Justin Marriot's The Paperback Fanatic went digest size a couple of issues ago and has not looked back. For the serious paperback lover, for the lifelong devotee of all that is pulp, this is Shangri-La!
This sixty-six page issue, in full, glorious color, has an amazing piece on arguably the most groundbreaking Science Fiction magazine ever published in Britain, New Worlds. Although it is best known for the period in which it was edited by Michael Moorcock, it began life in 1946 and championed the work of Brian Aldiss, Thomas Disch, Christopher Priest, JG Ballard, Norman Spinrad, and John Sladek.
Also of immense interest in this issue is a lofty item on publisher Fawcett Crest, a sharp U.S. outfit that released works from Gary Brandner (The Howling I,II,III), John Farris (All Heads Turn as the Hunt Goes By), Robert Bloch (Psycho), and Robert Arthur Smith (The Toymaker).
The spread below is a typical example of the lavish treatment afforded the nostalgia on display in this exceptional periodical.
Topping off a full house is a lengthy feature on the men's adventure series Nick Carter and an affectionate, mind-blowing look at the work of blacksploitation novelist Joseph Nazel, whose work included Black Gestapo, Black Exorcist, Killer Cop, Devil Doll, Slick Revenge, and No Place to Die.
The Paperback Fanatic is a labor of love, and most back issues have sold out. If you're up for having your literary world expanded, or your memories massaged, this is your ticket.
