Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #384037 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 321 pages

Customer Reviews

High quality pulp fiction
Do you like meta-fiction, the type of fiction that is commenting on the form it apes even as it tells the story? Kim Newman's work here is full of allusions, allegories and adaptions coated in loving gaudy detail, taking the form of commentaries on the political leanings of masked vigilante fiction and how far content is manipulated by the media, movie monsters' tales that resemble the history of Hollywood and old-fashioned views of the future and why they never came to pass.

Although Newman adopts a style of fiction that is looked down on by the literati, he knows that pulp fiction is a key indicator of prevailing public opinion in that era and uses it, very cleverly to cast an eye on our history in a way that warps it but also brings it into sharp relief. It's funny, it's easy to read, clips along at a fair pace. and it really is enjoyable trying to spot the source of the references, though it's clear that if you cut Newman he'll bleed popular culture.

The stories in the collection have appeared elsewhere but in many cases the original appearances are out of print or hard to find and that alone should recommend that you buy this collection. If that doesn't swing it for you, the design is attractive and on very good quality paper.