Great Trash books

[diebitter]

They used to be extremely popular. I think I was about 10 when I became aware of them here (so 30 years ago), and they were pretty big. I've never read them, but I've seen one film with Malcolm McDowell I think, that wasn't very good. I'd definitely buy one and read it if I saw one in a second-hand book shop though. Pretty sure they're out of print now.


Another author who was also big (but a little while after Flashman, more like 20 years ago) was Tom Shapre, who wrote Wilt and a set of other books. These were absolutely great, funny, outrageous reads, but I think they were very English.

Any of you US guys heard of him?

[kevyk]

Very interesting. MacDonald Fraser has actually kept writing them continuously for the past 20 years. There are 12 books total now. The most recent book, Flashman on the March , was published in 2005.

It's weird that they're not better known in England--you can get the whole series at Barnes and Noble here!

I haven't seen the movie, but it got a horrendous rating on IMDB, so I've stayed away.

[kevyk]

I'll definitely second the Harry Turtledove nomination as "good trash." His stuff is often pretty out there (e.g. aliens attacking the Earth during WWII, or time travelers giving Robert E. Lee AK-47s so the South wins the Civil War), but he manages to ground his books in the human stories of these imaginary conflicts and thus make them work. The big problem I have with his books is that they have absolutely no structure--they just sort of begin, go for a while, and then end.

[suzzer99]

Try Disco Bloodbath by James St. James. It's the (purpotedly) true story about the NY club kids in the 80s/90s - that the movie Party Monster was based on. Funniest book I ever read. I was really sad when I finished because I wasn't going to get to spend any more time with the characters.

[diebitter]

[ QUOTE ]
Very interesting. MacDonald Fraser has actually kept writing them continuously for the past 20 years. There are 12 books total now. The most recent book, Flashman on the March , was published in 2005.

It's weird that they're not better known in England--you can get the whole series at Barnes and Noble here!

I haven't seen the movie, but it got a horrendous rating on IMDB, so I've stayed away.

[/ QUOTE ]

Okay, I checked amazon uk, and it does appear they're still written, and still sell well enough to stay in print.

And yes, I read the reviews, and have ordered the first one in the series. sheesh, I might actually read one of these books I order, one day.

[LittleOldLady]

[ QUOTE ]
One of my perpetual challenges in life is finding fantastic trashy books to relax with.

I'm talking about books that really aren't provocative, brilliantly written or high quality, aren't clever, aren't art, aren't witty but are great to buy for a flight or a train.

For the puproses of this post, megastars like Stephen King and Michael Crichton are DQ's by virtue of popularity.

Recently I've been failing badly, after an enjoyable jaunt in to Robert Parker and the Spenser novels, I've just been re-reading Chandler's Marlowe books, and want more variety-

so tell me about quality trash I should read.

[/ QUOTE ]

For police procedurals that are well above average, try Reginald Hill's Dalziel and Pascoe series (especially the most recent ones--they have been getting better and better). Also Jan Willem van de Wetering's Gripstra and deGier books. Both are better than P.D. James IMO, although I read her and Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine as well. I also like Nicolas Freeling's novels above the Belgian detective Henri Castang.

[Blarg]

I'm a huge fan of these:

The Mammoth Book of .... all kinds of different things

These are dirt cheap but hefty collection of usually pretty well selected materials, though of course it varies book by book, as each has different editors.

But the one on werewolves was good, ditto vampires, and the one on man-eaters was the best bathroom reading ever. That one had everything from news clippings to excerpts from some top notch book length works, and everything from cannibalism to shark attacks, pig attacks, man-eating leopards, vampire bats, arm-severing tapirs, lions and tigers, alligators, hippos -- every kind of gruesome fun, all non-fiction.

Sherlock Holmes, detective, new horror collections, erotica, frankenstein stories, dogs, cats,westerns,fantasy, ghost stories .. just tons of great reading on the cheap. Really a great series. There are even more than show up on this Amazon list.

[dvsfun1]

Imo...best good trash novelist was Jim Thompson. Quick read, great sleazy characters.

[The DaveR]

Bonfire of the Vanities seems like the obvious choice.

[2/325Falcon]

John Sanford's Prey novels fit the bill. Check out Lawrence Block as well.