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Re: RARA-AVIS: Chandler bibliography (and an introduction of sorts) 

> 
> Wow, "Unknown." How embarrassing for me. I've never heard of it. What
kind
> of magazine was it?
> 

If I am not mistaken, this is the short-lived sister magazine to Astounding
Science Fiction edited by John W. Campbell. However, I never knew Chandler
wrote for it, or indeed, wrote anything that would fit in the genre (mostly
humorous fantasy, I gather).  Chandler once wrote a little science fiction
parody in letter, however, which I stumbled upon on the Usenet.  For those
interested, it should be readable at 
http://www.jyu.fi/~ehs/chandler.on.sf

By the way, the polite thing might be to introduce myself, being a new
subscriber. I am Eero Sarkkinen from Finland, and I am not a scholar or
anything but I read hardboiled stuff for fun, started on Chandler, in
translation, as a kid, and have continued with some Hammett, the
Macdonalds, Jim Thompson etc., had a brief Robert B. Parker phase but sort
of grew out of it, and so on. The most recent book in the genre I have read
is Brown's Requiem, James Ellroy's first novel reissued with a new
introduction by the author.  It has its flaws but is pretty damn intense
for a debut novel. Ellroy has been a favorite with me for some time (have
read The Big Nowhere, LA Confidential and American Tabloid). Reading his
prose is like being whacked over the head, it's so stark and cynical.

Other contemporary writers I enjoy, in a lighter vein, are Elmore Leonard
and Carl Hiaasen (neither might be strictly in the genre, depending on its
definition, but both definitely spring from the tradition).  I pretty much
dislike Andrew Vachss, who comes across as a monomaniac.  I would welcome
suggestions as to new (or old) writers I absolutely should check out.  (I
am not a diehard hardboiled fan, however. It is just one of the genres I
like. By the way, would the question why people like hardboiled fiction be
an interesting topic? I have my own vague ideas relating to the existential
situation of your typical hardboiled hero - he is a kind of outsider who
has to make his own ethics - but there must be more thoughtul analyses out
there.)

> ======================                
===================================
> Michael D. Sharp                       "I'm a white male, age 18-49. 
> msharp@umich.edu                       EVERYONE listens to me, no mat-
> Department of English                  ter how dumb my suggestions are."
> University of Michigan                                  --Homer J.
Simpson


E.S.

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