RARA-AVIS: introduction

From: Curt Purcell ( curtpurcell@hotmail.com)
Date: 05 Sep 2007


Hello--I'm on a hardboiled kick, and this looks like the place to be for that!

My blog is BEYOND THE GROOVY AGE OF HORROR (the BEYOND part is new; it used to focus exclusively on '60s-'70s horror, mostly in paperback, but I've since decided to expand it to other things as well) [NSFW warning--some Italian comics posted there are pretty wild!]:

http://groovyageofhorror.blogspot.com/

Here's a link to the most relevant part of that for this group--all the posts I've tagged with the "Pulp Hardboiled Noir" label:

http://groovyageofhorror.blogspot.com/search/label/SUBJ%20Pulp%20Hardboiled%20Noir

I'm a total newbie, and the fact that I'm posting my impressions in no way implies a claim of expertise on my part!

The Rara Avis archives that turn up in google have been very helpful in pointing me to stuff worth seeking out. Thanks to some of your recommendations, I've got some Mike Roscoe novels on the way, for example. I'm looking forward to digging in and maybe reading all the way from the beginning!

Two questions:

1) I've noticed that some of the Ace Doubles are abridged. Are those worth reading at all? I'm inclined to think not, but if I hear otherwise from you folks, I'll take your word for it. In general, who did the abridging--just some editor, or was the author ever involved?
 What modifications exactly were made to the abridged versions? Along with the Roscoe books I mentioned, I'll be getting FIVE ALARM FUNERAL/KILL ME A FORTUNE, and I believe FAF is abridged.

2) In one of my men's mags, GUY vol. 5, no. 4 (August 1967), there's a
"book bonus" by Harry Whittington called QUEEN OF TARTS. It's a "Sam Howell mystery" about a Princess Mae of Boravia. I haven't read it yet, but I'm wondering if it might be an abridgment or selection from one of Whittington's published novels. Sound familiar to anyone?

Thanks!



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