2015 Reading Challenge Book 098 The Plutonium Blonde

TITLE-The Plutonium Blonde
AUTHOR-John Zakour&Lawrence Ganem
FORMAT-Paperback
FIRST TIME READING-Yes
PRICE-$1

The cover is what got my attention with this book. I looked at it and thought "Ok here is a mash up of science fiction and pulp era stuff." And I was pretty much right.

Set in 2057,this is the first novel in a series about the last detective left on Earth. Zachary Nixon Johnson is his name. And he prefers old fashion ways. Like how now most people have flying cars that they let the autopilot drive. Not Zach,he hates them and still tools around in his now ancient gas guzzling car.

In this adventure our private dick is hired out by an ex-exotic dancer. Who is now head of a major corporation. Seems a replica of her was made and escaped. So Zach is hired to track this replica down. Of course there are twists and turns along the way.

The book has a great pace to it.It is a bit over 300 pages and felt much shorter. Now I haven't read lots of pulp era detective fiction. But what I have read,reads similar to this novel.

When I got this book I also picked up it's sequel. Which I hope to have finished before the end of the year.

The Plutonium Blonde gets a C+.

2015 Reading Challenge Book 088 Adventure Heroes by Jeff Rovin

TITLE-Adventure Heroes Legendary characters from Odysseus to James Bond
AUTHOR-Jeff Rovin
FORMAT-Hardcover
FIRST TIME READING-Yes
PRICE-25 cents plus shipping

Months back I was watching one of James Rolfe's videos. Where he was talking about his reference book collection. One book he talked about,Encyclopedia of Monsters,sounded really good. So I looked on various used booksites to get a price range. Saw that the same author had written and bunch of other encyclopedia style books.Along with a bunch of 80s era Nintendo game tip books.

Over the past 8 years I have been getting more and more into the pulp hero genre of fiction. So I thought a book about adventure heroes would be a fun read.

Once I got the book in it took the top spot in my bathroom. Yes I am one of those folks that reads while using the toilet. So for months now this has sat in my bathroom. And I slowly read my way thru the entire book.

Rovin covers all the usual suspects when you think of adventure heroes,like say Doc Savage,Tarzan,Lone Ranger. But it is the oddball ones he talks about that make me love this book so much. When I first got it I was flipping thru it and noticed there is an entry for Star Comics,Marvel's kids line,short lived Planet Terry comic. I collect the Star Comics and I barely remember Planet Terry.

From what I know most of the entries in this book are accurate as of when the book was written. And sure now books like this have been replaced with websites. But there is something about a nice hardback reference book that I like.

When I ordered the book,which cost me a quarter plus IIRC 2 bucks for shipping,and it was listed as used I figured it would be complete but a bit beat up. What I got was an ex library copy. And since it is classified as a reference book that means it wasn't allowed to be checked out. The book is in amazing shape. I would like to have a poster of the cover image.

Adventure Heroes by Jeff Rovin gets a 4.55 out of 5.

Shadow Kingdoms The weird works of Robert E. Howard

This is a collection of the various stories that Robert E. Howard had printed in the old pulp mag Weird Tales. It reprints the stories in the order that they appeared. I got lucky and found this at a local store for $2.

Shadow Kingdoms is kinda a strange book. Looking at the cover you would assume it has at least some of the Conan stories that Weird Tales published. But since this starts with the first stories that Howard sold to Weird tales it doesn't have any of the Conan stuff. Instead it has some Soloman Kane and King Kull stories. Before I read this book the only works I had read from Mr Howard were the various Conan stories. But I discovered that I really really like the Soloman Kane stuff. And the King Kull stuff isn't too bad. There is also some one shots and poems that Howard had published. They range from pretty good to kinda blah. Shadow Kingdoms gets a C+.