The Alchemy Press Book of Pulp Heroes by Mike Resnick

by Mike Chinn

In the tradition of The Shadow, The Bat, Doc Savage, The Spider; Dashiell Hammett's Continental Detective Agency; Dusty Ayers & His Battle Birds; Sheena and K-Zar. Hard-boiled detectives, sinister vigilantes, bizarre the staples of the Pulp tradition. Two-fisted heroes - and heroines - fighting for right and justice in the midnight city, foetid jungles or exotic, far-flung lands. Deranged villains for whom the world is never enough. Editor Mike Chinn collects seventeen writers who dive headlong into the world of pulp fiction, to tell us tall tales of daring do, of heroes and heroines and their villains. With stories by Mike Resnick, Peter Atkins, Peter Crowther, Adrian Cole, William Meikle, Joel Lane, Amberle L Husbands, Milo James Fowler, Anne Nicholls, Robert William Iveniuk, Bracken N MacLeod, Chris Iovenko, Joshua Wolf, James Hartley, Ian Gregory, Michael Haynes and Allen Ashley.

Genres: Pulp, Short Stories, Fantasy

Paperback

First published September 1, 2012

Reviews

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was born in the late forties and inherited a bookshelf full of pulp fiction from my mother. Raymond Chandler, Rex Stout and Ellery Queen were the authors I grew up with. I never missed an installment of Dick Tracey so I was hooked on this anthology from the first story. It is escapist literature at its best with bad guys who are really bad and good guys who get the job done with few words and always a cigarette. Although the science fiction end was not my favorite genre back then, the new improved SF in the Alchemy Press anthology suited me very well. There are cowboys, action heroes, evil villains, super heroes and hard boiled detectives all in one bound volume. I felt like a kid in a candy store with a dollar bill in my pocket. I had two favorite stories in the collection. "Ivy's Secret Origin" spoke to me as an older woman who has become almost invisible. Our culture tends to disgard the elderly as non-essential, relegating them to almost inhuman status. As a human, female, housewife and mother, Ivy had almost achieved the same status. She was left-overs to be used and tossed away at a whim. But Ivy is more, because at her core she is WOMAN and all that implies. I read Ivy's origins to be Susan B. Anthony, Alice Paul, Gloria Steinham and every woman who has risked her life metaphorically or otherwise to save her family. My other favorite was "The Return of Boy Justice," for obvious reasons. We all have something to give, no matter how old or irrelevant others may see us. The paper is nicer in this anthology but the stories are the stories of my youth, filled with adventure, justice, and a world that makes some sort of sense, even if it is as simple as the bad guy going down and the good woman twisting the knife.

[Christopher Irvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

After struggling through a couple of lackluster anthologies, I was very happy to find 'The Alchemy Press Book of Pulp Heroes' full of fantastic fiction. Pulp Heroes flirts with all of classic pulp genres (sci-fi, adventure, crime, noir, superhero, western, weird, sports, etc.) There is something for everyone. My favorites were "Ripples in the Ether," "Crossing the Line," "In the Margins," and "Ivy's Secret Origin. Highly recommended.

[Jan Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must for pulp fiction fans!

[Gareth · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable anthology of new writing, with a mixture of styles, although the predominant mood is one of "Watchmen" style deconstruction of pulp characters, rather than straight pastiches. The best of the collection is Peter Crowther's "Heroes and Villains" in which a criminal mastermind begins to question his lifestyle after hearing that his mother is dying. It's a clever mixture of realistic emotions and colourful invention.

[Ken Hillson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure if this is my cup of tea -- I was worried it would be a load of Edgar Rice Burroughs pastiches or rip-offs of Robert E Howard or Raymond Chandler. I couldn't have been more wrong. A tremendous array of stories obviously inspired by the pulp era, but written with modern sensibilities. With stories set in space, the future and the past -- all great fun and very enjoyable.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This anthology began strongly, wobbled, reached a peak, again shook around its axis, then went down. Initially the stories were fun, with authors ensuring that the works remain pulpy enough. Later stories got bogged down by more Americana and less humour.
For me, the high points were:
1. Ian Gregory' 'Currier Dread and the Hair of Destruction';
2. Michael Haynes' 'No Way but the Hard Way';
3. Adrian Cole's 'The Vogue Prince';
4. Chris Iovenko's 'The Perfect Murder':
5. William Meikle's 'Ripples in the Ether';
6. Bracken N Macleod's 'Ivy's Secret Origin';
7. Mike Resnick's 'Origins'.
The rest were OK type to well-written meh, in my opinion.