I had recently did a posting on Pulp Adventures, a pulp fanzine that has recently come back as an all-fiction zine. At the time, the next planned issue (No. 16) was coming. Now I have it, thanks to the generosity of the publisher, Rich Harvey of Bold Venture Press.
Unlike the previous issue, this one is all reprints — which is not a bad thing. The highlight of the issue is a reprinting of a pair of stories by Arthur J. Burks. Burks was, during his time, a very prolific author who is mostly overlooked today. I think this is due to his working in a wide range of genres (fantasy, sf, aviation, weird menace, horror, and adventure), but few continuing stories or anything that really took off, though he seems to have been very popular at the time. He did write the interesting Dorus Noel series, which I have previously reviewed.
The two novels by Burks reprinted here are “Survival” and “Exodus.” These appeared in Marvel Science Stories in 1938 (the August and November issues). We also get an interesting introduction to these stories that gives some background on their creation that ties to L. Ron Hubbard. I won’t give anything way.
The setup of the novels is interesting, and I have to wonder how many other stories were written with a similar storyline. The United States has been invaded by Monguls and most of the population wiped out! This occurs about two years prior to the start of this story, apparently set in the 1930s when it was published. What few remain take refuge under the Rocky Mountains. Yes, they burrow under and setup a new civilization, the United States of Sanctuary. And that’s just the beginning of “Survival.” The survivors, under the leadership of David Haslup and his descendants, will survive for many generations, until the 12th descendant of David Haslup, also named David Haslup, works to lead his people back to the surface at the end of “Survival” about 500 years later!
“Exodus” continues the storyline with the re-conquest of America thanks to the new super-science of the Sanctuarians. However, that is not the only thing that sets these stories apart. They also focus on the survival of man through several generations, and their experiences through war, struggling for survival, and new religions, especially in the first story.
Filling out the volume are three short stories. We get a Thubway Tham story from Johnston McCulley. This was a popular series character of a lisping pickpocket who mainly targeted those who deserve it. We get a science fiction tale from Charles E. Fritch and semi-spicy story from L.H. Hayum.
Overall, this is a great volume, with another Norman Saunders cover.
(Another pair of Arthur J. Burks stories that may be of interest are “Manape the Mighty” and “The Mind Master” which tell of hero Lee Bentley going up against mad scientist Caleb Barter. Wildside Press has reprinted the pair in one volume.)
The next volume of Pulp Adventures is planned for May 2015. I hope it’s up to the same standards as the last two. I look forward to it.
