Monday, January 08, 2018

The Digest Enthusiast, Book Seven - Richard Krauss, ed.


THE DIGEST ENTHUSIAST continues to be one of my favorite current publications, and the recently released Book Seven is no exception. Once again it provides an in-depth look at a variety of digest publications from past and present, leading off with a lengthy interview with Rick Ollerman, editor of DOWN & OUT: THE MAGAZINE, as well as the author of several well-received suspense novels and many top-notch introductions and essays from Stark House reprints of classic hardboiled, noir, and mystery fiction. The interview covers all these aspects of Ollerman’s career and is very informative and entertaining.

Other highlights for me include Peter Infantino’s continuing issue-by-issue survey of the iconic crime digest MANHUNT; a look at all the stories by Robert Edmond Alter (an author I really like) published in ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S MYSTERY MAGAZINE, also by Infantino; Josh Pachter’s look back at ESPIONAGE MAGAZINE, a publiction with which he had a personal connection (and which I remember buying faithfully off the magazine rack at the local grocery store); and an article by Joe Wehrle Jr. on the Telzey Amberdon science fiction stories by James H. Schmitz, some of which I’ve read, and this article makes me want to collect and read the rest of them. All in all, THE DIGEST ENTHUSIAST is well worth your time and money if you have any interest in these magazines at all, and if you don’t, it just might change your mind. Highly recommended.


3 comments:

Walker Martin said...

I agree absolutely about THE DIGEST ENTHUSIAST. I have all 7 issues and it's a must buy for anyone interested in digest fiction magazines or genre literature.

Cap'n Bob said...

Is Espionage Magazine the one that was done by Penthouse's Robert Guccioni's sister? If so, remember plugging it in MDM (or maybe selling them some ad space) and getting a free sub. Alas, it didn't last long.

James Reasoner said...

That's the one, Cap'n.