One of the most interesting periods in literary history was the day of pulp fiction. The kind of books and magazines created during this era were not only different in appearance, but also quite unique in their subject matter and delivery of the stories found inside. Even all these years later, talk of pulp cover […]

During the first half of the 20th century, the written word was the king of  popular entertainment. Although radio was growing in popularity, movies were developing quickly, and television was on the horizon, reading still remained a common pastime for people of all classes and levels of education. Writers and publishers recognized the breadth of […]

Not intended to launch an entire lesbian fiction genre, it was a story about women during wartime, some of whom happened to be romantically involved with other women. Women's Barracks, though, resonated with men and women alike—both straight and gay. In its first year, the book sold over 1 million copies and allowed Gold Medal […]

Spring Fire, considered by many to be the novel that launched the lesbian pulp genre, was published in 1952 by Gold Medal Books. At the time, no one could have predicted the success and impact it would have. The novel eventually sold almost 1.5 million copies over three printings. In 1952, it actually outsold James M. Cain's hard-boiled detective novel, […]