NOT BORN OF WOMAN

 

NOT BORN OF WOMAN

Paradise Investigations, Book 1

By Teel James Glenn

Macabre Ink

211 pgs

 

As strange as it may sound, Mary Shelley’s classic character, the Frankenstein monster, has been utilized as the hero in quite a few series. What comes to mind is the recent comic book series wherein Joe Frankenstein is a mobster. Then we have Dean Koontz memorable paperback series which had the creature battling his creator in modern time as the doctor is the true villain wishing to rule mankind. Thus, when picking up Teel James Glenn latest offering and discovering the monster as a private eye in 1930s New York, we were both surprised and delighted. 

Glenn’s hero, now calling himself Adam Paradise, is the same patchwork human we discovered in Shelley’s book. He has survived a few hundred years in the cold of the Arctic realizing he is somewhat immortal. Returning to civilization, and New York City specifically, his goal is to discover his own purpose for being while studying the ways of humanity.

In this first of what is obviously intended to be series, Paradise is hired by a young woman from a Romani family, i.e. of the gypsy culture, to retrieve a lost necklace of importance to her clan. The woman’s older brother sold the item to a pawnbroker to pay off gambling debts. When confronting the buyer, Paradise finds himself crossing paths with a local Mob Boss and the police. His pal, detective Tommy Shane, is dealing with a serial killer who targets young women and a Catholic priest receiving death threats. If that stew plot wasn’t complicated enough, Paradise then discovers German Bundist promoting their Nazis philosophy are also after the same necklace.

With “Not Born of Woman,” Glenn weaves a fast-paced narrative as told by his protagonist. The supporting characters are pulp colorful, but what fascinated this reviewer was Paradise’s philosophical musings on life, death, good and evil. There is a depth to this thriller not often found in such stories. Highly recommended. This is one of the writer’s best.

MAQ Issue # 11

 

MEN’S ADVENTURE Quarterly Issue # 11

The UFO Issue

Edited by Robert Deis & Bill Cunningham

Subtropic Productions, LLC.

143 pgs

 

In publishing, as well as any other business ventures, timing is crucial. Examples being the release of a new tanning oil just prior to the summer season. Or a movie about the Revolutionary War released the week of July 4^th. These kind of thematic connections provide extra marketing boost to whatever it is being pitched. Thus, it is this reviewer’s opinion that editors Bob Deis and Bill Cunningham are two of the luckiest publishers today with the debut of their 11^th issue of their “MEN’S ADVENTURE QUATERLY” focusing on the UFO craze of the 1950s and 60s at the same time Americans are caught up in the recent hubbub surrounding the sightings of Unidentified Flying Drones. These first appeared on the East Coast at the start of Dec. and have now spread across the entire country.

Could these drones be the work of the same aliens who sent UFOs to spy on us during the days of the Cold War? Or maybe the drones, like those UFOs are the work of Russian or Chinese spy cabals? Who knows? Much like the UFOs of bygone days, our own government is anything but forthcoming. What is it they are hiding now?

Happily, Deis and Cunningham don’t hide a single thing in this cornucopia of articles and photographs detailing the history of these sightings that so captivated America’s imagination after World War II. From factual articles by experts ala Major Donald E. Keyhoe to the bizarre antics of “abductee” George Adamski, this issue is filled with all kinds of delights. And if dry, expose text aren’t your thing, you can revel in the fun piece on Gerry Anderson’s early TV series UFO, or Gary Lovisi’s look “Space-Sploitation” paperbacks. Their regular Gal-lery section also features tributes to Ann Francis, Mara Corday and Patricia Laffan.

All in all, another great issue. We just wonder how long before they devote an issue to the UFDs. Unidentified Flying Drones.

REMO WILLIAMS, THE DESTROYER -

 

REMO WILLIAMS, THE DESTROYER

The Adventures Continue!

Edited by Rich Harvey

Bold Venture Press

290 Pages

 

The three ages of American pulp fiction. 

 

The Golden Age – From dime novels of late 20s, through the Great Depression till World War II. This was the rise of those cheap paper magazines that gave birth to the Shadow, Doc Savage, Ranch Romance and hundreds of other titles to keep Americans entertained during dour times.

The Silver Age – 1945 through to early 70s. GI’s came home to cheap, small paperbacks and dozens of lurid Men’s Adventure Magazines – the MAMS. Never mind the countless sci-fi and mystery digest of the period. It would last to the early 70s.

In 1969, Pinnacle launched the Bronze Age with the publication of Don Pendleton’s action thriller, “The Executioner.” Here was an outlandish, lone wolf hero much like the iconic avengers of the Golden Age. Not one to sit on their laurels, Pinnacle then debut Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir’s unique hero, Remo Williams in their novel, “The Destroyer.”

And just like that the pulps were back. Soon every paperback outfit was bringing forth now series with such characters as the Black Samurai, Judomaster, and the Baroness. On and on they came for nearly a decade. Some were good, others soon forgotten. Few ever matched the popularity and success of The Executioner and The Destroyer.  One was a Vietnam Vet whose family’s death was brought about by organized crime, while the other was a former street cop turned into a super assassin for a top-secret agency known only as CURE. One was serious stuff, the other….well, let’s just say they enjoyed stretching the borders of credibility.

Remo, the name given the ex-cop, is taught nearly magical abilities by a wizened North Korean name Chiun, the Master of the Sinanju, a martial art like no other. This pair has entertained readers for decades and now comes this collection of brand new short stories from Editor Rich Harvey at Bold Venture Press. The volume contains twelve terrific stories by old Destroyer veterans and a few new pulp scribes. There isn’t a lame duck in the bunch. We also want to mention the terrific cover by artist Martin Baines. If, like this reviewer, you’re an old Destroyer devotee, run, don’t walk, to pick this one up. The boys are back in town!