Book Review: Paperbacks From Hell

Grady Hendrix with Will Errickson, Paperbacks From Hell: the Twisted History of '70s and '80s Horror Fiction. Philadelphia, PA: Quirk Books, 2017.  ISBN: 978-1-59474-981-0.

 

Genre: books about books, literary history, horror

Subgenre: horror, pop culture, 1970s, 1980s

Format: e-book galley

Source: NetGalley

 

I always enjoy books about books and reading, and this one fit the bill nicely. This was a book that was fun to read and left me wanting more. 

Grady Hendrix, with Will Errickson, present a history of horror fiction paperbacks from the 1970s and 1980s. If you lived during that era, and you are a horror reader, odds are you've read and even enjoyed some of the books highlighted. If you are not a horror reader, but you lived during the time, odds are you do remember some of those paperback book covers. Paperbacks From Hell is just about the stories; it is also about the cover art and the artists who made them. This is what folks mean when they say they don't make them like that anymore. 

The book is arranged as follows: 

• Introduction.
• Prologue.
• Chapter 1: Hail Satan. (Anyone out there remember the Satanic "panic" of the time?)
• Chapter 2: Creepy Kids.
• Chapter 3: When Animals Attack. (Keep in mind this was before the Fox Network.)
• Chapter 4: Real Estate Nightmares.
• Chapter 5: Weird Science. 
• Chapter 6: Gothic and Romantic.
• Chapter 7: Inhumanoids. 
• Chapter 8: Splatterpunks, Serial Killers, and Super Creeps.  
• Select creator and publisher biographies. 
• Credits. (This lists published and cover artist information for each book presented. This is helpful if you want to find some of the works.) 

This is a really fun book to read. It may not be comprehensive, but it is pretty close. The authors clearly put in the effort, did the research, and put together a selection of horror works that highlight the time. It's a literary history, but it is also a fun ride back in time when horror was fun, often drawing from the context of its time, and publishers did all kinds of stunts hoping to sell paperbacks. Each chapter looks at one subgenre within horror. In addition, the authors provide various asides to highlight  specific artists and other topics. The narrative is well written and interesting, plus the authors add a bit of humor and snark now and then. 

The illustrations are well done and a joy to look at. The images are a strength of the book, and for many readers they will bring back memories. I know I recalled seeing some of those covers back in the day. The illustrations alone are a great reason to get this book. The informative text makes it even better. 

Overall, this is a great book. It can make a great gift for a horror fan in your life. This is one I would definitely buy for myself not just to have the book but to help me track some of the paperbacks the book presents. I will warn readers that once you read this book, you may be adding more titles to your TBR list. I know I am doing just that. On a side note, I did read one of the books featured: Live Girls (link to my review). 

I do recommend this book for public libraries. If you still have some of the paperbacks highlighted, bring them out and promote them along with this book. I also recommend it for academic libraries with strong pop culture collections. I'd say this book is essential for horror fiction aficionados. 

5 out of 5 stars. 

 *****

Additional reading notes: 

 Why these books are timeless: 

"Though they may be consigned to dusty dollar boxes, these stories are timeless in the way that truly matters; they will not bore you. Thrown into the rough-and-tumble marketplace, the writers learned they had to earn every reader's attention. And so they delivered books that move, hit hard, take risks, go for broke. It's not just the covers that hook your eyeballs. It's the writing, which respects no rules, except one: always be interesting" (9). 

I do get the impression, from some observation, that some of these paperbacks have become highly collectible, I am sure due in part to this book. 

Defining Gothic romance, or the genre of "Women Running From Houses":

"Gothic romances were adult fairy tales. Young governesses appeared at glowing ancestral piles and fell in love with the dark, brooding master of the house. There was murder, confinement, and ancient curses. Dark secrets piled up at an alarming rate. In the end, the young governess fell into the arms of the dark lord, realizing that her confused feelings of attraction and revulsion could only be love" (12). 

The Gothic romance genre peaked between 1960 to 1974. It was mostly overtaken by what we now call bodice rippers. 

The 1980s as a party decade, well, for some at least. The consequences of the excess for some have stayed with us to this day, though much of the pop culture was good. 

"Welcome to the '80s, where life was a bitchin' ride in a sweet Porsche! Manufacturing was dead! We were a service economy and technology economy now! Everyone get rich! Let's kill a commie for mommy and head for the mall!" (138). 

Naturally, horror fiction picked up on that for some stories.

*****

This book qualifies for the following 2021 Reading Challenges: