THE
AUTHOR
WHO
SHOCKED
A
NATION |
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WHEN THE WORLD was exposed to Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 feature
PSYCHO, it was also being exposed to the
mind of ROBERT BLOCH, author
of the nerve-tingling, peace-of-mind wrecking novel on which the
movie was faithfully based.
Since the tender age of 18, Bloch had been writing short stories
and novels that glimpsed into the aberrant mind of psycho-shocked
man and in turn shocked PSYCHO into millions of readers.
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KENN DAVIS' COVER FOR
THE LEFTY FEEP BOOK
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But there was another side to Bloch that has had less exposure.
He was a lover of wordplay, and frequently
engaged in puns, rhymes and other literary lapses in many of his
weird tales.
Sometimes those fantasy tales tended to the comedic, and in
the 1940s Bloch wrote a series of such stories for the pulp magazine,
FANTASTIC ADVENTURES, depicting the fantasy misadventures
of a jive-talking, zoot-suited racetrack tout.
Literary take-offs on Rip Van Winkle, King Midas, H.P. Lovecraft,
Arabian Nights adventures and other legends provided an escape
for wartime readers.
In 1987 Creatures at Large became the first (and still only)
press to reprint eight of Bloch's hysterically funny stories for
the first time under the title LOST IN TIME AND SPACE
WITH LEFTY FEEP.
These nutty narratives are packed with nerdy names, outre rhyming
schemes, unforgivable puns, syntax-zapped sentences and weird
wordplay. In short, you will roll in the aisles. You will feel
your sides splitting.
But beware, dear reader:
YOU COULD DIE LAUGHING.
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HOW PROFESSIONAL WRITERS REACTED TO LEFTY
FEEP: |
- RAY BRADBURY (Author of "The Martian
Chronicles") "In a field that often takes itself
much too seriously, Bloch makes me laugh. Good medicine
that. I wish I had the patent!"
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- RICHARD MATHESON (Author of "The
Incredible Shrinking Man"): "Lefty Feep's observations
and adventures will endure to make future generations
chortle and enjoy. Long life to Lefty and his creator."
|
- RICHARD LUPOFF (Science-Fiction and
Mystery Author) : "Lefty Feep is back! A welcome combination
of Damon Runyon and Groucho Marx. Bloch's wisecracks and
acerbic comments on the human condition will howl with
a hearty portion of pleasure and an occasional twinge
of pain."
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- WILLIAM F. NOLAN (Author of "Logan's
Run"): "Bloch is a supreme storyteller . . . He's
the Court Jester of Dark Fantasy, a writer who always
delivers chills and laughter!"
|
- RICHARD CHRISTIAN MATHESON (Fantasy
Author, Filmmaker and Son of Richard Matheson): "Bloch
has done for writing what color did for pain, Nijinsky
did for tights and Norman Bates did for showering with
friends. He is able to levitate language
and humor to a height even floating ladies rarely rise."
|
- HARLAN ELLISON: "Bloch is the mad literary
equivalent of Dr. Frankenstein . . . In
the shadow of Life and the Bomb, he still reminds us that
nonsense is the dearest panacea for what ails us." |
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RIOTOUSLY
FUNNY
RIB-TICKLING
CHORTLING
GUFFAWING
CONTENTS |
