“Hockey Man” (by Virtual Pulp’s Henry Brown) is about a gentleman who attends an Antifa Peaceful Protest. But he doesn’t attend to help the communists. Instead, his plans are much different.
“Hockey Man” appears in Appalling Stories 4, which was published in December of 2019. So it preceded the current events we currently are witnessing. Also, as full disclosure if you don’t already know, I too contributed to AS4.
As the story draws the reader in, one of the things that stands out about the protagonist is that he clearly is not like so many people we see in the real world. Why’s that? Because he isn’t joining Antifa or meekly backing down from the terrorist group. He’s someone who has chosen a starkly different option. And from there the story explodes.
“Hockey Man” is a tale about a hero who’s driven into drastically acting because he no longer can put up with what is going on around him. It’s a story about an American who no longer can sit idly by when no one else will stand up to injustice.
Fans of men’s adventure magazines will enjoy it. And frankly, so should a lot of other people. Like action? “Hockey Man” has it. Like a tactically descriptive war tale? “Hockey Man” is it. Like a tale that unabashedly has good guys and bad guys? “Hockey Man” has that too.
Stories where fact meets fiction (or fiction meets fact) are often interesting. And “Hockey Man” definitely is fast-paced, thrilling fiction that preceded real-world events. Pick up Appalling Stories 4 today. Read it and the other great tales in the anthology.
I’m not sure how intentional Paul Hair was about paying tribute to Indiana Jones with this story, but I couldn’t help making comparisons while reading it (specifically to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Raiders of the Lost Ark). However, it’s more than just a pastiche or fan fiction.
The author uses pulp adventure to thematically concentrate on the old axiom: “Power corrupts; and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Which, I guess, would have made it a candidate for a spot in some of the classic adventure magazines in the heyday of pulp fiction. Except that Hair weaves in some more modern elements–like a couple typical Current Year college students assisting on the quest.
Plot-wise, The Chosen One is almost formulaic…until you get to a big twist that I honestly wasn’t expecting. Having communicated with Paul a little bit (he does blog here, occasionally) I wouldn’t figure him as an author who likes moral ambiguity. But I just don’t know for sure which character’s perspective he endorses.
There is some ideology that pops up in the story, but it’s on the subtle side, compared to his flash fiction. When I get political in my prose, I tend to use a sledgehammer. So do some of the other authors who contributed to this anthology. That’s not how Paul tackles it, unless I’m just dense. You might find yourself pondering and questioning long after you finish reading the story…which could be the author’s core purpose in writing it.
Some of the tales in Appalling Stories 4 are super-quick reads. But this one’s got some meat on it. I thought it was a fun read.
Women’s History Month is here (or so people tell me). And in celebration of that, I’ve put together a few clips that feature a handful of some fine moments in Hollywood history that involve women.
So without further ado, here they are in chronological order based on the year of release of the films.
1939: Gone with the Wind
Rhett Butler picks up Scarlett O’Hara and carries her upstairs to spend the night with him . . . whether she wants to or not.
https://youtu.be/RTw6ZLYudPc
1942: The Black Swan
Tyrone Power’s character manhandles Maureen O’Hara’s character throughout this film. Here are three scenes where he shows her who’s boss.
1946: Duel in the Sun
Jennifer Jones’s character is on her hands and knees, scrubbing away and really putting her hips into it when in walks Gregory Peck’s character. . . .
1951: Anne of the Indies
It’s two leading ladies here. Jean Peters’s pirate character attempts to sell Debra Paget’s character at the slave market. I couldn’t find a video clip of that scene, but here’s a link to an image of it at IMDB.
And you can watch the theatrical trailer for Anne of the Indies to get a flavor of the movie too.
1952: The Quiet Man:
John Wayne’s character finally has enough of Maureen O’Hara’s character, and he takes her for a little walk, dragging her along (literally at points) while the good townsfolk cheer him on.
https://youtu.be/E4Y5GpnWt5k
1953: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Sure, everyone remembers Monroe’s famous “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” song and dance in that pink dress. But there are plenty of other memorable moments in this movie. For instance, when Monroe’s character measures her hips and finds they aren’t quite the right size to fit through the window.
1956: Anything Goes
So they made them change the lyrics to the song “Anything Goes” in the movie with the same name, and a lot of people don’t like it. But it’s still a fun number. Mitzi Gaynor is a triple threat: acting, singing, and dancing, with dancing being the strongest of the three.
1959: The Indian Tomb
Debra Paget dances while barely wearing anything. (Skip to the 1:15 mark to see the actual start of the dance.)
https://youtu.be/jtkMUsRZP1k
By the way, that dance was not a one-off. Paget was a great dancer (and she was gorgeous). Here she is in a scene from Stars and Stripes Forever (1952).
1960: The Millionairess
The nurse tells Sophia Loren’s character to undress. And so she does.
1963: Donovan’s Reef
John Wayne’s character administers some corporal punishment to Elizabeth Allen’s character.
1963: McLintock!
John Wayne’s character administers some corporal punishment to Maureen O’Hara’s character.
1963: Spencer’s Mountain
Henry Fonda’s character administers some corporal punishment to Maureen O’Hara’s character (occurs around the 1:19 mark).
1963: 4 for Texas
What do you get when you put Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Charles Bronson, Ursula Andress, Anita Ekberg, and The Three Stooges in one movie? 4 for Texas. And you get multiple good scenes. One such scene is where Andress’s character explains to Martin’s character that she’s seeking a master—not a partner.
1964: Goldfinger
The scene where Bond tames Pussy Galore is famous—or rather, infamous. Why? Because it’s no longer politically correct.
1966-1968: Matt Helm Series
The Silencers (1966), Murderer’s Row (1966), The Ambushers (1967), and The Wrecking Crew (1968) are the four Matt Helm films that Dean Martin made. They all feature Martin and a lot of women. Here are two memorable scenes.
In The Silencers, Dean Martin’s character rip the clothes right off Stella Stevens’s character. (I couldn’t find a legit YouTube clip of it.)
And in The Wrecking Crew, Sharon Tate’s character runs up to Martin’s character and has a spectacular fall.
And for a little bit of trivia, in addition to Tate being in The Wrecking Crew, the film also featured Nancy Kwan, Elke Sommer, Tina Louise, and an uncredited Chuck Norris. Bruce Lee served as a “karate advisor.”
1998: The Mask of Zorro
Catherine Zeta-Jones’s character decides to get into a sword fight with Zorro. It doesn’t end well for her.
So enjoy and share these clips on social media. I’m sure everyone will agree with me that it’s a great way to celebrate Women’s History Month.
Top Image: Screen capture of scene from ‘McLintock!’
I haven’t read the first Apalling Stories, but do intend to rectify that.
This is an anthology of short speculative fiction, all linked thematically by the insanity of political correctness and so-called “social justice.” Some of them are set off-world, some take place in Earth’s future, while others are pretty close to the space-time you and I occupy.
An argument could be made that some of the stories are depressing–like classic episodes of The Twilight Zone. At the same time, there’s no denying a significant element of gratification derives from following the character arc of the SJWs who outsmart themselves, feed on each other, and otherwise are hoisted on their own petards. It’s immensely frustrating to exist in this reality wherein the wicked prosper…where there seems to be no limit to their stupidity, depravity, or hypocrisy…yet never suffer the consequences of same. And the “champions” of our side either cower in the face of evil, or betray us outright.
Each story is well-written, by authors including the newest addition to the Virtual Pulp blog lineup, Paul Hair.
One age-old purpose of fiction is to present alternatives or possibilities–how it could be in a better world. Apalling Stories 2 shows us (often with delightful irony) what it might look like if “social justice” vermin experienced actual justice.
Red-Blooded American Men Examine Pop-Culture and the World
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