Ep 20 – J.R.R. Tolkien’s “On Fairy Stories” – Special Guest: Chen Malul
This episode features a discussion with Israeli writer, Chen Malul, of J.R.R. Tolkien’s essay, “On Fairy Stories“. Tolkien originally wrote the essay as a speech he delivered as part of the Andrew Lang lectures for St. Andrews College in Scotland. Later, after the publication of The Lord of the Rings and its massive success, Tolkien
Ep 17- Bantam, Louis L’amour and the Paperback Western
Ian Ballantine was a young graduate student in 1939. He wrote a thesis on the economics of the paperback industry in the late 1930s that brought him to the attention of several paperback publishers. He opened the American branch of Penguin Books (a UK company) in 1939. Ian was primarily responsible for re-selling Penguins in the
Ep 16 Ace Books Paperback Occult & Paranormal Series, Guest: Lisa Morton
SHOW NOTES I owe a debt of gratitude for Michael S. Smith’s article, “Things That Go Bump in the Night: Fringe Science and Ace Books” which appeared in Paperback Parade #113 October 2021. His careful research and excellent commentary on this series were an inspiration. My apologies for misstating his name in the podcast. Ace
Ep 15 – Classic Paperback: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
This is the second of a series of occasional podcasts focused on what I consider to be a “classic paperback”. A classic paperback has influenced a generation of readers and has sold phenomenally well (although classics aren’t always bestsellers). These are paperbacks that changed our worldview significantly and are still relevant for contemporary readers. Our
Ep 14 – Classic Paperback: Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor E. Frankl
This is the first of a series of occasional podcasts focused on what I consider to be a “classic paperback”. A classic paperback is one that has influenced a generation of readers and has sold phenomenally well (although classics aren’t always bestsellers). These are paperbacks that changed our worldview significantly and are still relevant for
Ep 12 – Four Favorite Vintage Paperbacks 2022
Episode 12 of the Paperback Show is our final podcast of 2022. In this episode, I look at the four vintage paperbacks that were my favorite reads of the year. I read a lot and don’t choose books randomly, so there was a lot of competition. These four paperbacks stood out for their originality and
Ep 11 – James M. Cain and Double Indemnity
James M. Cain is one of those great mystery/suspense writers that everyone interested in good writing should read. The problem is that film versions of two of the novels were made into Hollywood films that are so popular they have overshadowed their sources. As our guest, Richard Brewer, put it in the podcast, “Well, I’ve seen
Ep 10 – Daphne Du Maurier & My Cousin Rachel
Daphne Du Maurier is best known for the film adaptations of her novels. Her bestselling novel Rebecca became a very popular Alfred Hitchcock film starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontane. The novel itself has never been out of print, but most people remember the movie and not the original novel which is much, much different than the
Ep 9 – Dan Marlowe: Neglected Gold Medal Crime Novelist
Dan J. Marlowe is a master crime novelist who deserves to be part of the pantheon of crime writers like Jim Thompson, Richard Stark (aka Donald Westlake), and Patricia Highsmith. Why has he been forgotten? Probably because he wrote his major crime novels for a paperback publisher (Gold Medal) and never had a hardback publisher. Also,
