At long last I can formally announce my involvement with the new independent publisher Raven's Head Press. Our first book -- reviewed here back in March -- is The Starkenden Quest by Gilbert Collins. Plans are to reissue adventure, crime and supernatural fiction that exemplify the kind of gripping and exciting stories published in the long gone pulp magazines and the vintage paperback imprints like Dell Mapbacks and Gold Medal. Future titles being discussed include many books previously reviewed here at Pretty Sinister Books which garnered a lot of interest from you lovely readers in your comments.
We are currently looking at books by Dorothy B. Hughes, Ramona Stewart, Lionel White, Hugh Wheeler (aka Patrick Quentin and Q Patrick), Samuel Taylor and Walter Van Tillburg Clark. We are also in negotiations to obtain exclusive American reprint rights for the reissue of the books of Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac. An idea to create a Kickstarter campaign to help bring about this coup is also being considered.
Each reissue will have an informative introduction by yours truly. For The Starkenden Quest I did extensive research on the work of Gilbert Collins and uncovered an unusual event that might explain the reason his writing career was so short. Additionally, we were lucky enough to get permission to include the original Virgil Finlay illustrations that accompanied the Famous Fantastic Mystery pulp magazine reprint. The book is really a handsome edition. I'm proud to have been a part in freeing it from the Limbo of Out-of-Printdom and placing it back into the hands of modern readers.
The Starkenden Quest is now available for purchase via amazon.com on this page. All future titles will also be available via amazon. For more information about what Raven's Head Press has planned please visit our website.
"Never say Nevermore" is our motto. Good books shouldn't disappear into Limbo and be forgotten. We hope to bring a lot of forgotten books of out the past and into the present for a generation of new readers, and hopefully beyond.
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GIVEAWAY IS OVER. COMMENTS ARE CLOSED.
Thanks to all who participated!
This is really exciting news. I can't wait to hear more. My vote for a book that needs to be reprinted is Harry Kressing's THE COOK. It's a neat and nasty story, and had I known the battered paperback I read years ago would prove so hard to find later, I wouldn't have gotten rid of it (the pages fell out).
ReplyDeleteNever heard of Kressing for the book. Apparently it was last reprinted in 1985. In looking for a copy (which I just ordered for $18!) I discovered that it was the basis for Something for Everybody with Angela Lansbury and Michael York which has some eerie similarities to The Crippled Muse. Thanks, Kelly!
DeleteI'd like to see G.D.H. and Margaret Cole come back into print. I have a much longer list, but that's the name at the top at the moment!
ReplyDeleteGood choice, Noah! I agree 100%.
DeleteI have a long list that I search for in every used bookstore! Notably, since I read your review, I've been trying to get my hands on a copy of Subject--Murder for my husband. I would love to see that one, and others by Witting, back in print!
ReplyDeleteI'll see what we can do with Clifford Witting. We're looking at a lot of American writers first. Witting deserves to be reprinted for sure.
DeleteI see in the Amazon blurb that you don't think the author Gilbert Henry Collins (born 1890) is the same person of that name who died in Paddington in 1960. According to the UK Death indices, the age of the person who died in 1960 (reg. April-June) was 69, which corresponds perfectly with someone born in 1890 (also reg. April-June) who hasn't quite reached their 70th birthday before passing. At least that's what I concluded when I looked into Collins some years ago. Or do you have some conflicting evidence?
ReplyDeleteMy introduction that discusses Gilbert Collins' life and work is based on John Herrington's research. Gilbert Collins, the novelist who I write about, was born in Southampton in 1890; the Gilbert Collins who died in 1960 was born in London in 1861. I cited John's work in the bibliography for my introduction.
DeleteI'd like to see the non-Fu-Manchu books by Sax Rohmer back in print....
DeleteGreat news, John! I am slowly discovering early authors whose stories appeared in pulp magazines and other literary journals. I am familiar with the work of Virgil Finlay.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, John! Exciting news! I just ordered my copy! I'm curious: What did you weigh in making the decision on whether to offer ebook formats?
ReplyDeleteKindle versions will be available! The one for Starkenden Quest is still being finalized.
DeleteBest wishes in this new venture! One obscure book I'd like to see back in print is Werewolf by Charles Lee Swem.
ReplyDeleteYikes! I've read that book and it's pretty terrible. One of the worst of the early Crime Club novels and definitely one of the worst quasi-supernatural murder mysteries of the period. I'm not sure you'll see it coming from Raven's Head unfortunately. You're in the running for a free copy of TSQ all the same.
DeleteBest wishes, John, for your new venture. I love the tribute to Edgar Allen Poe.
ReplyDeleteOne author I'd love to see back in print is Anthony Gilbert. Her Arthur Crook books are fantastic.
Would love to see "The Vampire" by Hans Ewers back in print. It's the only one from Karl Edward Wagner's li'tsts that I haven't read. Someone was trying to do a new translation, but it seems to have gone nowhere.
ReplyDeleteI had a copy of the John Day 1934 US edition of THE VAMPIRE, but sold it. Now I regret doing so because it's even more scarce than when I found my copy ten years ago. I paid only $60 for mine. Cheapest one is now selling for $250. Ugh. Don't even want to remember the paltry sum I asked for the book when I resold it.
DeleteAwesome post John! Thank you sir and best of luck to the two lucky winners. What a great idea!
ReplyDeleteEveryone -- Michael is the "man behind the curtain" at Raven's Head Press. He wears so many hats and gets so much done at times he really does seem to be a wizard.
DeleteFantastic news John - and apologies for being a bit late to the party but I have ordered the book on Amazon (the UK variety though) - heartiest congratulations. I love the sound of more Hugh Wheeler! I am sure you are going to get TONS of suggestions. I would humbly suggest Obeslists at Sea just because my review of the Italian edition has had more hits on my site that virtually anything else. Once again, well done chum - just great news.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see Manning Coles back in print as well as Gladys Mitchell.
I'd love to see the various lost race novels of E. Charles Vivian back in print. Donald Grant reprinted one of them and the same author's Gees supernatural detective books were done through Bookfinger but Vivian was an entertaining writer and his lost world fantasies sound intriguing.
ReplyDeleteTerrific news!
ReplyDeleteGreat news. I would definately buy the Boileau novels and Dorothy Hughes. Good luck with this.
ReplyDeleteThis is, indeed, exciting news! I am a full-time supporter of indepedent publishers and Raven's Head press sounds like a wonderful effort.
ReplyDeleteGreat news, John. Even if I'm not familiar with the authors you listed except for Walter Van Tilburg Clark who I read while in high school. But you know how much I enjoy getting acquainted with heretofore unknown (to me) writers on your blog. Maybe I'll even take the plunge and buy a couple. Raven's Head Press. I like it.
ReplyDeleteI would like to see books by Harry Grey back in print. His novel The Hoods, which was the basis for the Sergio Leone film Once Upon A Time in America, was reprinted but there was a follow-up book and a few others like Portrait of a Mobster & Call Me Duke which deserve reissue.
ReplyDeleteThis is good news! Congratulations, John! My hope is that you might consider bringing back Arthur Stringer's The Woman Who Couldn't Die with Virgil Finlay's Famous Fantastic Mystery illustrations. I'd also suggest Without Warning, the gimmicky novel he penned with Russell Holman, but I'm betting it isn't very good. Truth be told, I'm more interested in reading your thoughts on it.
ReplyDeleteGreat news. Personally I'd like to see some of the Reggie Fortune short stories by H C Bailey. I'm a huge fan of the short story form
ReplyDeleteIt's always great news when a publisher brings back into print great books from the past. One of my favorites which is sadly out of print is "The Rose of Tibet" by Lionel Davidson, a terrific adventure novel.
ReplyDeleteI'm thrilled to hear about this new venture. As for suggestions, how about Take A Sep to Murder by Day Keene? I don't think that one's in print now.
ReplyDeleteJohn: I think X v. Rex is out of print and would like to read it.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes on the publishing venture. With your dedication to books I am sure the books published will be well done.