Spillane: King of Pulp Fiction (Book Review)

Frank Morrison Spillane, better known by his penname “Mickey Spillane.” wrote seven of the 15 best-selling American novels of all time. He sold more than 220 million books worldwide. And, he revitalized the detective fiction genre.

Spillane: King of Pulp Fiction, by Max Allan Collins and James L. Traylor, is a biography on the life and writing career of Mickey Spillane.

This is a fascinating book about both Mickey Spillane and America as a whole. Specifically, how cultural shifts in the United States led to genre fiction authors like Spillane becoming enormously popular.

Here are three takeaways from Spillane: King of Pulp Fiction.

Groundhog. It’s What’s for Dinner

While Mickey Spillane had always enjoyed reading and storytelling, his motivation to write a novel was purely financial.

In the 1930’s, Spillane worked as a freelance comic book writer. This was a lucrative market, and Spillane penned numerous adventures for heroes like Captain America and Namor the Sub-Mariner.

During World War Two, Spillane worked as a flight instructor for the Army Air Corps.

When the war ended, Spillane found himself underemployed and struggling to find steady work. Additionally, between…