Pulp Fiction discussion

I would love to know peoples thoughts on Jim Thompson. He's been nicknamed the "Dimestore Dostoevsky" by author Geoffrey O'Brien. He turned Pulp into Surrealism.

I like Jim Thompson quite a bit but his books wear me out and I can't read them back to back like I can other crime writers. I just read A Hell of a Woman a couple days ago and I have Nothing More than Murder and Criminal on the pile.

I'd have to check my shelf but I think these are the Thompsons I've read:
Pop. 1280
The Killer Inside Me
After Dark, My Sweet
Savage Night
The Getaway
A Hell of a Woman

Jim Thompson is one the best authors who have ever written a noir story. I mean noir ala Cain, criminal, psychological noir. Not Hardoiled PI.

The Killer Inside Me is a masterwork novel. Dimestore Dostoevsky is offending. At his best he is a strong literary noir writer.

King Blood is hard to wrap your mind around. Highly recomended

Totally agree - King Blood, which is long out of print, is a mind-blower. IMHO, Thompson was an amazing writer and could get under your skin with some very straightforward, simple thoughts. Pop 1280 and The Killer Inside Me are the most unnerving books. The Getaway as well.

Maybe with renewed interest, King Blood: The Armchair Detective Library will be reissued?

Martyn wrote: "Maybe with renewed interest, King Blood: The Armchair Detective Library will be reissued?"

At a book sale I attended they have a special section of collectible books they call "Collector's Corner". I found a copy of KING BLOOD with a selling price of $75.
As much as I'm devoted to this item, it was enough to cause me to consider offering my 1st edition mint copy on eBay.

Mantan wrote: "As much as I'm devoted to this item, it was enough to cause me to consider offering my 1st edition mint copy on eBay."

And maybe replace it with a Kindle version?

I hope to find King Blood as fan of JT $75 doesnt scare me away.

It does sound synopsis wise much different than regular JT noir book. I must have it ! Must!

You can get the 1989 Corgi edition of King Blood for around £10 - £12 on Amazon/Ebay, no need to break the bank.

I have all Jim Thompson's books, but have only read 'The Killer Inside Me'. I thought it the best psychological thriller (Noir or otherwise), i have read in years. Given that Thompson is dead, i am 'rationing' reading his other novels.
I agree with Dan, i couldn't read them back to back. I have to read something 'normal' after Killer. Phew!

I've enjoyed everything I've read by Thompson so far. I'm curious if anyone has any thoughts or interpretations about the ending of Savage Night. That was absolutely mind blowing.

Centipede Press has just released 5 of Thompson's books. They're a small, very good press. I generally get a few books from them each year. They seem pricey on the surface, but I've never been disappointed.

Now shipping are our Jim Thompson books: The Killer Inside Me, A Swell-Looking Babe, A Hell of a Woman, The Grifters and Pop. 1280. These are five of Jim Thompson’s finest novels, three of which are certified classics of American literature.

Filled with photographs by Patrick Loehr and Paul Wedlake, who went on location in Oklahoma and Texas to take the pictures, the books also feature original introductions by Laird Barron, John Shirley, Bill Crider, Duane Swierczynski, and Joe R. Lansdale, and the respective volumes are signed by them as well as the illustrators.

Each title is limited to 300 signed and numbered copies. If you purchase a set, you receive a nice discount and receive all matching numbers. Each book is $45, with the set of five available for $169, or just $33 per book. These books are bound in full cloth with full color dustjackets, full color interiors, photographs of old editions of each title, printed endpapers, ribbon marker, and black & white illustrations. The books measure 6 x 9 inches and are one of the best deals we’ve ever posted. In addition, this is the first time ever that a few of these have been published in hardcover.

Here is the link to one of them.
http://www.centipedepress.com/crime/s...

The Getaway is by far the best Thompson novel. Also have read Killer Inside Me, After Dark, My Sweet, and The Grifters. The Grifters is a good book, but the movie is one of the best films ever.

Lee Matthew wrote: "The Getaway is by far the best Thompson novel. Also have read Killer Inside Me, After Dark, My Sweet, and The Grifters. The Grifters is a good book, but the movie is one of the best films ever."

The Getaway was a little letdown to me personally, it didnt feel like usual Thompson in its bleakness, character depth. I have hard time remembering the characters compared to The Killer Inside Me.

I was wondering how many JT books you guys have read. I have decided to read this 1950s books i havent read+ The Grifters.


Cropper's Cabin (1952)
The Alcoholics (1953)
The Criminal (1953)
Recoil (1953)
Savage Night (1953)
The Golden Gizmo (1954)
A Hell Of A Woman (1954)
The Nothing Man (1954)
Roughneck (1954)
A Swell-Looking Babe (1954)
The Kill-Off (1957)
Wild Town (1957)
The Grifters (1963)

Mohammed wrote: "I was wondering how many JT books you guys have read. I have decided to read this 1950s books i havent read+ The Grifters.


Cropper's Cabin (1952)
The Alcoholics (1953)
The Criminal (1953)
Recoil..."

I have all those in my eBook library, but have only read 'The Killer Inside Me' so far, which i loved. That probably makes me a pervert.

Pervert lol! I loved The Killer Inside Me too. I judge all JT books by its standard. I wonder why others cant make a low life killer that fascinating. I will get those books as paperback by Black Lizard etc

Mohammed wrote: "Pervert lol! I loved The Killer Inside Me too. I judge all JT books by its standard. I wonder why others cant make a low life killer that fascinating. I will get those books as paperback by..."

Man, i had to have a shower after reading The Killer, but i loved every minute of it. The book was OK too:))

The book was okay too haha you are awesome: )

Have you seen the film?

Mohammed wrote: "The book was okay too haha you are awesome: )

Have you seen the film?"

Would you believe i've had a copy of the film for over 6 months & haven't gotten around to watching it yet. I have a STACK of movies to watch (mostly Noir), but just can't seem to get around to watching them:(

Piker7977 wrote: "I've enjoyed everything I've read by Thompson so far. I'm curious if anyone has any thoughts or interpretations about the ending of Savage Night. That was absolutely mind blowing."

Hey, Everybody,

New here, but saw this convo and wanted to join in. I love Savage Night––it has elements of meta-fiction and surrealism. I think it's a great novel. "You've met the man, everyone has." To me, the novel is all about power, who commands who and why. Of course, the writer commands the characters until... well, you've read it! Jim Thompson is one of my favorites. I think his books are one-of-a-kind (each, if that makes sense).

Welcome Matt. Haven't read Savage Night yet, but have been making my way through , Thompson's Memoir by Robert Polito. I have a library copy, but i'm going to buy a copy for my own reference.
It's a must-read for any fan of Thompson. Very well written & researched. Only available as a physical book.

Thanks, Paul. I'll check it out soon. Thompson also wrote a semi-autobiographical book called, "Roughneck." That one is pretty great too.

Started reading today. I've got a copy of the movie too, starring Steve McQueen, but will read the book before watching it.

Awesome, Paul. I just picked up After Dark, My Sweet for the second time...

Matt wrote: "Awesome, Paul. I just picked up After Dark, My Sweet for the second time..."

It's on my list Matt. Let us know what you think.

Finished last week. Here's my short review if anyone is interested:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Paul wrote: "Welcome Matt. Haven't read Savage Night yet, but have been making my way through , Thompson's Memoir by Robert Polito. I have a library co..."

Good to hear, Thompson is one of few writers of all those i have read that i admire, respect so much that i will read his best biography book despite i almost never read biographies.

Mohammed wrote: "Paul wrote: "Welcome Matt. Haven't read Savage Night yet, but have been making my way through , Thompson's Memoir by Robert Polito. I have..."

I want to read by JT too. That's a autobiography, written by JT. Anyone read it?

I'm a recent convert. I didn't know who Jim Thompson was until about a year ago. I read "The Getaway" and was blown away. Nobody wrote like him. Nobody writes like him.

Of course, that's just one book. I've recently begun "The Killer Inside Me". It is a disturbing read and it's getting even more twisted - I'll post a review on Goodreads when I've finished it.

I'm struck by some of the comments on this thread about how some folks can't read a JT back to back. And I agree. There's something about the psychological exploration that makes these heavier than the light, straightforward writing style suggests. It's not that the books are not enjoyable. It's that they are an emotional rollercoaster. When people talking about "transcending the genre", I think this is what they mean.

Jame wrote: "I'm struck by some of the comments on this thread about how some folks can't read a JT back to back. And I agree. There's something about the psychological exploration that makes these heavier than the light, straightforward writing style suggests."

Agreed. Then there's the problem that there only so many Jim Thompson books to read . . . you need to pace yourself.

What I like about pulp crime is that the requirements the editors had for publication were important, but left so much room for writing outside the platitudes that editors thought had to be there to keep a mass readership "good citizens." The self-appointed censors could boycott the newsstand or hail the publishers before the righteous guardians of decency. And the editors were writers themselves, who subtly encouraged (sometimes) authenticity.
JT had to bow sometimes. Dell required 2 extra pages to the end of The Nothing Man, changing the book from a study of a man twice damned (by the war that had emasculated him and his psychic response as a vet) into a penitent. But he got his own back in A Hell of a Woman, providing two endings (both authentically death-leaning). See the great bio by Polito.

Savage Art: A Biography of Jim Thompson is now available in as an eBook, if anyone is interested. A must for fans of Jim Thompson. The Killer Inside Me is the first of JT's books covered in this bio, btw.

Just finished The Killer Inside Me - you can see my review on Goodreads, or an expanded version at my site,

http://www.jamedibiasio.com/2016/06/0...

A masterpiece. No one can peer into the soul of sick small-town America like Thompson did. His perception makes him stand out from the rest. It's totally cool to describe him as a pulp writer. He was that. And more.

As mentioned by some other commenters here, Thompson can also be an emotional commitment. This is an incredible book but I'm going to need something lightweight next.

Jame wrote: "I'm a recent convert. I didn't know who Jim Thompson was until about a year ago. I read "The Getaway" and was blown away. Nobody wrote like him. Nobody writes like him.

Of course, that's just one ..."

Your thoughts are very similar to mine about why we dont read back to back JT books, their strength, the reason i rate them highly is because of the psychological exploration, the heavy in-depth look in the minds of people that feel all too real.

JT is one of few modern greats in hardboiled,noir crime fiction that truly transcend the genre, i would compare his writing to any other type of writer. Few i can say about that in this field. I would say the same about Hammett, James Sallis, Ken Bruen, Lawrence Block(Scudder), James Crumley.

Couldn't agree more. 'The Killer... ' was my first JT novel & the one i have enjoyed most of his books. He was a true original, but i agree i couldn't read his books back to back either. His books, & in particular, 'The Killer... ' stay with one long after completing.

Paul wrote: "Couldn't agree more. 'The Killer... ' was my first JT novel & the one i have enjoyed most of his books. He was a true original, but i agree i couldn't read his books back to back either. His books,..."

The Killer was my first JT book to, it stayed with me long after. In a way he reminds of a Philip K Dick a SF great whose books are really about flawed humans, their relationships, the human condition in near future, dystopian settings. Just like JT his themes,books, characters stay long with you.

Reason i have read alot more books by Philip K Dick is because his POV characters are not as dark, sick as JT characters.

Have you read The Getaway ?

Mohammed wrote: "Paul wrote: "Couldn't agree more. 'The Killer... ' was my first JT novel & the one i have enjoyed most of his books. He was a true original, but i agree i couldn't read his books back to back eithe..."

Yes Mohammed. I found it a little disappointing to be honest. Weird ending. OK, it's JT, so what does one expect? Liked everything about the book, but the ending. Enjoyed the movie with Steve McQueen & Ali MacGraw more, even though the movie's ending IS a little pat.

Paul wrote: "Mohammed wrote: "Paul wrote: "Couldn't agree more. 'The Killer... ' was my first JT novel & the one i have enjoyed most of his books. He was a true original, but i agree i couldn't read his books b..."

For me, the ending to The Getaway was a triumph. Of course, the true or precise meaning of the ending is up for debate - it is deliberately ambiguous, and the only thing I think people would agree on is that it is very unsettling. But the rest of Getaway was so well paced and surprising - very Hollywood - that to have ended it on the same note would have been, well, okay but not memorable.

Some crime fiction books, your Agatha Christies and such, are all about the plot: the machinations, the twists. Or they are the opposite: character and setting drive them, with plot secondary and often forgettable (think Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep). But JT, in The Getaway, did it all. He had the action-oriented plot, the suspense of the lovers' mistrust, the chases - and he had the psychological exploration, the character study. I agree with Paul that the ending is not that enjoyable, but it's not meant to be, really; and with Mohammed that the characters are truly sick, which also makes The Getaway a difficult book. The true genius of JT is that his easygoing, casual beginnings, following the almost lighthearted romp of the criminals, sucks the reader into an unpleasant experience that we would not have signed up for if we knew it was coming. But the fact that we're all here talking about it suggests JT was right, and that we all got something out of the experience.

Jame wrote: "Paul wrote: "Mohammed wrote: "Paul wrote: "Couldn't agree more. 'The Killer... ' was my first JT novel & the one i have enjoyed most of his books. He was a true original, but i agree i couldn't rea..."

Yes Jame. Well put. JT didn't do 'nice'. He certainly was a perverse writer. Thank goodness!

Mohammed wrote: "Paul wrote: "Couldn't agree more. 'The Killer... ' was my first JT novel & the one i have enjoyed most of his books. He was a true original, but i agree i couldn't read his books back to back eithe..."

Nice!
The Getaway gets very PKDickian near the end!
Never thought of that before now.

The Getaway i enjoyed as a decent read, the ending too but i also felt it was a slightly overrated compared to its rep among JT fans, the movie etc

Much bigger fan of The Grifters were the lead protagonist is the first JT POV that wasn't sick, lowlife or amoral in some big way. I felt bad for the guy whose life was ruined by the two women in his life.

The worst mother i have ever seen in any book,film, tv show and the end is wow.....

Mohammed wrote: "The Getaway i enjoyed as a decent read, the ending too but i also felt it was a slightly overrated compared to its rep among JT fans, the movie etc

Much bigger fan of The Grifters were the lead pr..."

Thanks for reminding me i had not read The Grifters Mohammed. Read it over the weekend & can only agree. Roy's mother is a piece of work, huh?
Thank goodness the movie was nothing like JT's book. Liked the movie, loved the book. My second fave after The Killer...

Paul wrote: "Mohammed wrote: "The Getaway i enjoyed as a decent read, the ending too but i also felt it was a slightly overrated compared to its rep among JT fans, the movie etc

Much bigger fan of The Grifters..."

I have actually never seen The Grifters movie because i was waiting to read the famous novel which i loved to bits, also my fav after The Killer heh same taste in JT Paul :)

Roy's mother was so horrible that it was hard to read about her. Poor guy!
How is the Roy character in the film?

Mohammed wrote: "Paul wrote: "Mohammed wrote: "The Getaway i enjoyed as a decent read, the ending too but i also felt it was a slightly overrated compared to its rep among JT fans, the movie etc

Much bigger fan of..."

I need to watch it again. I watched it around the time it was released in the (early 90's?), so my memory of it may not be as accurate as i thought. To the extent that i thought Annette Benning's part was played by another actress. I see Donald E. Westlake adapted the screenplay.
Roy's mother is, of course, played by Angelica Huston. PERFECT for that role.

Donald E Westlake happens to my alltime fav noir writer with Parker books as Richard Stark. I rememer the film most for his screenplay. A holy crime trinity for me in Hammett,Westlake, Thompson ;)

Now i have to look for it for JT and Westlake.

My hardboiled trinity is probably Thompson, Ellroy, Chandler. Bourbon, vodka, gin.

For beach reading, Leonard, MacDonald, Child.
Mojitos, Bloody Marys, beer.

Recently read Nothing More than Murder and enjoyed it more than I expected- as it is never mentioned as one of his notable works. Interesting details of the grindhouse theatre business of the day and a bit of a nihilistic gut-punch at the very end. The only significant flaw was the under-characterization of one of the 3 main characters.

Lee wrote: "The Getaway is by far the best Thompson novel. Also have read Killer Inside Me, After Dark, My Sweet, and The Grifters. The Grifters is a good book, but the movie is one of the best films ever."

I've read The Killer Inside Me, After Dark, My Sweet and The Grifters, along with the short story collection Fireworks: The Lost Writings. I'll probably read The Getaway next. I saw the movie versions of all four novels above and I thought The Grifters was the best of the bunch.

Mohammed wrote: "In a way he reminds of a Philip K Dick a SF great whose books are really about flawed humans, their relationships, the human condition in near future, dystopian settings. Just like JT his themes,books, characters stay long with you."

I hadn't thought about it, but you're right. Thompson and Dick are two of my favorite authors.

Jame wrote: "The true genius of JT is that his easygoing, casual beginnings, following the almost lighthearted romp of the criminals, sucks the reader into an unpleasant experience that we would not have signed up for if we knew it was coming."

Perfectly said. The downward spiral of the character to an inevitable, tragic ending is what JT's books are all about.