Country: U.K/U.S.A (it's where the editors are from)
Genre: Pulp/Dark Crime
Pages: 327 Kb (eOriginal)
Buy Pulp Ink here
When I was asked to review PULP INK a few weeks ago, I said "Sure, why not?" I had no reason to refuse, but I had no reason to pick it up either. The title didn't exactly strike my imagination and the cover, while beautiful, didn't really strike a chord with me. PULP INK, what does it mean? Just a mish-mash of varied pulp stories thrown together? Well, it's exactly that and it's really good. PULP INK does everything but show complacency. Nigel Bird and Chris Rhatigan, the editors of this collection have went out of their way to find stories that challenged the cliches of the genre. If you didn't have any incentive to read PULP INK when you started to read this review, you will have about twenty reason to after you're finished. It's a crazy wild ride with the best of the best of underground crime fiction.
There are so many great stories in PULP INK, that I don't know where to start. One story stood out as exceptional to me, because I love visceral stuff so bad, was CLOUDS IN A BUNKER, by David Cranmer (also known as Edward A. Grainger, from the Cash Laramie & Gideon Miles legacy). I'm not going to even spoil the premise (because it's that good), but it's one of the most (if not THE most) heartbreaking fiction story I was ever given the chance to read. This one's a grand slam, but there are also many home runs REQUIEM FOR A SPIDER by Reed Farrell Coleman, THE LADY & THE GIMP by Paul D. Brazill and YOUR MOTHER SHOULD KNOW by Allan Guthrie will resonate with you for a very long time after you're done. And you would think I'm discussing the highlights here? No, I'm only discussing the STRONGER highlights.
If you're not that familiar with pulp and hardboiled literature, PULP INK is a fantastic introduction because not only it's of a spectacular quality, but also it's dirt cheap (2,99$) and it's exploring a very wide range of subjects within pulp fiction and therefore presents the genre on its very best day. For example, Hilary Davidson's story THIS LITTLE PIGGY has no crime per se in it, but it's slowly exposing to the reader the darkest perversions of the human soul. You will read and read and your jaw will gradually drop in horror, fascination and bewilderment. It's a slow and haunting pulp story. Chris F. Holm's short contains no real crime either (not REALLY), but gives a great window in the underworld and the dangerous people that inhabit its streets. Nigel Bird's story WHOLE LOTTA ROSIE is about arm wrestling...you see where this is getting. PULP INK is about the dark regions of the human soul. It's what best about crime literature.
PULP INK contains twenty-four stories for three bucks, which means it's a pretty darn good deal. I know short story collections/magazines by various authors aren't everybody's cup of tea, but I think that if you're looking to make an exception, let it be PULP INK. It's a great promotional vehicle for young and talented writers, but it's also a very good educational tool if you're looking to get into the hardboiled crime literature. There is somewhat of a golden age for crime fiction going on and PULP INK makes you a witness. Not every story caught my attention, but a good two-thirds of it for sure. Michael Solender, Sandra Seamans, Chris Rhatigan, Richard Godwin, I could go on and on, but I wouldn't do you a service here. The best thing I can tell you right now is to pick up PULP INK and see for yourself. Crime fiction is alive, well and thriving