The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard)

I would definitely say this has been one of the best book purchases I've ever made; great to read on the go with your Kindle app on your phone or with your actual Kindle if you have one of those. There are a ton of stories in these types of anthologies, a lot of the stories are from authors you most likely have never heard of but they get to be heard again here after all the years since their original publication. I look forward to getting another one of these, and maybe in print so I can have them on the shelf to read anytime! I simply love the Noir genre, and when you are used to the caliber and authenticity you get from these vintage stories, you will find that there's really no other modern author of the genre as can compare even to the most unknown of these authors from the heyday of pulp fiction.

This book with its collection of stories from Black Mask magazine is an absolute treasure. These stories from the so called pulps comprise examples of the best kind of story telling. Short and to the point they establish, plot and character quickly and economically and then wind through their twists and turns to a resolution within a very few pages. The writing is unrivalled in its descriptive nature using a wonderful economy of expression to achieve a maximum of impact. All of the stories are uniformly good although one has one's favourites. None of them are unreadable and the short introductory piece prefacing every tale tells us all we need to know about the author. Not surprisingly many of these writers also wrote scripts for Hollywood in its golden days and these authors penned almost every script for the wonderful film noir movies that featured the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Jimmy Cagney, Edward G Robinson and many less famous but equally talented actors. This book and its companion piece are great buys and represent amazing value. I loved them.

Huge book, lots of great stories. I am almost halfway through it and having a great time. If you like old time crime stories you should love this book!!

It took me about 6 months to read this book at one story a night, its so damn big. 1100+ pages of stories out of Black Mask Magazine from 1920-1950, with an introduction or two. As a newcomer to the crime genre, this worked as a pretty good introduction to how it was: I don't know I have become a avid reader of the field, but on the other hand, I have read a heck of a lot of it just by reading this book. In fact, just to test myself upon finishing the book I started again at the beginning, and it was like reading it all over again afresh, it had been so long. In theory you could read this book over and over, I suppose. There are some classics here - The Maltese Falcon, for one. Its the best in the book, I think, but there is a lot of other memorable stuff too. All sorts of PI fiction is here - a locked room, a "supernatural" case, murders, robberies...you name it. Not all of it was to my taste, but I did enjoy a lot of it. I don't know what a genre enthusiast would get out of it, but as a newcomer it was an excellent start. Lastly, I should say this is a big heavy book. Its not really feasible for reading on public transport - its not a Complete Calvin & Hobbes volume, but you'd have to be really really keen to successfully read this on a busy train, not to mention lugging it around all day in between.

Fast shipping and the book was in fine condition. This is a true cornucopia of Pulp Fiction. I love the lurid cover art of this book and its companion book, " The Big Book of Pulp." Otto Penzler provides a fine intro bio of the author of each short story. So many of these writers contributed to the scripts of Noir Films, and great Television Dramas (Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Twilight Zone, The Naked City). One of the authors, with a bare bones style, was a Production Assistan to the great film director, Joseph Von Sternberg (Marlene Dietriech's mentor).The precise, no frills, language that I have been so impressed with in films from the 30-50's can be credited, in part, to the fine writers found in this book. If you get this book, it will sweep you away, you will not be able to put it down, or go to bed before you finish the story. This is true liiterary candy!Compulsive reading.

I love the old pulp fiction stories. The stories are refreshingly politically incorrect. As a lawyer, I was advised to write more like the old pulp fiction stories to make my writing more compelling and action packed. Good reference to have for interesting writing.

Awesome collection

When I realized The Maltese Falcon was in this book, I felt ripped off because I'd already read it. After reading the serial version in this book, I wanted to kiss the editor's ring for including it. It is far superior to the novel version. Also included is the superb William Campbell Gault story, The Bloody Bokhara. Gault's story draws the reader into the personal life of an immigrant Persian rug dealer's son, who himself is drawn into a world of crime and passion. It's about people instead of characters, people so real and vivid that you'll think you know them personally. A pulp treasure trove!