Pulp Fiction Fans Take a Dangerous Ride on “The Carnival of Death”
The word carnival is derived from the Italian word, carnevale, and literally means the absence of meat. Carnivals have become synonymous with merrymaking and wild festivities just before Lent. The traveling carnival had become a popular and inexpensive attraction during the Depression era when a family’s every penny was valuable. Just walking a carnival’s midway, the carnival’s central concession area – offered a variety of sights and sounds that titillated, amused and even frightened the casual pedestrian.
A carnival’s exhibitions were as varied as the people that strolled down the midway marveling at the rides, games of chance, exhibits and sideshows. Specialty acts included tattooed performers, bearded women, freak shows, strongman acts, a sword swallower and weird animal attractions such as two-headed cats or five-legged ponies. Such entertainment was affordable during the economically challenging times and during its heyday, millions of Americans partook of a carnival’s colorful amusements.
It was only natural then that one of America’s rising pulp fiction stars would set his sights on the carnival as the location for one of his hard-boiled and spectacular stories.
Originally published in the November 1934 issue of Popular Detective magazine, future’ New York Times bestselling author L. Ron Hubbard’s The Carnival of Death is pulp fiction at its best. Exciting, daring, fast-paced and populated with memorable characters, The Carnival of Death was exactly the thrill ride that patrons of carnivals and pulp readers demanded.
In The Carnival of Death US narcotics agent Bob Clark is working undercover at
Shreve’s Mammoth Carnival when he encounters a headless body. Clark suddenly finds himself in deadly peril after four tribal headhunters working for the show disappear.
Gruesome murders, a gunfight in the House of Horror, fistfights and a layer of multiple mysteries all add up to more thrills than a barker’s promise.
The carnival barker was someone that stood at the forefront and “barked” colorful descriptions of the sights and sounds that awaited those who dared venture along the carnival’s midway. For the first time in over seventy years, pulp fiction fans can follow U.S. narcotics agent Bob Clark past the barker and into an exciting whirlpool of adventure. Told in eight breathtaking chapters, The Carnival of Death is a taut, suspenseful tale. Before the first chapter ends Bob Clark discovers a headless corpse, gets attacked by an unknown assailant wielding a blackjack, and races headlong into a mystery that will tax his energies as the headless bodies begin to pile up around him.
The Golden Age of pulp fiction stories is currently experiencing a rebirth of interest from an entirely new generation of readers. These action-packed stories have a unique flavor with prose that crackles with imagery in all the genres printed in the 1930s, 40s and 50s many of which were the backdrop for many movies and television series. “The Carnival of Death” is only one of the many classic books to be enjoyed by anyone who just wants a good read!
Thomas McNulty is the author of Wind Rider, and Death Rides a Palomino. Visit him online at thomasmcnulty.com. He is also a passionate advocate of lifelong learning through audio books on cd collections. Sample a free story by clicking here for a Free eBook or audiobook download.
A Gold Hunter Takes Pulp Fiction Fans Prospecting in Devil’s Manhunt
Symbolized by Au (from the Latin aurum, or shining dawn) and number 79 on the periodic table of elements, gold is the one metal along with silver that is identified with money and wealth. Gold is used as coinage and is the standard for many monetary systems. Gold fever has stricken many a prospector and in the vast reaches of the American West gold prospecting is a way of life.
Arizona has the largest concentration of gold seekers with its rich topography that both entices the prospectors while discouraging them with its often treacherous terrain. This rugged landscape, rife with desert and dry creek beds that can easily flood during one of the southwest’s rare but violent thunderstorms, is also the pulp writer’s domain.
In L. Ron Hubbard’s classic, Devil’s Manhunt, twenty-three year old Tim Beckdolt has struck paydirt. After a month of grueling work he can boast a haul of $175,000 in gold ore. All he has to do is survive, for there in the shadow of the aptly named Desperation Peak young Tim Beckdolt is about to be ambushed. Not only his fortune but his life hangs in the balance.
While Devil’s Manhunt makes for riveting fiction, the background behind the story is historically accurate. Cochise County alone is among the highest producers of gold. From 1879 through modern times, Cochise County mining companies and individuals have unearthed more than three million ounces of gold. Gold prospecting remains so popular that today several Arizona companies offer vacation packages for travelers looking for that unique get-away experience. Prospecting for gold while on a week’s vacation is exactly what thousands of people do each year.
A prospector’s tools are vital to his success. For Tim Beckdolt, who had discovered an ancient creek bed sparkling with gold, the sluice box was his preferred tool. A sluice box was usually made of long narrow wood and when placed in a creek bed could be used to separate the heavier gold deposits from the detritus and silt that normally flows downstream. The heavier gold particles would catch along the bottom boards, called riffles, where a prospector could easily retrieve them after sifting through the dirt.
Westerns were an integral part of the pulp fiction industry. During its heyday the westerns were mass produced by the hundreds on a monthly basis. Famous Westerns (where Devil’s Manhunt first appeared in 1950), Western Story, All Western, Western Aces, and Five-Novels Monthly are just some of the magazines that featured blazing western fiction. Devil’s Manhunt is the sixth of Hubbard’s westerns to be released by Galaxy Press.
Devil’s Manhunt is a short but incredibly fast-paced action yarn. Hubbard’s deft characterizations bring his characters vividly to life. Beckdolt is faced with both human adversaries and the unforgiving landscape where he is forced to survive against impossible odds. Included in Devil’s Manhunt is an example of superb western American fiction.
Thomas McNulty is the author of Wind Rider, and Death Rides a Palomino. Visit him online at thomasmcnulty.com. He is also a passionate advocate of lifelong learning through audio books on cd collections. Sample a free story by clicking here for a Free eBook or audiobook download.
Practice Makes Perfect: New Brand of Audio Books Breaks The Mold of Tradition
Every night, millions of people gathered around their radios to listen. The stories captivated and enthralled with a wide range of genres, stories with guts, stories with heart, it was all there. It was a form of pulp all its own.
And yes, it summoned more of the audience’s involvement before the lazy lure of the television tube, because it painted a picture with sound and became a living dream in the mind of the audience. A simultaneous affair, these stories spilled out across the landscape at light speed, entertaining an entire nation all at once.
It was an aural landscape that bestselling author L. Ron Hubbard knew well. Because despite being best recognized for his novels and short stories, it was also in the days of radio’s liftoff that Ron himself launched a legendary
storytelling career.
The year was 1930, and fresh out of high school and in the summer before his first semester at George Washington University, Ron began scripting dramas for station WJSV. Later, as he continued his studies in engineering and molecular phenomena, Ron also wrote and performed those classics of literature’s origins, ballads,for the local station WOL.
In the years that followed, Ron was off on his meteoric rise within the all-story pulp fiction magazines that were the prime form of entertainment for Americans in the 1930s and 1940s. But when we’re talking radio, the point is plain: those grand old shows on the burgeoning airwaves across America were pulps, in the more intrinsic terms of style and substance.
And so now, many decades later, and almost 80 years since L. Ron Hubbard embarked upon his professional career as a radio dramatist and balladeer, Galaxy Press has announced the release of L. Ron Hubbard’s Pulp Fiction Audio books, in the Stories from the Golden Age collection.
And, while it is a fully realized recreation of each of Ron’s 153 pulp fiction stories in audio book format, it is not, however, your standard “audio book.” Because not only have the best elements of classic radio drama been revived, but they have been augmented with state-of-the-art production values from the world of feature films, and then improved several steps further.
To truly understand this, however, you have to go inside the making of a Golden Age audio book. Take the adventure story “Sea Fangs,” the tale of a sailor caught in a whirlpool of piracy and murder, played out against an uncharted island.
Such a yarn could not tolerate some old sonorous voice narrating on and on. It needed action! Surprises! Dynamic characters! In short, the entire audio book process had to be re-conceived. And it was.
The atmosphere was something to be experienced, and according to the audio book director, Jim Meskimen, “we were all there together, the actors, the technical team, myself, united to bring off the full range of emotional impact from Hubbard’s fiction. Being in such close proximity heightened the effect beyond our expectations.”
Meskimen also pointed out that “this new process has attracted world-class performers from radio drama, animation and live theater. I can’t imagine a better crew of actors.” Another luminary in the field, and one of the founders of The Firesign Theatre,
Phil Proctor, had this to say: “I’ve done a lot of work in cartoons and other areas, and with those you’re working in an isolated format. You come in, record your material, and it’s put together in editing. This was a wonderful opportunity to work creatively in a dramatic context. It made it more vibrant, more honest. You are affected by, and are yourself affecting, another actor in the studio with you.” The result?
“Two things happened, “said Proctor. “First, there was an undeniable feeling of actual involvement in the reality of the story. That is what makes it so compelling to the listener when he hears the finished product. Second, it was an awful lot of fun! It’s hard for people to understand how much fun we had doing this work!”
According to a review from AudioFile magazine, “The ever-present soundtrack lends a richness to the imagined picture that would, in other titles, be filled by narrative description. Those who listened to “The Shadow”
and “Flash Gordon” growing up will love this production.”
And as Proctor noted, “These new productions may be in the audio book genre, but they’re fully realized dramatic adventures and that is very unique. To have such incredible production values, they are like nothing else.”
It is something that has to be experienced to be believed, as the result is practically a new art form in itself.
Ultimately, however, the pulp audio books are about the stories and what made Hubbard’s fiction so great, that sense of adventure, the breakneck pace, the intriguing characters, and what’s more, that deeper humanity which
permeated his writings.
Perhaps Meskimen summed it up best when he said, “It doesn’t matter whether it’s a Western yarn or a story about the French Foreign Legion. There’s that undercurrent of decency and respect for mankind, all told with Ron’s inimitable style. Let’s face it, the pleasure of great storytelling is one of the rewards of being human. And Ron’s stories certainly deliver, in terms of thrills and excitement, and more resonating with us long after the action has concluded.”
So come share in this new adventure! Actually immerse yourself in a new world with every story! For anyone who has ever been a fan of pulp fiction or radio drama, this is the chance to experience something entirely new, with L. Ron
Hubbard’s Pulp Fiction Audio books. The world will never sound the same!
Tiffany Holmes, VP of Marketing for book publisher, http://www.galaxypress.com, is working to reintroduce Stories From the Golden Age, a line of 80 books and multi-cast, unabridged audio books, featuring 153 stories written by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1930s and 1940s in any of the several popular genres of the day, mystery, thriller, adventure, science fiction, fantasy and western, using his own and any of the 15 pen names he used.
Writing Book Reivew Guides
Writing a book review primarily means writing a critical summary of the book, by personally analyzing the contents of the book and ultimately forming an opinion of the work of the writer. Thus, a book review is actually a critical evaluation of the book, which is not only informative, but also useful for readers who intend to read the book.
A book review is written after thoroughly reading and comprehending the basic contents of the book, so that the author’s task extends beyond simply writing a summary of the book, by undertaking the responsibility to critique the ideas presented in the book, as lucidly and honestly as possible. While writing a book review is a comprehensive process, it involves three basic steps including, title, introduction, description and summary, which form the chief sections of the review followed by a critical analysis of the book.
Title: This section includes the name of the book, name of the author, publishing company and date and finally the number of pages. For instance a title in APA citation style would be: David Waltner-Toews (2008) Food, Sex and Salmonella: Why Our Food is Making Us Sick. Vancouver: Greystone Books, 256 pages.
Introduction: This is the first step in writing a book and introduces the topic and subject of the book to the reader. It also includes essential details such as the kind of literature presented in the book whether sociological, historical, academic or general. This section is could also comprise of any other information about the writer which could place the text and contents in a special perspective.
An introduction to the above mentioned book could possibly begin as follows:
In Canada, food is very cheap with only ten percent of the total income being spent for shopping for food items, nearly half of what was being shelled out nearly four decades ago. However, with the cut in prices, there has also been an apparent decline in the quality of foods available at Canada’s grocery stores, resulting in the deaths of several individuals which were believed to have been caused by the Listeria bacteria traced in the cutting machines of a meat processing factory. The meat packaged at the factory was consumed mainly by senior people and those in hospitals, where ready-made food is mainly brought in rather than being prepared.
Short Description and synopsis: This is the main section of the book review and includes a comprehensive and clear description of the book which helps in providing important insight to the prospective reader. Additionally, quotes from the book can be included in this section to provide important information about the work. One thing that needs to be remembered though is that the entire storyline of the book is not revealed, most importantly, the suspense of the book, since this would practically kill the reader’s interest. For instance:
David Waltner-Toews is a veterinarian and epidemiologist, has revised and polished the first edition of his book and provided the audience with an edition which enables us to comprehend the existing and serious problems present in the foods we consume. Waltner-Toews compels us to think beyond the “normal” science in order to understand the “political and economic arrangement” which have a crucial impact on “food borne diseases” and infections which occur due to preservatives, parasites, metals, toxins and other harmful substances which affect the food while it is being processed and packaged for consumption…
Critique or critical analysis: This section engages in a critical analysis or critique of the book, by taking on examples which are impactful and important. The section also presents the reader with a personal opinion regarding the worth of the book and the crucial message which is conveyed by the author. A critique is also a summation of the book review which could be concluded in the following manner:
In his book, Waltner-Toews asserts the fundamental point that reforms and solutions should be responsible, sensible and empathetic in addition to being reasonable and fair. Incidents which are casued due to contaminated food should be used as a means to realise that abuse and injustice in the ‘banana republics’ should be checked as a permanent solution rather than simply creating temporary means of correction like increasing food inspections on the borders of Canada. Using distinct cases and examples, Waltner-Toews startles the reader, educating and informing about the manner in which diseases and illnesses related to foods, occur in people.
He proposes that “we sit down and listen to each other” so that “appropriate models for resolving food problems” other than “farm to fork technologies” can be created. The book ends with the golden rule “wash your hands…Eat on.”
Sincerely recommend a worthwhile book – Nicholas D.Kristof Sheryl WuDunn’s Half the Sky. Most popular books in Top books
Buying Specific Book Titles for Purchase? Easy!
When you are looking for a specific book for purchase online on websites, you might run into a small problem if you don’t have all of the information you need. If you only know part of the title or the author’s first name, for example, you will probably have a hard time searching for that particular book on any online bookstore. Finding the book you want will be a long and arduous process if you do not have the correct information.
An important thing for you to know when looking for specific book titles for purchase is the EAN number of the book. The EAN is a number identifies the book. Every book has got a unique EAN number. This number is documented with all of the other important information for each book, such as the author’s name and the full title. Having this number will make it much easier to search for your book online.
The website www.amazon.com has a wonderful search engine that can help you to find information about any book you may be looking for. When looking for specific book titles for purchase, you can go to this website and enter a variety of keywords into their search engine. Once you have done this, you will get a list of books that relate to the keywords you have entered. This will increase your chances of finding your book quickly and easily. Once you have found it, you should always find the EAN and save it for future use. If you not able to purchase the book from Amazon.com, then by using the EAN number that you have found, you can search for the book that you want easily in any other website.
There are a wide variety of books available for online purchase. Paperback books are more portable versions of the hardcover books that we all love. The hardcover books are generally a little more expensive than the paperback version, but they are cheaper to purchase online than in a bookstore. Paperbacks come in two versions, the mass market paperback and the trade paperback. The main difference in the two is the quality of the paper and binding, which causes a difference in price. Mass market paperbacks tend to be cheaper then the trade paperbacks.
When looking for specific book titles for purchase online, remember that having the entire title, the full name of the author, or having the EAN can increase your probability of finding the book easily and quickly. To help you in your search you can visit www.amazon.com and use their detailed search engine. The different types of books available can vary widely. You must pick the type that is right for you.
Searching for a good reputable online store is the first step of your online store experience. You should feel free to browse and compare stores in terms of pricing, trustworthiness and convenience. Kau Si Wei works for Acmamall Book Store , a books and beauty online international store that brings safe shopping, trustworthiness and convenience to shoppers worldwide. Visit Acmamall at www.acmamall.com.