John M. Davis

I am the last true pulp author. I’ve heard it called all types of things and especially love the term ‘New Pulp’. There’s nothing new about it, folks. Pulp writing has been around since the early 1900’s. Most writers have chosen to abandon the craft altogether or are afraid to use the term outright. Not me. I not only accept it, but I take great honor in walking down the same path as talented authors like Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E. Howard and Abraham Merritt.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Pulp, it’s a style of writing that is both fast and action-packed. Pulp writers of the early 1900’s were paid by the word but also had to appeal to the common person. Otherwise, the magazines would stop paying them altogether. It forced writers to work tirelessly (on manual typewriters, for God’s sake) in order to eat. Some readers want to be blown away by an author’s ability to overuse big words and fluff their stories. If that’s you, I’m not your guy. I believe in writing short stories that are filled with meaningful characters you can relate to. They’re just like you and I, these characters. They just happen to be caught up in adventure after adventure. Writing Pulp is my lot in life. I accept it… and I love it.

I am the last pulp author.

FAQ

Favorites. As a rule of thumb, I eat Italian. Beer isn’t my scene and soda is rare. When I do, it’s Sprite. My favorite author to read (other than pulp) is R.A. Salvatore. As far as TV goes, it’s The Walking Dead and The Deadliest Catch. I also love the sport of weightlifting.

Book signings. No, though I have been cornered at comic cons. It’s not because I’m a jerk, either. There are two reasons that I normally won’t do book signings. First, I believe that if a man has to hang a sign explaining who he is – he shouldn’t be signing anything. Second, I can’t sit in a bookstore all day long without finding books to buy.

Facebook. Yes, I have a Facebook page. No, I don’t update it often as I hate Facebook and pretty much every other social media platform. It has been suggested to me that I remain active on at least 1 social media website and I’ve chosen Twitter.

Characters. If you were to split me into 3 parts, you’d get Dalton James, Roman Raines and Adam Michaels. Yes, I’m also aware that shortly after Gunship #1 the WWE developed a character named Roman Reigns. Who knows, maybe someone over there likes reading pulp science fiction. My favorite character thus far is split between Vladris (Gunship) and Hughes (Deadworld).

In my spare time. There’s nothing I enjoy more than quiet family time. I’m married to the most fantastic woman in the world and my 2 kids are pretty much my life. I wouldn’t change anything! Aside from reading and bodybuilding, I also enjoy good music (acoustic) and retro video games.

 

Advertisement