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THE CHINATOWN DEATH CLOUD PERIL
by Paul Malmont
Simon and Schuster, May 2006
384 pages
$24.00
ISBN: 0743287851


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

It's 1937, a time when pulp novels reigned supreme. Coming out of the Great Depression, Americans turned to the pulps for larger-than-life stories of derring-do and courage. The Shadow, Doc Savage -- these were the characters who took people away from the troubles of their daily lives.

THE CHINATOWN DEATH CLOUD PERIL offers the reader a peek into the world of the pulp fiction writer. Several writers of the time are featured characters in the book. Walter Gibson, writing as Maxwell Grant, is the number one pulp fiction seller because of his character, The Shadow, who is also featured on an immensely popular radio show.

Lester Dent, under the pseudonym of Kenneth Robeson, writes Doc Savage, second only to The Shadow. L Ron Hubbard, also known as 'The Flash' for his ability to write extremely quickly, is a newcomer to the scene. Other authors who cross these pages include HP Lovecraft, Chester Himes and Robert Heinlein.

The plot is driven by the mysterious death of one of their number, Howard (HP) Lovecraft. After attending the funeral, the writers embark on adventures of their own, fighting pure evil all along the way. For the two main characters, Malmont creates an individual pulp story that they live. Every imaginable pulp fiction device is included -- there are monsters, femmes fatale, unconquerable villains, secret identities, disguises, hideous deaths, cliff-hanging escapes. And even a gun-totin', lingo-slingin' cowboy.

Malmont is at his best when describing the real world of the pulp fiction writer, which I found extremely interesting. I loved finding out about the real lives of these influential writers from our past, the challenges they faced and the state of the publishing industry at that time. The world of pulp writing was extremely competitive; the demands on the writer heavy; Gibson wrote a new novel about The Shadow every month. Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of man? These guys certainly did and made an enduring contribution to the American literary canon.

The premise of the book is brilliant; but unfortunately, it is not well executed. Once Malmont embarks on the adventures of the various writers, the narrative becomes completely outlandish, with far too much going on, which leads to a loss of dramatic tension. It was way too phantasmagorical for me. My eyes were rolling around in my head like marbles. I would imagine that lovers of pulp fiction will be ecstatic about the book. Certainly, Malmont's work is an homage to the genre.

Reviewed by Maddy Van Hertbruggen, July 2006

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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