Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of '70s and '80s Horror Fiction (2017)

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HALLOWEEN REVIEWS 2021

by Grady Hendrix



Grady Hendrix's richly illustrated history of paperback horror from the 70s and 80s was a walk down memory lane for me. There was a time when I haunted the local used book stores and spent considerable time perusing the horror racks. I recognized so many of of the covers that were reproduced here, quite a few from my own bookshelf. 


"Hell Book List: The Revival of B-Level Thriller Novels" (Chinese)


Sadly, like most other examples of this publishing phenomenon, they are all long gone now. I really appreciated Hendrix’s short bios of prolific writers like William Johnstone and VC Andrews, but I confess to disappointment at the absence of Guy N. Smith, immortal bard of the Killer Crab series, who is a particular favorite of mine. Hendrix writes with great humor that recognizes the absurdity of many of these books without denying a deep affection for them.

 

Grady Hendrix


I enjoyed the summaries he wrote for some of them, and found myself wanting more. Perhaps he could return to this well for a future book that would concentrate more on synopses of selected efforts along with choice excerpts. I would certainly read it.


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