Weird Heroes
Encyclopedia
Weird Heroes, "New American Pulp", was a series of novels and anthologies produced by Byron Preiss
in the 1970s that dealt with new heroic characters inspired by the classic pulp magazine
characters. And like the pulps, the series was also heavy
on art, having many well-known artists illustrate the stories.
The series was 'packaged' by Byron Preiss Visual Productions and was published by Pyramid/Jove/HBJ
. Four of the books are anthologies, four are novels. During the same time, Preiss was also produced the Fiction Illustrated
series with the same publisher.
Unfortunately, most of the characters were never seen after the demise of WH. Preiss did write one novel about his character Guts, and planned a second. This was published by Ace Books
, maybe as part of a 'revival' of the concept as single novels. Tor Books
reprinted Philip José Farmer
's Greatheart Silver
stories in a single volume with new art and Reaves's character Kamus appeared in 2 books by other publishers. A lot of these characters had potential and it is unfortunate they did not continue. Most of the authors hoped to write more about these characters. Ron Goulart
's "Quest of the Gypsy" was meant to be a series of novels, the first lasting 3-4 novels, but we have only seen two.
Recently, the first volume was reprinted by iBooks, but no word if further books will be reprinted as iBooks has gone bankrupt following Preiss's death.
Byron Preiss
Byron Preiss was an American writer, editor, and publisher. He founded and served as president of Byron Preiss Visual Publications, and later of iBooks.-Early life and career:...
in the 1970s that dealt with new heroic characters inspired by the classic pulp magazine
Pulp magazine
Pulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
characters. And like the pulps, the series was also heavy
on art, having many well-known artists illustrate the stories.
The series was 'packaged' by Byron Preiss Visual Productions and was published by Pyramid/Jove/HBJ
Pyramid Books
Jove Books, formerly Pyramid Books, is a paperback publishing company, founded in 1949 by Almat Magazine Publishers . The company was sold to the Walter Reade Organization in the late 1960s. It was acquired in 1974 by Harcourt Brace which renamed it to Jove in 1977 and continued the line as an...
. Four of the books are anthologies, four are novels. During the same time, Preiss was also produced the Fiction Illustrated
Fiction Illustrated
Fiction Illustrated is a short-lived series of early illustrated fiction, similar to graphic novels, produced and packaged by Byron Preiss Visual Productions in the 1970s and published by Pyramid/Jove/HBJ. Four were produced, with a fifth was planned. All but one were written by Byron Preiss...
series with the same publisher.
Unfortunately, most of the characters were never seen after the demise of WH. Preiss did write one novel about his character Guts, and planned a second. This was published by Ace Books
Ace Books
Ace Books is the oldest active specialty publisher of science fiction and fantasy books. The company was founded in New York City in 1952 by Aaron A. Wyn, and began as a genre publisher of mysteries and westerns...
, maybe as part of a 'revival' of the concept as single novels. Tor Books
Tor Books
Tor Books is one of two imprints of Tom Doherty Associates LLC, based in New York City. It is noted for its science fiction and fantasy titles. Tom Doherty Associates also publishes mainstream fiction, mystery, and occasional military history titles under its Forge imprint. The company was founded...
reprinted Philip José Farmer
Philip José Farmer
Philip José Farmer was an American author, principally known for his award-winning science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories....
's Greatheart Silver
Greatheart Silver
Greatheart Silver is a 1982 science fiction novel ISBN 0-523-48535-2 written by Philip José Farmer. It is a collection of three of Farmer's stories from the series Weird Heroes published in the 1970s with the title character, a lineal descendant of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, working for...
stories in a single volume with new art and Reaves's character Kamus appeared in 2 books by other publishers. A lot of these characters had potential and it is unfortunate they did not continue. Most of the authors hoped to write more about these characters. Ron Goulart
Ron Goulart
Ron Goulart is an American popular culture historian and mystery, fantasy and science fiction author.The prolific Goulart wrote many novelizations and other routine work under various pseudonyms: Kenneth Robeson , Con Steffanson , Chad Calhoun, R.T...
's "Quest of the Gypsy" was meant to be a series of novels, the first lasting 3-4 novels, but we have only seen two.
Recently, the first volume was reprinted by iBooks, but no word if further books will be reprinted as iBooks has gone bankrupt following Preiss's death.
Series
- Weird Heroes #1
- Greatheart SilverGreatheart SilverGreatheart Silver is a 1982 science fiction novel ISBN 0-523-48535-2 written by Philip José Farmer. It is a collection of three of Farmer's stories from the series Weird Heroes published in the 1970s with the title character, a lineal descendant of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, working for...
in the Showdown at Shootout, Philip José FarmerPhilip José FarmerPhilip José Farmer was an American author, principally known for his award-winning science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories.... - Quest of the Gypsy, Ron GoulartRon GoulartRon Goulart is an American popular culture historian and mystery, fantasy and science fiction author.The prolific Goulart wrote many novelizations and other routine work under various pseudonyms: Kenneth Robeson , Con Steffanson , Chad Calhoun, R.T...
- Adam Stalker: The Darkstar File, Archie GoodwinArchie Goodwin (comics)Archie Goodwin was an American comic book writer, editor, and artist. He worked on a number of comic strips in addition to comic books, and is best known for his Warren and Marvel Comics work...
- Rose in the Sunshine State, Joann Kobin
- Guts, the Cosmic Greaser, Byron PreissByron PreissByron Preiss was an American writer, editor, and publisher. He founded and served as president of Byron Preiss Visual Publications, and later of iBooks.-Early life and career:...
- Greatheart Silver
- Weird Heroes #2
- Doc Phoenix, Ted WhiteTed White (author)Ted White is a Hugo Award-winning American writer, known as a science fiction author and editor and fan, as well as a music critic...
- Cordwainer Bird in "The New York Review of Bird", Harlan EllisonHarlan EllisonHarlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
- The Camden Kid, Charlie Swift
- Viva, Steve Engelhart
- SPV 166, The Underground Express, Elliot S. Maggin
- The Return of Greatheart Silver, Philip José FarmerPhilip José FarmerPhilip José Farmer was an American author, principally known for his award-winning science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories....
- Doc Phoenix, Ted White
- Weird Heroes #3: Quest of the Gypsy, Ron GoulartRon GoulartRon Goulart is an American popular culture historian and mystery, fantasy and science fiction author.The prolific Goulart wrote many novelizations and other routine work under various pseudonyms: Kenneth Robeson , Con Steffanson , Chad Calhoun, R.T...
- Weird Heroes #4: Nightshade: Terror, Inc., Tappan KingTappan Wright KingTappan Wright King is an American editor and author in the field of fantasy fiction, best known for editing The Twilight Zone Magazine and its...
& Beth MeachamBeth MeachamBeth Meacham is an American writer and editor, best known as a longtime top editor with Tor Books.-Life, education and family:Meacham was born November 14, 1951 in Newark, Licking County, Ohio. She studied Communications in Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, where she met her husband, Tappan...
- Weird Heroes #5: Doc Phoenix: The Oz Encounter, Marv WolfmanMarv WolfmanMarvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...
/Ted WhiteTed White (author)Ted White is a Hugo Award-winning American writer, known as a science fiction author and editor and fan, as well as a music critic...
- Weird Heroes #6
- Shinbet Investigates, Ron GoulartRon GoulartRon Goulart is an American popular culture historian and mystery, fantasy and science fiction author.The prolific Goulart wrote many novelizations and other routine work under various pseudonyms: Kenneth Robeson , Con Steffanson , Chad Calhoun, R.T...
- Orion, Ben BovaBen BovaBenjamin William Bova is an American science-fiction author and editor. He is the recipient of six Hugo Awards for Best Professional Editor for his work at Analog Science Fiction in the 1970's.-Personal life:...
- 50 Years of Heroes: The Edmond Hamilton Papers, Edmond HamiltonEdmond HamiltonEdmond Moore Hamilton was an American author of science fiction stories and novels during the mid-twentieth century. Born in Youngstown, Ohio, he was raised there and in nearby New Castle, Pennsylvania...
- Greatheart Silver in the First Command, Philip José FarmerPhilip José FarmerPhilip José Farmer was an American author, principally known for his award-winning science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories....
- Galactic Gumshoe: a Franklin Davis Thriller, Arthur Byron CoverArthur Byron CoverArthur Byron Cover is a science fiction author.Cover attended the Clarion Writer's SF Workshop in New Orleans in 1971, and made his first professional short-story sale to Harlan Ellison's The Last Dangerous Visions...
- Shinbet Investigates, Ron Goulart
- Weird Heroes #7: Quest of the Gypsy: Eye of the Vulture, Ron Goulart
- Weird Heroes #8
- Seward: The Deep Fix, Michael MoorcockMichael MoorcockMichael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....
- Kamus: The Big Spell, J. Michael Reaves
- Orion 2: Flood Tide, Ben Bova
- Kamus 2: The Maltese Vulcan, Reaves
- Robeson: The Grant-Robeson Papers "Savage Shadow", Maxwell Grant (Philip Jose Farmer)
- Seward: The Deep Fix, Michael Moorcock
Reprints and follow ons
- I, Alien (Michael Reaves) Ace Books, 1979.
- Guts (Byron Preiss) Ace Books, 1979.
- Produced by BPVP for Ace. Illustrated like WH was, in many ways a continuation of WH. "Guts" first appeared in WH#1. A second Guts book and a second `I--Alien' book ('I--Alien in NY') were promised, but not published.
- Darkworld Detective (J. Michael Reaves) Bantam Books, 1982.
- Reprints first 2 Kamus stories from WH#8 plus 2 `new' ones.
- Kamus of Kadizhar: The Black Hole of Carcosa (John Shirley) St Martin's, 1988.
- contains character from WH#8.
- Greatheart SilverGreatheart SilverGreatheart Silver is a 1982 science fiction novel ISBN 0-523-48535-2 written by Philip José Farmer. It is a collection of three of Farmer's stories from the series Weird Heroes published in the 1970s with the title character, a lineal descendant of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, working for...
(Philip José FarmerPhilip José FarmerPhilip José Farmer was an American author, principally known for his award-winning science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories....
) Tor BooksTor BooksTor Books is one of two imprints of Tom Doherty Associates LLC, based in New York City. It is noted for its science fiction and fantasy titles. Tom Doherty Associates also publishes mainstream fiction, mystery, and occasional military history titles under its Forge imprint. The company was founded...
, 1982.- reprints GHS stories from WH
- Orion (Ben Bova)
- Dragonworld (Byron Preiss and J. Michael Reaves, art by Joseph Zucker) Bantam Books, 1979.
- Actually planned as fifth "Fiction IllustratedFiction IllustratedFiction Illustrated is a short-lived series of early illustrated fiction, similar to graphic novels, produced and packaged by Byron Preiss Visual Productions in the 1970s and published by Pyramid/Jove/HBJ. Four were produced, with a fifth was planned. All but one were written by Byron Preiss...
" work.
- Actually planned as fifth "Fiction Illustrated
- Oz Encounter Marv Wolfman, based on an idea by Ted White, Hungry Tiger PressHungry Tiger PressHungry Tiger Press is an American specialty publisher of books, compact discs, comic books and graphic novels, focused on the works of L. Frank Baum, other authors of Oz books, and related Americana. Perhaps most notably, the Press has published rare, early, long-neglected dramatic and musical...
, ISBN 1-929527-09-8- hardback reprint of the Doc Phoenix novel