Thank you Bill Crider for reminding me of Dwight V. Swain. I
believe it was at the Pasadena Bouchercon where he and Howard
Browne delighted a small audience for their panel on the
pulps. Early in the convention I spotted Swain across a
crowded elevator and called out one of his old pulp
titles
"Bring Back My Brain!" It set the old guy off laughing while,
I'm sure, everyone else was thinking "yes please."
Alas, as the years roll by it seems increasingly
realistic.
I completely agree with Mat's last post on Chandler. All that
really matters is the quality of the writing and the ability
of the writer to get the reader to accept his or her world.
That world is often a mix of the real and the fanciful. In
Chandler's case, his settings were acutely observed portraits
of Los Angeles and his character was a hero more based in the
classics than in any reality.
That Stephen Crane had never experienced combat at the time
he wrote "Red Badge of Courage" does not subtract from his
achievement.
Everytime I read a book where a character is making
wisecracks while staring down the barrel of a gun pointed at
him, I am reminded of the one time when I was in that
position and the gun holder was close enough to allow for
discussion. The dialog wasn't very witty. My contribution was
two words repeated every time he paused: "Yes sir!"
Richard Moore
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