New from Wildside Press

SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY MAGAZINE #4, Winter 2010, edited by Marvin Kaye, The Wildside Press, $10,182 pages, reviewed by Barry Hunter.

What began as an experiment has now flourished into a quarterly magazine of all things Sherlockianian, This issue is chocked full of stories and related essays that show that Holmes is still viable and popular over a hundred years after his first appearance.

Watson opens the issue with an editorial about the magazine and the new Holmes film. Bruce Kilstein gives a history of Holmes on film and gives a look at the new films pros and cons compared with what has come before. There is an interview with the chief toxicologist, and letters to Mrs. Hudson. There are even some recipes to give some added flavor. There is an in depth look at A Study in Terror, the film that had Holmes working on the Ripper Murders.

There are several stories all using the methods and techniques popularized by Holmes and are very entertaining. There is also a Holmes tale included to remind us of the classic style and prose of the original.

This is a must for the Holmes fan and the lover of mystery fiction as well. More details are available at www.wildsidebooks.com,

ADVENTURE TALES #6, Winter 2010, edited by John Betancourt, The Wildside Press, $10, 156 pages, reviewed by Barry Hunter.

This is a special H. Bedford Jones issue and features three of his stories as well as other tales from the pulp era. Jones is not one of the names that have withstood the test of time, but in the pulp era, he was a name, when on the cover, garnered sales. Other stories feature Jimmy Lavender detective story by Vincent Starrett, Arthur Friel takes us to the Amazon, John Swain’s story is set in World War I France, and Anthony M. Rud tells the story of “The Devil’s Heirloom”.

A reprinting of the first issue of George Scither’s AMRA is a fitting memorial to a creative force in fandom. Talbot Mundy, Fritz Leiber, Clark Ashton Smith, and some other well known names are included to give this an authentic pulp feel and appearance.

For those who miss or missed them completely, this is a great volume to put the pulp era on display. Get the details on subscriptions at www.wildsidebooks.com.