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Post by bushwick on Nov 17, 2008 12:58:55 GMT
I know several times lately I've been reading something and thought; I should write something about this for Vault. Then life goes on and I never get around to it and, before you know it, you've finished the book, forgotten what it was you'd thought of to say, and it just seems too daunting to go back and start over. >> Know what you mean. I never got around to my sixth Guy Smith review ( in a row) for SABAT : THE DRUID CONNECTION. I couldn't string anything approaching a take together on it now - worth a punt tho' as a read. There's always some point in a book where you think - damn that's a great bit of metaphor or something and promptly next morning it's gone. Typical. I should pick a new book and start a written journey. Sure to be summat on the disreputable bookshelf... KC true facts! i've been very slack, not writing things up as soon as i've read them. going to revisit a few i've read and cobble some notes together. shit, if we just keep posting reviews of PULP FICTION the site will be full of NEW CONTENT and everything will be OK!
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Post by bushwick on Nov 16, 2008 19:13:03 GMT
KC, my mind gets more and more full of this great rot by the day. I've bought and read loads of great stuff recently, and I'm going to take it upon myself to post more reviews. Just did another Track one in the Western section.
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Post by bushwick on Nov 16, 2008 19:06:04 GMT
'The American Civil War was over but the killing wasn't. In the bloody conflict, one man had honed his craft of killing as surely as the sabre he still carried. The man called Track. The land had cooled but he hadn't and he found that his lust for combat could be put to good use.
On the murderous trail of a vicious half-breed named Lone Wolf, Track discovers a burned out farm and just one survivor of the massacre.
A beautiful girl named Holly Fulton. A girl whose skill with a rifle almost matches his own.
They both want Lone Wolf dead but, to Track, the half-breed means money and not even a woman is going to stop him killing his quarry.
One driven by vengeance, the other by greed they find that they must fight side by side when Lone Wolf's tribe attack them and Track finds that he's not the only one who enjoys killing...
For most men the War has been hell, for Track it has been practice.'As I've said before, since being alerted to the PC Westerns by a thread on the old board, I've bought dozens and have read them voraciously. The plots tend to blur after a while, with certain set-pieces, characters and dialogue still sticking in the mind. Now, I know I have read many, many better Westerns, yet for some reason I am compelled to comment on this, Hutson's first in his short-lived Track series. Like 'Apache Gold', it's another non-stop outrageous torrent of sadistic violence with very little wit indeed. Easily one of the most violent Westerns I've read, matching or perhaps topping the Breed or Crow books: 'The heavy bullet caught the rebel in the face, shattering his bottom jaw before exploding from the back of his head.' '...lying face down beside his mount, a gaping hole in his back offering a glimpse of his spine and the pulped remains of his kidneys.' Hmmm, you say, that's not too strong for one of these books? And you'd be right, except this takes place on THE FIRST PAGE. Bang, straight in there with a bloody Civil War skirmish and many deaths. It turns out to be a dream sequence, but it still counts because, we find out, it did actually happen. Track has seen and caused some bloodshed during the war, and he is now haunted by the same dream, of where he was seriously injured back at Gettysburg. The plot? Just as the synopsis, very little to add to that. Not much in the way of humour - people often call Track a 'bastard', to which he invariably replies, 'who's arguing?'. Which is okay, but not up to the standard of an ornate Josiah C Hedges pun. The thing that stands out is the constant action, unrelenting pace and constant lovingly-described death. I got to near the end and thought 'he's gonna put some genital mutilation in here, he's got to', and was I right? Damn straight! Generic cipher half-breed (with lazy name) Lone Wolf gets his cock and balls shot to pieces by the woman he raped. In the other one I read, another feller's articles were severed and then eaten by a coyote. Which was two books later, so old Shaun had obviously upped his game there. Other highlights include Track force-feeding a dying man salt and robbing valuables from corpses. And scalping. He'll do anything for cash and does not give two hoots. There's a lass in this, but she gets up to no action with old Track. Perhaps he is masking issues. I commented before about 'Apache Gold' that there was no real character exposition or backstory. Well, I should have read this one first, as we discover that Track's mum died when he was a baby. Raised by elder sister who was later killed by her waster husband before he blew his own head off. Dad was a lawman who didn't do very well and got shot by a drunk. Since the War, he's been using his skill and love for killing to earn bucks. Etc. I do recommend these highly. The writing is functional and without frills, but it's good sturdy stuff that carries you along without too many unintended laffs before the next disembowelling. I'm going to try and get the second one as I'm sure it's more of the same. Has anyone read Hutson's 'Wolf Kruger' joints? I can imagine them being the direct 'war' equivalent of these, full of brain matter...
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Post by bushwick on Nov 16, 2008 15:55:36 GMT
Very good haul this weekend.
Leeds Market:
Speed Freaks - Peter Cave Scanners novelisation Fox no 14 - Adam Hardy Women's Battalion - W A Ballinger (Granada/Mayflower 1978, written in 67, WIP stuff, looks sleazy but I could be wrong) Adam Steele 19
and in the second-hand bookshops of Manchester (glad to say there's still a few there, what a great city, pisses on Leeds...):
Edge 11 David J Michael - Death Tour (NEL, good cover of alligator attacking in the sewers...anyone know owt about this one?) The Cats - Nick Sharman The Bamboo Demons - Jory Sherman The Morgow Rises! - Peter Tremayne Deathsport - William Hughes ('Now a successful film!' - some Death Race 2000/Westworld type carry on) Curse - Daniel Farson The Sanctuary - Glenn Chandler
pleased with this lot. re: the save Vault thread...this is a very 'Vault' selection of books, imho...
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Post by bushwick on Nov 15, 2008 10:17:53 GMT
I still don't mind putting up another site for FC, and Bushwick's welcome there with his comic thread, too. >> I'd like to see Bushwick's comic ! Is it online anywhere Noah? ade chuck us a PM with your address and I'll send you one Ade. I am a primitive man with no scanner, so I haven't got much online (couple of things on the Bomb Sandwich blog but that's it). Have more stuff ready to print but must get organised. ANYWAY. If this board does go under, at least I know what I'm looking for now, and will follow the work of some of its members. I hope to God it doesn't though, as I don't know where else to go to talk about this stuff...
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Post by bushwick on Nov 14, 2008 17:46:40 GMT
Have read all of this and thought I should add my piece...
To me, this site has been absolutely invaluable and though it sounds dramatic, can honestly say it's changed my life. I had bought a couple of old Pans second-hand, remembering them from childhood, and googled 'Alex White - The Clinic', and found this place. I've always been into horror, was obsessed with it as a kid, to the point my folks took me to a child psychologist! facts! (got a clean bill of health, but anyway, ahem). Over recent years had absolutely no interest in the general vibe of 'modern horror' - I know there's good stuff out there, but I've always been delving into splatter and exploitation films from the 70s and 80s...it's a vibe thing.
If it wasn't for this place, I maybe wouldn't have started writing again. Since joining, I've read an average of 4 books a week and have filled my head with knowledge about an era that fascinates me. I wouldn't have been published by Rog and my life would be one aspect less rich.
I don't want this board to close down. I want to come here and read posts by the likes of Steve, Pulphack, Justin, FM, who can dissect pulp work in an intelligent sense and a social framework. Some of the writing on this board is very, very good. Personally, I'm never going to go on the BFS site, as the word 'fantasy' makes me shudder - give me exploding heads, bloodthirsty insects, murderous cuckolded husbands, giant crabs, vicious Civil War veterans, etc etc. I'm not arsed about reading people's promotional stuff, AS LONG AS there is interesting stuff for me to read about crazy old books.
The key to me, is the PULP, not the horror. The same approach as exploitation movies: working within prescribed boundaries, with certain sets of rules, limited by time/money, and banging out inspired, exciting work - invariably made by intelligent people with bits of humour and comment in there. I'm not really interested in anything from after about 1990, both in books and film, with a very few exceptions. I know that's fascist but hey ho.
As for pimping, I apologise for putting a thing for my daft mini-comic in the comics section, I'll move it now. Please don't close Vault! I'll make an effort to put more book reviews up.
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Post by bushwick on Nov 5, 2008 17:38:08 GMT
haha, thanks for this mate! I had these when I was a kid and I've never forgotten them. 'Fear Factor', 'Horror Rating' etc. Probably worth a few bob now like.
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Post by bushwick on Nov 1, 2008 17:57:21 GMT
Few new ones recently, some from the market in Leeds and some from visit to my ma's in sunny Bognor Regis. Mainly Westerns, as is my wont, but some horror in there too:
Blood Circuit - GNS The Lurkers - GNS Fox 1,2,3,4,7,8,9,10,12,13 - 'Adam Hardy' (nearly got all these now) Track - 'Samuel P Bishop' Kill Angel - 'Frederick H Christian' Edge meets Steele - Two Of A Kind (got all three of these now, just have this first one to read) Breed - The Judas Goat Gunslinger - 50 Calibre Kill Alligators - GNS The Incredible Melting Man (with the movie cover, have both now - reading this currently, it does the job I must say) Adam Steele's War - The Preacher Breed 21 - Blood Hunt (with the worst cover I've ever seen on a PC Western...) Bedlam - 'Harry Adam Knight' (do i read this or 'Slimer' first?) Destroyer no 26 (Remo Williams business) Herne The Hunter - 4 & 5 (can't wait to read Apache Squaw, have read here that it's a very 'dark' book) Wild Bill Hickock biography - Richard O'Connor Blood Kin - 'William S Brady' (Hawk hardback edition, haven't seen any of these before)
and last but by no means least
Sagard The Barbarian - The Green Hydra (a Dungeons and Dragons 'Hero's Challenge' gamebook!)
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Post by bushwick on Oct 22, 2008 16:48:59 GMT
My mate got me about 8 old Conans from a retro fair the other day, late 80s Sphere editions. Now, I used to be obsessed with anything 'sword and sorcery' when I was little, but ashamed to say I'd never read a Conan book. Didn't really know much about REH's short life either. Jeez, he was prolific over a very short time, wasn't he?
Started on 'Red Nails' yesterday, and I'm loving it I must say. Howard's writing is a lot less florid than I thought it'd be, quite economical. The pacing is brilliant, really exciting stuff, and having only seen the Arnie films, I was surprised at how gregarious and talkative Conan actually is. He's similar to the Edge-type heroes in a way, essentially being 'a man alone', but he has a lot more craic to him, eh?
This is probably about as good as it gets when it comes to rip-roaring, no nonsense pulp. I can see where the likes of Harknett, GNS etc get a lot of it from. Violent, too - somehow I didn't expect decapitations, slit throats etc etc, I've no idea why!
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Post by bushwick on Oct 14, 2008 14:55:08 GMT
Recognise one of the Steele ones, him crouching with the rifle. think I have that. The one of Edge (looking kinda different) shooting a fire arrow is from Sullivan's Law. VERY nice work. Good site, that. Not very 'credit crunch' though is it...
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Post by bushwick on Oct 14, 2008 14:43:07 GMT
Haha, picked this up a few months ago for a quid, with a different (painted) cover, still NEL though. Haven't got round to it yet (never seen the movie either but the effects are supposed to be good...Rob Bottin? ahhh, no, Rick Baker...anyway...). Might give it a go, looks pretty retarded....
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Post by bushwick on Oct 8, 2008 18:47:58 GMT
hi x, if they are not claimed could i go for the Herne, Jubal Cade 16 and Edge 31 please? that would be lovely mate.
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Post by bushwick on Oct 7, 2008 20:03:13 GMT
It's not the first one, and it's definitely not the opening scene of the second as I'm reading it at the mo'. This one seems to be on more of a vampire tip.
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Post by bushwick on Sept 9, 2008 22:37:28 GMT
He doesn't seem to have been discussed on VOE. You guys dig the Amicus stuff and Norman J Warren, but what about Walker? A seriously underrated director in my book. Frightmare is a total classic, House of Whipcord is straight out of a Pan Book of Horror, and the whole vibe is that late-Hammer sleazy 'groovy age' vibe, but quite dark and not silly.
I picked up the Anchor Bay DVD boxed set off ebay a couple of years ago, highly recommended. He was a great hack with a visual talent (reminds me of Argento a bit, not sure why). Started out making 'sex films' and was lined up to do the Sex Pistols film at one stage, as I recall.
Any fans?
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Post by bushwick on Sept 9, 2008 22:07:58 GMT
...right, i'll review this properly when I finish it (with a scan nicked off the interweb no doubt), but just had to post now, kinda to remind myself.
I've read heaps of Westerns recently (Apache 2: pretty good, Claw 5: surprisingly good, heard this series wasn't all that but I disagree, very violent with a hell-for-leather hard-drinking protagonist, a Gunslinger: also pretty fine...good old Angus Wells). A lot of Laurence James too (and the first Sabat novel by GNS which I thought was an absolute revelation, but that's another story). Reading Western after Western, they can tend to blend into one...however...
Started this one today and could tell it was a classic from the opening scene: Herne in bed with some poor masochistic, troublesome whore of an Army captain's wife (pithily described in true LJ fashion). The drunken husband returns, tries to fuck with Herne, and, well, you can guess what happens. This books starts off in a sneering, witty and mean-spirited fashion and keeps the foot on the pedal throughout. A real joy so far.
Laurence James was damned inconsistent, wasn't he? The most recent Herne I read (Death Rites) was pretty pedestrian, seemed to have been written on autopilot, nothing there to stick in the mind really. Writing as many books as he did, it's not surprising I guess (although TH wrote 61 Edge books and they ARE pretty damn consistent, in my view). When LJ's on form though, he must be my favourite writer by a long shot. Herne's dialogue is razor sharp, no concession whatsoever is made to humanity or kindness, and the whole vibe is so fucking punk rock it excites me greatly. Some snot-nose Cavalry lieutenant has just been scalped, inevitable from the moment he ponces into the action. Jed tried to warn him that Geronimo was not to be trifled with, but, would he listen? The arrogance of youth!
Likesay, I'll fashion a proper report upon completion. I'm lying on my bed trying to ward off the blues, listening to an old Amphetamine Reptile compilation, and this book is fitting my mood like a glove. Very nihilstic at the moment. Thank the lord for Laurence James!
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