It's That Time Again [Paperback]

Jim Harmon (Author), Martin Grams (Author), Jr. (Author), Ben Ohmart (Author, Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2002

The first anthology of NEW fiction based on the beloved OTR characters and shows we know and love. 1. Our Miss Brooks - One Principal Too Many, One Principal Too Meanie by Clair Schulz
2. Tom Mix - Tom Mix And The Mystery Of The Bodiless Horseman by Jim Harmon
3. Candy Matson YUkon 2-8209 - The Japanese Sandman by Jack French
4. The Clyde Beatty Show - Perils of the Tiger Barn by Roger Smith
5. The Green Lama - The Case Of The Bashful Spider by Bob Martin
6. Sgt. Preston of the Yukon - A Call From the Storm by Jim Nixon
7. Quiet Please - The Cradle Of Peace by Martin Grams Jr.
8. The Halls of Ivy - A Matter of Ethics by Carol Tiffany
9. Captain Midnight - The Vanishing Ruby by Stephen A. Kallis Jr.
10. The Bickersons - You've Got Me, John by Ben Ohmart
11. Ma Perkins - The Letter From John by John Leasure
12. The Black Museum - The Ticket Stub by Michael Leannah
13. Honest Harold - Attack Of The Crawling Things From Outer Space by Justin Felix
14. Dimension X - Willoughby Goes and Gets It by Joe Bevilacqua & Robert J. Cirasa
15. Lum & Abner - A Pine Ridge Christmas Carol by Donnie Pitchford
16. Frontier Gentleman - One Card Draw by Michael Giorgio
17. Pat Novak, For Hire - A Poole of Blood by Stephen Jansen
18. Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar - The Paddy Rose Matter by Patrick W. Picciarelli
19. Rogue's Gallery - The Case of the Missing Bandleader by Bryan Powell
20. Inner Sanctum - Concerto in Death Major by Christopher Conlon

Editorial Reviews

Review

There are twenty short stories to be found in this book, and honestly, I can say that all of them are quite good, and they all impressively capture the flavor of the original programs. That's no easy task when you're writing short story fiction based around characters that were designed for use in an aural medium. Ohmart set few stipulations before the authors, but one of them was that the programs written about must've originated on radio. Therefore, we see no stories of The Thin Man, The Shadow, or Have Gun Will Travel. While that did knock out quite a few great shows, we still get plenty of good reading. --SPERDVAC's Radiogram

It would be impossible to comment on each of the stories in this collection, but the reviewer found the whole group to be compelling, absorbing, skillfully plotted, and often surprising. They were perfect matches for the radio shows which inspired them. The short biographies of the authors suggest a mix between experienced professionals, with lengthy credits, and first-time fiction writers, but all the works demonstrate a seasoned, polished construction making it difficult to select a favorite, or "best of show." The tales in this wondrous volume deserve a wide audience. --Radio Recall

The enthusiasm of the writers and their respect for the period is infectious. --Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine

About the Author

Editor Ben Ohmart has previously written or published books on The Great Gildersleeve, Paulette Goddard, Fibber McGee and The Bickersons Scripts. Future projects include the first books on Don Ameche, Paul Frees, Daws Butler and Walter Tetley.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Bearmanor Media (November 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971457026
• ISBN-13: 978-0971457027
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,206,224 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Concept and Stories, January 14, 2003

By 

Gardner (Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: It's That Time Again (Paperback)

As an OTR enthusiAst, I recognized all of the shows in this collection and feel that the editor has done an admirable job of pulling together a representative group of series. Though the stories all capture the flavor and typical plots of the series, the writing is wildly uneven (in terms of mechanics, not plot or characterization). The standouts are the Dimension X, Frontier Gentleman, Johnny Dollar, and Pat Novak stories. These are well written stories that capture the programs very well.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A must read for radio buffs., January 27, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: It's That Time Again (Paperback)

The concept is new and exciting. Fans of radio will enjoy reading about charactors one hasn't heard from in awhile. I really enjoyed the "Ma Perkins" story as we don't hear much about this truly great show. This book is a great way for non radio people to be introduced to the lost art of radio soaps.
A must read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's About Time, January 13, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: It's That Time Again (Paperback)

Prior to television, the dominant entertainment medium was Old-Time Radio (OTR). In many bookstores, there are tapes and CDs with recordings of a few of the more famous shows. But to understand what it was like to listen to the shows back then, this volume provides a good insight.

During the course of an evening, listeners would usually tune between stations, getting a variety of different shows, from comedy to mystery, to adventure. The volume provides a sampling of the shows usually heard during an evening or two.

The editor chose for his collection programs that had their origins on radio. Thus, shows like "The Shadow," "The Thin Man," and "Terry and the Pirates" are not represented here, since they were based on pulp magazine, book, and comic-strip characters. But the shows that are included are very representative of the medium at its peak.

For someone who lived through the era, the stories can be treasured for their nostalgic aspect. But to those new to OTR, these stories provide a good introduction to the world of old-time radio.

[N.B. As the author of one of the stories, I'm not going to review that one. However, the rest of the stories were new to me, and I'm commenting on those alone.]