Pulp Fiction: The Golden Age of Storytelling

This short documentary gives a very good overview of the pulp magazines that were popular from the 1910s to the 1940s. It covers the different genres, but concentrates on Science Fiction.

The shame of this low rating (4.9 in 2023) can be blamed on the hatred many feel for L. Ron Hubbard. I'm no apologist for the Church of Scientology. I think it's as crazy as most other people think. But there's no exaggeration in what this documentary says about Hubbard. He was one of, if not the most, prolific of all writers of that period. His stories sold because of his abundant imagination.

Contrary to what another reviewer "suspects", there is absolutely no connection between The Church of Scientology and the makers of this documentary.

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This short documentary is not wholly without merit; it does contain some snippets of interviews with real luminaries of pulp (e.g. Ray Bradbury). Unfortunately, the video is undermined by it's shameless attempt to paint L. Ron Hubbard as the king of pulp fiction. If you are unaware, Hubbard is the creator of the cult "Scientology" which has a cosmology rooted in the belief that an evil galactic ruler named Xenu took the spirits of millions of people, flew them on DC 10's to Earth, and dropped them in volcanoes. He got his start writing for pulps, but he was, at absolute best, a minor writer who never achieved any fandom or acclaim before he created Scientology. This documentary truly goes out of it's way to re-write history and paint Hubbard as the penultimate pulp writer. It's focus on him is both obsessive and subtly manipulative--for example when conducting interviews, some folks are seated with bookshelves full of Hubbard's books visible behind them.

I rate this video 2 stars; it does contain some interesting stuff, but any viewer should be aware that this is a propaganda film meant to enhance the reputation of a cult leader whose career in pulp fiction was, at best, unspectacular. I highly suspect that the film was financed by the Church of Scientology as they continue to promote Hubbard's (lousy) science fiction writing. They literally print millions of his books, then buy them back in bulk to make it appear that they're best-sellers. That should give you an idea of what to expect out of this documentary.