Girl Gangs, Biker Boys, and Real Cool Cats: Pulp Fiction and Youth Culture, 1950 to 1980

by Iain McIntyre (Editor), Andrew Nette (Editor), Peter Doyle (Foreword)

Girl Gangs, Biker Boys, and Real Cool Cats is the first comprehensive account of how the rise of postwar youth culture was depicted in mass-market pulp fiction. As the young created new styles in music, fashion, and culture, pulp fiction shadowed their every move, hyping and exploiting their behaviour, dress, and language for mass consumption and cheap thrills. From the juvenile delinquent gangs of the early 1950s through the beats and hippies, on to bikers, skinheads, and punks, pulp fiction left no trend untouched. With their lurid covers and wild, action-packed plots, these books reveal as much about society’s deepest desires and fears as they do about the subcultures themselves.

Girl Gangs features approximately 400 full-color covers, many of them never reprinted before. With 70 in-depth author interviews, illustrated biographies, and previously unpublished articles from more than 20 popular culture critics and scholars from the US, UK, and Australia, the book goes behind the scenes to look at the authors and publishers, how they worked, where they drew their inspiration and—often overlooked—the actual words they wrote. Books by well-known authors such as Harlan Ellison and Lawrence Block are discussed alongside neglected obscurities and former bestsellers ripe for rediscovery. It is a must read for anyone interested in pulp fiction, lost literary history, retro and subcultural style, and the history of postwar youth culture.

Contributors include Nicholas Tredell, Alwyn W. Turner, Mike Stax, Clinton Walker, Bill Osgerby, David Rife, J.F. Norris, Stewart Home, James Cockington, Joe Blevins, Brian Coffey, James Doig, David James Foster, Matthew Asprey Gear, Molly Grattan, Brian Greene, John Harrison, David Kiersh, Austin Matthews, and Robert Baker.

Genres: Books About Books, History, Nonfiction, Essays, Pop Culture, Sociology, Pulp

336 pages, Paperback

First published September 27, 2017

Reviews

[Karl]

The book contains an interview with Marijane Meaker, aka Vin Packer.

Featuring approximately 400 full-color covers, many of them never before reprinted, along with 70 in-depth author interviews.

Compressed Contents:

007 - Forward by Peter Boyle
011 - Introduction
018 - "Teenage jungle: pulp fiction's juvenile delinquents"
090 - "Beat girls and real cool cats: 1960s beats and Bohemians"-
136 - "Love tribes: Hippies and the pulp fiction of the late-60s and early-70s counterculture"
194 - "Groupies and immortals: pulp fiction music novels"
222 - "Wheels of death: pulp biker and motorcycle gangs"
252 - "Cults of violence: 1960s British youthsploitation novels"
278 - "Outsiders: late-60s and early-70s American pulp and the rise of the teen novel"

The first comprehensive account of how the rise of postwar youth culture was depicted in mass-market pulp fiction. As the young created new styles in music, fashion, and culture, pulp fiction shadowed their every move, hyping and exploiting their behavior, dress, and language for mass consumption and cheap thrills. With their lurid covers and wild, action-packed plots, these books reveal as much about society's deepest desires and fears as they do about the subcultures themselves. Featuring approximately 400 full-color covers, many of them never before reprinted, along with 70 in-depth author interviews, illustrated biographies, and previously unpublished articles, the book goes behind the scenes to look at the authors and publishers, how they worked, where they drew their inspiration and--often overlooked--the actual words they wrote. It is a must read for anyone interested in pulp fiction, lost literary history, retro and subcultural style, and the history of postwar youth culture.

Contributors include:

Nicholas Tredell
Alwyn W. Turner
Mike Stax
Clinton Walker
Bill Osgerby
David Rife
J.F. Norris
Stewart Home
James Cockington
Joe Blevins
Brian Coffey
James Doig
David James Foster
Matthew Asprey Gear
Molly Grattan
Brian Greene
John Harrison
David Kiersh
Austin Matthews
Robert Baker.

[Carla Remy · Rating 4 out of 5]

All about the cheap paperback book industry and the way it (in the 1950s and 60s) embraced any youth movement and printed books fictionalizing all its shocking (not entirely truthful) ways, sometimes criminal,always sexual. These were ostensibly for the young but really for the shocked and titillated elders.

[David Whish-Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of essays is chock-full of fascinating perspectives on pulp titles and trends. Can't recommend it highly enough.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

On one hand, this book is as hip and fun to read as the title makes it sound. It’s also an amazing feat of pop culture scholarship that provides a heavily-researched, lushly-illustrated, in-depth look at the various types of “youthsploitation” books published in the United States, the UK and Australia in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. It’s a deep, enjoyable dive into pulp fiction paperbacks about juvie gangs, beatniks, bikers, hippies, punks, skinheads and other social rebels that I think is destined to become one of the must-have books for fans of vintage paperbacks and mid-20th Century youth cultures. In addition to showcasing over 400 covers in full color, the book includes profiles of and interviews with authors, information about the publishers and editors, and insightful analyses of how youthsploitation books affected both the subcultures they focused on and perceptions of those subcultures in the mainstream media and “square” society. As an avid fan of mid-20th Century pop culture and history, I give this book my highest recommendation. By the way, be sure to check out Editor Andrew Nette's www.Pulpcurry.com site. It's great, too!

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

So easy to dive in and get lost for a few hours! Hard to over praise this cultural and pulp fiction study. Beautiful artwork with hundreds of cover reproductions. Full of essays and author interviews. Has a lot of coverage of the UK and Australian pulp fiction and youth cultures, so isn't exclusively focused on America. Has two sections on the Operation Hang Ten series and its author Patrick Morgan (George Snyder).

[Maxim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indispensable...

[Gawain Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This kaleidoscope of cool seriously examines the golden age of pulp fiction and youth culture with wry humor and real affection. It’s a labor of love, with the editors backed up by a further twenty erudite pulp hounds, everyone with a sharp and compassionate eye for the era – the 50s to the 80s, and a understanding of the context of the times, and their evolution into the 21st century culture.

A real highlight are the author profiles in which the work, life and times of selected authors are examined in detail. Even better, some have been interviewed for the book, providing insight into a lost era of writing and publishing, and the scenes and vibes that inspired them.

Packed to the smoky rafters with delirious paperback covers, and spiked with pull quotes and telling excerpts, Girl Gangs, Biker Boys, and Real Cool Cats hits the pulp G-spot. Highly recommended as both scholarly reference and as pure entertainment.

[Phillip Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book about youth culture pulp paperbacks runs the gamut from serious social commentary to the just exploitive. People's fears about their children turning bad is what is exploited by some publishers who dwell on lurid violent subcultures. Serious writers emphasize how a lack of opportunity and poverty drive young men and women into gang life and other social commentary. What I did not like was the way many publishers demonized youth as violent criminals without seeing the ideals many strove for. The worst was Beatrice Sparks presenting her book Go Ask Alice as a true story and it was accepted even by educators who made us read that bull crap. This reminds me of Dick Gregory's speech on how 60's youth were turned in the Indians or a people to be feared as an enemy.

[DENNIS · Rating 5 out of 5]

i received a copy from the publisher and was immediately blow away by the appearance of the book. I expected a so so outline of some titles and maybe a few pictures to add appeal. What I discovered was an in-depth treatment of not only American books usually classified in the "exploitation" genre, but a wealth of material covering worldwide expansion of the genre. Speaking of genres, while the well researched material can easily be collected under the header of exploitation, the editors take it one step further by breaking down the material into sub sections. Feel like a read about the youth gone wild? there's a section full of offerings. Maybe you want to delve into the world of dangerous motorcycle gangs? Another section full of choices to fill your mood is just some pages away. The list keeps going from mods and hippies to the beats. And not just stories concerning the male view. The female perspective is just as plentiful and often times more edgy than it's counterpart. The only downside to this book is the hours you will lose as you go through page after page of covers which will inevitably cause to to stop and check out a particular book. At 336 pages each one full of multiple books to examine you can easily disappear down the rabbit hole. That's why it took me roughly 5 months to finish the book. Sadly, many of the long out of print titles, will take some detective like tracking skills or financial reserves to acquire, but with so many options at your fingertips, there are plenty of options at all acquisition levels.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exhaustive and Multifaceted

I thought this superb book was exhaustive and multifaceted. I learned about genres I never knew existed. I enjoy reading books about books and thought the pictures of book covers were wonderful. My favorite part was reading about George Snyder. I also found books mentioned in here I would like to read. Very fascinating and I look forward to reading Stick It To The Man and Dangerous Visions and New Worlds. Recommended for readers who.like to read about different books.

[I.D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tremendous look at hundreds of forgotten books, authors, and trends. Everything from satanic biker books to British soccer hooligan series to lesbian JD stories are featured. The biggest problem is there are so many hidden gems to track down inside that you could spend a fortune trying to collect everything. There’s some moralizing in the articles but it’s such an encyclopedic look that you can overlook it. Great book!

[Susan Csoke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated coffee table book for sure. A great conversation starter. Thank you Goodreads for this free book!!!!!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars alone just for all the covers, total blast from the past.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up back then wasn't easier by no means :-)Here you'll find everything pulp fiction had to offer for hungry youths: savage streets and secret swingers, gang girls and cool cats, pulp delinquents, girls on the rampage, jungle kids, rebels, easy living, beat girls, party girls and passion pits, Jason King, satanic slaves and hippie death cults, wild hearts, wheels of death... what a stroll through all those trashy paper backs from the days. Highly recommended!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Understandably repetitive, it’s really remarkable how the pulp fiction industry capitalized on the fear of out of control youth for so long based on absolute hysteria. I really can’t imagine anything has changed substantially, considering the contemporary politically discourse, admittedly.

[Drew · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not as good as their Sticking it to the Man collection, but I still enjoyed flipping through it. I’m most looking forward to their one on sci-fi books coming out in 2021.

[TrumanCoyote · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mainly it's just a great collection of cool (and quite possibly goofy) old paperback book covers.

[Mills College Library]

306.1 G525 2017