If you’re a fan of Pulp Fiction from the 1920s and 1930s, you’re familiar with Spicy Detective Stories, Spicy Adventure Stories, Spicy Mystery Stories, and Spicy Western Stories.
But, what about Spicy Zeppelin Stories?
In his clever and informative INTRODUCTION, Will Murray traces the genesis of this fictitous pulp magazine back to the 1970s. Years went by and the myth of Spicy Zeppelin Stories grew. Finally, Murray admits there came a point when he had to create an issue Spicy Zeppelin Stories before someone else did.
And here it is! Spicy Zeppelin Stories, Volume 1, Number 1, October 1936 appears just as it would have…if it really existed back then.
The prolific Will Murray, known for his many Pulp Fiction inspired novels and author of 40 books in The Destroyer series, decided he would write all the stories in Spicy Zeppelin Stories using a number of pseudonyms. Murray took the approach that the stories would be written in Depression fiction style and feature a Doc Savage-like story–Gondola Girl”–a Western story, a Science Fiction story in the Captain Future and C.L. Moore’s Northwest Smith mode, a typical weird menace story, a G-man story, and an air-war yarn. The common element to Murray’s Spicy Zeppelin Stories is every story features an airship of some type.
My favorite story in Spicy Zeppelin Stories is “Zeps of the Void” by “Jason Rainbow.” Solar Smith’s vengeance on Space Pirates is focused and cunning. I also enjoyed “Catwalk Creeper” by “D. E. Need” where beautiful women are attacked by “Medusa the Destroyer”–turned to stone–and shattered into pieces aboard a Zeppelin. Neat mystery!
If you’re looking for something different and exciting, Spicy Zeppelin Stories might be exactly what you’re in the mood to read! GRADE: B+
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
INTRODUCTION By Will Murray — 1
Gondola girl By Wray Murill — 9
Gasbag buckaroo By Noah Count — 71
Hydrogen horror By Page Turner — 101
Zeps of the void By Jason Rainbow — 135
Rail lair By Philip Space –165
Catwalk creeper By D. E. Need — 191
The Celestial Airship By Anonymous — 219
Chane By Ray W. Murrill –221
Just ordered it, you !@#$%^ tempter!
Still looking for a copy of “The Gorilla of the Gas Bags” by (the other) Gil Brewer, which first appeared in ZEPPELIN STORIES, No. 3, June 1929.
Jerry, George the Tempter is starting out 2026 with Zeppelin stories with some spicy! You’ll love them!
I’ve read some Zeppelin books by Scott Westerfeld, starting with LEVIATHAN.
And didn’t Bill Crider write a story along the lines Jerry mentioned?
Jeff, you’re right: “Among the Anthropopghagi! A Pulpy Story of Gorillas and Gasbags by Bill Crider (Amazon Digital Services, Inc. ebook 0.99) Among the Anthropophagi! is a fun tale about a pair of adventurers in the 1930s who explore the Impenetrable Forest of Bwindi. Robert Hawkins is the intrepid explorer and Caleb Brown is his longsuffering sidekick who functions as narrator.
They set out to explore this forest because Hawkins thinks the region is home the Anthropophagi. Mentioned in Othello, they are said to be cannibals with their heads below their shoulders. Hawkins is convinced they’re more than myth, and he drags Brown along to help him prove it.
To penetrate the Impenetrable Forest of Bwindi, they use a zeppelin. After the pair and their companions reach the forest, the action moves swiftly with the pace of a good pulp jungle adventure. The only difference is the level of wit on display here is far superior to most of what you would have found in a pulp. In fact, it’s the wit and dry humor that made the story so enjoyable for me, especially the scene with the snake. Now I love a good Anthropophagi tale as well as the next person, but you have to admit most of the ones you’ve read probably don’t elicit a chuckle.”
Good find! I knew it was in there somewhere, but I couldn’t remember the title. Thanks.
Jeff, Bill Crider was very prolific so I have trouble keeping all his novels and short stories straight, too.
Sounds like a keeper, except for that badly amateurish cover!
Bob, but you have to admit that cover is spicy!