Encyclopedia of Pulp Fiction Writers (Facts on File Library of American Literature)

Written by established pulp fiction and popular culture author Server, Encyclopedia of Pulp Fiction Writers includes information on more than 200 nineteenth- and twentieth-century writers. Arranged in alphabetical order, each entry includes a biographical sketch and list of the author's works (arranged by pseudonym). Also included is an introduction that serves as a concise overview and traces the start of the industry of pulp serials to the genre that it is today.

Rather than being comprehensive, the encyclopedia aims to provide "a representative sampling," and in some cases leaves out better-known and widely covered writers in favor of others who are more obscure. Among the names one will find here are James M. Cain, Zane Grey, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Mickey Spillane, and Jacqueline Susann. Some readers may be miffed to discover that their favorite (and often best-selling) authors--such as Tom Clancy and Mario Puzo--are identified with the pulp genre, but Server makes a good argument for inclusion. Encyclopedia of Pulp Fiction Writers fills a niche in sourcebooks on authors and is recommended for libraries with large literature criticism collections.