Heed the Starting Bell

Ever since its debut in December 2008, the Webzine Beat to a Pulp has demonstrated uncommon quality and maturity in its story selections. Editors David Cranmer and Elaine Ash have eschewed the merely shocking (for the most part) in favor of abbreviated tales that thrill and move their readers, and show the wide range of storytelling possible within the “pulp” definition.

Now they’ve taken a further leap by packaging 27 punchy Beat to a Pulp tales into a book--released this month--that’s appropriately titled Beat to a Pulp: Round One (CreateSpace). As author and blogger Bill Crider observes in his introduction, the contents include “action-adventure yarns, westerns, crime stories, horror stories, science-fiction stories, and more, a few of which are unclassifiable. Some of the authors are well-known. Others aren’t. Yet. But just you wait. The stars of the future are here.” Among the fiction-spinners represented in this 396-page anthology are Charles Ardai, Ed Gorman, Hilary Davidson, Evan Lewis, Sophie Littlefield, Robert J. Randisi, James Reasoner, Anonymous-9, and Patricia Abbott. Film expert and blogger Cullen Gallagher closes the volume with an essay about the rise and fall and rise of pulp fiction. And its knock-out cover art comes from James O’Barr of The Crow fame.

All of these goodies can be yours, free of charge.

The Rap Sheet has three copies of the paperback Beat to a Pulp: Round One (generously provided by Cranmer) that we’d like to give away to our loyal readers. If you want a shot at winning one, simply e-mail your name and snail-mail address (no P.O. boxes) to jpwrites@wordcuts.org. And be sure to write “Beat to a Pulp Contest” in the subject line. Entries will be accepted between now and midnight next Monday, October 18. Winners will be chosen at random, and their names will be listed on this page the following day.

Sorry, but this contest is open only to U.S. residents.

Are you writing that e-mail entry yet? What’s keeping you?