PAPERBACKS FROM HELL
by Grady Hendrix
I wish I’d written this ...
... because I love the subject matter!
I've often wished I could be transported back to my teens, to a time when there were plenty of used bookstores and their shelves were warped beneath the weight of schlock horror novels that, at the time, felt worthless and disposable but which, now, are much sought after, rightfully being regarded as lost gems. I can't, unfortunately, jump back through time ... but with PAPERBACKS FROM HELL I can at least get close to the joy of discovery I experienced in my youthful book hunting days. This beautifully presented tome, glossy and with fabulous illustrations of gory cover art on every page, is an absolute delight. Grady Hendrix writes with exactly the right degree of reverence and irreverence ... plainly, he adores his subject matter but he doesn't get scholarly about it. That would be absurd. Instead, he shoves his tongue into his cheek and expresses his love by taking the piss. It works wonderfully; so well, in fact, that I read the entire book in a single sitting. I simply couldn't tear myself away from it. Then, to my great satisfaction, I found, after rummaging around the back of my bookshelves, that I own quite a few of the novels he highlights. My "to read" stack immediately gained significant height. In summary, PAPERBACKS FROM HELL is brilliant and you should purchase it immediately.
From the publisher
Take a tour through the horror paperback novels of the 1970s and ’80s . . . if you dare. Page through dozens and dozens of amazing book covers featuring well-dressed skeletons, evil dolls, and knife-wielding killer crabs! Read shocking plot summaries that invoke devil worship, satanic children, and haunted real estate! Horror author and vintage paperback book collector Grady Hendrix offers killer commentary and witty insight on these trashy thrillers that tried so hard to be the next Exorcist or Rosemary’s Baby. It’s an affectionate, nostalgic, and unflinchingly funny celebration of the horror fiction boom of two iconic decades, complete with story summaries and artist and author profiles. You’ll find familiar authors, like V. C. Andrews and R. L. Stine, and many more who’ve faded into obscurity. Plus recommendations for which of these forgotten treasures are well worth your reading time and which should stay buried.
