Paperbacks from Hell [N.F. - Literature, Art]

The massive Canadian publishing and distribution company General Publishing launched Paperjacks to print mass-market fiction and nonfiction by Canadian authors. By 1978, it was releasing five books per month, including some American imports. By the mid-’80s Paperjacks was releasing four to six horror and science-fiction books each year. In 1989, the company was set to be acquired by Zebra Books, who pulled out of the sale at the last minute. Paperjacks was never heard from again.

Playboy Press (founded 1963)

Originally established to dump Playboy magazine joke books onto the market, Hugh Hefner’s book outfit hired Mike Cohn from NAL in 1971 to beef up its publishing program, ultimately releasing about thirty mass-market paperbacks per month. Founded with a focus on books for male readers, the line remained dormant until 1976, when it abandoned men and began targeting female readers with horror novels and bodice rippers. In 1982, Hefner’s daughter Christie became president of Playboy Enterprises and immediately sold the book business to Putnam.

Pinnacle Books (founded 1969)

Started by Dallas-based Michigan General Corporation (a mobile home and concrete pipe manufacturer), constantly cash-strapped Pinnacle specialized in romance and men’s adventure. Their first big hit was Don Pendleton’s The Executioner series (now on its 434rd installment). Throughout the ’70s, they were hobbled by disputes over ownership of the character, an FTC-vetoed merger with Harlequin Books, and an ill-fated four-year move to Los Angeles; in 1985, the company declared bankruptcy. Its backlist was bought by Windsor Publishing in 1988, and that same year Zebra revived Pinnacle as a horror imprint. It published a monthly horror title until Zebra discontinued that program around 1994. Pinnacle is now an imprint of Kensington, specializing in westerns and true crime.

Pocket Books (founded 1938)

Pioneer of the paperback revolution in America, Pocket made mass-market paperbacks cheap by dropping their size to the 4-by-7-inch format used today and substituting sewn binding with glue. These were the first paperbacks sold in drugstores and newsstands, and they were roundly mocked by the industry until their stellar sales figures came in. Simon & Schuster acquired Pocket in 1966 and made it the paperback imprint.

Popular Library (founded 1942)

Established as a mystery-only paperback house by pulp publisher Ned Pines, Popular Library was known for racy covers throughout the ’40s and ’50s. The first paperback house bought by CBS in 1971, it was sold to Warner Books in 1982.

Ptacek, Kathryn (born 1952)

Although born in Nebraska, Ptacek attended university in New Mexico, and many of her nineteen novels deal with the Southwest, Native Americans, and giant gila monsters, among them Gila! (1981, written as Les Simons), Shadoweyes (1984), and Kachina (1986). She was married to Charles L. Grant until his death and, like him, also works as an editor.

Russell, Ray (1924–1999)

Before The Exorcist, there was Russell’s inferior but eerily similar The Case against Satan (1963). His 1961 short story “Sardonicus” became the famous William Castle film Mr. Sardonicus, and his novel Incubus, about a demon killing women with his enormous penis, was made into the 1980 film Incubus, starring John Cassavetes.

Ryan, Alan (1943–2011)

Originally a book reviewer for the New York Times, Ryan entered the horror world when his short story “Sheets,” based on his Christmas temp job at Macy’s as a sheet salesman, was reprinted in the 1980 Year’s Best Horror anthology. Encouraged by Charles L. Grant, as well as his friends Thomas Monteleone and Jill Bauman, Ryan wound up selling his first paperback original, Panther! (1981), on proposal for $6,000. That was followed by The Kill (1982), Dead White (1983), Cast a Cold Eye (1984), and numerous short stories. He went silent in 1990 until 2011, when his novel Amazonas came out immediately before his death.

Saul, John (born 1942)

A paperback originals writer, Saul was a struggling playwright and staff member at a Wisconsin drug treatment facility in 1976 when Dell rejected one of his novels but asked if he’d write a psychological thriller instead. They bought his outline and he wrote Suffer the Children in twenty-eight days. Published in paperback, supported by a huge television ad campaign, it sold 1.2 million copies. Since then, Saul has published a best-selling book each year, usually about either children in peril or children killing people. His books typically sell about a million copies each.

Schoell, William (born 1951)