Cheap thrills;: An informal history of the pulp magazines

Having been a pulp novel fan for two decades now, Ron Goularts' tome, "Cheap Thrills" was spoken of in whispers. "You have to read this, it..." "Marvelous". Prasie was unanimous. Now, having read it cover to cover, I can see why the purveyors of pulp pulse pounding prose said that. It is amazing. Not because it was the first of its' type to chronicle the rise and death of the pulps, but because of the innate love for his topic and scope of academic study. In 1969, many readers would have been familiar with the titles more than we are today, so the mere mention of Black Mask would have brought a first hand "Wow, I remember" . During research, Mr Goulart had the opportunity to interview many of the artists, writers, editors, and production personnel. Because of that information and input, this is a time machine. His indepth research is meticulous, and in the Hermes Press edition, he has corrected a few facts, and included scans/photos of the letters from Daniels, Daisy, and Harris amongst others. That alone makes this even all the more desireable as a reference. The story of the pulp magazines is more than a time frame, it is a study of personalities. Publishers like Major Malcolm Wheeler Nicholson, Leo Marguiles, Ray Palmer, Frank Blackwell, and writers Frank Gruber, Max Brand, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Arthur C Clarke, Edmond Hamilton, E E Doc Smith and so many others contributed more than just their job. Spider writer Norvell Paige dressed up with cloak and hat in his visits to his editors! Goulart captures the wave and motion of the pulp fiction phenomena very well. The book is profusely illustrated with nearly a hundred color covers ranging from thumbnails to full page. Top notch all the way, Goulart hits the highs with the skill of a literary Caruso. This is, by no means, the definitive book on pulps. More modern scholarship has produced detailed tomes on specific characters and genres. However, as the pioneer volume, it has no equal. Ron Goulart, take a bow. Tim Lasiuta

Goulart modestly subtitles this book "an informal history," however it's fairly overarching in its treatment of pulp magazines. It serves as a primer for pulp fiction/magazine/author research. Goulart focuses on authors and genres other than mere cutting and pasting of original pulp writings as some others have done. He also knows how to write, making this an entertaining as well as important book.