‘Pulp!’ reviving pulp fiction genre

The genre known as “pulp fiction” was first introduced as a form of fiction published on cheap wood-pulp paper during the time ranging between about 1920 and 1955. These publications covered a variety of reading interests. A reader could choose from adventure, horror, romance, science fiction, mystery and western.

The genre was a way for the reading public to escape from the often harsh realities of the Depression of the 1930s and the two world wars. Bright, lurid magazine covers caught the eye and the interest of the public, and the publications were easily found at most corner newsstands.

Keeping that history in mind, the next generation of “pulp fiction” can be found in the form of new anthology series by a variety of emerging specialty publishers. One of those new anthologies is titled simply “Pulp!” Featuring 12 short stories that range from fantasy to horror to western, the summer/fall edition of “Pulp!” is the first of eight volumes due to be released biannually from the Dallas-based Twit Publishing, and each story is as unique as the writers who contributed them.

A few examples:
 
“A Knight in Lincoln County” by Fyodor Guiterrez tells the story of Jacob Smith, a gun-slinging Knight Templar who fights evil spirits and Billy the Kid in order to rescue a young girl from the clutches of demon possession.
 
Longing for a lost love is the topic of Barbara Savage’s story, “Vanessa and Donald.” A middle-age man remembers the love of his life and how he let her slip away, not realizing that she was more than just beautiful, she was a goddess come to Earth.
 
An aging Colorado apple farmer must rely on his talent for telling jokes in order to save his very life in D.L. Chance’s story, “Wilbur and the Dour Demon.” A shivery, spooky tale that is just right for those cold fall evenings when you never know if a demon or an angel might be hanging around the backdoor and eavesdropping.
 
Each story in the collection is short enough to be enjoyed in a quick moment or two of reading, and all are lively, quick-paced and guaranteed to hold the reader’s attention. (It should be kept in mind that these stories are not for the faint of heart and are for adults in regards to language.)

Representing the revival of pulp fiction interest, “Pulp!” is one of the best examples of 21st century pulp yet to be found.