Encyclopedia of pulp fiction writers facts on file library. Horror and dark fantasy pulp fiction vintage library. Pulp fiction is a 1994 american crime film written and directed by quentin tarantino, who conceived it with roger avary. Pulp fiction definition whats the best definition for the pulp fiction genre. These disposable magazines were the home of socalled genre fiction. Termed pulp magazines because of the low quality paper used between the covers, these publications proliferated in the nineteenthirties and nineteenforties to the point where they blanketed newsstands in. Its a website with links to thousands of outofprint books, with over 1,500 pulp era novels. Writing under the alias of john milton edwards, he describes the first twenty years or so of his astonishingly prolific pulp fiction career, including not only the ups and downs and various interesting yarns, but also the techniques he used to grind out 66,000 words a. The original foundation trilogy by isaac asimov really fixups and not true novels. These books were dubbed pulp fiction because they were inexpensive and usually.
Those not sold were eventually returned to the publisher and recycled,pulped, over and over again. What you could publish in the united states and britain in 1965 was radically different from what you could publish in 1945, and pulp paperbacks were part of the reason. The kind of shocking and sensational fiction found in a pulp magazine. Rather i wanted to use it as a means for grey to prove himself as a. Pulp fiction, not the movie, the adventure stories of old with provocative. His apocalyptic life by philip jose farmer doc savage was a popular serialized. Lesbian pulp fiction was published in the 1950s and 60s by many of the same paperback publishing houses that other genres of fiction including westerns, romances, and detective fiction. You probably want to read some lesbian pulp fiction. Such cases suggest that the term pulp is interchangeable with noir, another descriptor that gets bandied about often without too much meaning. Adventure novels and short stories were popular subjects for american pulp magazines, which dominated american popular fiction between the progressive era and the 1950s.
Pulp fiction definition in the cambridge english dictionary. The majority were held by the serial and government publications division until preserved on film. Mob contract killer vincent vega is the protagonist of the first story, prizefighter butch coolidge is the protagonist of the second, and vincents partner jules winnfield is the protagonist of the third. Movies based on or similar in concept to pulp magazines. Lesbian pulp fiction refers to any mid20th century paperback novel often conflated with pulp magazine fiction with overtly lesbian themes and content. Experimental fiction is fiction that refuses to stay within the boundaries laid out either by traditional realistic literary fiction or by the standard genres. Examples pastiche film ending with the start of the film when marcellus walks out in front of butchs car at the crossing and turns to face him scene from psycho alfred hitchcock when marions boss crosses the street. Nov 11, 2017 best is a hard one, because its so subjective. The pulps gave rise to the term pulp fiction in reference to runofthemill, lowquality literature. The collection consists of approximately 310 titles and 14,000 issues. Pulp fiction gets its name from the paper it was printed on. When butch picks up the baseball bat walking tall butch. The pulp fiction phenomenon began early in the 20th century and its heyday was in the 1920s and 30s when hundreds upon hundreds of quickly written titles were released each year promising adventure, danger and romance for anyone brave enough to open up the dramatic covers.
Examples of pulp fiction in a sentence, how to use it. People refer to stories or novels as pulp fiction when they consider them to be of poor quality and intentionally shocking or sensationallurid 50s pulp novels. The amboy dukes, captioned as a novel of wayward youth in brooklyn. Pulp novel synonyms, pulp novel pronunciation, pulp novel translation, english dictionary definition of pulp novel. Sudeshna has asked for a post on the term pulp fiction that is one term which i have had trouble with always. In contrast, magazines printed on higherquality paper were called glossies or slicks. Hardboiled fiction, a tough, unsentimental style of american crime writing that brought a new tone of earthy realism or naturalism to the field of detective fiction. The next time you watch pulp fiction, pay attention to how often people talk about. The pulp fiction era provided a breeding ground for creative talent which would. Writing under the alias of john milton edwards, he describes the first twenty years or so of his astonishingly prolific pulpfiction career, including not only the ups and downs and various interesting yarns, but also the techniques he used to grind out 66,000 words.
Pulp fiction novels were printed on a slightly grey colored paper of an inferior quality, hence the pulp reference. Postmodernism in pulp fiction by lois evans on prezi. Pulp novel definition of pulp novel by the free dictionary. Pulp fiction s narrative is told out of chronological order, and follows three main interrelated stories. The shadow, tarzan, sherlock holmes, doc savage, and the avenger are some of the. Pulp fiction can be characterized as fastpaced, plotoriented storytelling of a linear nature with clearly defined, larger than life protagonists and antagonists, creative descriptions, clever use of turns of phrase and other aspects of writing that add to the intensity and pacing of the story. Pulp fiction refers to a genre of racy, actionbased stories published in cheaply printed magazines from around 1900 to the 1950s, mostly in the united states. Pulp fiction at its best is insolent, cruel, lurid, provocative, escapist and fast. A bibliography follows each entry, and server includes an introduction that describes the rise of cheaply bound sensational fiction in the 19th. Unless part of a series, most spy fiction novels end with justice.
When i wrote the guns of retribution as a pulp western, i followed dents pulp plot, and i didnt necessarily want to provide conflict for the sake of conflict. Nautical fiction, frequently also naval fiction, sea fiction, naval adventure fiction or maritime fiction, is a genre of literature with a setting on or near the sea, that focuses on the human relationship to the sea and sea voyages and highlights nautical culture in these environments. The wolfsonian in miami beach is exploring pulp fiction cover art from the 1920s to 1950s, and the social issues embedded in the lurid imagery. Pulp fiction definition, fiction dealing with lurid or sensational subjects, often printed on rough, lowquality paper manufactured from wood pulp. Most frequently used to describe detective, western, or science fiction writin of the period.
People refer to stories or novels as pulp fiction when they consider them to be of poor quality and intentionally. Pulp definition and meaning collins english dictionary. The films title refers to the pulp magazines and hardboiled crime novels popular during the mid20th century, known for their graphic violence and punchy dialogue. Pulp fiction novel definition of pulp fiction novel by. The term pulp literature is considered equivalent to pulp fiction. Although many respected writers wrote for pulps, the magazines were best known for their lurid, exploitative, and sensational. Review this list of popular examples to help you get a better understanding of the pulp fiction genre. Oct 08, 20 i dont remember how i found out about munseys. Hardboiled fiction used graphic sex and violence, vivid but often sordid urban backgrounds, and fastpaced, slangy dialogue. Pulp was popular as magazines, novels, and novellas during the first half of.
Pulp fiction pulp fiction is a 1994 american black comedy, crime film directed by quentin tarantino, who cowrote its screenplay with roger avary. Although many respected writers wrote for pulps, the magazines are best remembered for their lurid and. The movie, a violent, profanityriddled, looselyplotted black comedy takes its name from a fiction genre popular in the first half of the 20th. The fact that the material is printed on pulp paper is not a definite sign, however, for good fiction can often be found on pulp paper and, likewise, pulp type fiction can be found in slickpaper magazines the guideposts pointing out true pulp fiction are painted in lurn. Ebooks in new pulp press and absolutely amazing ebooks and the new atlantean library offer affordable fiction and nonfiction direct from the publisher on this convenient online bookshop site with downloadable fiction and nonfiction books for the kindle, nook, ipadipod, and other popular ereader devices in many genres such as crime, mysteries, thrillers, neonoir, noir, pulp. However, readers must always beware of the double agent. See more ideas about pulp fiction, fiction and pulp fiction art.
The films title refers to the pulp magazines and hardboiled crime novels popular during the mid. Credit for the invention of the genre belongs to dashiell hammett 18941961, a. Pulp magazines were inexpensive fiction magazines that were published from 1896 to the late. Apr 09, 2007 pulp fiction novels were printed on a slightly grey colored paper of an inferior quality, hence the pulp reference.
Books in the pulp fiction genre are made up of lurid and exploitative stories that involve one of the main characters being a hero. In spy fiction, good and bad parties are clearly defined. Pulp fiction is a term that was originally coined to describe the early nineteenthcentury magazines and novels dime novels that were printed on cheap, or pulpy paper. Pulp fiction was the industry disrupter of the time, redefining what could and couldnt be put in print. If an object is pressed into a pulp, it is crushed or beaten until it is soft, smooth. Termed pulp magazines because of the low quality paper used between the covers, these publications proliferated in the nineteenthirties and nineteenforties to. Encyclopedia of pulp fiction writers facts on file. Encyclopedia of pulp fiction writers facts on file library of american literature. Fiction definition, the class of literature comprising works of imaginative narration, especially in prose form. Pulp fiction is about our need for meaning in a world that appears meaningless.
Several pulp magazines such as adventure, argosy, blue book, topnotch, and short stories specialized in this genre. Pulp fiction refers to a genre of racy, actionbased stories published in cheaply printed magazines from around 1900 to the 1950s, mostly in the. The settings of nautical fiction vary greatly, including. Pulps were the successors to the penny dreadfuls, dime novels, and short fiction magazines of the 19th century. Pulp fiction novel synonyms, pulp fiction novel pronunciation, pulp fiction novel translation, english dictionary definition of pulp fiction novel. The working definition of experimental fiction below attempts a rather straightforward and technical definition with which we can start, even if we will immediately find it insufficient. They published short stories and occasional extracts from novels.
One writer who specialized in horror fiction for mainstream pulps, such as allstory magazine, was tod robbins, whose fiction deals with themes of madness and cruelty. Mosley is known both for his science fiction and his detective novels. Pulp magazines often contained a wide variety of genre fiction, including, but not limited to. The covers, usually of better stock, attracted readers with lurid pictures of space aliens and damsels in distress. Weird talesand ace detective are examples of pulp fiction magazines.
Encyclopedia of pulp fiction writers facts on file library of american literature server, lee on. Often the heroes save damsels in distress from some dark and evil danger. This was not literature, this was entertainment, and many authors and publishers. Pulp fiction is the name of a 1994 movie directed by quentin tarantino and starring john travolta, samuel l. Pulp fiction is a term used to describe a huge amount of creative writing available to the american public in the early nineteenhundreds.
The earliest pulp stories were printed in pulp magazines from 1896 through the 1950s. Theres a lot of good stuff to be found here, as well. Pulp fiction the best noir novels show list info light yourself a chesterfield, draw the blinds til all you can see is the scarlet glow of the allnight gin joint signs, pour just enough bourbon to chase the image of that treacherous blonde out of your mind, and figure out just how deep youve dived into this most american of literary genres. American pulp fiction first appeared on cheap, wood pulp paper. Pulp magazine fiction is easily recognized by its obvious characteristics. In the 1960s the lesbian pulp genre went into decline, mostly because the economic rationale for pulp fiction novels continued to disappear in general. Encyclopedia of pulp fiction writers facts on file library of american literature paperback november 1, 2002. The fiction factory is a charming memoir by william wallace cook, the author of plotto, the original plotgeneration aid. In the early 20th century, it lived in fiction magazines that cost no more than a dime. Magazines featuring such stories were typically published using cheap, raggededged paper made from wood pulp. The film is known for its eclectic dialogue, ironic mix of humor and violence, nonlinear storyline, and a host of cinematic allusions. The word pulp in the designation refers to the cheap wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed.
The best part of reading lesbian pulp fiction is the tone, and the worst part is that everyone turns out straight, because the publishers had to get the. The roughness of the paper reflects the books harddrawn, unwholesome characters banged out by creative minds who, if not exactly working on the great american novel. Pulp fiction definition complete list of book genres. For lesbians specifically, the increased freedom to communicate led to other forms of expression including periodicals, alternative papers, and organized clubs. Pulps lurid and ridiculous plots usually involve buxom damsels rescued by squarejawed, ray guntoting heroes as they battle brutish monsters and spout godawful dialogue. The pulp fiction collection at the library of congress consists of issues received for deposit at the time of their publication, dating from the 1920s to the 1950s. The wit is sharp, the dialogue snaps and the narrative tosses the reader back and forth.
Greenberg a limited number of signed, by bob weinberg, first edition hardbacks are available. Pulps were the successor to the penny dreadfuls, dime novels, and short fiction magazines of the 19th century. The pulps, as pulp fiction was also called, descended from an earlier type of cheap magazine popular in the 19th century. Pulp fiction meaning in the cambridge english dictionary. The title refers to the pulp magazines and hardboiled crime novels popular. Quentin tarantinos 1994 film, pulp fiction, has become the touchstone usage of the term for my generation. Pulp science fiction does not try to be literature. The term pulp derives from the cheap wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed. Most often, we are receiving the story from the good guys point of view, and that good guy is the spy. Science fiction, fantasy, horrorsupernatural books set in the early 20th century. Fiction definition is something invented by the imagination or feigned.