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Pulp Modern: Volume 2 Number 1
Uncle B. Publications and Larque Press, LLC, present the triumphant return of PULP MODERN. Volume Two, Issue One features fiction from multiple genres, including crime, horror, and science fiction. Pulp Modern resumes its mission to publish the very best fiction from around the world. In this issue, writers from Europe, Canada, the United States, Asia, and Australia contribute a diverse selection of short stories for the most discerning readers.
132 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 2017
11 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Alec Cizak
75 books47 followersAlec Cizak was dropped off on the planet Earth by Lao Tzu after the old wizard made love to a seven-legged go-go dancer from the interior regions of Neptune. The dancer refused to care for the infant Cizak and so Lao Tzu brought the baby to Earth and left him with a cult of syphilitic monks on an island in the Pacific Ocean. Cizak was granted immortality by the goddess Molena, a stripper from Spain, on the condition that he never reveal her recipe for spaghetti and eyeball soup. Unable to contain this magnificent secret, Cizak whispered the recipe to a Belgium nun named Poinsettia. The goddess Molena cursed Cizak to mortality and a bit of talent as a writer no significant number of his fellow mortals would ever care too much about. He currently lives with his wife in a cave in Antarctica where he writes dime novels under a pen name that cannot be revealed here for national security purposes.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 15, 2017
A strong collection of imaginative stories crossing a variety of genres including pulp crime, horror, and science fiction. What links these stories together is that each and every one of them has a touch of oddness about it. They each have a twist that expands the story into something more.
There are stories here about domestic violence and neighborhood welcoming committees, about revisiting the legend of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, about meeting cute and bad dates, about going down the winding steps of hell and the femme fatale mother always warned you about, about the pre civil war Underground Railroad, about things in the walls and floors and more, about vampires and Hunger Games, about little green men knocking on the door, about unearthly visitors and offers you can't refuse, about serving the actual sentence imposed, about replacing children, and industrial espionage.
There are stories here about domestic violence and neighborhood welcoming committees, about revisiting the legend of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, about meeting cute and bad dates, about going down the winding steps of hell and the femme fatale mother always warned you about, about the pre civil war Underground Railroad, about things in the walls and floors and more, about vampires and Hunger Games, about little green men knocking on the door, about unearthly visitors and offers you can't refuse, about serving the actual sentence imposed, about replacing children, and industrial espionage.
May 26, 2017
For starters, I will say that I was a contributor to this issue of Pulp Modern. However, that doesn't discount me from reading and reviewing the other 12 stories in the publication. As a fan of many genres of strange and interesting fiction, I found this to be a unique collection.
While every reader in the world has differing tastes and dislikes, I will admit that not all of these stories were my cup of tea. Some read like a workshopped version of a generic prompt that ended up decent, but still somewhat trite. Others were predictable and slow, but not the worst thing in the world.
Others, though, I loved. Exciting and leaving me wanting more, I didn't move until the story was finished. Engaging plots and characters with well written prose, I felt honored to be published alongside some of these other authors. And as short as they all are, it didn't take long to get to the end.
That's the thing--this isn't one of those anthologies with 100 page stories that take forever to get to the point (if there even is one). All 13 of these are stories that set a scene, tell you what they need, and end with a sense of finality that is getting harder and harder to come by anymore. What you take away from them is up to you.
You can't argue about the cost or the presentation, but what's really important here is the writing. Maybe you'll love all 13 stories, maybe you'll hate them, but in the end, you won't be able to deny you've felt something, and that's what it's all about.
While every reader in the world has differing tastes and dislikes, I will admit that not all of these stories were my cup of tea. Some read like a workshopped version of a generic prompt that ended up decent, but still somewhat trite. Others were predictable and slow, but not the worst thing in the world.
Others, though, I loved. Exciting and leaving me wanting more, I didn't move until the story was finished. Engaging plots and characters with well written prose, I felt honored to be published alongside some of these other authors. And as short as they all are, it didn't take long to get to the end.
That's the thing--this isn't one of those anthologies with 100 page stories that take forever to get to the point (if there even is one). All 13 of these are stories that set a scene, tell you what they need, and end with a sense of finality that is getting harder and harder to come by anymore. What you take away from them is up to you.
You can't argue about the cost or the presentation, but what's really important here is the writing. Maybe you'll love all 13 stories, maybe you'll hate them, but in the end, you won't be able to deny you've felt something, and that's what it's all about.
May 7, 2018
A belated review, updated from my initial entry.
This was my first go at this anthology magazine, and I'm really, really impressed. I am definitely going to be a regular reader of this one. As I've said before, one of the aspects of anthologies of short fiction I love is the introduction to a wealth of authors new to my reading list. And I certainly was not disappointed here - I'll be searching out individual works from several of the featured writers.
Of course the collection lives up to its "Pulp Modern" title - full of noir, twists and hard-boiled delights. The editor, Alec Cizak, has done a tremendous job collecting the variety of pulp here – all darkness, but with a great ride across different genres. I did enjoy the whole lot, whether crime, horror, or fantasy. Hard to pick a favourite – a common problem I have with anthologies. However, “Lady of the Mask” by L.S.Engler is up there – it’s a dance with terrible twist. “Now is Not a Good Time to Die” by Mark David Adam is great, and a salutary reminder of the perils of picking up in bars! Also really enjoyed “Housewarming” by fellow Aussie, Lucy Kiff – and it’s the neighbours from hell.
This was my first go at this anthology magazine, and I'm really, really impressed. I am definitely going to be a regular reader of this one. As I've said before, one of the aspects of anthologies of short fiction I love is the introduction to a wealth of authors new to my reading list. And I certainly was not disappointed here - I'll be searching out individual works from several of the featured writers.
Of course the collection lives up to its "Pulp Modern" title - full of noir, twists and hard-boiled delights. The editor, Alec Cizak, has done a tremendous job collecting the variety of pulp here – all darkness, but with a great ride across different genres. I did enjoy the whole lot, whether crime, horror, or fantasy. Hard to pick a favourite – a common problem I have with anthologies. However, “Lady of the Mask” by L.S.Engler is up there – it’s a dance with terrible twist. “Now is Not a Good Time to Die” by Mark David Adam is great, and a salutary reminder of the perils of picking up in bars! Also really enjoyed “Housewarming” by fellow Aussie, Lucy Kiff – and it’s the neighbours from hell.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews