RARA-AVIS: Frank Kane

From: Doug Bassett ( dj_bassett@yahoo.com)
Date: 28 Dec 2005


Awhile back I gambled twenty bucks and picked up a half dozen or so Frank Kane Dell First Editions from a local used mystery bookstore. I got:

DUE OR DIE A SHORT BIER TIME TO PREY JOHNNY COME LATELY BARE TRAP JOHNNY LIDDEL'S MORGUE

For those who've said that there wasn't much here, I'm afraid they're right, there isn't. This is pretty by the book stuff: Liddell's attractive to women, has an uneasy relationship with the cops, tends to investigate by pounding heads, etc. I detect some Spillane influence, mainly in the idea that everybody in these worlds are corrupt and the only way to get anywhere is to be the white light pounding his way through the clutter.

Interesting in part in that it's so concise and to the point. More evidence for my pet theory that run of the mill stuff was better in the glory days: Kane's tight page count tends to make his stories at least reasonably craftsmanlike. The second tier guys and gals of today do not, in general, do well with the additional pages.

Also great for the art. In fact, if you can get 'em cheap I'd pick up any Frank Kanes you see, soley for the knockout cover art. Who did it?

doug

Doug Bassett dj_bassett@yahoo.com

                
__________________________________________ Yahoo! DSL - Something to write home about. Just $16.99/mo. or less. dsl.yahoo.com

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Know an art & music fan? Make a donation in their honor this holiday season! http://us.click.yahoo.com/.6dcNC/.VHMAA/Zx0JAA/kqIolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->

RARA-AVIS home page: http://www.miskatonic.org/rara-avis/
  Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rara-avis-l/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
     rara-avis-l-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
 



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 28 Dec 2005 EST