The latest (and final) issue of the great webzine HARDLUCK STORIES is now on-line and includes a story by me entitled “The Red Reef”. The theme for this issue is Pulp Noir, so I decided to pay tribute to a little-known pulp subgenre with my story. When most people think of pulps, they probably don’t think of South Seas yarns, but such stories appeared often in the general fiction pulps like ARGOSY and BLUE BOOK. “The Red Reef” is an homage to the South Seas stories of H. Bedford-Jones and Donald Barr Chidsey, a couple of my favorite pulpsters. (That’s one reason I was reading so much by those guys a couple of months ago. Also, they’re really good.) There are nods to both authors in the story, although the ones to Bedford-Jones are pretty obscure. I also borrowed a couple of stylistic touches from HB-J for this story. I think it’s a pretty good yarn.
I’ve also had a chance to read the other stories in the issue, and they’re all excellent. My favorite is Bill Crider’s “Crossroads”, but I’m prejudiced, of course, since I’ve known Bill since we were both roaming the earth in the pre-Cambrian Era. You should read all the stories, and while you’re there, go back and read the previous issues of HARDLUCK STORIES if you haven’t already. You definitely won’t be disappointed.
8 comments:
Your story's great, James, but I was too shy to say so on the blog lest I be accused of cliqueishness (is that a word?). Just kidding. I really liked the story, and the ending's a killer.
The link didn't work for me but maybe it was the net. I'll try again later. I've not read a lot of the south seas pulp stories, although I read the ones Louis L'Amour wrote. Many were collected in "North of the solomons" or something like that.
James, I enjoyed "The Red Reef". You contributed a unique original story and I hate to see the end of Hardluck. Someday, we will look back at this exceptional webzine like we do with ARGOSY or BLACK MASK. One of the best.
No, I fouled up the link somehow. It should be fixed now.
L'Amour's Ponga Jim Mayo stories were collected in NIGHT OVER THE SOLOMONS and WEST FROM SINGAPORE. I like them pretty well, although they suffer from a certain sameness if you read too many of them too close together.
Thanks, David. Dave Z. and all the people who worked on Hardluck did a great job.
Bill, great story in Hardluck. Like you I'm a Bedrord-Jones and Chisney fan, so Red Reef really took me back.
James,
As a writer I am proud and happy to be included in the august company of you, Bill and the other contributors to this final issue of Hardluck Stories. I agree, it is an excellent issue.
Kudos to Dave Zeltserman for publishing such a fine magazine for so many years.
Terrie
Very nice story, reminded me a bit of the WEST FROM SINGAPORE stories.
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