Recently Read: That Darn Paperboy, by Dwight R. Decker

 

Continuing where A Dream Flying left off, That Darn Paperboy continues the mid-'60s adventures and misadventures of Kyle Rhodebeck, whose ability to fly (I won't reveal how) complicates his life in unexpected ways. The second part of a projected trilogy, That Darn Paperboy is episodic with, at times, overlapping dates and events. It's also, at turns, suspenseful, funny, charming, whimsical and, especially in its evocation of a smalltown Christmas in 1967, wistful. As with the first book in the series, the fantasy elements are helped to be made believable by the grounding of autobiographical details (including many pertinent pop culture references). Also effective is the introduction of a romantic interest, the mystery novel-reading Stephanie, whose familiarity with clues helps make her aware that Kyle has a secret he's as yet unwilling to reveal.

Dwight R. Decker's That Darn Paperboy is a heartfelt, good natured and satisfying fantasy; when I came to the end, I wanted to read more - and, if all goes well, I'll get to - when A Paperboy in Paris is published.

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Recently Read: Dancing with the Squirrels: Tales from Comics Fandom and Beyond, by Dwight Decker

 

Dancing is a unique short story collection: fan fiction written about comics fans and fandom. If this sounds too insular and circular, fear not. Dwight Decker's stories (in some cases, I suspect, loosely based or inspired by events and observations in his own life) are a joy to read. Created over many decades, but with a cohesive tone (and sometimes with connective chronologies), the stories range from fantastical and whimsical to poignant.

Especially entertaining is the roundabout story of a comic book collection built during WWII and the winding ways this collection, its owner, and its would-be destroyer, end up affecting and influencing comic book collectors and friends decades later. These good-natured tales will especially ring true to anyone who collected comics and was a part of fandom in the '60s and '70s, but all can enjoy.

The collection also features a chapter on the king of fan stories about fandom, author John Stockman (whose work Decker partially collected in the excellent and highly recommended book The Crackpot, in 2015) and a short history of comics fandom.

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Recently Read: Astroman, Book Two: The Arsenal of Wonders, by Dwight R. Decker

 

Dwight R. Decker's sequel to Astroman Book One: The Secret Citadel is a little less than twice as long as its predecessor, and is expansive in scope, incorporating time and alternate universe travelling. Decker's loving homage to early '60s DC comics (particularly Superman) includes not only characters modeled on fictional characters in those comics, but characters modeled on the creators of the comics (in one clever conceit, the villain muses that a god he calls Mort may be guiding and thwarting people's lives). Decker keeps the rules of the worlds he's created consistent and logical, and plotlines suspenseful. While I would enjoy reading more of the protagonist Matt Dawson's adventures, the conclusion is satisfying, wanting nothing. If you've spent years reading DC comics and science fiction paperbacks circa the late '50s and early '60s, you'll find The Arsenal of Wonders a whimsical and endearing tribute to that pulp paper printed work

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Recently Read: The Crackpot, by John E. Stockman

Written in the '60s and '70s for obscure, self-published fanzines, these satirical tall tales by John E. Stockman were chosen and edited by author Dwight R. Decker, with some historical background provided for each story.

Those, like me, who live in the intersection of a Venn diagram consisting of old comic books, pulp magazines, fanzines and Edgar Rice Burroughs, will find these tales especially entertaining. Put simply, this is one of the funniest, craziest books I've read, consisting of (with the exception of one short and sweetly told aside) tales of obsessed, self-absorbed, untrustworthy, easily provoked fans downright desperate to print their next fanzine, grasp ERB first editions and own old copies of Tip Top Comics.

One particular story, about the near-ownership of a back-issue comic book shop almost enters the realm of pathos. Stockman, who probably wouldn't have guessed his stories would still be read in the year 2020, has created a world of fascinating greed and infantile avarice. If the figure of a desperate, chased thief trying to make his way home in the dead of night through back yards and alleys, while grasping onto a stack of old Argosy magazines, sounds intriguing, you must purchase this book. There are more Stockman short stories which haven't been collected; if they are, I'll buy them.

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Recently Read: Astroman Book One: The Secret Citadel

For casual or rabid fans of '50s and early '60s DC comics, Astroman Book One: The Secret Citadel will delight. Physicist Matt Dawson gets thrown into an alternate Earth I would describe as Weisinger World, named after the Superman comics editor. In this world, super-powered beings are a reality, and the top such being, Astroman, has been missing. Matt, meanwhile, has discovered his physical capabilities have changed in this new environment...

If you've read Decker's fiction, you know you're in for a fun and suspenseful tale, both fantastic and poignantly human. This one ends on a cliff-hanger (I want to know what happens next!) and incorporates many entertaining elements from the mythos of a certain famous superhero. I think I even caught a reference to Robert McCloskey's Homer Price story, "The Case of the Cosmic Comic".

Recommended!

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