When somebody says ‘Pulp Fiction’, almost everyone thinks of the Quentin Tarantino movie. And justifiably, as it is ranked #8 in ratings in the all-time greatest movie chart on IMDb.
But the term is actually used to refer to creative inexpensive fiction magazines available to the American public in the early 1900s. The term originated because of the fact that the magazines were printed on cheap “pulp” paper. By under-paying writers and publishing on cheap pulp, the priced were kept low. With low prices — 10 cents per issue — and fast growing literacy rate, many working-class young adults got attracted to these magazines.
The literature was run-of-the-mill and low-quality with fantastic, escapist and sensational plots. The characters were larger than life and mostly stereotypical — half dressed damsels in distress, mysterious villians & extraordinary heroes. Cover art was colourful & decorated, and played a major part in the marketing of pulp magazines. Typically they depicted pretty woman in some danger being rescued by a handsome hero.
Their popularity slowly declined by the 1950s, but provided a literary base that indirectly influenced science fiction and superhero comic genres in the coming years.
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From the desk of Aditya Khanduri
About me (Why I started Polygyan)
