing Christmas trees from the lawns of the residents of Watsonville. Young readers will learn about the methods used by Sherlock Holmes while improving their own problem-solving skills. Sherlockians will find the book a great holiday gift for their children and grandchildren.

Jack Seabrook’s The Hitchcock Project—Harold Swanton Part Seven: Bang! You’re Dead at bare•bones e-zine.

Readin’ and Writin’
Alec Cizak offers creative writing tips on plotting at ACTV.

Did a fair about of reading this week, but didn’t finish any one of the books or digests currently in play. More next week.

Finished retouching the pages of Head No. 1 for Marc Myer’s upcoming Roman Scott collection.

Joined the Short Mystery Fiction Society this week! President: Robert Lopresti, Vice President: Kevin R. Tipple.

This week’s progress on TDE13: Steve Carper sent nearly a dozen cover scans for his upcoming article on digest SF novels. Jack Seabrook tapped Walker Martin for help securing the final images from Mystery Book Magazine No. 16, for Jack’s article on Leo Marr. And the color work on Bob Vojtko’s six gag cartoons was completed. Four will appear on one page I’ve dubbed “Zowie” in tribute to the Lopez digest magazine from the 1970s.

Our current issue: The Digest Enthusiast No. 12 is available in print at Lulu.com and Amazon, and in digital formats at Kindle Books and Magzter.

Vintage Science Fiction Digest
Galaxy Aug. 1977
Inside front cover by James R. Odbert
Contents Page
Calendar
James Patrick Bean’s Editorial: Galaxy and the Galaxy
Harbert Charles Petley “…and Earth So Far Away” art by Stephen Fabian
Frederik Pohl: Postscript to Gateway
Charles Sheffield “Perfectly Safe, Nothing to Worry About”
Jerry Pournelle, PhD: A Step Farther Out (science fact)
Frank Herbert “The Dosadi Experiment”
Richard E. Geis: The Alien Viewpoint art by Tim Kirk
Arsen Darnay “Pheromonal Fountain”
Spider Robinson: Galaxy Bookshelf
Jay Brandon “The All-Soul is Calling Quinlan” art by Stephen Fabian
Directions (letter pages)
Galaxy/If SF Mart (classified ads)

Galaxy Science Fiction Vol 38 No. 6 August 1977
Publisher: Arnold E. Abramson
Editor: James Patrick Baen
Art Director: Stephen Fabian
Assistant Editor: Elaine Will
Science Editor: J.E. Pournelle, PhD
Contributing Editor: Spider Robinson
Consulting Editor: Theodore Sturgeon
Cover: Kelly Freas
5.25” x 7.75” 160 pages $1.25

News August 28, 2020

News Digest Aug. 28, 2020

New Releases
Ellery Queen Sep/Oct 2020
Contents Page
Doug Crandell “Baby Drop Box” art by Mark Evan Walker
Kristopher Zgorski: Blog Bytes
Steve Steinbock: The Jury Box
Anna Scotti “What the Morning Never Suspected”
Dean Jobb’s Stranger Than Fiction: Arthur Conan Doyle and the Mutineers
Joseph S. Walker “Chasing Diamonds”
Marilyn Todd “Burning Desire”
Jim Allyn “Things That Follow” (Black Mask)
Dale C. Andrews “Four Words”
Violet Welles “Round-Trip Runaways” (Dept. of First Stories)
Dean Jobb’s Stranger Than Fiction Online: Preview
Asibe Taku “The Dashing Joker” (Passport to Crime) Translated from the Japanese by Yuko Shimada; adapted by John Pugmire
Libby Cudmore “All Shook Down”
Michael McGuire “Los Colores”
Jane Jakeman “The Oxford Ghosts”
Gregory Fallis “Terrible Ideas”
Zandra Renwick “Killer Biznez”
L.A. Wilson, Jr. “The Last True Love”
Alexandria Blaelock “The Perfume of Peahes” (Dept. of First Stories)
Barb Goffman “Dear Emily Etiquette” art by Jason C. Eckhardt
Brendan DuBois “The Homecoming”
Indicia

Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Sep/Oct 2020 Vol. 156 No. 3 & 4, Whole No. 948 & 949
Publisher: Peter Kanter
Editor: Janet Hutchings
Managing Editor: Jackie Sherbow
Senior Director Art & Production: Porter C. McKinnon
Senior AD: Victoria Green
Cover: Brian Stauffer
192 pages
$7.99 on newsstands until October 20, 2020
Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine website
Dean Jobb’s Stranger Than Fiction

EconoClash Review No. 6
Contents Page
J.D. Graves: Welcome Thrill Seekers
Daniel Marcus “Jesus Christ Superstore”
Preston Lang “Party Bus”
Serena Jayne “Chet-Shaped Lure”
John Kojak “The Good Squad”
Donald Jacob Uitvlugt “The Night Jake Addison Saved the World”
Robb T. White “The Curse of the Temple Topaz”
Paul McCabe “Seven Flutes”
J.D. Graves “Don’t Panic”
Chris Fortunato “You WIll be Very Happy Here”
Cheap Thrills Biographies

EconoClash Review No. 6
Editor: J.D. Graves
Cover: ToeKeen
Interior Art: Duane Crockett
5” x 8” 166 pages
Print $10.95 Kindle $4.99

On Tuesday, Down & Out Books released the third episode of Guns + Tacos Season Two: Four Shrimp Tacos and a Walther P38 by Alec Cizak. Series created and edited by Michael Bracken and Trey R. Barker.

Guns + Tacos Season Two Subscriptions:
• Trade Paperback—$32.95 (includes all six digital episodes plus a subscriber-exclusive short story and FREE shipping within the Continental U.S.)
• Digital Formats—$11.95 (includes all six digital episodes plus a subscriber-exclusive short story)

Other authors in Season Two include: Eric Beeter, Michael Bracken and Trey R. Barker, Ann Aptaker, Ryan Sayles, and Mark Troy.

Subscribe at Down & Out Books.

Justin Marriott announced the lockdown special of The Paperback Fanatic will be published soon.

Storytime
Gabriel Hart’s “Bottom’s Up” at Pulp Modern Flash.

The new issue of Close to the Bone is now available to read online or download as a PDF at Close2thebone.co.uk.

Digest Magazine Reviews
Paperback Warrior reviews The Best of Manhunt Vol. 2 at Paperback Warrior.

Gideon Marcus reviews Analog Sept. 1965 at Galactic Journey.

Digest Magazine Writers’ Updates
Stephanie Feldman on “The Staircase” from F&SF Jul/Aug 2020 at Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Wang Yuan on “Casualties of the Quake” from Analog Sep/Oct 2020 at The Astounding Analog Companion.

Brian Trent on “The Monsters of Olympus Mons” from F&SF Jul/Aug 2020 at Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Libby Cudmore, whose “All Shook Down” appears in EQMM Sep/Oct 2020, writes about the birthplace of Philo Vance at Something is Going to Happen.

M. Rickert on “Last Night at the Fair” from F&SF Jul/Aug 2020 at Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Michael Libling on “Robyn in Her Shiny Blue Coffin” from Asimov’s Sep/Oct 2020 at From Earth to the Stars.

Cheryll Jones interviews Fate editor Phyllis Galde at Coast to Coast.

Untold Legend of Batman 3, Batman 327, Brave & Bold 166, Detective 494

TDE Contributors’ Corner
Jack Seabrook and Peter Enfantino review The Untold Legend of Batman No. 3, Batman No. 327, The Brave and the Bold No. 166, and Detective No. 494 at bare•bones e-zine.

Jack Seabrook’s The Hitchcock Project—Harold Swanton Part Six: Museum Place at bare•bones e-zine.

Readin’ and Writin’
Happy to report I finished reading the outstanding Switchblade No. 12 this week. I wrote a full review that will appear in The Digest Enthusiast No. 13 in January 2021. With twelve issues and two special editions Switchblade has become a dependable haven for hard-hitting independent fiction. Its list of authors provides a who’s who of rising stars of dark crime fiction. This edition adds further bloody evidence of its usual five-star killer status.

Also read the Stark House Press imprint Black Gat Books’ editon of Stranger at Home by Leigh Brackett writing as George Sanders. Classic crime fiction that solidly captures the era in which it was written: 1946. Great characters chase an intriguing mystery, bodies mount and suspects dwindle until its suspenseful, satisfying conclusion.

Finally, I completed reading Occult Detective Magazine No. 7, which I had begun last month. In his editorial/introduction to the issue co-editor John Linwood Grant lays out the zine’s original vision: “…to explore this sub-genre with open minds and open hearts. Nothing—as long as it had both a supernatural, strange or weird element and an investigative one—as necessarily out of bounds.”

It helps to review the ground rules and set expectations for a magazine titled “Occult Detective.” There are several tales that fit Grant’s wider definition of the zine’s mission and give its editors a wider net from which to select stories. This edition is another strong entry in the series. My favorite tales were those by D. J. Tyrer, Nancy A. Hansen, and Brandon Barrows. The fiction is supported by articles on Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt, Conan and Carnacki, Grimm: Ghost Spotter from Golden Age Comics, and reviews of occult detective novels and comics. If you like this sub-genre, ODM will provide several sessions of great entertainment.

Bob Vojtko sent in six new gag cartoons for the next Digest Enthusiast. Great stuff—can’t wait to see them in print this January.

Our current issue: The Digest Enthusiast No. 12 is available in print at Lulu.com and Amazon, and in digital formats at Kindle Books and Magzter.

Vintage Crime Digest
Pursuit No. 7
Contents Page
Johnston McCulley “Fate Rides the Cyclone”
R. Van Taylor “Revenge is for the Dead”
H.A. DeRosso “May Lady Weeps”
Stephen Marlowe “Flypaper”
August Derleth “The Case of the Lost Dutchman”
Hunt Collins “Joker”
Robert Carlton “One Lethal Evening”
Bram Norton “Rider Wanted”

Pursuit Detective Story Magazine No. 7 January 1955
Publisher: J.A. Kramer
Editor: L.B. Cole
Associate Editor: Phyllis Farren
5.5” x 7.5” 128 pages 35 cents

News August 21, 2020

News Digest Aug. 21, 2020

Current Releases
Analog Sep/Oct 2020
Contents Page
Sheila Williams’ Anniversary Retrospective Editorial
Lewis Padgett “Mimsy Were the Borogoves” (reprint)
Jason Kahler “After National Geographic” (verse)
James Van Pelt “Minerva Girls”
Derek Kunsken’s Science Fact: The Science Behind The House of Styx
Holly Lyn Walrath “Yes, Antimatter is Real” (verse)
John J. Vester “Where There’s Life” art by Kurt Huggins
Sean McMullen “The Chrysalis Pool”
Aimee Ogden “A Skyful of Wings”
Jacob C. Cockcroft “Going Small”
Beth Goder “True Colors”
John G. Cramer’s The Alternate View: Where’s All the Antimatter?
Stephen S. Power “Drive Safely”
Wang Yuan “Casualties of the Quake” translation by Andy Dudak
Dan Reade “The Home of the King” art by Tomislav Tikulin
In Times to Come
Joel Richards “City”
M.L. Clark “Seeding the Mountain”
Jay Werkheiser “The Writhing Tentacles of History”
Alan Dean Foster “The Treasure of the Lugar Morto”
Richard A. Lovett’s The Alternate View: The Post-Coronavirus “New Normal”
James Sallis “Schools of Thought”
Mary Soon-Lee “The Boy Who Went to Mars”
Sarina Dories “I, Bigfoot” art by Mark Evans
Adam-Troy Castro “Draiken Dies” art by Soo Lee
Don Sakers: The Reference Library
Brass Tacks (Letters)
Anthony Lewis: Upcoming Events

Analog Science Fiction and Fact (Astounding) Vol. 140 No. 9 & 10 Sep/Oct 2020
Publisher: Peter Kanter
Editor: Trevor Quachri
Managing Editor: Emily Hockaday
Editorial Assistant: Rae Purdom
Senior Art Director: Victoria Green
Cover: Soo Lee
208 pages, $7.99 on newsstands until Oct. 20, 2020
Analog website

bare•bones No. 3
Contents Page
W.D. Gagliani’s epic overview of the original Planet of the Apes films, novel and sequel novelizations
Craig Miller recalls being on-set for Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
John Scoleri looks at the Apes adaptations from Screen Stories
Jack Seabrook interviews collector Walker Martin
Matthew R. Bradley’s look at Ray Bradbury’s Elliott Family
J. Charles Burwell on the Western Noir novels of H.A. DeRosso
Don D’Ammassa’s Overlooked Library returns
Peter Enfantino Digs into Crime Digests
S. Craig Zahler ducks into Sleaze Alley
David J. Schow’s latest installment of his R&D column looks at Monster Movies

bare•bones No. 3 Summer 2020
Editors: Peter Enfantino, John Scoleri
Layout: John Scoleri
Cimarron Street Books
6” x 9” 107 pages
Print $9.95

Digest Magazine Writers Update
Alexandria Blaelock, whose story “The Perfume of Peaches” appears in Ellery Queen Sep/Oct 2020, muses about The Thin Grey Line at Something is Going to Happen.

Ana Hurtado on her story “Madre Nuestra, Que Estás en Maracaibo” from F&SF Jul/Aug 2020 at Fantasy & Science Fiction.

James Van Pelt on his cover story “Minerva Girls” from Analog Sep/Oct 2020 at The Astounding Analog Companion.

Gregory Fallis correlates day jobs with writing stories (his “Terrible Ideas” appears in EQMM Sep/Oct 2020) at Something is Going to Happen.

Leah Cypess on her story “A Sideways Slant of Light” from Asimov’s Sep/Oct 2020 at From Earth to the Stars.

Bennett North on “A Bridge from Sea to Sky” from F&SF Jul/Aug 2020 at Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Trace Evidence previews the writers and stories for AHMM Sep/Oct 2020.

Digest Magazine Review
Gideon Marcus reviews Fantasy & Science Fiction Sep. 1965 at Galactic Journey.

Storytime
M.E. Purfield shares his story “Bumper” at Rusty Barnes’ Tough Crime.

TDE Contributors’ Corner
Uncle Jack (Seabrook) and Cousin Peter (Enfantino) review Eerie No. 45, Vampirella No. 22, and Creepy No. 51 at bare•bones e-zine.

Readin’ and Writin’
I’m slowly making my way through Martin Roth’s The Crime Writer’s Reference Guide and ran across this gem on page 182: “A crime is a wrong that affects the community in its aggregate capacity. A tort is a wrong apart from contract, which affects persons in their individual capacity. One is a public wrong, whereas the other is a private wrong. In the case of a crime, the wrongdoer is liable to criminal prosecution, whereas in the case of a tort, the offender is liable only to a civil action by the person injured.”

Finished reading bare•bones No. 2, an excellent follow-up to its debut issue. Lots of good stuff on the work of Richard Matheson by Paul M. Riordan, Matthew Bradley and co-editor John Scoleri, who also provides an article/review of DC’s Captain Action comics; co-editor Peter Enfantino’s pieces on The Sharpshooter paperbacks, another peek down Sleazy Alley, and follow-on to his article on the Shock Mystery Tales digests from TDE4, about the final bedsheet editions; Gilbert Colon on Lin Carter’s “People of the Dragon”; S. Craig Zahler on select issues of The Spider pulps; and David J. Schow explains the pile-up on production credits and endless writers’ meetings. Full disclosure: I dig into crime digests Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine (Feb–Jun 1957) in this issue.

Marc Myers is creating a new collection of work by the late Roman Scott. The hardcover format book will include all the content from his Oddities and Head zines. The volume will include recollections by Jonathan Falk and Todd Mecklem. I began the preliminary work on the layout this week.

Marc also completed a beautiful collage to illustrate a new story by Robert Snashall for The Digest Enthusiast No. 13, due in January 2021.

The current issue: The Digest Enthusiast No. 12 is available in print at Lulu.com and in digital formats at Kindle Books and Magzter.

Vintage Humor Digest
Cracked Digest No. 1 Oct. 1986
John Severin “Sagebrush”
Contents Page
Editor’s Note
Keny Gamble “Rambozo”
Bill Everett “Pushbutton War”
“Cat Gifts”
Vic Martin “Hudd & Dini”
“Ultra-Realistic Dolls”
Charlie Rodrigues “Cannibal Chuckles”
Sean Powers “School for TV Wrestlers”
McCartney “Hurry Ups”
John Severin “Celebrities’ Screen Idols”
McCartney “Surfing U.S.A.”
John Severin “Beach Ballon”
Charlie Rodrigues “Take Me Out to the Old Cracked Ball Game”
“Cracked Lens” (photo gags)
Bill Ward “Cracked Interviews the Magic King”
John Severin “Silly Things We Do…”
Howard Nostrand “Foggy Night in Minnesota”
John Severin “The Cracked Late Late Late Late Movie: The Towering Infernal”
John Severin “Sagebrush”
John Severin “Rare Old Shut Ups” (back cover)

Cracked Digest No. 1 Oct. 1986
Editor-in-Chief: Michael Delle-Femine
Art Director: Barry Shaprio
Editorial Assistance: Mort Todd
5.5” x 8.25” 148 pages $2.00

News August 14, 2020

News Digest Aug. 14, 2020

New Releases
Mystery Weekly Magazine Aug. 2020
Contents Page
Bill Kelly “Lucid”
Josh Pachter “The Odds Are Good”
Michael Bracken “Bone Soup”
Gerard J. Waggett “Suicide Insurance”
Leone Ciporin “The Power of the Dog”
Rachel Amphlett “A Grave Mistake”
Michael Mallory “Only the Desperate Come Here”
David Bart “A Little Housecleaning”
Bruce Harris “A Numbers Game” (You-Solve-It)

Mystery Weekly Magazine No. 60 Aug. 2020
Publisher: Chuck Carter
Editor: Kerry Carter
Cover: Robin Grenville-Evans
7.4” x 9.7” 85 pages
Print $7.99 Kindle $3.99
MWM Website

Digest Magazine Writers’ Roundup
David Erik Nelson discusses his F&SF Jul/Aug 2020 cover story, “All Hail the Pizza King and Bless His Reign Eternal,” at Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Mel Kassel talks “Crawfather” from F&SF Jul/Aug 2020 at Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Adam Ford on the secret origin of his poem “Dog Day Afternoon” from Asimov’s Jul/Aug 2020 at From Earth to the Stars.

James Morrow on “Bible Stories for Adults, No. 37: The Jawbone” from F&SF Jul/Aug 2020 at Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Tom Purdom talks ray guns, personality mods, and quotes about his story “We All Lose if They Take Mizuba” from Asimov’s Jul./Aug 2020 at From Earth to the Stars.

MWM 8-2020, Pulp Modern 5, Fantastic 9-1965, Commando: Raging Metal

Digest Magazine Reviews
Robert Lopresti reviews “Only the Desperate Come Here” by Michael Mallory from Mystery Weekly Magazine Aug. 2020 at Little Big Crimes.

Suz Jay reviews Pulp Modern Vol. 2 No. 5 and awards it 4.5 stars at Goodreads.

Victoria Silverwolf reviews Fantastic Sept. 1965 at Galactic Journey.

James Reasoner reviews Commando: Raging Metal at Rough Edges.

Storytime
Alec Cizak reads three poems from The Five-Two on ACTV.

Tom Leins presents “Recalibration” at Pulp Modern Flash.

Batman 326, Brave & Bold 165, Detective 493, Untold Legend of Batman 2

TDE Contributors’ Corner
Jack Seabrook and Peter Enfantino review Batman No. 326, The Brave and the Bold No. 165, Detective Comics No. 493, and The Untold Legend of Batman No. 2 at bare•bones e-zine.

Jack Seabrook presents The Hitchcock Project—Harold Swanton Part Five: “Summer Shade” (adapted from an AHMM Oct. 1960 story) at bare•bones e-zine.

Zine Scene
Jim Main’s latest mini comic Brain Freeze No. 4 is available for $5.00 postage paid from Main Enterprises PO Box 93, New Milford, CT 06776. The 40-page issue includes work by well over a dozen cartoonists including John Lambert, Brad W. Foster, Doug Halverson, and many, many others.

Also, Michael Neno’s Horse Crime Comics mini comic is now available at Nenoworld.

Readin’ and Writin’
Finished listening to Victor E. Frankl’s Yes to Life: In Spite of Everything this week. The book consists of three lectures Frankl gave shortly after his liberation from concentration camps after WWII on the meaning of life. Surprisingly uplifting and of course, thought provoking.

Also read the second edition of Amazing Selects with Edmond Hamilton’s Captain Future starring in The Guns of Pluto by Allen Steele. This adventure is the second installment of Steele’s trilogy of The Return of Ul Quorn, sequel to Avengers of the Moon. Great read with clever plotting. Can’t wait to get my eyeballs on the conclusion. Plus this edition includes a bonus reprint of Hamilton’s “The Harpers of Titan,” a story in which the Brain takes center stage, with the rest of the crew in supporting roles.

Finished writing an article/review of Flying Eagle’s 1953 digest magazine Verdict and submitted it to Peter Enfantino of Cimarron Street books for a future edition of bare•bones.

Also gained feedback on my sword and sorcery story “The Children of Aldwier” from my writing group. After some tweaks, the story will appear in TDE13, scheduled for January 2021.

Karl awarded The Digest Enthusiast No. 12 a five-star rating on Goodreads this week. Thank you, Karl! The issue is available in print from Lulu.com (and amazon), and in digital formats for Kindle and Magzter.

Vintage SF Digest
Thrilling Science Fiction No. 24 April 1972
Contents Page
Ivar Jorgenson “Children of Chaos”
Les Collins “The Seventh Planet” art by Schroeder
C.H. Thomas “World Beyond Pluto” art by Novick
Henry Slesar “Legacy of Terror” art by Virgil Finlay
Tom Godwin “Cry From a Far Planet” art by Martinez
O.H. Leslie “The Creators”
A. Bertram Chandler “It Started with Sputnik” art by Llewellyn
G.L. Vendenberg “Moon Glow”
A. Morris & Malcolm Smith “The Thing on the Moon”

Thrilling Science Fiction No. 24 April 1972
Ultimate Publishing
5.25” x 7.75” 132 pages 60¢

News August 7, 2020

News Digest August 7, 2020

New Releases
Pulp Modern Flash debuts with C.W. Blackwell’s “Memories of Fire.”

Rock and a Hard Place No. 3
Contents Page
Albert Tucher’s The Rule of Three (Foreword)
Jeremiah Kniola “Chicken”
Claude Lehumiere “Off the Road”
RHP Editorial Board: Far from Noir: A Tribute to Jonathan Elliott
C.W. Blackwell “Dig Deep the Midnight Furrows”
Jen Conley “He Will Kill You”
Alexandros Plasatis “Made in China”
Richard Risemberg “The Parking Lot”
L.R. Casazza “Repeat Offender”
Todd Robinson “Mr. Important”
Robb T. White “Barn Find”
Alison Garsha “In Real Life”
Mark Krajnak “Between a Habit and a Dream”
Gabrielle Nelson “Lost Dog Dreams”
Donald D. Shore “Portrait of Temptation”
Tammy Euliano “In Need of a Heart in Texas”
David Rachels “Oscar Montoya Leaves”
Contributors’ Biographies

Rock and a Hard Place No. 3 Spring/Summer 2020
Editor-in-Chief: Roger Nokes
Managing Editor: Jay Butkowski
Producing Editor: Jonathan Elliott
Associate Editors: Nikki Dolson, Katrina Robinson, Albert Tucher
Production: Christopher Nokes
Visual Artists: Richard Risemberg, Andrew Novak, Jay Butkowski, Stephen J. Golds, Rob Tucher, Mark Krajnak, Diane Krauthamer
Cover: Andrew Novak
6” x 9” 176 pages
Print $12.99 Kindle $2.99
Website Patreon

Crime Syndicate 1, Analog Aug 1965, Mystery Weekly Magazine Aug 2020, If Sept. 1965

Digest Magazine Reviews
Kevin Tipple reviews Crime Syndicate Magazine No. 1 at Kevin’s Corner.

Gideon Marcus reviews Analog Aug. 1965 at Galactic Journey.

Kevin Tipple highlights stories in Mystery Weekly Magazine August 2020 at The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog.

David Levinson reviews Worlds of If Sept. 1965 at Galactic Journey.

Digest Magazine Writer News
The August Fate Monthly Newsletter reports the next issue of Fate is underway. Until then, read about other Fate productions available now.

Rati Mehrotra on her story “Knock Knock, Said the Ship” from S&SF Jul/Aug 2020 at Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine looks back at gatherings past at Something is Going to Happen.

Richard Schiffman discusses his poem “Planets” from Asimov’s Jul/Aug 2020 in his Q&A at From Earth to the Stars.

D.M. Barr interviews Ann Aptaker about her novella “A Taco, a T-Brid, a Beretta, and One Furious Night,” from Guns + Tacos Season 2 at Novel Concepts. (Fast forward to 19:30 if you’d like to skip the intros.) Thanks, Michael Bracken.

Storytime
Alec Cizak reads his five of his L.A. poems at ACTV.

TDE Contributors’ Corner
Uncle Jack (Seabrook) and Cousin Peter (Enfantino) review Vampirella No. 21, Eerie No. 44, and Creepy No. 50—and pick Warren’s Best (and Worst) from 1968–1972 at bare•bones e-zine.

Paul D. Marks interviews about his novel The Blues Don’t Care at Mystery Playground. (Thanks, Kevin Tipple.)

Steve Carper explains “How the Zap Gun Got It’s Name” at Flying Cars and Food Pills.

James Reasoner, Paul Bishop, and Robert Vaughan discuss writing at Wolfpack Publishing.

Tony Gleeson reviews Paul Gleeson’s Screams From My Father on Goodreads.

Jack Seabrook’s annual update (2020) of The Hitchcock Project at bare•bones e-zine.

Readin’ and Writin’
Robert Lopresti, author of more than 70 published short stories, shares insights on how to write, edit and sell a short story via Zoom.com on August 8, 2020 at 10:00 AM (CST). Click on “Join a Meeting” and enter Meeting ID: 841-5192-7887.

Spent a fair amount of time retouching cover images for TDE13 this week.

Began reading Occult Detective Magazine No. 7, but several pages came loose during the process. I’ve purchased a lot of books printed by CreateSpace/KDP and this is the first time I ever saw this problem. Poor bindery work from the Coppell, Texas operation. Amazon agreed to accept the return, but I had to send the copy back before I finished reading it. Hope the next copy is back to KDP’s usual quality.

The follow-up was Nostalgia Ventures’ The Shadow No. 3 with “The Red Blot” and “The Voodoo Master.” “Blot” was good, but not one of the stronger entries in the series (3-stars). “Voodoo” on the other hand was voted the all-time favorite in 1937 by the original magazine’s readers. No wonder, it’s a 5-star Shadow adventure with supernatural elements, mystery, lots of action, twists, and plenty of ink for The Shadow’s supporting cast of Harry Vincent, Hawkeye, Cliff Marsland, Burbank, and Rutledge Mann.

The Digest Enthusiast No. 12's Digest SF Novels

For those looking for more digest magazine history, consider Vince Nowell, Sr.’s piece on digest-size Science Fiction Novels in The Digest Enthusiast No. 12 (June 2020). The issue is available in print from Lulu.com (or amazon) and in digital formats for Kindle and Magzter.

I should also mention amazon has slashed their margins on issue No. 11, so if you suffered sticker shock on our first full color print edition, now is a bargain-bustin’ time to buy.

Vintage True Crime Digest
Unsolved Murders June 1954
Contents Page
Editorial
Eleanor Taulman “Atomic Murder”
Justin Gilbert “In Shadow of President”
Paging the Mikado
Arthur Wiesen (contents page) Don Porter (page 24) “Fallen Star”
Beating the Rap
Joanna Gershonoff “Stalin’s Bloody Boudoir”
Yosh Witorff “Death in the Dimout”
How G-Men Disarm ‘Em
William T. Brannon “$2,000,000 Torture”
Jose Schorr “Be Your Own D.A.”
Jonathan Lord “Locked Out of Life”
Louis I. Freed “His Number Was Up”
Douglas Larsen “26,000 Suspects”
Crime Fighter Hall of Fame
Craig Rice “Voodoo Doll”
Elgar Dolson “Not Big Enough for His Hat”

Unsolved Murders Vol. 1 No. 1 June 1954
Editor & Publisher: Lou Shainmark
Managing Editor: Don Porter
Art Director: I.S. Mann
5” x 7.25” 128 pages saddle-stitched
35¢ cover price

News July 31, 2020

News Digest July 31, 2020

New Release
Switchblade No. 12
Russell Highland “The Great Morality” (verse)
Contents Page
Scotch Rutherford: Editor’s Corner

Sharp & Deadly Short Fiction
E.F. Sweetman :Sorry Not Sorry”
C.W. Blackwell “From Dusk to Blonde”
Jon Zelazny “Radio Sutch”
D.K. Latta “Forwarded Mail”
Walter Sandville “Sealing the Deal”
Elliot F. Sweeney “A Dirt Hit”
William R. Soldan “Like a Diamond in the Sky”
Nathan Pettigrew “Aileen of Savanne Road”
Andrew Miller “They Call Me Cuban Pete”

Quick & Dirty Flash Fiction
Patrick Whitehurst “Henrietta’s Calming Way”
Albert Tucher “A Glitch in the Universe”
Preston Lang “The High Notes”
Serena Jayne “Checking Out”

Switchblade Person of Interest: Chris McGinley
Author Bios & Acknowledgements

Switchblade No. 12 July 2020
Managing Editor: Scotch Rutherford
5” x 8” 189 pages
Print $7.99 Kindle $2.99
Switchblade Magazine website

Digest Magazine Writer News
Jay Werkheiser discusses his Science Fact article: Alien Biochemistry for Analog Jul/Aug 2020 at The Astounding Analog Companion.

Joseph S. Walker, whose story “Chasing Diamonds” will appear in EQMM Sep/Oct 2020 muses on “The Page Where It Happens” at Something is Going to Happen.

John Kessel on “Spirit Level” from F&SF Jul/Aug 2020 at Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Ted Kosmatka on “The Beast Adjoins” from Asimov’s Jul/Aug 2020 at From Earth to the Stars.

Storytime
Alec Cizak reads three poems by Robert E. Howard at ACTV.

The Untold Legend of Batman No. 1, Batman No. 325, The Brave and the Bold No. 164, and Detective Comics No. 492

TDE Contributors’ Corner
Jack Seabrook and Peter Enfantino review The Untold Legend of Batman No. 1, Batman No. 325, The Brave and the Bold No. 164, and Detective Comics No. 492 at bare•bones e-zine.

Jack Seabrook’s The Hitchcock Project—Harold Swanton Part Four: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge at bare•bones e-zine.

Kristin Kisska interviews Josh Pachter about the “dying message” at SleuthSayers.

Zine Scene
The third issue of Jim Main’s What Ever is out. This time, features include The Last Omega Men: Legends Compared by Michael House, Origins of Thundarr the Barbarian by Will Murray, a review of the series Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth, and Fandom Central reviews. The piece on Thundarr includes artwork by TDE contributor Michael Neno. What Ever No. 3 is available for $8.50 (PPD) from Main Enterprises.

Readin’ and Writin’
This week I read Tales From the Magician’s Skull No. 4 with eight all new sword and sorcery yarns. It’s a beautifully designed and illustrated full-size magazine. Included are stories by John C. Hocking, Adrian Cole, James Enge, James Stoddard, C.L. Werner, Ryan Harvey, Tom Doyle, and Milton Davis. Honestly, if you enjoy S&S you cannot go wrong with this issue, it’s terrific. My only complaint is that I wish it were published in an easier-to-handle digest size.

Also read Mourn the Hangman by Harry Whittington this week. The edition shown here is A Graphic Mystery No. 46, a paperback original first published in 1952. A Private Investigator arrives home to find his wife murdered. He immediately puts his worst judgements to work and finds himself suspect number one for the crime. He spends the rest of the novel avoiding arrest and desperately trying to discover who killed his wife. The book is well written, but the PI reviews and reflects on his emotional trauma too many times. Without all the redundancy the pacing and urgency would have made a stronger novel.

Completed the initial layouts on Gary Lovisi’s article on Falcon Books and my review of Sword & Sorcery Annual for The Digest Enthusiast No. 13 this week. Also spent several hours retouching Mystery Book Magazine covers.

Fotocrime from The Digest Enthusiast No. 12

The unique phenomenon of pocket-size (4” x 6”) magazines propagated newsstands in the 1950s. Most filled their pages with pin-ups of models, aspiring actresses, and stars of burlesque. Only a handful were dedicated to true crime stories like Fotocrime.

The brainchild of editor and publisher Jackson Burke, Fotocrime sought the sensational horrors of butchers, mobsters, and serial killers amping up fears of trill-killing juries and a continually degenerating society.

Read the whole sensational report in The Digest Enthusiast No. 12, available in print from Lulu.com and digital formats for Kindle and Magzter.

Vintage Crime Digest
Sure Fire Detective Stories April 1958
Contents Page
Pete McCann “A Challenge for the Killer!”
Art Crockett “Death Couldn’t Reach Me!”
Ray Dunham “The Edge of Terror!”
Jack Oleck “Death with a Stranger!”
Don Unatin “Dead: Do Not Disturb!”
Mitch Clark “Murder is an Accident!”
Bill Ryder “Hell on Wheels!”
Al James “Steel Clad Alibi!”
Hal Crosby “The Face of Death!”
G.G. Revelle “Love Me Hard!”

Sure Fire Detective Stories Vol. 2 No. 2 April 1958
Pontiac Publications
Cover: Carl Pfeufer
5.5” x 7.5” 112 mags 35¢ cover price

News July 24, 2020

News Digest July 24, 2020

New Release
Amazing Selects: The Guns of Pluto by Allen Steele (Captain Future)
Contents Page
Paul Di Filippo’s Newton’s Laws of Thrills (Introduction)
Steve Davidson: Publisher’s Introduction
Who is Captain Future?
Interlude: Marshall Gurney Reports
Allen Steele “The Guns of Pluto” (The Return of Ul Quorn, Book II)
Edmond Hamilton “The Harpers of Titan”
About the Author: Allen Steele
About the Creator: Edmond Hamilton
About the Cover Artist: Renon Boe
About the Interior Artist: M.D. Jackson
About the Comet II Artist: Rob Caswell
5.5” x 8.5” 205 pages
Print $8.99 Kindle $8.99
Amazing Stories website

Digest Magazine Reviews
Victoria Silverwolf reviews Worlds of Tomorrow Sept 1965 at Galactic Journey.

Digest Magazines and Authors
Art Taylor’s new e-newsletter is out.

Deborah L. Davitt discusses her poem “Vintage Years” at Asimov’s From Earth to the Stars.

David Bridge, whose story “Feral Flesh” appears in EQMM Jul/Aug 2020, recalls Creepers by Keith Gray at Something is Going to Happen.

Andrew Kozma reflects on his story “Mars, the Dumping Ground of the Solar System” from Analog Jul/Aug 2020 at The Astounding Analog Companion.

John Floyd writes about his story “Crow’s Nest” from EQMM Jan/Feb 2020 at The First Two Pages. (Thanks, Kevin Tipple.)

Peter Wood examines apocalyptic fiction, while his story “Why I’ll Never Get Tenure” appears in Asimov’s Jul/Aug 2020, at From Earth to the Stars.

Josh Pachter recalls Espionage Magazine with Jeff Quest on the Spybrary Podcast.

Storytime
Hector Acosta’s “La Cocinera” at Rusty Barnes’ Tough Crime.

Barb Goffman reports Art Taylor’s story “Restoration,” originally published in Crime Syndicate Magazine is available free at Black Cat Mystery.

Alec Cizak reads his story “The Bag Girl” from Tough 2 at ACTV.

TDE Contributors’ Corner
Michael Neno, who drew the illustration for Rick Ollerman’s story “Sock Monster” for The Digest Enthusiast No. 12 posted his thoughts on the issue and awarded it a five-star rating on GoodReads. Thanks, Michael!

The issue also garnered a five-star rating from Steve Alcorn on Amazon.com. Thank you, Steve!

As long as I seem to be grouping all the TDE12 updates here, I’m also grateful to James Reasoner for his kind words at Rough Edges.

Uncle Jack (Seabrook) and Cousin Peter (Enfantino) review Vampirella No. 19 & 20, Eerie No. 42 & 43, and Creepy No. 48 & 49 at bare•bones e-zine.

Steve Carper takes a deep dive into Space Kit. That’s right, your very own chunk of space in a box! Get all the answers at Flying Cars and Food Pills.

Readin’ and Writin’
David Lovelock created a story outline grid based on the Advanced Fiction Writing class at Writing Academy.

Gods of their own making. A book I picked up years ago because it sounded interesting was Tales of Ancient Egypt by Roger Lancelyn Green. At long last, I finished reading it this week. The prologue explains the ancient civilization was “the most self-contained of all the countries of the ancient world; it lived its own life, practiced its own religion and made up its own stories…”

First conquered by the Greeks, and then the Romans, many of Egypt’s stories were lost. Those that survived were hidden in its hieroglyphs, rediscovered in more modern times. The stories in this collection were carved on tablets or painted on papyrus by Egyptians or preserved by Greek historians.

But all were recorded by or for the pleasure of the ruling class, and reflect their narrow perspectives. There are peasants included, but none rise above their station unless gifted with uncommon beauty or prophecy. The slaves who built the great pyramids and temples pass through unseen.

These stories and fables provide a fascinating glimpse into ancient Egyptian history and culture as perceived by those who benefited most. A single line repeated again and again throughout the stories and reigns, the first words uttered in the presence of a Pharaoh, “Life, health, and strength be to you!” speaks volumes.

Tales of Ancient Egypt, White Fragility, F&SF 7/8 2020

Finished listening to the audio book White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, with a forward by Michael Eric Dyson. The book defines white privilege and advises us that eradicating systemic racism is a continuum for American society and every individual white person who benefits from it. The book increased my understanding of its topics. I think its reviews and ratings on amazon tell a story of their own. Ratings (7-21-20) 70% 5-Star, 8% 4-Star, 3% 3-Star, 2% 2-Star, and 17% 1-Star.

Also, finished reading the Jul/Aug 2020 issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction. It’s a satisfying collection of stories spanning the breadth of its territory. Some light and humorous, some deep and sombre. All well written. Since I prefer action/adventure fiction my favorites lean in that direction; those by David Erik Nelson, Bennett North, Madeleine Robins, and Brian Trent. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the balance. Taken as a collection, the variety adds to the overall strength and enjoyment of the issue.

Read all about Lester del Rey’s “Five Ages of Science Fiction” by Vince Nowell, Sr. in The Digest Enthusiast No. 12 available at Lulu.com in print and in digital format at Kindle and Magzter.

Vintage Crime Digest
Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine Nov. 1964
Contents Page
Brett Halliday “Death in Cell Five” (Mike Shayne)
Alson J. Smith “The Name of the Game”
Walter Dallas “Killer in the Bleachers”
Morris Hershman “Chicken Contest”
Dennis Lynds “No Loose Ends”
Maurice Leblanc “The Escape of Arsene Lupin”
James Holding “The Spook Goes West”
Carroll Mayers “One Hour for Crime”

Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine Vol. 15 No. 6 Nov. 1964
Publisher: Leo Margulies
Editorial Director: Cylvia Kleinman
Associate Editor: Frank B. Long
5.5” x 7.75” 144 pages 50¢

News July 17, 2020

News Digest July 17, 2020

Digest Magazine Reviews
John O’Neill reports on James White’s short stories from New Worlds Science Fiction, Astounding, and Analog at Black Gate.

John Boston reviews Amazing Aug. 1965 at Galactic Journey.

Gideon Marcus reviews F&SF July 1965 at Galactic Journey.

Digest Magazine News & Authors
In case you missed it on FB, John Linwood Grant announced Occult Detective Magazine’s recent acquisitions: “The Nature of Panic”—a substantial Folk Horror novelette by Simon Avery, featuring the same character as “Songs for Dwindled Gods” (ODM/Q#4), “The Voice on the Moor”—a tale by Melanie Atherton Allen featuring her repeat character Simon Wake (ODM#6), “Angel Scales”—another story by Brandon Barrows featuring his Japanese priest/investigator Azuma Kuromori (ODM#7), and “The Memory Funes”—a most intriguing and weird tale by Rhys Hughes.

Filip Wiltgrens advocates: Dream Big in Science Fiction (His story “Ennui” appears in Analog Jul/Aug 2020.) at The Astounding Analog Companion.

Robert Lopresti writes about his story “Worse Than Death” from Black Cat Mystery Magazine No. 6 at SleuthSayers.

Sheila Kohler posits Don Quixote as the first crime novel at EQMM’s Something is Going to Happen.

Ex-law enforcement author O’Neil De Noux speaks out on excessive force at SleuthSayers.

Madeleine E. Robins on “Omunculus” from F&SF Jul/Aug 2020 at Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Sean Monaghan on “Marbles” from Asimov’s Jul/Aug 2020 at From Earth to the Stars.

Andy Dudak on “Midstrathe Exploding” from Analog Mar/Apr 2020 at The Astounding Analog Companion.

James Patterson and Conde Nast plan to revive The Shadow in a new series per Deadline.com. (Thanks, Bill Thom.)

The next issue of Pulp Literature releases on Sunday, July 19. Tune into the virtual launch party and catch up the latest Pulp Lit news via their July 2020 e-news.

TDE Contributors’ Corner
Michael Neno reviews Naruto 11 at Eventized. Michael also released his new mini comic Horse Crime Comics, a riveting tale told in the new genre of #EquineNoir and created remixing ancient comic book art in the public domain. It’s 24 pages in full color, signed on request for $4.00 from the S.P.A.C.E. virtual comics marketplace. (Scroll down to Michael Neno’s listing!)

Batman 234, Brave and Bold 163, Detective 491

Jack Seabrook and Peter Enfantino review Batman No. 324, The Brave and the Bold No. 163, and Detective Comics No. 491 at bare•bones e-zine.

Cimarron Street books announced the release of David J. Schow’s groundbreaking cinema horror anthology, Silver Scream, back in print for the first time in 32 years. Details to follow.

Steve Carper investigates the Interplanetary Development Corporation of New York at Flying Cars and Food Pills.

Jack Seabrook presents The Hitchcock Project—Harold Swanton Part Three: Coyote Moon at bare•bones e-zine.

Marc Myers was released two new collage art zines Mulmig No. 3 and Elephant Vol. 2 No. 4. Shown from left to right are the front and back covers. Send email for prices and ordering information.

Readin’ and Writing’
Finished reading the final issue of Verdict, and writing the first draft of my article about the series’ first run. Another excellent issue. This title was the perfect companion to Manhunt back in that golden year of 1953, but apparently the newsstands were overrun with crime fiction digests at the time, hence it didn’t survive, along with most of its competition. Really unfortunate. This issue’s highlights include most of its contents: stories by William Irish (Cornell Woolrich), James M. Cain, Fredric Brown, George Harmon Coxe, and Rex Stout. Although Verdict is more difficult to find than issues of Manhunt, it’s worth the effort.

Another good read this week was Black Cat Mystery Magazine No. 6. Quality throughout, but my favorite this time was “The Loser” by Robert Guffey. Also a pleasure to read the latest stories from author’s I’ve interviewed for TDE, Michael Bracken and Robert Lopresti; along with new work from Trey R. Barker, John Hegenberger, Patricia Dusenbury, and Laird Long. The issue wraps with a reprint from AHMM Jan. 1966, “The Contagious Killer” by Bryce Walton (1918–1988). Wildside is working to reprint all of his short fiction.

Fans of Brian Buniak, whose painting graces the cover of TDE6, are in for a treat next issue. Brian is back with another rare painting of a barbarian hero up to his muscular elbows in peril. It’s a beautiful image worthy of an action-packed story. I just might have to write one.

Vince Nowell, Sr. wrote this week. He’s cooking up a two-part piece on Robert A.W. Lowndes’ pulps and digests. One to look forward to.

While you’re waiting for the next TDE, I should mention the print edition of TDE12 has been ported over to amazon, so now you can choose print or digital without switching sites. Part of what’s in store is a piece I wrote on Ray Palmer’s Science Stories. If you collect or read Other Worlds, you’ll want to add the four-issue run of Science Stories to your collection. The Digest Enthusiast No. 12 is also available in print from Lulu.com, and digital for Kindle and Magzter.

Vintage Crime Digest
Manhunt October 1960
Contents Page
Glenn Canary “Too Much to Prove”
Hayden Howard “Dead Beat”
David Maurer “White Lightning”
Sheila S. Thompson “Name: Unknown, Subject: Murder”
Dan Brennan “The Trouble Shooters”
Jack Ritchie “Shatter Proof”
Marc Penry Winters “The Fugitives”
Hal Ellson “Protection”
Philip Freund “To Catch a Spy”

Manhunt Vol. 8 No. 5 October 1960
Publisher: Michael St. John
Editor: John Underwood
Assoc. Editor: J. Proske
Art Director: Gerald Adams
5.5” x 7.75” 128 pages 35¢

News July 10, 2020

News Digest July 10, 2020

Current Releases
Mystery Weekly Magazine July 2020
Contents Page
Coy Hall “A Hazard of the Job”
Jeffrey Hunt “Sir Oxnard”
Tell James Glenn “Screen Shot”
April Kelly “Setting the Pick”
Vincent H. O’Neil “Tombstone Dodge”
Joe Giordano “Star Witness”
Adam Meyer “Wipeout”
Gordon Linzner “The Corpse at the Foot of My Bed”
Laird Long “Poisoned Relationship” (A You-Solve-It)

Mystery Weekly Magazine No. 59 July 2020
Publisher: Chuck Carter
Editor: Kerry Carter
Cover: Robin Grenville-Evans
7.4” x 9.7” 84 pages
Print $7.99 Kindle $3.99

Fantasy & Science Fiction Jul/Aug 2020
Contents Pages
Charles Coleman Finlay: Editorial
Rati Mehrotra “Knock, Knock Said the Ship”
M. Rickert “Last Night at the Fair”
James Morrow “Bible Stories for Adults No. 37: The Jawbone”
John Kessel “Spirit Level”
Charles de Lint: Books to Look For
Michelle West: Musing on Books
David Erik Nelson “All Hail The Pizza King And Bless His Reign Eternal”
Ana Hurtado “Madre Nuestra, Que Estás en Maracaibo”
Mary Soon Lee “A Quartet of Alphabetic Bubbles” (verse)
Bennett North “A Bridge from Sea to Sky”
Mel Kassel “Crawfather”
Madeleine Robins “’Omunculus”
David J. Skal’s Films: Darkness Visible
Jerry Oltion’s Science: What the Heck Is an Analemma?
Stephanie Feldman “The Staircase”
Brian Trent “The Monsters of Olympus Mons”
Natalia Theodoridou “The Shape of Gifts”
Coming Attractions
F&SF Market Place
Thomas Kaufsek’s Curiosities: The Contaminant by Leonard Reiffel (1978)

Fantasy & Science Fiction Vol. 139 No. 1 and 2, No. 750, Jul/Aug 2020
Publisher: Gordon Van Gelder
Editor: C.C. Finlay
Assistant Publishers: Barbara J. Norton, Keith Kahla
Assistant Editors: Robin O’Connor, Stephen L. Mazur, Lisa Rogers
Contests Editor: Carol Pinchefsky
Cover: Alan M. Clark
Cartoons: Arthur Masear, Danny Shanahan, Kendra Allenby, Nick Downes
258 pages, $8.99 on newsstands until August 31, 2020
Fantasy & Science Fiction website

Digest Magazine Blogs
Alec Nevada-Lee writes about his story “Retention” from Analog Jul/Aug 2020 and in audio from The Outer Reach and Syndromes at The Astounding Analog Companion.

Kevin Mims on lockdown book browsing at EQMM’s Something is Going to Happen.

Will McIntosh explains The Future of Dating and his story “Nic and Viv’s Compulsory Courtship” from Asimov’s Jul/Aug 2020 at From Earth to the Stars.

MWM July 2020, Commando: Retribution, Galaxy Aug. 1965

Digest Magazine Reviews
Robert Lopresti reviews “Setting the Pick” by April Kelly from Mystery Weekly Magazine July 2020 at Little Big Crimes.

James Reasoner reviews Commando: Retribution! at Rough Edges.

Gideon Marcus reviews Galaxy Aug. 1965 at Galactic Journey.

Analog, Asimov's Ju./Aug 2020 — Analog, Asimov’s Ju./Aug 2020

Gabe Dybing reviews the Asimov’s and Analog Jul/Aug 2020 issues at Black Gate.

Storytime
Gary Hoffman’s “Happy Birthday, Baby” at Kings River Life Magazine. (Thanks, Kevin Tipple.)

TDE Contributor’s Corner
Uncle Jack (Seabrook) and Cousin Peter (Enfantino) review Vampirella No. 18, Eerie No. 41, and Creepy No. 47 at bare•bones e-zine.

Readin’ and Writing’
Worked on my review of the Verdict digest this week, and finished reading the third issue of the series. The lead story, “Bay City Blues’ by Raymond Chandler is excellent, but I struggled writing a recap. Chandler’s stories are always packed with characters fading in and out of complex plots. His trademark prose and non-stop action are thrilling. but I find it easy to forget details of what’s what. I went through a second time and made notes so I could write about it intelligently. It is a tightly plotted tale and everything lines up as it should. It’s also a magical reading experience.

Besides Part 3 of Rex Stout’s novel Fer-De-Lance, the other standout story in this issue is Bruno Fischer’s “No Escape.” The story opens with a home invasion and the tension never stops until the end. Masterful storytelling by another crime fiction maestro.

Thanks to Tony Gleeson for his post about The Digest Enthusiast No. 12 on Facebook this week. In addition to the interview with Tony—and one with John Shirley, the issue also features a comprehensive report from Steve Carper about Photoplay Editions the first novelizations of famous films—and even a few plays. TDE12 is available in print from Lulu.com, and on Kindle and Magzter in digital.

The print version of TDE12 is also in stock at Bud’s Art Books and Mike Chomko Books.

Vintage SF and Fantasy Digest
Fantastic January 1974
Contents Page
Ted White: Editorial
Howard L. Meyers “The Earth of Nenkunal” art by Jeff Jones
David R. Bunch “Alien”
Ted White “And Another World Above” art by Michael Nally
Janet Fox “She-Bear” art by Michael Kaluta
J.J. Russ “The Interview”
Barry N. Malzberg “Network” art by Joe Staton
Susan Doenim “Heartburn in Heaven” art by Gray Morrow
According to You (Letters)

Fantastic Vol. 23 No. 2 January 1974
Publisher: Sol Cohen
Assoc. Publisher: Arthur Bernhard
Editor: Ted White
Assoc. Editor: Grant Carrington
Assist. Editors: Moshe Feder, John Berry
Art Director: J. Edwards
Cover: Esteban Maroto
5.25” x 7.75” 130 pages 60¢