tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post1400345812773994654..comments2024-03-28T10:31:55.774-07:00Comments on The Passing Tramp: And How! Murder Can Be Fun (1948), Fredric BrownThe Passing Tramphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-53862959070328925252013-07-14T11:24:43.225-07:002013-07-14T11:24:43.225-07:00I see. That's good now to know, although I wi...I see. That's good now to know, although I wish they were more than limited edition hardcovers, as these will be out of reach for casual buyers.The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-31207209898890911572013-07-13T08:08:36.494-07:002013-07-13T08:08:36.494-07:00Haffner Press has the rights to all of Brown's...Haffner Press has the rights to all of Brown's mystery novels and short stories and the first two volumes of collected stories are now available for preorder at the Haffner Press website. The plan is to reprint everything in more or less chronological order in limited edition hardcovers.Jack Seabrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02216640325305820140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-28179656511448052622013-07-07T12:17:38.128-07:002013-07-07T12:17:38.128-07:00Yeah, I didn't have a good feeling about them....Yeah, I didn't have a good feeling about them. The funny thing is, John Street's literary agency has refused to cooperate with good publishers who have wanted to reprint his books, so it's left to operations like this one, who don't even bother to ask permission and apparently do slap-up jobs.The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-31824606271284228902013-07-07T12:14:57.139-07:002013-07-07T12:14:57.139-07:00I guess it's not a real drink unless it's ...I guess it's not a real drink unless it's been set on fire first!The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-11238129011419050612013-07-07T07:04:38.271-07:002013-07-07T07:04:38.271-07:00PLOT FOR MURDER is the old Bantam paperback retitl...PLOT FOR MURDER is the old Bantam paperback retitled edition. Hmmm... Scanning from old books maybe? Black Curtain Press dared to reprint NET OF COBWEBS by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding. I know that her only living relative gave permission only to Stark House to reprint her books. The Black Curtain Press edition of NET OF COBWEBS has a plot blurb on the rear cover that is lifted verbatim from the Stark House reissue. That right there tells me that this is not a legitimate operation. If you go to the Black Curtain Press website you can't find anything about their reprint line. Not a word. Only the few books they have published by Roger Zelazny's son Trent and one other writer. The whole thing stinks to me. I won't give them a penny even if they have made several Miles Burton books easily available for $8.99 a piece. And besides -- the books are incredibly ugly.J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-87132474527937118742013-07-07T06:25:24.772-07:002013-07-07T06:25:24.772-07:00I've had slivovitz. It was served as a complim...I've had slivovitz. It was served as a complimentary post-prandial drink at a Chicago Serbian restaurant Joe and I went to many years ago. It was served as a shot and the waitress lit it with a match when she set it on the table. Fruity tasting and very potent -- along the lines of Southern Comfort.J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-80435108946904209622013-07-06T14:07:19.201-07:002013-07-06T14:07:19.201-07:00It's a nice plot idea, not surprised people ke...It's a nice plot idea, not surprised people keep coming back to it!<br /><br />I don't see how people could miss all the drinking in this novel. The main character spends most of his time inebriated or thinking about becoming inebriated. I'm not as interested in alcohol as the author--though I was happy enough to learn about slivovitz--but there's still enough other things going on in the book for me to enjoy it.The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-68818275858209392452013-07-06T14:01:52.007-07:002013-07-06T14:01:52.007-07:00Hi Richard, it's been reprinted by Black Curta...Hi Richard, it's been reprinted by Black Curtain Press under the title A Plot for Murder. Don't know the quality of the reprint, There's also a nice Carroll and Graf edition from 25 years ago you can get on the used market.The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-55236660510946268422013-07-06T09:52:47.515-07:002013-07-06T09:52:47.515-07:00One for your list of fiction-becoming-reality is W...One for your list of fiction-becoming-reality is WITH A BARE BODKIN by Cyril Hare (1946), where a group of bored civil servants begin to collaborate on a mystery novel that sparks a murder. But isn't this the same theme as GREENMASK! by Elizabeth Linington, that you've mentioned recently? Another one that comes to mind is ... well, I will merely say it's one of the Drury Lane novels by Ellery Queen for fear of spoiling someone's enjoyment, but experienced readers will remember this story. <br /><br />By the way, your readers may have encountered MURDER CAN BE FUN in an old Bantam paperback with an alternate title of A PLOT FOR MURDER.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-55070604655858325622013-07-06T06:46:07.725-07:002013-07-06T06:46:07.725-07:00It would be interesting to make a list of mystery ...It would be interesting to make a list of mystery or detective novels in which the plot is concerned with fiction becoming reality be it radio script, play, novel or short story. MURDER REHEARSAL by Roger East is one from the 1930s and is DEEP LAKE MYSTERY by Carolyn Wells (1928) an even earlier treatment. I wonder who was the writer who first thought it up?<br /><br />I once said Fredric Brown's crime novels are alcohol soaked and several people thought the term was an exaggeration. Which only proved to me that many people, if they like the story, tend to read with blinders on overlooking rather obvious distractions like Brown's obsession with drinking.J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-18193609667329184822013-07-05T16:36:00.735-07:002013-07-05T16:36:00.735-07:00Though I've read most of Brown's SF and so...Though I've read most of Brown's SF and some of his mystery, this has slipped past me. I'll have to search out a copy.Rick Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07978136287154214297noreply@blogger.com