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The Laughing Buddha Murders
• Afterword on the history of pulp paperbacks
• Digitized from rare pulp edition
The Laughing Buddha couldn’t just have got up and walked away. Statues haven’t been known to walk since Pygmalion brought Galatea to life. But this was only one of the problems facing the police after the death of the ruthless millionaire art-fancier and political tyrant who had but one friend in the world. Another problem was the entrance into the case of Chin Kham, good-looking young Tibetan scholar, who seemed to know more than he should about what was going on. It’s a particularly engrossing story, with Chin himself providing unique interest–and a delightful surprise ending.
About Vintage Paperback Pulp
A new revolution was underway at the start of the 1940s in America—a paperback revolution that would change the way publishers would produce and distribute books and the reading public would consume them. In 1939 a new publishing company—Pocket Books—stormed onto the scene with the publication of its first paperbound book. Unlike hardback books, these pulp paperbacks were inexpensive and readily available everywhere. The American public could not get enough of them.
During the 1940s, mysteries and romances were the hot sellers. In the early 1950s, new pulp fiction subgenres emerged—science fiction, westerns, gay & lesbian fiction, juvenile delinquent and “sleaze”, for instance—that would tantalize readers with gritty, realistic and lurid stories never seen before. Publishers soon came to realize that sex sells. In a competitive frenzy for readers, they turned from straightforward "tasteful" cover images to alluring covers that frequently featured a sexy woman in some form of undress, along with a suggestive tag line that promised stories of sex and violence within the covers. To this day, the pulp cover art of these vintage paperback books is just as sought after as the books themselves were sixty years ago.
We are excited to make these wonderful pulp fiction stories available in ebook format to new generations of readers, as a new revolution—the ebook revolution—is in full swing. We hope you will enjoy this nostalgic look back at a period in American history when dames were dangerous, tough-guys were deadly and dolls were downright delicious.
• Digitized from rare pulp edition
The Laughing Buddha couldn’t just have got up and walked away. Statues haven’t been known to walk since Pygmalion brought Galatea to life. But this was only one of the problems facing the police after the death of the ruthless millionaire art-fancier and political tyrant who had but one friend in the world. Another problem was the entrance into the case of Chin Kham, good-looking young Tibetan scholar, who seemed to know more than he should about what was going on. It’s a particularly engrossing story, with Chin himself providing unique interest–and a delightful surprise ending.
About Vintage Paperback Pulp
A new revolution was underway at the start of the 1940s in America—a paperback revolution that would change the way publishers would produce and distribute books and the reading public would consume them. In 1939 a new publishing company—Pocket Books—stormed onto the scene with the publication of its first paperbound book. Unlike hardback books, these pulp paperbacks were inexpensive and readily available everywhere. The American public could not get enough of them.
During the 1940s, mysteries and romances were the hot sellers. In the early 1950s, new pulp fiction subgenres emerged—science fiction, westerns, gay & lesbian fiction, juvenile delinquent and “sleaze”, for instance—that would tantalize readers with gritty, realistic and lurid stories never seen before. Publishers soon came to realize that sex sells. In a competitive frenzy for readers, they turned from straightforward "tasteful" cover images to alluring covers that frequently featured a sexy woman in some form of undress, along with a suggestive tag line that promised stories of sex and violence within the covers. To this day, the pulp cover art of these vintage paperback books is just as sought after as the books themselves were sixty years ago.
We are excited to make these wonderful pulp fiction stories available in ebook format to new generations of readers, as a new revolution—the ebook revolution—is in full swing. We hope you will enjoy this nostalgic look back at a period in American history when dames were dangerous, tough-guys were deadly and dolls were downright delicious.
128 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2011
5 people want to read
About the author
Richard W. Foster
56 booksRichard W. Foster is a former journalist (Associated Press, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal) and newsletter publisher (Orbis Publications and Brazil Watch). He taught English at Montgomery College, and was a co-founder there of a union for contingent faculty. He lives in Gaithersburg, MD with his wife, Etna.
His first novel, Topiltzin at Calakmul, is a a natural fantasy with a young adult hero and 14 colorful block print illustrations by Ariel Cavalcante. The book is a must read and for animal and fantasy lovers. A portion of the book's proceeds will be donated to the World Wildlife Fund.
His first novel, Topiltzin at Calakmul, is a a natural fantasy with a young adult hero and 14 colorful block print illustrations by Ariel Cavalcante. The book is a must read and for animal and fantasy lovers. A portion of the book's proceeds will be donated to the World Wildlife Fund.
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