April 21, 2022—Steeger Books, the leader in vintage pulp reprints, announces six new vintage fiction collections taken from the pages of the pulp magazines of the 1920s-40s which shall premiere at the Windy City Pulp & Paper Convention in Lombard, IL on May 6th. These six collections feature the works of authors such as Carroll John Daly, H. Bedford-Jones, and L. Patrick Greene and featuring series characters like Race Williams, The Crimson Mask, John Solomon, and The Sea Fox. They also include all of the original cover and interior illustrations, and most include an informative introductions by pulp scholars as Will Murray, James Reasoner, Ed Hulse, Brooks E. Hefner, and Tom Johnson.
The books premiering at the Windy City Pulp & Paper Convention on May 6 include:
Unremembered Murder: The Collected Hard-Boiled Stories of Race Williams, Volume 7
Written by Carroll John Daly; introduction by Brooks E. Hefner; cover by Mark Krajnak
Race Williams returns! Originally appearing in the pages of Black Mask Magazine, author Carroll John Daly pioneered the hard-boiled detective P.I. story and perfected the genre with his classic character, Race Williams. Apart from the novel-length Race Williams stories, these classic hard-boiled thrillers have rarely been reprinted, if ever. Volume 7 contains 16 Race Williams stories, all from 1944–55, as Daly closed out his most popular series with a bang. It’s also prefaced by an all-new, scholarly introduction by Professor Brooks E. Hefner of James Madison University. Unremembered Murder: The Collected Hard-Boiled Stories of Race Williams, Volume 7 concludes the most important series published in years on the history of the Hard-Boiled Detective story.
502 pages | $34.95 softcover
The Complete Exploits of the Notorious Sea Fox
Written by James K. Waterman; introduction by James Reasoner; cover by H.C. Murphy
One of the most infamous series from the pulp magazines is collected for the first time. Guineaman ship captain Cap’n Barnabas N. Pepper—the “Sea Fox”—is the master of the brigantine Wild Pigeon, which plies the waters of the Atlantic between the west coast of Africa and the east coast of the United States, in the years before the American Civil War. Over the course of seven stories, author James K. Waterman’s background as a sailor gave these stories an undeniable air of authenticity, and the plot twists he brings to them are clever and unexpected. It’s easy to imagine that readers of the 1920s (some of whom probably remembered the Civil War) would accept and enjoy them. The Sea Fox series provides a vivid window into a long-gone era and does so by presenting stirring tales of courage and action, and as a series unlike anything else in the pulps. Includes the original illustrations and an all-new introduction which puts this series in its historical perspective.
200 pages | $19.95 softcover | $29.95 hardcover
The Crimson Mask Archives, Volume 3
Written by Frank Johnson; introduction by Tom Johnson
Part of the early 1940s pulp hero revival, pharmacist Bob Clarke takes on the underworld as The Crimson Mask! Volume 3 contains the final six adventures: “Four Men of Murder,” “The Dangerous Gamble,” “Three Men of Evil,” “Five Clues to Murder,” “Traffic in Murder,” and “Motto for Murder” uncut, with all of the original illustrations, as well as an introduction by Tom Johnson.
368 pages | $29.95 softcover | $39.95 hardcover
Sinews of War: The Complete Adventures of the Major, Volume 4
Written by L. Patrick Greene; introduction by Ed Hulse; cover by Edgar Franklin Wittmack; illustrations by William M. Allison
The long-running and much-beloved series from the pages of Short Stories is finally collected in order and with a plethora of bonus material. Join Aubrey St. John Major—AKA the Major—and his faithful companion, Jim the Hottentot, on their adventures across the diamond country of Africa. This collection includes the next eight stories, “A Bloomin’ Idol,” “Sinews of War,” “Heading North,” “Truth Is Mighty,” “Bush Shadows,” “An Aching Affair,” “Idols,” and “Major Methods,” all by L. Patrick Greene.
382 pages | $29.95 softcover | $39.95 hardcover
Pilgrim Solomon and John Solomon, Retired: The Adventures of John Solomon, Volume 8 (The H. Bedford-Jones Library)
Written by H. Bedford-Jones; cover by P.J. Monahan
John Solomon, the mysterious ship’s chandler and secret agent, returns in two more rare adventures from early in prolific pulp author H. Bedford-Jones’ career: “Pilgrim Solomon” and “John Solomon, Retired.” Continue the story of John Solomon with this next book in the series, complete & uncut from the pages of People’s Magazine. Includes the original illustrations.
254 pages | $24.95 softcover | $34.95 hardcover
The Life of Pinky Jenkins, Volume 3 (The H. Bedford-Jones Library)
Written by H. Bedford-Jones; cover by Nick Eggenhofer
One of the best series ever published in the pulps was written by the prolific H. Bedford-Jones, author of hundreds of stories totaling an estimated 25 millions words. Thomas Jasper Pinky Jenkins, a drunk and corrupt sheriff accompanied by his deputy Parker, shot his way through nearly a score of comedy/Western stories from the 1920s. Volume 3 includes the next two Jenkins stories: “Wanted—T.J. Jenkins” and “T.J. Jenkins, Doctor.” The Pinky Jenkins series is considered one of his best by Bedford-Jones aficionados.
182 pages | $19.95 softcover | $29.95 hardcover