The Pulp Jungle

Frank Gruber's memoir, "The Pulp Jungle," covers Gruber's years in New York, 1934 to 1943, as he entered and rose in what were probably the most exciting years of pulp. At the time, most pulp was published in magazines. Prolific writers churned out stories and novelettes for audiences of the numerous monthly (and some weekly) magazines. It was not until 1939 that the paperback was introduced and full-length stand-alone novels reached their popularity in the 40s and 50s.

In many cases, Gruber's included, it was a meager living for a while. Aspiring writers had to pay their dues and were often starving while they did. But those who persisted could do very well, even during the depression. And later, like Gruber, so many went to Hollywood.

In 1934, though, Gruber faced at least 150 magazines as markets for the popular stories, and 1200 to 1300 pulp writers making their livings through them. Ninety-five million words were published each year. From his beginning in August 1932 to June 1934 Gruber kept a journal of what he wrote and what he sold. During that time, he sold 107 pieces for $815. In 1934, his income from writing was less than $400. But by 1935, he was selling most of what he wrote and earned $10,000. He was in.

While there is nothing sensational about this memoir, the story is fascinating. Gruber discusses so many of the great pulp writers who he knew personally. We learn about Heinie Faust (Max Brand), Erle Stanley Gardner, and so many others. There are several who seem to have evaporated into history. And many, long gone, whose work is now making a resurgence.

Gruber writes about word counts, discipline, the loneliness of writing, and provides formulas used to approach the various genre. He even describes his own 11 element plot formula in some detail. This formula was perfected over the years with his production of over 400 stories, 53 novels, 65 screenplays, 100 TV scripts, and 150 articles.


Frank Gruber was an enormously prolific author of pulp fiction. A stalwart contributor to Black Mask magazine, he also wrote novels, producing as many as four a year during the 1940s. His best-known character was Oliver Quade, “the Human Encyclopedia,” whose adventures were collected in Brass Knuckles (1966), and will soon be republished in ebook format as Oliver Quade, the Human Encyclopedia,featuring brand-new material, from MysteriousPress.com, Open Road Integrated Media, and Black Mask magazine.