Category: Adventure

Profile of Arthur S. Hoffman, Adventure magazine editor, from 1920

We now recognize Arthur S. Hoffman’s work in making Adventure one of the foremost pulp magazines. What did contemporaries think of him? To find out, read this article that originally appeared in Advertising and Selling magazine, April 3, 1920.   The Men and Women Who Make Our Mediums ARTHUR SULLIVANT HOFFMAN   One of a… Continue reading Profile of Arthur S. Hoffman, Adventure magazine editor, from 1920

Friday’s Forgotten Books: The Best of Adventure, vol. 1, 1910-1912

This book collects the best stories from the first three years of publication of Adventure magazine, a pulp magazine that was considered one of the best pulp magazines. In this review, I’ll focus only on the highlights, which are reason enough to buy the book in my opinion. The Soul of a Regiment – This… Continue reading Friday’s Forgotten Books: The Best of Adventure, vol. 1, 1910-1912

Stars of Adventure

Like most magazines, Adventure had a core group of authors who wrote an amazing amount of fiction for the magazine. The top 20 appeared at least 50 times each in the contents page with a serial, novella, novel or short story.   These writers wrote more than a quarter of the fiction appearing in 753 pulp… Continue reading Stars of Adventure

The Seal of Jenghis Khan – short story by H. Bedford-Jones

H. Bedford-Jones was the King of the Pulps before Erle Stanley Gardner took over, writing more than a million words of fiction a year. The Seal of Jenghis Khan is fairly typical of his writing style, building a story on historical fact and lore around the legendary Genghis Khan.  The Seal of Jenghis Khan… Continue reading The Seal of Jenghis Khan – short story by H. Bedford-Jones

Free story: Swain the Viking’s last adventure

Arthur D. Howden Smith‘s best writing is generally considered to be the Grey Maiden series. I personally prefer his stories of Swain the Viking that are based on the character of Swein Asleifsson as recorded in the Orkneyinga saga. Adventure magazine inspired Robert E. Howard, and I feel sure that at least some of that inspiration… Continue reading Free story: Swain the Viking’s last adventure

The Admiral – short story by S.B.H. Hurst

An interesting short story set in India (and it mentions some places I’ve lived in), from the pages of Adventure, November 30, 1925. S.B.H. Hurst, the author, had visited India earlier as a sailor and the local color is correct.  The Admiral – short story by S.B.H. Hurst Download the story here.

Of Deadly Weapons – a Caradosso short story by F.R. Buckley

This short story by F.R. Buckley appeared in the April, 1947 issue of Adventure. I like this series very much and this is a typical entry – Caradosso offers advice to the new Duke about an alchemist who is selling the duke a super-explosive. As usual, Caradosso has his tongue firmly in cheek and his… Continue reading Of Deadly Weapons – a Caradosso short story by F.R. Buckley

Complete Index of Adventure, Blue Book magazines now online at Fictionmags

Included are: A complete index to Adventure, courtesy of Richard Bleiler who allowed us to use the index he published some years ago. A complete index to Blue Book Magazine, courtesy of Mike Ashley, Victor Berch & Gene Christie who allowed us to use the unpublished index they compiled between them. An index to over… Continue reading Complete Index of Adventure, Blue Book magazines now online at Fictionmags

Barry Scobee – Auto-biography in Campfire – Adventure, November 8, 1926

 Barry Scobee (Photo courtesy Archives of the Big Bend, Bryan Wildenthal MemorialLibrary, Sul Ross State University, Alpine, Texas) AT OUR last meeting we inaugurated the new custom of having the biography of one of our writers at the end of each “Camp-Fire,” so that all readers may come to know personally our old writers… Continue reading Barry Scobee – Auto-biography in Campfire – Adventure, November 8, 1926