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

As I mentioned a few books back, we're now returning to the glory days of pulpy horror paperbacks, most often found littering the shelves of the local grocery store. This time courtesy of Grady Hendrix, who evidently fell into a used books store, wound up with a cart full of late 70s-90 horror, and got inspired to write a history of them in Paperbacks From Hell.While the subject matter might be a bit on the cheesy side, the book is lush in its treatment, with pictures of several of the more lurid covers printed in full color. Indeed, what ended up helping me decide to add this to my collection was the fact that a few titles displayed in the front cover were ones I remember having at a young age.With this being non fiction, it's arranged by subject matter, starting with Satan and ending with Splatterpunk, meaning we go from Blatty's The Exorcist to Bright's Lost Souls, with such luminaries as V. C. Andrews and Graham Masterson in between. For the most part, he avoids going too in depth with the really big names to give the spotlight to much lesser known authors, although he generally does start with the big book(s) that started a trend, and explore what flooded the shelf imitating them, as well as discussing what likely contributed to said explosion in the subject.This helped fill in a few gaps, since some stories I only vaguely remember, or never knew the full story on, like The Amityville Horror, exactly how far the Satanic Panic of the 80's had spread (indeed, more than a few "non fiction" titles discuss the books that presented us with Satanic Cults running day care centers, the backmasking on Beach Boys albums, how Dungeons and Dragons will lead you to try to jump off the world trade center, and how Heavy Metal will make the Dark Lord rise. (That sound is my eyes rolling back in my head.)We get details on the lives of the folks who painted the cover art, we hear about how art directors introduced die cut covers and embossed images to get the books to pop. We learn of the histories of several publishing houses and imprints prior to either going out of business or being absorbed by a larger company. Honestly, while not as blunt or direct, parts of this reminded me quite a bit of that one scene in The Devil Wears Prada, where Miranda explains in graphic detail the business of fashion. (Indeed, a publishing change which allows houses to ship back and shred non selling inventory means books have roughly 6 weeks to catch on, or else. It also means many midlist authors don't get published, since they won't make back their advance.)It was interesting to learn the stories of a few imprints that particularly influenced my reading habits as a kid, namely Zebra and Abyss. The former was the really pulpy stuff, produced on the cheap and usually poorly edited; the latter was post splatterpunk, allowing for similar sensibilities without the machismo and less nihilism. (Indeed, if you follow the tag on here for Rick R. Reed, his was an Abyss book.) It was Zebra, in particular that had lurid cover art featuring skeletons and porcelain skinned cherubs.While I had read more than a few volumes discussed in here, there were several I haven't yet. I fully expect to spend time perusing used book stores looking for fun treasures now.Well worth the read.

I am, and Grady Hendrix definitely is.This is a lovingly crafted anthology of a specific period of publishing I fondly remember the tail end of. The covers are great fun and the writing and jokes are as well.

I bought this book primarily as a collection of book covers. I wanted something I could proudly display on a table in my library and flip through to admire the strange collection of book covers--sometimes disturbing, often cheesy, occasionally cringe-worthy--that adorned horror novels in decades past. I also wanted a source that would give me something of a reading list of titles that, as big a horror fan as I am, I might have missed for whatever reason. On both of these counts, Paperbacks From Hell is a huge success.Between the beautifully-displayed reproductions of cover art is a sort of brief history of horror publishing in the 1970s and 1980s. While the written component of the book does make for quick and entertaining reading, it's ultimately light on scholarship and those who buy this book looking for a detailed or scholarly history of the genre will be disappointed. It's true that Hendrix does provide a sort of running commentary, connecting trends in horror publishing to both literary and social trends at large, but the history feels rather incomplete. Analysis often gives way to lists of titles or synopses of particular books with the result that the reader comes away from reading this book with the feeling that one really hasn't learned much one didn't already know.Don't get me wrong. Despite a few missteps here and there, it was entertaining to read Hendrix's sarcastic summations of over-the-top plot lines. It's just that the details are so sparse that one likely won't come away with much depth in one's understanding of the subject matter.Still, while I likely won't re-read the text very often, I will undoubtedly refer regularly to the book's visuals, which make it a must-have for any horror fan. A word to the wise: don't read this in digital or audio format. Get a paper copy. You'll be glad you did.

"Paperbacks from Hell" is a fun, informative look at the history of paperback horror publishing with special emphasis on the unhinged and amazing cover art. I liked how the book was broken down by trope and how those changed over time. My reading list is a million miles long now.

This is a carefully researched, profusely illustrated, and well-written exploration of paperback horror publishing in the 1970s and 1980s. Grady Hendrix is obviously a fan -- anyone who's read his novels "Horrorstor" or "My Best Friend's Exorcism" knows that already, and "Paperbacks From Hell" leaves no doubt. But Grady doesn't let his affection for the genre keep him from distinguishing between the levels of quality on display in this volume. Whether he's talking about plots, characters, or cover artwork, he's a smart guide to the best examples of the genre, and a wryly funny commentator on the worst. I particularly enjoyed his brief biographies of some of the writers, artists, and publishers involved in the explosion of horror during these decades. You'll probably come away from the book, as I did, with a list of relatively obscure titles to go looking for.The text is great, but the book is worth buying just for the reproductions of cover art. Hendrix documents so many trends in design and illustration of horror novels during this time, such as the use of foil lettering and die cut or step back covers. The galleries he's put together are amazing: who knew there were so many covers with skeletons grasping babies or children, for example? Everyone interested in the horror novels of this period owes Grady Hendrix hearty thanks for spending so much time documenting these books, which are almost all out of print and quietly moldering away.

This was a wonderful history that made me nostalgic for so many of the cheap horror novels I read as a teenager in the 80s. I loved it so much I ordered some of the titles profiled, as well as the horror starter pack, from the publisher, Valancourt Books.

Was a present for me partner who loves horror movies and listening to books while going sleep.He really likes this book the art work in the book is amazingIt really is a good book for any horror fan. So glad I got him it

This is a great book that fills in some gaps about how the horror fiction genre took off.Recommended.

Informativ, sicher nicht erschöpfend, aber interessant und lustig geschrieben. Es gibt eine Menge Abbildungen der wirklich abgefahrenen Cover-Artworks, auch zu diesen erzählt der Autor einiges, von Infos zu den Künstlern bis hin zu Trends ihrer Zeit.Dicke Empfehlung!Einziges Manko; die vordere Hälfte des Buches hat sich von der Mitte bis zum Boden während des Lesens aus dem Einband gelöst, aber vielleicht hab auch nur ich da eine blöde Kopie bekommen.

Análisis y recopilación de una gran cantidad de títulos de terror de los 60/70/80.Con multitud de imágenes y portadas de los libros que se reseñan.Es un imprescindible para los fans del terror.Lo recomiendo.