with themes and settings updated for the 21st century.” Stories ranged from 1,000 to 6,000 words, and, like pulp writers, the selected authors were paid by the word (or, in this case, by the 1,000 words). However, they received considerably less than the going rate for well-established publications like EQMM or Fantasy & Science Fiction.

The Vigilante Crime Pulp Fiction Anthology features 11 short stories, divided between crime fiction and sci-fi, with horror and paranormal elements in some tales. I was unfamiliar with most of the authors, and some had only been minimally published previously. (The editors added a novella from noted horror and crime author Joe R. Lansdale, probably to increase the anthology’s marketability.) I did not have high expectations for the anthology, considering the method the editors used to recruit authors, but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the stories. Only one was a complete dud, and a couple of others were merely routine. However, several of the stories were very good, worthy of publication in any genre anthology.

When people think of pulp fiction, they often think of hardboiled PIs, and Alec Cizak’s “Things Change” features one such investigator. It’s a familiar scenario—the veteran investigator trying to solve the murder of a good friend—but with a significant difference. This investigator is an addict, and his dead friend was actually his dealer. That twist alone piqued my interest in what might have been a routine story. However, “Things Change” is a good mystery in its own right, with the right hardboiled tone. The narcotics subtext isn’t a gimmick, either; drugs figure heavily into the storyline.

“Dreams Deferred” by F.T. Grant is a tale of urban gentrification gone awry. A sleazy real estate developer needs to evict a young man who has taken up residence in the basement of a building set for renovation. Unfortunately for the developer, something otherworldly has also taken up residence in the basement. It’s an H. P. Lovecraft scenario in a modern-day setting. The opening story, “Brood of Vipers,” by co-editor Philip M. Smith, also has supernatural elements and might have made a good Twilight Zone episode if not for a heavy dose of violence. In this one, things go very wrong for a hitman after his latest job, as the faces he sees in a bar seem all too familiar.

The best short story in The Vigilante Crime Pulp Fiction Anthology is “Rage Road” by James Scott Bell (who’s probably the best-known author in the book besides Lansdale). This story reminded me of a different 50s TV series, Alfred Hitchcock Presents. John Morgan, a snotty rich guy, gets in a testosterone-soaked chicken contest on the highway with a pickup truck driver trying to pass him. He pulls out a gun, thinking it’s unloaded, and points it at the truck driver, who pulls even with Morgan’s car to pass. Bad decision. The supposedly unloaded gun goes off. The truck driver is probably dead, and his pickup has crashed into a tree at the side of the road. Morgan panics and spends the rest of the story in an increasingly frantic attempt to avoid being arrested. The author ratchets up the suspense nicely here, and the story has a good Hitchcockian surprise ending. “Big Fish” by Laird Long also has a great twist ending. It’s a story of junior high school bullies picking on a new transfer student who’s developmentally challenged. Although I thought the bullies seemed a bit too mature for the eighth graders they were supposed to be, their ultimate fate proves quite enjoyable for those who like this type of story.

The editors save the best for last in The Vigilante Crime Pulp Fiction Anthology. Joe R. Lansdale contributes “Sixty-Eight Barrels on Treasure Lake,” a Western novella. This is the only story in the collection that was previously published. Western pulps weren’t as popular with the public as the crime and science fiction magazines, but Lansdale’s story, which takes up the last 40 percent of the book, is a fitting testimonial. A young man named Rabbit inherits the local saloon when his father dies. He is then talked into (or, more accurately, threatened into) helping several outlaws who frequent the saloon. They had robbed a gold train years earlier and hidden the gold bars in 68 barrels of salt stashed in a cave in the mountains (hence, the story’s title). The bandits figure that the much smaller Rabbit can get into and out of the cave easier than they can. I won’t say anything further about the plot, except to note that this was the only story in the collection that completely surprised me. In addition to the excellent storyline, “Sixty-Eight Barrels” contains some highly enjoyable, colorful language through Rabbit’s descriptive narration. For example, he notes that two of the outlaws “would make Satan seem like Jesus carrying Buddha on his back.” Lansdale drops similar quips throughout the novella, making it a sheer joy to read.

The Vigilante Crime Pulp Fiction Anthology isn’t a parody, and it’s not a pastiche. Instead, the authors have given readers stories with a modern-day perspective, even those set in the past. The anthology even includes a tribute of sorts to Stephen King, who would probably get a chuckle from the story that mentions him. I’ve always enjoyed the pulps, and it was a delight to encounter these brand-new stories. I also enjoyed the over-the-top cover art illustration. (Shame on the editors for not giving credit to the artist.) The editors hint this anthology may become a regular publication. If so, sign me up.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through BookSirens. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.