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A review by kieranhealy
Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of '70s and '80s Horror Fiction by Grady Hendrix
5.0
”Though they may be consigned to dusty dollar boxes, these stories are timeless in the way that truly matters: they will not bore you. Thrown into the rough-and-tumble marketplace, the writers learned they had to earn every reader’s attention. And so they delivered books that move, hit hard, take risks, go for broke. It’s not just the covers that hook your eyeballs. It’s the writing, which respects no rules except one: always be interesting.”
What a fun read. Hendrix’s “Paperbacks From Hell” is not much more than a series of book summaries loosely grouped by sub genres and in roughly publishing order. But he eschews egghead twaddle about the importance of the writing or the historical impact, and follows the singular rule stated above: be interesting. Hendrix knows how to write sardonically funny, and he uses this humor to describe horrifically debased novels churned out by the hundreds. Much like Giallo slasher movies or Chucky, the fun of these books is in the pained grimace one makes while reading it. For example-
“Wherever you think this book won’t go, Masterton not only goes there, he reports back in lunacy-inducing detail. By the last page we’ve seen amputee dwarf assassins, flaming dogs, one of the most harrowing scenes of self-cannibalism ever committed to paper, one death by explosive vomiting, and an appearance by Jesus Christ himself. Throughout, Masterton enjoys himself immensely. He cares about his characters. His dialogue is funnier than it needs to be, his gore is gorier, and his sex is more explicit. His books may not be the most tasteful, or consistent, but you feel that Masterson will gladly hang up his hat the minute they’re not the most original.”
More, please!
”1974 was pop culture’s Year of the Animal. First came Jaws by Peter Benchley, a novel about a stressed-out great white shark suffering from portion control issues.”
“Robert Marasco’s Burnt Offerings (1973), a chilling tale about a family who escapes the city to move into a summer rental…from hell. Marasco was a high school English teacher, so his illusions about human nature had long ago been stomped to death.”
You don’t get samples of the books, really. Hendrix isn’t here to give a book report, he’s here to convince you these lovable pieces of pulp are worth the laughing screams they elicit. The tongue is so firmly in the cheek it’s burst a hole in it.
What you get are quick summaries like the above and moving on. Which almost gets tiresome towards the end, but the book is short enough that it doesn’t wear out it’s welcome. This is no Peter Straub doorstopper, it is a crisp 200 or so pages of entertaining literature history. A great source of fun after the series of letdowns I’ve recently finished but yet to rate…
Highly recommended.
What a fun read. Hendrix’s “Paperbacks From Hell” is not much more than a series of book summaries loosely grouped by sub genres and in roughly publishing order. But he eschews egghead twaddle about the importance of the writing or the historical impact, and follows the singular rule stated above: be interesting. Hendrix knows how to write sardonically funny, and he uses this humor to describe horrifically debased novels churned out by the hundreds. Much like Giallo slasher movies or Chucky, the fun of these books is in the pained grimace one makes while reading it. For example-
“Wherever you think this book won’t go, Masterton not only goes there, he reports back in lunacy-inducing detail. By the last page we’ve seen amputee dwarf assassins, flaming dogs, one of the most harrowing scenes of self-cannibalism ever committed to paper, one death by explosive vomiting, and an appearance by Jesus Christ himself. Throughout, Masterton enjoys himself immensely. He cares about his characters. His dialogue is funnier than it needs to be, his gore is gorier, and his sex is more explicit. His books may not be the most tasteful, or consistent, but you feel that Masterson will gladly hang up his hat the minute they’re not the most original.”
More, please!
”1974 was pop culture’s Year of the Animal. First came Jaws by Peter Benchley, a novel about a stressed-out great white shark suffering from portion control issues.”
“Robert Marasco’s Burnt Offerings (1973), a chilling tale about a family who escapes the city to move into a summer rental…from hell. Marasco was a high school English teacher, so his illusions about human nature had long ago been stomped to death.”
You don’t get samples of the books, really. Hendrix isn’t here to give a book report, he’s here to convince you these lovable pieces of pulp are worth the laughing screams they elicit. The tongue is so firmly in the cheek it’s burst a hole in it.
What you get are quick summaries like the above and moving on. Which almost gets tiresome towards the end, but the book is short enough that it doesn’t wear out it’s welcome. This is no Peter Straub doorstopper, it is a crisp 200 or so pages of entertaining literature history. A great source of fun after the series of letdowns I’ve recently finished but yet to rate…
Highly recommended.