Maxim Jakubowski (ed.)
The Mammoth Book of Pulp Fiction
Robinson Pbk £6.99
At over 800 pages packed
with 32 short stories and with an introduction by that "Father of a Thousand
Anthologies", Maxim Jakubowski, The Mammoth Book of Pulp Fiction is, in
all senses a substantial read. Spanning five decades of contributions from such magazines
of ill-repute as Black Mask, Shock, Spicy Stories, etc. Jakubowski's
collection attempts the impossible and tries to give an overview of writing of the
Hard-boiled school. Given that any attempt to categorise this type of writing - Jakubowski
himself denies that there is such a thing as Pulp fiction - is doomed to failure the book
makes an admirable go of it. All the big players are present; Hammett, James.M.Cain, John,
D. McDonald, Jim Thompson, David Goodis, etc. All employing the usual caste of dangerous
women and gullible men pitched into desperate situations with, usually, no happy outcome.
From Armitage Trail's `30's trainee punk in Enter Scarface to Gil Brewer's
70's Bartok loving, joint smoking Mafia hit man in The Getaway, the whole
seedy out-of-control tapestry is laid out before you. If you're new to this type of
writing and want somewhere to start this volume would make an excellent introduction. If
you want to catch up with old friends there will also be something in it for you (R.L.)
