Edited By JUSTIN MARRIOTT (thepaperbackfanatic@sky.com; 2020)
An absolute must-have for literary horror buffs: PULP HORROR ALL REVIEWS SPECIAL EDITION is a collection of over 130 reviews of vintage horror-themed publications, put together by paperback enthusiast Justin Marriott (of Pulp Horror magazine and several other like-minded periodicals). Not all the reviews resonated with me, but the book overall is a first-rate guide to just what the title promises, written by Marriott himself and a few other folks, all of whom evidently know their way around the scare-scape.
An absolute must-have for literary horror buffs.
The highs and lows of horror lit are explored here, from Ramsey Campbell (whose ANCIENT IMAGES and THE GRUESOME BOOK are given admiring notices) to Guy N. Smith (represented by reviews of THE SUCKING PIT and THE FESTERING, which is described as reading “like WITCHFINDER GENERAL in miniature”). Horror magazines (such as Dime Mystery Magazine, Ghoul and Weird Tales) are also represented, as are comic anthologies (Devilina, Eerie and 2000AD) and classics by H.P. Lovecraft (AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS) and Richard Matheson (HELL HOUSE).
Given that horror fiction reviews on and off the web tend to be negligible at best, Marriott and his reviewers deserve credit for providing (mostly) sober and informative write-ups that refrain from snarky put-downs and excessive ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the books’ cover art (although the cover art in question is quite well represented, in numerous black and white reproductions and also the cover, which is taken from the Corgi paperback edition of Matheson’s A STIR OF ECHOES). Stylistically the reviews are a bit uneven, a result, no doubt, of Marriott’s introductory admission that “I purposely avoided giving too much direction to the contributors.” The fruits of that edict aren’t always satisfying; I don’t disagree with reviewer James Doig’s five star rating for Frank Walford’s TWISTED CLAY, but would have liked a bit more than the extended plot summary Doig provides in lieu of a proper review.
Given that horror fiction reviews on and off the web tend to be negligible at best, Marriott and his reviewers deserve credit for providing (mostly) sober and informative write-ups…
Such complaints, however, were overridden by the eclectic nature of this book. It’s certainly the only place you’ll find the widely revered BOOK OF SKULLS by Robert Silverberg and the magazine tie-in version of the 1970s porno feature DRACULA SUCKS (which Marriott claims is little more than “an aid to masturbation”) sharing the same space, and I say that’s a good thing.