The Blaft Anthology of Tamil Pulp Fiction [Paperback]

Rakesh Khanna (Editor), Pritham K. Chakravarthy (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 16, 2008

Mad Scientists! Hard-Boiled Detectives! Vengeful Goddesses! Murderous Robots! Scandalous Starlets! Drug-Fueled Love Affairs!

17 Stories by 10 of India's best-selling Tamil authors... translated into English for the first time! Includes a selection of Tamil pulp cover art!

Editorial Reviews

Review

...a riveting collection of stories written by 10 bestselling Tamil writers... In Pritham Chakravarthy's translations, the characters in these stories live and breathe an English that smells like a neutral ether: neither elaborately English nor annoyingly vernacular... There are two reasons to buy this book. One, it's a wonderful read and, two, it's the best-produced paperback in the history of Indian publishing. From the luridly brilliant cover (complete with gun-toting, full-breasted Tamil rose) to the colour plates, the line drawings, the perfectly judged author introductions and the high-quality paper inside, this book is an object lesson in how publishing is done. --Mukul Kesavan, Outlook India

As we draw near the end of 2008, I see this anthology as possibly the most significant contribution to Indian writing this year. --Vijay Nambisan, Deccan Herald

The short story collection is as satisfying as the cover. There are scientists gone berserk, smooth and restless detectives, robots committing murder... This anthology also lets an uninitiated reader peep into the visual pleasures of a Tamil pulpy novel [with] a significant number of pages dedicated to the jackets of the novels and magazines... Think of this one as the literary equivalent of a David Dhawan movie. --Arshad Said Khan, Man's World

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Blaft Publications; 1st edition (May 16, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 8190605607
• ISBN-13: 978-8190605601
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #752,610 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly entertaining!!, August 3, 2008

By 

Pierre V. Stroud (San Francisco, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Blaft Anthology of Tamil Pulp Fiction (Paperback)

Tamil Pulp Fiction is an extremely interesting and entertaining set of stories, translated for the first time from Tamil into English. These detective, suspense, romantic, and supernatural stories are great fun to read, and they represent an eclectic and interesting set of cultural perspectives. I'd recommend to both pulp fiction enthusiasts and to anyone interested in modern Indian culture.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of fun, September 17, 2009

By 

R. Parthasarathy "If only everyone wrote reviews" (Santa Clara, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Blaft Anthology of Tamil Pulp Fiction (Paperback)

I will admit I am biased towards this book. This is the first time, pulp novels written in my native language tamil have been translated into English. For that alone, this book was a definite purchase for me. What makes it all the more interesting is the diverse set of authors covered. Ranging from thrillers to almost soft porn like mysteries, it has all. Strongly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sexy Gals, Strong Men, Corrupt Politicians, Bereaved Families, March 11, 2010

By 

Made in DNA (Japan) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Blaft Anthology of Tamil Pulp Fiction (Paperback)

An omnibus of freakin' awesome short pulp stories that crosses cultural borders and packs plenty of humor, mystery, action, and sexy-strong gals. If you have an interest in Indian/Tamil culture, traditions and social norms, this collection is a delight to read. Granted, it is fiction and takes a few liberties, but without a modicum of reality and truth, fiction wouldn't be enjoyable.