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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.

Amazing Aug. 1965, F&SF Aug. 1965

John Boston reviews Amazing Aug. 1965 at Galactic Journey.

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

Jul/Aug 2020 Digests
Jul/Aug 2020 Digests

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.

Naruto No. 11, Horse Crime Comics

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
Silver Scream by David J. Show

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.

Mulmig No. 3
Elephant Vol. 2 No. 4

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.

Science Stories from TDE12

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.

Manhunt Oct. 1960

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 Digest July 10, 2020

Mystery Weekly Magazine July 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

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

Jul/Aug 2020 Digests
Jul/Aug 2020 Digests

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.)

Vampirella 18, Eerie 41, Creepy 47

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.

Steve Carper: Photoplay Editions

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.

Fantastic Jan. 1974

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¢

News Digest June 26, 2020

Pulp Modern Vol. 2 No. 5

New Releases
Pulp Modern Vol. 2 No. 5 Summer 2020
Contents Page
Alec Cizak: From the Editor
Andrew Bourelle “Companion”
Peter W.J. Hayes “The Bowie Knife”
Mandi Jourdan “These Violent Delights”
“Doc” Clancy “Ghost Town”
Timothy Friend “Burnin’ Love”
Serena Jayne “Necessary Evils”
Adam S. Furman “Intercession”
Victoria Weisfeld “The Unbroken Circle”
Nils Gilbertson “How to Make a Boulevardier”

Publishers: Uncle B Publications & Larque Press LLC
Editor: Alec Cizak
Design: Richard Krauss
Cover: Rick McCollum
Interior Artwork: Ran Scott
Cartoons: Bob Vojtko
5.5” x 8.5” 132 pages
Print $6.99 Kindle $2.99

Alec Cizak reads the intro to Pulp Modern Vol. 2 No. 5

Editor Alec Cizak reads his introduction to the issue on ACTV.

Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen Jul/Aug 2020

The Jul/Aug 2020 issues of Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen are now available. For contents click on their titles.

Amazing Stories

Amazing Stories has launched a Kickstarter Campaign to help fund another four issues of the magazine.

Close to the Bone No. 2

Storytime
The second issue of Close to the Bone is out with crime fiction and other genres. Free download.

May/Jun 2020Digests

Digest Magazine Blogs
Robert Reed on “Who Carries the World” from F&SF May/Jun 2020 at Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Robert R. Chase on Immortality and “The Offending Eye” from Analog Jul/Aug 2020 at The Astounding Analog Companion.

Herb Kauderer, whose poem “Bicameral” appears in Asimov’s Jul/Aug 2020, has Questions About the New Inequality at From Earth to the Stars.

Tom Mead, author of “The Indian Rope Trick” in EQMM Jul/Aug 2020, discusses locked room mysteries at Something is Going to Happen.

Vampirella 17, Eerie 40, Creepy 46

TDE Contributors’ Corner
Steve Carper
explores the Harden Planetarium at Flying Cars and Food Pills.

Uncle Jack (Seabrook) and Cousin Peter (Enfantino) review Vampirella No. 17, Eerie No. 40, and Creepy No. 46 at bare•bones e-zine.

Nostalgia Digest Summer 2020

Readin’ and Writin’
There’s no other magazine I can think of like Nostalgia Digest. It’s kind of like TV Guide, only for radio; radio from its golden era celebrated anew every Saturday on WDCB and WGN, on air and online. The quarterly Digest shares the schedules and synopsis of all the shows and rounds out every issue with nearly a dozen articles on celebrities, popular culture, and history. The Summer 2020 edition, which I read this week, is the all-vintage swimsuit issue, featuring celebrities Ava Gardner, Doris Day, Anne Baxter, Kirk Douglas, Loretta Young, Alexis Smith, Jackie Cooper, Leila Ernest, Kay Stewart, Eddie Bracken, Richard Conte, Gene Tierney, Beryl Vaughn, Jimmy Durante, Maureen O’Hara, Marie Windsor, and Ginger Rogers. The articles on Keir Dullea, Andy Griffith, Jack Pearl, wartime baseball, the Chautauqua movement, and Jimmy Stewart were all enlightening and entertaining. My thanks to Editor, Publisher, and Host Steve Darnall for another great issue, and for all you do to keep old time radio and those thrilling days of yesteryear alive!

Also read the second issue of Verdict, for a work-in-progress article. Haven’t decided yet if it’s for The Digest Enthusiast No. 13, or elsewhere. Verdict No. 2 a terrific issue of a terrific magazine. Sad it only lasted four issues. Some strong entries here by Samuel Blas, Bruno Fischer, Dorothy B. Hughes, Henry Kane, Cornell Woolrich and of course Rex Stout, whose Neo Wolfe novel Fer De Lance is serialized.

The Digest Enthusiast No. 12 June 2020

Many thanks to Kevin Tipple for highlighting Michael Bracken’s story “El Despoblado” in The Digest Enthusiast No. 12 at The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog.

Thanks also to David Haden of Tentaclii, an H.P. Lovecraft blog, for including The Digest Enthusiast No. 12 in a post this week.

Received comp copies of the new issue of The Digest Enthusiast No. 12 from the printer and began mailing them out to contributors. This time the printed book was produced by Lulu.com and I’m very pleased with the results. Their all-new website and new standard color option enabled this edition to include a full color interior at a reasonable, if not inexpensive, price. The book is available in print at lulu.com and for Kindle and Magzter. Among many other features is Lester del Rey’s The Five Ages of Science Fiction by Ward Smith.

News Digest April 17, 2020

Fate No. 735

April Digests
Fate No. 735: Why Tattoos
Contents Page
I See By the Papers by Fate Staff
Phyllis Galde: From Your Editor
Katharine Clark: Little Lost Lives
Chris & Paulette Moon: My Encounters with Shadow People
Valenya: The Gardener’s Sin
James McArthur: The Devil’s Footprints
David Weatherly: Payson, Arizona
W.A. Harbinson: Myths and Facts of the Crystal Skulls
Diane Tessman: UFOs: People of the Future?
Stevie Tombstone: Tattooing Overview
M. Christian: Walking Artwork
Jim Willis: Stones Cry Out
Natalie Fowler: Schmidt Brewery
Cheyenne Campbell: Bonanzaville
Hermester Barrington: Spook Lights
Joseph Curreri: Gentle Giant
Kevin Swanson: Paranormal Gear
Rudy Parker: 50 Years Ago: Telling of the Bees
Ted Mahr: Message From the Masters
True Mystic Experiences
My Proof of Survival
Report from the Readers
Classified Advertising
The Amazing Godwin from Spirit as told to Phyllis Galde by Janice Carlson

Editor-in-Chief: Phyllis Galde
Senior Editor: Susan Swan
Editors: Jamie Anderson, Natalie Fowler
Social Media: Jamie Anderson
Fate Radio Host: Kat Hobson
Cover image of a tattooed Maori
Approximately 5.25” x 7.75” 120 pages $5.95
Fate website

Monster Maniacs No. 2 & Amazing May 1965

Monster Maniacs No. 2
The journal of vintage horror in magazines, comics and fanzines. Content includes Web of Horror, Vampirella, Tom Sutton’s work at Charlton, Kevin O Neil’s early horror strip work, interviews with small press publishers of Deep Red, Midnight and Vampi.
8.5” x 11” full color 80 pages $10.99

Digest and Book Reviews
John Boston
reviews Amazing May 1965 at Galactic Journey.

Robert Lopresti reviews Martin Hill Ortiz’s “Mixed Identities” from Mystery Weekly Magazine, April 2020 at Little Big Crimes.

James Van Pelt reviews selections from the Mar/Apr 2020 issues of Asimov’s and F&SF at Black Gate.

Mar/Apr 2020 Digests

Digest Magazine Blogs
Scott Rutherford
: “What Crime Fiction Editors Want and Don’t Want” at EconoClash Review.

William Burton McCormick on his “Night Train to Berlin” from AHMM March/April 2020 at Trace Evidence.

William Ledbetter on “Hungry is the Earth” from F&SF March/April 2020 at Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Gregory Benford talks fact and fiction at The Astounding Analog Companion.

N.W. Barcus writes about mysteries and video games at EQMM’s Something is Going to Happen.

2020 Derringer Award Finalists
Gerald So
interviews 2020 Derringer Award finalists at Chatterific. Leslie Budewitz, Michael Bracken, Trey Dowell, John M. Floyd, Debra H. Goldstein, Steve Greco, C.C. Guthrie, Richard Helms, Sandra Murphy, Josh Pachter, C.J. Verburg, Maultash Warsh, and Frank Zafiro. (Hat tip: Kevin R. Tipple)

Digest Newsletter
Read the April newsletter from Pulp Literature.

TDE Contributor Corner
Peter Enfantino
explores Journey into Strange Tales! Atlas/Marvel Horror issue 58 at bare•bones e-zine.

Readin’ and Writin’
Switchblade submission window April 15–25 at Switchblade Mag.

Publishing progress took a back seat to house and yard work this past week, but I was able to complete the layout of the review of bare•bones No. 1 for the June 2020 issue of The Digest Enthusiast. Also did some retouch work on the cover images for Ward Smith’s article on “The Five Ages of Science Fiction.”

I’ve been reading A Trio of Beacon Books from Stark House Press, with a fab introduction by Jeff Vorzimmer. This week was Call South 3300: Ask for Molly! by Orrie Hitt. Terrific!

Verdict Nov. 1956

Vintage Crime Digest
Verdict Vol. 1 No. 2 Nov. 1956 (Second Series)
Contents Page
Jack Finney “The Widow’s Walk”
Frank O’Rourke “The Bitter Edge”
Wilbur Daniel Steele “Blue Murder”
Clayre and Michel Lipman “Priest Hole”
Richard Marsten “Kill Me, My Sweet”
MacKinlay Kantor “Trail fo the Brown Sedan”
Wade H. Mosby “Hangman’s Witness”
Craig Rice “Dead Men’s Shoes” (John J. Malone)
David C. Cooke “Shadow on the Hill”
Bryce Walton “Bridge Game”

Verdict Crime Detective Magazine Vol. 1 No. 2 Nov. 1956
Publisher: Michael St. John
General Manager: R.E. Decker
Editorial Director: Walter R. Schmidt
Managing Editor: William Manners
Associate Editor: N.F. King
Art Director: Charles W. Adams
Assistant AD: Gerald Adams

News Digest April 10, 2020

Five issues of Pulp Modern Vol. 1

April Digests, Anthologies, Zines
Alec Cizak has made all ten issues in Volume One of Pulp Modern available for free, exclusively on Magzter. The roster of writers appearing in these issues is a who’s who of modern pulp fiction. Start reading now!

Mystery Weekly Magazine April 2020

Mystery Weekly Magazine April 2020
Contents Page
John H. Dromey “The Roaring Twenties Revisited”
Chris Wheatley “One Night At Clancy’s”
Jeffery Scott Sims “The Mystery Of The Egyptian Biscuit”
Josh Pachter “The Pig Is Committed”
Martin Hill Ortiz “Mixed Identities”
Martin Roy Hill “The Last Mission”
Bruce W. Most “Flashgun”
Benjamin Mark “The Case Of The Disappearing Diamonds”
Laird Long “The Purloined Pearls” (You-Solve-It)

Mystery Weekly Magazine April 2020 (No. 56)
Publisher: Chuck Carter
Editor: Kerry Carter
Cover: Robin Grenville-Evans
7.5” x 10” 82 pages
Print $6.99, Kindle $2.99
Mystery Weekly Magazine website

The Beat of Black Wings edited by Josh Pachter
It’s official. The anthology of crime fiction inspired by the songs of Joni Mitchell has launched. Contributors include Donna Andrews, Abby Bardi, Michael Bracken, Carol Ann Davis, David Dean, John M. Floyd, Barb Goffman, Sherry Harris, Greg Herren, Emily Hockaday, Matthew Iden, Tara Laskowski, Edith Maxwell, Alison McMahan, Adam Meyer, Alan Orloff, Kathryn O’Sullivan, Josh Pachter, Christine Poulson, Mindy Quigley, Jackie Sherbow, Amber Sparks, Art Taylor, Ricki Thomas, Marilyn Todd, Elaine Viets, and Stacy Woodson. 362 pages. Available in paperback and digital formats from Untreedreads and other booksellers.

Zine-ology Report No. 2 and Chaser

Alan Sissom released The Zineology Report No. 2 this week, a newszine with ordering details for dozens of recent zines. Send an email for ordering information.

Book Review
Rider Barnes
reviews Chaser by Dharma Kelleher at Tough Crime.

Digest News, Blogs, etc.
John Floyd
discusses “Rhonda and Clyde” from Black Cat Mystery Magazine at SleuthSayers.

EQMM Fiction Podcast No. 126: Cecilia Fulton “Father of the Corpse”

Jim Kelly on “The Man I Love” at Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Kenneth Wishnia on “Kickass Women of the Bible” at AHMM’s Trace Evidence.

Em Liu on “The Halting Problem” at The Astounding Analog Companion.

Judy Clemens discusses mystery fiction at EQMM’s Something is Going to Happen.

Gregor Hartmann on “A Solitary Crane Circles Cold Mountain” at Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Readin’ and Writin’
Crime fiction writer Dana King is back blogging with the promise of writing advice at One Bite at a Time.

Progress on The Digest Enthusiast No. 12 this week included more notes on Fotocrime and the layout for my review of Guns + Tacos. Also, happily received an article each from Vince Nowell, Sr. and Ward Smith, both centered on science fiction digests.

ECR No. 5 and Bare•bones No. 1

Reading included EconoClash Review No. 5, which like Switchblade and Pulp Modern continues to showcase the best of hard-wrought indie genre fiction. ECR No. 5 delivers another crusty collection of ten terse tales guaranteed to divert, debauch, and delight. Look for my full review in TDE12.

Also finished reading bare•bones No. 1, which was excellent. Like its contributors, the return of bare•bones to print offers an eclectic mix with impressive range. Even when one of its many topic isn’t of primary interest to you, its presentation and depth of coverage provide an enjoyable, edifying lesson in pop culture. And yes, I’ll have a full review ready for TDE12 shortly.

Verdict Aug. 1956

Vintage Crime Digest
Verdict Vol. 1 No. 1 August 1956
“St. John made another attempt in 1956, reviving the magazine under a slightly different title (Verdict Crime Detective Magazine), but this also suffered a short run.”* Three issues.

Contents Page
Craig Rice “Hanged Him in the Mornin’” Originally “His Heart Could Break”
Evan Hunter “Get Out of Town!”
Hunt Collins “Eye-Witness”
Laurence G. Blochman “To Find a Killer”
Richard Deming “Two Kinds of Murder”
Don Stanford “Holdup!”
Samuel Blas “Vengeance is Mine”
Q. Patrick “Kisses of Judas”
Allan Vaughan Elston “Genius at Work”
David C. Cooke “Ride for a Stranger”
Samuel Elkin “The Deadly Sisters”

Verdict Crime Detective Magazine Vol. 1 No. 1 August 1956
Publisher: Michael St. John
General Manager: R.E. Decker
Editorial Director: Walter R. Schmidt
Managing Editor: William Manners
Associate Editor: N.F. King
Art Director: Charles W. Adams
Assistant AD: Gerald Adams

*Mystery, Detective, and Espionage Magazines by Michael L. Cook (Greenwood Press, 1983)

News Digest April 3, 2020

Analog Apr. 1965 & If May 1965

Analog April 1965 reviewed by Gideon Marcus at Galactic Journey.

Mystery Weekly Magazine Nov. 2019 reviewed by Kevin Tipple at Kevin’s Corner.

Worlds of If May 1965 reviewed by David Levinson at Galactic Journey.

Mar/Apr 2020 Digests

Digest Blogs
Mark W. Tiedemann
discusses “The Story I’m Working on Now” at The Astounding Analog Companion.

Pat Black on fictional shelters at Something is Going to Happen.

Brian Trent discusses “Death on the Nefertem Express” at Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Nostalgia Digest Podcast
Every month since 2012, the Nostalgia Digest Podcast has taken listeners on a trip back to the “Golden Age” of entertainment . . . and as the Podcast turns 100, they’re celebrating with the help of two special guests” Patty McCormack (The Bad Seed, Mama) and Rich (Svengoolie) Kaz! Click here to start listening!

JD Graves and Pulp Literature No. 26

Free Crime Fiction
L.A. Wilson, Jr.’s
“The Whisperers” was sent to Mystery Weekly Magazine’s email subscriber’s list on March 29, 2020. Sign up at Mystery Weekly Magazine.

Nikki Dolson’s “Liars, Killers and Thieves” at Rusty Barnes’ Tough Crime.

J.D. Graves offers “Just Another Job that Doesn’t Pay Very Well” for Kindle.

Pulp Literature e-News
The April update from Pulp Literature includes an advance look at issue No. 26 for Spring 2020.

Pulp Adventures No.34

Readin’ and Writin’
This week’s main read was Pulp Adventures No. 34, published by Rich Harvey, and edited by Audrey Parente. Here’s what’s behind the cover by Albert Fisher (from Front Page Detective Jan. 1941):

Editorial by Rich Harvey
Robert Leslie Bellem has three pulp reprints in this issue; one under the pseudonym William Decatur. Rich Harvey explores Bellem’s Hollywood Dectective: “Does the series epitomize the genre of hardboiled detectives . . . Or does the series actually lampoon the genre and its tropes, which were becoming cliché even before World War II commenced?” Perhaps, both.

“In a Sentimental Mood” by Logan Robichaud
Isaac A. Massinger is a suspected communist, his politics and advocacy cleverly hidden between the lines of his stories. Special Agents Beard and Greene have him under surveillance. The exact time period isn’t clear, but Massinger writes on a typewriter. When confronted at his apartment, Massinger allows a search of the premises and Beard discovered a trove of incriminating papers hidden beneath the floor. Moody and atmospheric, Robichaud’s prose exudes pulp while probing ideology, art, and connection.

“Death Do Us Part” by William Decatur (Robert Leslie Bellem)
“Fogarty had never been known to go back on his word, whether dealing with crooks or the Law. And for that reason, they picked him as go-between. The private detective was safe enough with $40,000—but that didn’t mean he was safe with women.”

P.I. Bob Fogarty is hired by Continental Assurance to deliver forty grand to a guy in Kansas City in exchange for eighty grand worth of stolen diamonds. The action and wordplay are non-stop in this intricately plotted screwball mystery adventure.

“Kill Me Again” by Robert Leslie Bellem
Turns out the previous narrative was only a warm-up for this scintillating Dan Turner, Hollywood Detective yarn. Turner returns home from a High Sierra camping trip with his pal newshound Jim Spencer and encounters his own funeral procession! Somebody was quick to capitalize on his two-week absence from civilization and wound up dead in a spectacular wreck while driving his car.

“Killer in Clay” by Robert Leslie Bellem and Adolphe Barreaux
It’s quite interesting to read a Hollywood Detective comic story right after an adventure in prose. In this form, the author concentrates on plot with minimal narration, allowing the artwork to carry the action and dialog to tell the story. It’s fun, but lacks the depth and wordplay of Bellem’s prose stories.

“Comrade” by Adam Beau McFarlane
A massive sand storm forces Allied and Axis tanks to take shelter in an abandoned rail station. Under their impromptu truce, the opposing tank commanders engage in a high-stakes card game to determine their fate.

“On the Ego Identity of a Butterfly” by Patti Boeckman and Sharla Williams
Like Pulp Adventures itself, this story combines the best of old and new pulp. Boeckman wrote it years ago, Williams “brushed it up,” for first time publication here. A youngster ekes out his childhood in a severely authoritarian family, his only friend an adopted butterfly that he attempts to tame.

“City of the Dead” by William M. Hope
A sword and sorcery novella joins series character Thurl the Gaelg on his trek to Samorrah to cash in the glowing blood red stone that recently came into his possession. But Samorrah has earned its mantle as the City of the Dead. The burly soldier of fortune will need all his wits and swordsmanship to survive the thieves, warriors, and the witch that lies ahead.

“Athena D” by Charles Burgess
Post-graduate Mike Simmons and his girlfriend, Jennifer Rolland, find themselves in the middle of a secret operation to disarm a Chinese satellite from the Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin.

“Straight Ahead Into Darkness” by Ron Riekki
An EMT finds himself with one for the books when he and his partner arrive at a trailer park to find an elderly man with a Taser dark stuck in his eye.

Pulp Adventures offers a pleasing collection of vintage and brand new pulp-inspired stories and artwork, across the genre spectrum. This issue is no exception. It’s available for $9.95 in print, directly from Bold Venture Press and other outlets.

Alec Cizak offered free ad space for indie authors in the next Pulp Modern (first come, first served) on his twitter feed, which filled up in a matter of hours. The “winners” submitted their ads, which have now been added to the layout.

Also completed the layout of Steve Carper’s article about Photoplay Editions for the upcoming The Digest Enthusiast No. 12. It’s loaded with cover images from these early digest series. And Michael Neno finished his color illustration for Rick Ollerman’s story.

Verdict Sept. 1953

Vintage Crime Digest
Verdict Vol. 1 No. 4 Sept. 1953
Unfortunately, Verdict didn’t continue after this issue, thus the conclusion of Rex Stout’s Fer-De-Lance was never presented.

Contents Page
William Irish “Three O’Clock” art by Tom O’Sullivan
James M. Cain “Dead Man”
Fredric Brown “the Amazing Dip”
Dan Sontup’s Tricks of the Trade: Firearms
George Harmon Coxe “Material Witness” art by Tom O’Sullivan
Frank Kane “Keeper of the Killed” (Johnny Liddell)
Craig Rice “Motive” (John J. Malone)
Rex Stout “Fer-De-Lance” (Part 4 of 5)(Nero Wolfe)
John C. Craig’s What’s In a Name? and Encores
Evan Hunter “Vicious Circle”
Leonard S. Grey “What’s Your Verdict? No. 3”

Verdict Vol. 1 No. 4 Sept. 1953
Published monthly by Flying Eagle Publications, Inc.
Editor: John McCloud
Managing Editor: E.A. Tulman
Art Director: Chas. W. Adams
Editorial Assistant: Hal Walker
Business Manager: R.E. Decker
5.5” x 7.75” 144 pages 35¢

News Digest March 27, 2020

Gamma Feb 1965 and Fantastic Apr 1965

Digest and Book Reviews
Gamma Science Fiction Feb. 1965 reviewed by Mx. Kris Vyas-Myall at Galactic Journey.

Borderline by Lawrence Block reviewed by Jeff Vorzimmer on Goodreads.

Black Coal by Chris McGinley reviewed by Rusty Barnes at Tough Crime.

Fantastic April 1965 reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf at Galactic Journey.

Mar/Apr 2020 Digests

Digest Blogs
Fate magazine is offering lots of back issues: 5 for $22.95; 10 for $34.95; and 20 for $55.95

Dare Segun Falowo on his story “Kikelomo Ultrasheen” at Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Steven Torres on his story “The Care of Widows and Orphans” at Trace Evidence.

Sean Monaghan Q&A at The Astounding Analog Companion.

Preston Lang lists the “Top Eight Jazz Pianists in Film Noir” at Something is Going to Happen.

Pulp Literature is offering 25% off anything in their online shop.

Readin’ and Writin’
Michael Bracken provides background for his short stories for a number of Josh Pachter’s anthologies at SleuthSayers.

Guns + Tacos Vol. 1 & 2

And speaking of Michael Bracken, I finished reading his series (co-edited with Trey R. Barker), Tacos + Guns Season One episodes four to six. Published by Down & Out Books, the stories were originally released as ebooks to subscribers. When the season ended the stories were collected into a two-volume set in print. (Subscribers received a bonus story in Vol. 2 “Platanos Con Lechera and a Snub-Nosed .38” by Mr. Bracken.) The original ebooks and print books (sans bonus) are available from Down & Out and elsewheres. Highly recommended.

Volume One: Gary Phillips, Michael Bracken, and Frank Zafiro.
Volume Two: Trey R. Barker, William Dylan Powell, and James A. Hearn.

On the publishing side of things, I completed the initial story layouts for Pulp Modern Vol. 2 No. 5 this week. Now, illustrator Ran Scott is busy creating story illustrations. so we need to be patient and give him the time and space he needs to complete his part.

Steve Carper wrote a fascinating article about Photoplay Digests, and sent along an excellent collection of cover images for the next issue of The Digest Enthusiast. These are old magazines, so the images require quite a bit of retouch, which I spent several hours working on this week, work that will spill over into next week as well.

Verdict Aug. 1953

Vintage Crime Digest
Verdict Vol. 1 No. 3 August 1953
Despite his name on the cover, there isn’t a story by Frank Kane inside this issue.

Contents Page
Raymond Chandler “Bay City Blues”
Cornell Woolrich “You Take Ballistics”
Damon Runyon “Big Boy Blues” art by Rus Anderson
Anthony Boucher
“QL 696. C9” (Nick Noble)
Rex Stout “Fer-De-Lance” (Part 3 of 5)(Nero Wolfe)
William Lindsay Gresham “A Heart Condition” art by Tom O’Sullivan
Bruno Fischer
“No Escape!” art by Tom O’Sullivan
Craig Rice
“The Dead Mr. Duck” (John J. Malone)
Leonard S. Grey “What’s Your Verdict? No. 2”

Verdict Vol. 1 No. 3 Verdict 1953
Published monthly by Flying Eagle Publications, Inc.
Editor: John McCloud
Managing Editor: E.A. Tulman
Art Director: Chas. W. Adams
Editorial Assistant: Hal Walker
Business Magager: R.E. Decker
5.5” x 7.75” 144 pages 35¢

News Digest March 20, 2020

F&SF Mar/Apr 2020

March Releases
Fantasy & Science Fiction Mar/Apr 2020
Contents Pages
Dare Segun Falowo “Kikelomo Ultrasheen”
SL Huang “The Million-Mile Sniper”
Matthew Hughes “The Last Legend”
Charles de Lint’s Books to Look For
Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer
A Song for a New Day by Sarah Pinsker
I Know What I Saw by Linda S. Godfrey
In the Heart of the Fire by Dean Koontz
Photographing the Dead by Dean Koontz
The Praying Mantis Bride by Dean Koontz
Red Rain by Dean Koontz
The Mercy of Snake by Dean Koontz
Memories of Tomorrow by Dean Koontz
Women of Science Fiction and Fantasy Television by Karen A. Romanko
Mingus Fingers by Jacob Weisman
Elizabeth Hand’s Books
Ormeshadow by Priya Sharma
The Muders of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson
The Survival of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson
A Spectral Hue by Craig Laurance Gidney
Ian Tregillis “Come the Revolution”
John Possidente “Red Sword of the Celiac”
Lauren McBride “To My Shipmates at Journey’s End” (verse)
Amman Sabet “Say You’re Sorry”
Gregor Hartmann “A Solitary Crane Circles Cold Mountain”
Deborah L. Davitt “4 Vesta” (verse)
Amanda Hollander “A Feast of Butterflies”
David J. Skal’s Films: Wet Screams
Jerry Oltion’s Science: Natural Disasters in Utopia
William Ledbetter “Hungry Is the Earth”
Elizabeth Bear “Hacksilver”
Brian Trent “Death on the Nefertem Express”
James Patrick Kelly “The Man I Love”
Coming Attractions
F&SF Market Place
Graham Andrews’ Curiosities: Public Faces by Harold Nicolson (1932)

Are Snakes Necessary? by Brian De Palma and Susan Lehman

Fantasy & Science Fiction Vol. 138 No. 3 and 4, No. 748, Mar/Apr 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: Mondolithic Studios
Cartoons: Arthur Masear, Kendra Allenby, Mark Heath, Nick Downes
258 pages, $8.99 on newsstands until May 4, 2020
Fantasy & Science Fiction website

Hard Case Crime released Are Snakes Necessary? by Brian De Palma and Susan Lehman on March 17, 2020. Hardcover $22.99 Kindle $7.99 from amazon.

Digest and Book Reviews
Repo Shark by Cody Goodfellow reviewed by J.D. Graves at EconoClash Review.

Repo Shark & Thunder Wagon

The premise of “single paragraph book reviews” seems apt for this age of browsing. The March 15th review at Mostly Old Books and Rust features Thunder Wagon by James Reasoner and L.J. Washburn.

Worlds of Tomorrow May 1965 reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf at Galactic Journey.

Hell Chose Me by Angel Luis Colon

Hell Chose Me by Angel Luis Colon reviewed by Matthew X. Gomez at EconoClash Review.

Fantasy & Science Fiction April 1965 reviewed by Gideon Marcus on Galactic Journey.

Digest Blogs
Beth Dawkins’
Q&A at The Astounding Analog Companion.

Paul Charles on “Jumping Off a Diving Board” at EQMM’s Something is Going to Happen.

John Possidente on “Red Sword of the Celiac” at Fantasty & Science Fiction.

Interviews
Art Taylor
at Washington Independent Review of Books.

Free Online Fiction
“The Man Who Wouldn’t” by Joseph S. Walker on ToughCrime.

Free Newsletter
The American Bystander is standing by at home with too much time on their hands, so they’ve created Bystander’s Quarantine Cavalcade. Subscribe here.

Readin’ and Writin’
Alec Cizak
added several of the earliest issues of Pulp Modern to Magzter this week. Of course, all of our joint issues from Volume Two are there as well.

And speaking of Pulp Modern, all the stories have been selected for the next issue. I’ll be working on layouts for the final three this weekend.

Finished reading and made notes on the second issue of Fotocrime for my article for the next issue of The Digest Enthusiast. Part of my research included reading True Crime, True North, full review here. Since the book’s focus is Canadian true crime magazines, it’s not directly relevant to Fotocrime, but seeing how the authors approached their topic was useful. Also exchanged a series of emails with John Shirley about Weirdbook No. 42, to provide readers with the backstory on the issue.

Also read Guns + Tacos Volume One, but I write more about that next week.

Verdict July 1953

Vintage Crime Digest
Verdict Vol. 1 No. 2 July 1953
Contents Page
Cornell Woolrich “All at Once, No Alice” art by Tom O’Sullivan
H.H. Holmes
“The Stripper” art by R. Cossette
Dorothy B. Hughes
“Homecoming”
Henry Kane “Kudos for the Kid” art by Tom O’Sullivan
Francis Lewis
“Has Anybody Here Slain Kely?”
Samuel Blas “Revenge”
Rex Stout “Fer-De-Lance” (Part 2 of 5)
Bruno Fischer “The Man Who Lost His Head”
Frank Kane “Suicide”
Leonard S. Grey “What’s Your Verdict?”

Verdict Vol. 1 No. 1 June 1953
Published monthly by Flying Eagle Publications, Inc.
Editor: John McCloud
Managing Editor: E.A. Tulman
Art Director: Chas. W. Adams
Business Magager: R.E. Decker
5.5” x 7.75” 144 pages 35¢

News Digest March 13, 2020

The Beat of Black Wings editor: Josh Pachter

The Beat of Black Wings, an anthology of crime fiction stories inspired by the music of Joni Mitchell, launches on April 7, 2020. Many of Mitchell’s classics are represented: “Both Sides, Now” by Art Taylor and Tara Laskowski, “Big Yellow Taxi” by Kathryn O’Sullivan, “River” by Stacy Woodson, “Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire” by Donna Andrews, “The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines” by Amber Sparks, “Ray’s Dad’s Cadillac” by Michael Bracken, etc. The collection was edited by Josh Pachter. The book will be released on April 7, 2020. Preorders are available in Hardcover $29.75, Softcover $19.55, and Kindle $5.99.

Steve Davidson reviews the premier episode of the new Amazing Stories series on AppleTV+ on, what else, the Amazing Stories blog.

Gideon Marcus examines Galaxy April 1965 at Galactic Journey.

Galaxy Apr 1965 & Amazing Apr 1965

John Boston does likewise for Amazing April 1965 also at Galactic Journey.

Tough Crime: “Walker’s Hollow” by John Floyd.

Q&A with Derek Kunsken at The Astounding Analog Companion.

Ian Tregillis on “Come the Revolution” (F&SF Mar/Apr 2020) at Fantasy & Science Fiction blog.

Jack Bunker writes about his debut with “Active Shooter” in the Mar/Apr 2020 issue of EQMM at Something is Going to Happen.

Read J.D. (EconoClash Review) Graves’ latest Flash Fiction “Trojan H” at Shotgun Honey.

Nostalgia Digest Spring 2020

March 2020 Digests
Nostalgia Digest Spring 2020
Contents
Steve Darnall “Hello, Out There in Radioland!”
A Few Moments with . . . Chuck Schaden
Chuck Schaden “Those Were the (Early) Days” (cover story)
“Those Were the Dates” Ten pivotal moments from the 50-year history of Those Were the Days.
Necrology for 2019
Laura Milbraith Stewart “All in the Families” (Tina Cole)
Dan McGuire “At This Theatre Next Week” Chapter Two
Stone Wallace “Everybody Loves Raymond” (Raymond Burr)
Greg Kreinberg “The Daly News”
Wayne Klatt “A Free Soul” (Jean Arthur)
Mail Call

Plus, the Radio Program Guide for Those Were the Days and WGN Radio Theatre

Nostalgia Digest Book 46 Chapter 2 Spring 2020
Editor: Steve Darnall
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

Readin’ and Writin’
Finished the audio book of The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells. First published in 1896, Moreau is a science fiction classic. Its concept isn’t as revolutionary in 2020 as 1896, but for its era it must have been horrific and shocking. Even today, the prose is terrific, my favorite parts were Wells’ fastidious descriptions of his animal hybrids.

Weirdbook No. 42

Also immensely enjoyed the print edition of Weirdbook No. 42, a special all John Shirley issue, edited by Doug Draa. A triumphant collection of short stories and poetry capped by a sword and sorcery epic that wraps the volume with an enthralling finale.

I completed reading and making notes on the first issue of Fotocrime this week. Still lots to do but it feels good to get this article for TDE12 started.

Rick McCollum sent the cover art for the next issue of Pulp Modern which should see release sometime this Spring. I loved Rick’s artwork for the last PM and the current TDE, but I gotta say, I think this is the best one yet. It’s based on a story called “Ghost Town.”

PM editor, Alec Cizak, has selected another two stories for the issue, so I’ll be working on layout for those over the next few days.

Verdict June 1953

Vintage Crime Digest
Verdict Vol. 1 No. 1 June 1953
Contents Page
Rex Stout “Fer-De-Lance” (Part 1 of 5)
Craig Rice “His Heart Could Break” (John J. Malone) art by R. Cossette
Dan Stoup’s
Tricks of the Trade: Fingerprints
Henry Kane “A Glass of Milk”
Steve Fisher “Goodbye Hannah”
Chester B. Himes “Marihuana and a Pistol” art by R. Cossette
Fredric Brown
“Don’t Look Behind You”
Edward Clark’s Crime Firsts: The La Rosa Case
Raymond Chandler “Trouble Is My Business”

Verdict Vol. 1 No. 1 June 1953
Published monthly by Flying Eagle Publications, Inc.
Editor: John McCloud
Managing Editor: E.A. Tulman
Art Director: Chas. W. Adams
Business Magager: R.E. Decker
5.5” x 7.75” 144 pages 35¢