A SUMMER OF PULP FICTION - PART II - SERIAL MYSTERIES

Last summer I attempted to introduce the subgenre of "paranormal romance". That series turned out to have a few very enthusiastic followers but not near the number came out of the closet that I'd hoped for. THIS summer I'm going to share some favorite mystery authors from my shelves. Good stories, a little mystery, neat "hooks", great characters. No erotica and just a little romance.

The second author I'm going to promote in our "mystery" genre is Michael Jecks and his Last Templar series. This is kind of a unique twist and I came across it by accident reading over the shoulder of someone on the C-Train a couple of years ago. You can check out his website and a list of his books at Michael Jecks.

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Please come to the event having read at least one of the books in this series. It is intended as a venue for fans (both new and old) of his books to discuss what they like about the series and the author.

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PULP FICTION DEFINED

The vintage definition of Pulp Fiction was a term used to describe a huge amount of creative writing available to the public in the early nineteen-hundreds. Termed "pulp magazines" because of the low quality paper used between the covers, these publications proliferated in the nineteen-thirties and nineteen-forties to the point where they blanketed newsstands in just about every popular fiction genre of the time. The hardboiled detective and science fiction genres were created by the freedom that the pulp fiction magazines provided and provided a breeding ground for creative talent which would influence all forms of entertainment for decades to come.

The term "pulp fiction" also refers to the proliferation of mass market paper back books since the 1950's. The novels of the late 18th and 19th centuries which introduced us to the likes of Austen and Bronte were the precursors to the racier novels of today in the genres of mystery, science fiction, thriller, horror and romance. In all of these genres there are also different sub-genres as well, often combining elements of more than one. One of the genre's in the original vintage pulp market were the "spicy" detective novels. The ones with lurid covers featuring scantily clad ladies and spicy dialogue inside. The mass paper back market of "women's fiction" soon followed targeted solely at women. The romances were considered racy for their time but the dialogue and formula has adapted through the decades to what is currently considered "soft porn" to many. Our fiction has definitely kept current with our fantasies, especially for women. The Harlequin romances of the 60's and 70's have graduated, so to speak, into several different sub-genres. One of which is in the paranormal. The books are usually titallating, sexy and quite often written with a sense of humour. (I introduced this subgenre in the summer of 2009.)

Often considered to be beneath the notice of true literary afficionados, the pulp fiction paper back series' are usually ignored by reading groups even though their fan base number in the millions. This is probably due to many of us not wanting to even admit we read and enjoy the fiction that is usually considered to be poorly written drivel that could possibly rot our brains. This is where I come in. I am coming out of the closet, so to speak, as a person completely addicted to this market. I tend to become enamored with certain genres and authors and will read all the books in a series, salivating and waiting for the next installment in my addiction. And I KNOW I'm not the only one!