What is pulp fiction? It's a title given to fiction published in the inexpensive popular magazines of the 1930s and '40s. Pulp magazines gained their name from the cheap paper on which they were printed and usually sported rough, untrimmed edges and lurid covers. The prime goal of a pulp story was escapism and the most successful pulps were capable of lifting their Depression and World War II era readers out of the drudgery of their everyday lives, transporting them to the red sands of Mars or into a speeding car alongside the Shadow or Doc Savage. The stories ran the gamut from hardboiled detective tales to blood and guts barbarian adventures, with everything in between. Many famous authors started out in the pulps, including: Edgar Rice Burroughs, John D. MacDonald, Robert E. Howard, Robert Bloch, Isaac Asimov, H.P. Lovecraft, Dashiell Hammett, Lester Dent, Robert Heinlein, Max Brand and Earl Stanley Gardner. Many of the pulp authors wrote under "house names," which were fictitious author names assigned by the publisher to specific titles or characters. By doing so, writers were able to publish more stories, which was important since they were paid by the number of words they wrote. The more stories they had published, the more money they could make. In the 1960s and '70s, there was a brief resurgence in the pulp market and many of the more popular characters (Conan, the Shadow, Doc Savage and others) had their adventures reprinted during this time, introducing them to a whole new generation of fans. At the 86th Floor, we're dedicated to bringing back the pulp heroes of yesterday and offering you brand-new adventures as well.