Comics, Pulps, and Paperbacks: Why such a discrepancy in values? 25 25

[porcupine48]

I really want to track down those stories mentioned above and give them a read.

[OtherEric]

1 hour ago, Pat Calhoun said:

Hub takes some heat for Scientology that I think gets in the way of his literary reputation. His portrayal of the future USA as an unsavory technocracy, keeping the rest of the world subjugated by military might - in Final Blackout, a 1939 novel - seems courageous to me, and the writing is effective enough. And I'm a huge fan of 'Typewriter in the Sky', a light but lush fantasy of a man who finds himself living in the pages of a pulp novel as it's being written. The sword fight scene on the pirate ship with the typewriter clacking in the sky is an all time fave.

I absolutely agree that Scientology completely obscures his literary reputation, Pat.  While I stand by my description of him as "a competent hack with some good stories", I think that's actually significantly better than the average for pulp writers of that era.  Typewriter in the sky is a genuine classic, for example; and being a competent hack was actually the exception back then.  He's quite readable; and while I won't seek out books because of him I generally do read his stuff when I get a magazine which happens to have his work.

Maybe I should go ahead and actually read "The Ghoul", since I have the magazine handy anyway...

[Surfing Alien]

17 hours ago, Pat Calhoun said:

Hub takes some heat for Scientology that I think gets in the way of his literary reputation. His portrayal of the future USA as an unsavory technocracy, keeping the rest of the world subjugated by military might - in Final Blackout, a 1939 novel - seems courageous to me, and the writing is effective enough. And I'm a huge fan of 'Typewriter in the Sky', a light but lush fantasy of a man who finds himself living in the pages of a pulp novel as it's being written. The sword fight scene on the pirate ship with the typewriter clacking in the sky is an all time fave.

I'd like to read that... in the meantime... Wow... what great cover art

Edited August 3, 2019 by Surfing Alien
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[Surfing Alien]

This is one of the first vintage paperbacks I ever acquired out in the wild. I kept it all these years with my other Aces even though it wasn't quite at the condition standards of the others I kept. We all get a little worn around the edges with time, except for Salome herself! She captured my young heart like she did so many others.

Edited August 3, 2019 by Surfing Alien
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[frozentundraguy]

18 hours ago, Pat Calhoun said:

Hub takes some heat for Scientology that I think gets in the way of his literary reputation. His portrayal of the future USA as an unsavory technocracy, keeping the rest of the world subjugated by military might - in Final Blackout, a 1939 novel - seems courageous to me, and the writing is effective enough. And I'm a huge fan of 'Typewriter in the Sky', a light but lush fantasy of a man who finds himself living in the pages of a pulp novel as it's being written. The sword fight scene on the pirate ship with the typewriter clacking in the sky is an all time fave.

Interesting concept with man living in pages of the story. I have a few books by Hubbard but have only read Battlefield Earth. This was quite a few years ago but I found it to be quite good. I cant say the same for the movie though.

[frozentundraguy]

A group shot of my 3 PKD Ace doubles. I may need to upgrade D-249 at some point.

 

[moonpool]

Berkleys: Maguire covers and large appliances

[Surfing Alien]

2 hours ago, moonpool said:

Berkleys: Maguire covers and large appliances

Great design elements on those 2!

 

[Pat Calhoun]

Thanks moonpool. Ordered this copy of the Berkley today, inspired by the Maguire cover.

Edited August 5, 2019 by Pat Calhoun

[Pat Calhoun]

Oh, Dr Fell!

[Surfing Alien]

Back to Ace, here's my copy of The World Jones Made. It's from the same bookstore I bought my other PKD books that survived from my original collection from the 80's. It was from a book & tape trading store in Florida. I was on vacation and I walked in and was hit in the face with a wall of brilliant blue and red spines like I had never seen before. They had two shelves of a bookcase filled with these unopened, unread, square glossy Ace doubles and a few singles priced at $3 each IIRC. I bought both shelves. Man I'd love to have enough scratch to bid on the original cover art in the Crain auction on Heritage. I love the atmosphere of that art. It looks like the cinematographers for The Man In The High Castle on Amazon Prime used it as a model.

[moonpool]

My Ace 1.  Really nice shape with no creases on spine. $30 way back when.

[Surfing Alien]

5 minutes ago, moonpool said:

My Ace 1.  Really nice shape with no creases on spine. $30 way back when.

Sweet copy. I think I have a reader copy somewhere but i've never been in the right time/price situation to get a nice one. 

[Surfing Alien]

"Bulging with Action"... Here's a decent copy of another early Ace i've had a long time. Richard Sale goodness. I'd like to fill a box up of mint Richard Sale books...

[porcupine48]

Pat C.I LOVE the cover on that Mad Hatter Mystery book above.

[Pat Calhoun]

[porcupine48]

Thank you fine sir.

It makes me think of a few different comic covers,but it's great in its own unique way.Very pleasing to the 'eyes'  (hyuck!)

[Surfing Alien]

Some actually pretty scarce JD arrivals. NIce copies that look unread. I love The Tenement Kid blurb "the whore is their emblem of womanhood"

GIrls and Gangs has a nice Rafael deSoto cover ad the Wayward Ones must be a scarce Signet. I've never seen one before.

Ebay always amazes me. 2 out of 3 of these came with no bag, tossed in a mailer and the edges, corners noticeably more crunched and creased than the original scans.... They're so relatively cheap & I guess people think it's just a book, not something someone is trying to preserve.

Makes me wonder.... how many early Actions & Detetcives were thrown in a mailer and sent across country back in the 60's mail order days when they were a couple bucks. Imagine your Action #7 scrunched up in the mailbox like it was no big deal.

 

[OtherEric]

15 hours ago, Surfing Alien said:

Ebay always amazes me. 2 out of 3 of these came with no bag, tossed in a mailer and the edges, corners noticeably more crunched and creased than the original scans.... They're so relatively cheap & I guess people think it's just a book, not something someone is trying to preserve.

 

Makes me wonder.... how many early Actions & Detetcives were thrown in a mailer and sent across country back in the 60's mail order days when they were a couple bucks. Imagine your Action #7 scrunched up in the mailbox like it was no big deal.

 

 

Admittedly, I tend to look for lower grade books, but even NOW I get comics sent by people who clearly don't have a clue.  Mercifully I haven't had anything damaged, but I've gotten books where the comic has a file folder taped around it rather than a bag & board. 

And having a clue doesn't always help, I got a book (hardcover) where the dealer was clearly competent but the post office mangled it beyond recognition.  To be fair, the post office admitted to the damage.

To get back on topic, here's another Ace Double where I have the scans handy:

[moonpool]

Richard Prather, not Gold Medal, 1952