Recommended reading - The Lew Archer Omnibus Volume 1, by Ross Macdonald (1993):

The Lew Archer Omnibus Volume 1

By Ross Macdonald.

Published by Allison & Busby.
Published 1993.
Paperback.
ISBN 13: 9780749001094
ISBN 10: 0749001097
ASIN: 0749001097

Description:

This first volume of Lew Archer novels presents "The Drowning Pool", "The Chill" and "The Goodbye Look".

Recommended reading - A Gun for Sale, by Graham Greene (1936):

A Gun for Sale

By Graham Greene.

Introduction by Samuel Hynes.

Filmed as This Gun for Hire (1942), directed by Frank Tuttle.

Published by Penguin Publishing Group.

First published 1936.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 014303930X

ISBN-13: 978-0143039303

Description:

Raven is an ugly man dedicated to ugly deeds. His cold-blooded killing of a European Minister of War is an act of violence with chilling repercussions, not just for Raven himself but for the nation as a whole. The money he receives in payment for the murder is made up of stolen notes and when the first of these is traced, Raven becomes a man on the run. As he tracks down the agent who has been double-crossing him and attempts to elude the police, he becomes both hunter and hunted: an unwitting weapon of a strange kind of social justice. In doing so, he sets the stage for Greene’s next novel, Brighton Rock. This Penguin Classics edition features an introduction by Samuel Hynes.

Recommended reading - The Public Enemy, by Kubec Glasmon & John Bright (1931):

The Public Enemy

aka Beer and Blood.

By Kubec Glasmon & John Bright.

Filmed as The Public Enemy (1931), directed by William A. Wellman.

Published by Grosset & Dunlap.

Published 1931.

Hardcover.

ASIN: B0006ALC06

Description:

Photoplay novelization of the famed 1931 James Cagney classic gangster film. THE PUBLIC ENEMY (voted by the American Film Institute as the 8th greatest crime film in American film history) was a 1931 American Pre-Code crime film starring James Cagney and directed by William A. Wellman. based on a never-published novel by two former street thugs: "Beer and Blood" by John Bright and Kubec Glasmon (who had witnessed some of Al Capone’s murderous gang rivalries in Chicago!) A remarkable book in itself, one of those rare Grosset & Dunlap publications (like King Kong).

Recommended reading - Star Trek: The U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 (2019):

Star Trek: The U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701

By Ben Robinson, Marcus Riley, Simon Hugo.

Illustrated Handbook.

Hardcover.

Published by Hero Collector; Illustrated edition.

Published 2019.

Hardcover.

ISBN-10: 1858755786

ISBN-13: 978-1858755786

Description:

Captain James T. Kirk's Original Starship Enterprise! Everything you want to know about this iconic starship in the FIRST full color volume ever published. Featuring details from both TV series and the first six movies.

This volume, featuring the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 and the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-A, is a detailed, illustrative account of the TV starship from the original 1966-1969 series, and the movie starship from STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE (1979), STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982), STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK (1984), STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME (1986), STAR TREK V: THE FINAL FRONTIER (1989), and STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY (1991). Plus, Captain Pike's Enterprise from the hit TV series STAR TREK: DISCOVERY.

With isometric illustrations of all the key locations, annotated plan views, detailed technical information, Starfleet equipment, and uniforms and insignia, the chapters follow the starships through time and provide an extraordinary reference guide to these iconic Federation vessels.

Recommended reading - Kiss Me Deadly, by Mickey Spillane (1952):

Kiss Me Deadly

By Mickey Spillane.

Filmed as Kiss Me Deadly (1955), directed by Robert Aldrich.

Published by Orion.

First published 1952.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 1409158691

ISBN-13: 978-1409158691

Description:

# 6 in the Mike Hammer series.

Before Jack Reacher . . . there was Mike Hammer.

One night, a blonde jumps out in front of PI Mike Hammer's car. She's so scared he doesn't have much choice but to give her a ride. At a police roadblock, he discovers she's on the run from a sanatorium, but he passes her off as his wife. Other people besides the police are after the blonde, and these people play rough. Real rough.

The blonde turns out to be the star witness against some big-time mobsters. Mike has blundered into something unimaginably big, but the Feds don't want him involved – and take his PI licence and gun.

For Mike, it's a chance to strike a blow against evil on a grand scale. He discovers that something representing a great deal of money, and a lot of power, has gone missing, and that some people will go to any lengths to get it back . . .

Recommended reading - The Star of Midnight, by Arthur Somers Roche (1935):

The Star of Midnight

By Arthur Somers Roche.

Filmed as Star of Midnight (1935), directed by Stephen Roberts.

Hardcover.

Published by Dodd, Mead and Company.

Published 1935.

ASIN: B0DM1RR9L9

Description:

After his girlfriend, Alice, goes missing, young Tim Winthrop consults with his friend, criminal lawyer Clay Dalzell. Clay, joined by his fiancée, Donna Mantin, agrees to help -- only to get involved with the simultaneous disappearance of stage actress Mary Smith, and the shocking murder of a gossip columnist poised to provide vital information about Mary. An unsolved gangster murder and the reappearance of an old flame lead Clay further into the puzzling maze.

Recommended reading - My Kind of Game, by Marvin Albert (1962):

My Kind of Game

By Marvin Albert.

Published by Fawcett.

First published 1962.

Mass Market Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0449133885

ISBN-13: 978-0449133880

Description:

WANTED – Anyone with information about Louis Kovac may find it worth-while to get in touch with Anthony Rome at the Seaview Motel. Kovac met with an accident. His assignment will be completed by Rome.

The ad was Rome’s last hope, a stab-in-the-dark that someone might spill who had it in for Lou Kovac, and why.

Rome didn’t expect an immediate answer. He wasn’t ready to get it in his motel room, in person, from a beautiful girl, pointing a very loaded .32.

A new, trigger-sharp case in the fast, bullet-scarred career of detective Anthony Rome.

My Kind of Game.

Recommended reading - Blue City, by Ross Macdonald (1947):

Blue City

By Ross Macdonald.

Published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.

First published 1947.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0307740730

ISBN-13: 978-0307740731

Description:

“[The] American private eye, immortalized by Hammett, refined by Chandler, brought to its zenith by Macdonald.” – New York Times Book Review.

“Macdonald should not be limited in audience to connoisseurs of mystery fiction.  He is one of a handful of writers in the genre whose worth and quality surpass the limitations of the form.” – Los Angeles Times.

“Most mystery writers merely write about crime.  Ross Macdonald writes about sin.” – The Atlantic.

“Without in the least abating my admiration for Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, I should like to venture the heretical suggestion that Ross Macdonald is a better novelist than either of them.” – Anthony Boucher.

“[Macdonald] carried form and style about as far as they would go, writing classic family tragedies in the guise of private detective mysteries.” – The Guardian (London).

“[Ross Macdonald] gives to the detective story that accent of class that the late Raymond Chandler did.” – Chicago Tribune.

He was a son who hadn’t known his father very well.  It was a town shaken by a grisly murder – his father’s murder.  Johnny Weatherly was home from a war and wandering.  When he found out that his father had been assassinated on a street corner and that his father’s seductive young wife had inherited a fortune, he started knocking on doors.  The doors came open, and Johnny stepped into a world of gamblers, whores, drug-dealers, and blackmailers, a place in which his father had once moved freely.  Now Johnny Weatherly was going to solve this murder – by pitting his rage, his courage, and his lost illusions against the brutal underworld that has overtaken his hometown.

Recommended reading - These Are the Voyages - TOS: Season Three, by Marc Cushman & Susan Osborn (2015):

These Are the Voyages - TOS: Season Three

By Marc Cushman & Susan Osborn.

Foreword by David Gerrold.

These Are The Voyages series.

Published by Jacobs Brown Press.

Published 2015.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0989238180

ISBN-13: 978-0989238182

Description:

Marc Cushman's biography of Star Trek the original series (TOS) takes you back in time for the final season of this iconic television show, to the production offices, the writers' room, onto the soundstages, and in front of your TV sets for what many thought would be Star Trek's final voyage. Included are hundreds of memos between Roddenberry, the producers and staff, production schedules, budgets, fan letters, behind-the-scene images, and the TV ratings. You'll find out the real reason Star Trek was cancelled. So buckle your seat belts, this final trek gets really bumpy.

Recommended reading - American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis (1991):

American Psycho

By Bret Easton Ellis.

Filmed as American Psycho (2000), directed by Mary Harron.

Published by Picador.

First published 1991.

Paperback.

ISBN 13: 9780330319928

ISBN 10: 0330319922

ASIN: 0330319922

Description:

Patrick Bateman is twenty-six and he works on Wall Street, he is handsome, sophisticated, charming and intelligent. He is also a psychopath. Taking us to head-on collision with America's greatest dream – and its worst nightmare – American Psycho is bleak, bitter, black comedy about a world we all recognise but do not wish to confront.

Cover Illustration by Marshall Arisman.

Recommended reading - Dawn of the Dead, by George A. Romero & Susanna Sparrow (1978):

Dawn of the Dead

By George A. Romero & Susanna Sparrow.

Filmed as Dawn of the Dead (1978), directed and written by George A. Romero.

Published by Gallery Books.

First published 1978.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 9781476791838

ISBN-13: 978-1476791838

ASIN: 147679183X

Description:

“Dawn of the Dead is one of the best horror movies ever made.” – Roger Ebert.

The novel of the classic horror film, with an introduction by Simon Pegg!

WHEN THERE IS NO MORE ROOM IN HELL, THE DEAD WILL WALK THE EARTH

George A. Romero terrified a generation with his iconic horror film and with this cult-classic novel. Immerse yourself in this unparalleled vision from the revered master of the zombie apocalypse…and be terrified all over again.

Zombies have overpowered the living and ravaged the world. Society has collapsed as humans race to save themselves. No one knows how far the creatures have spread, or how to stop them. In downtown Philadelphia, four people escape the chaos and find shelter in a vacated shopping mall. But as their greed spirals and the undead close in, their haven for waiting out the end of the world becomes the last battleground for survival. And there is nowhere left to hide…

Recommended reading - These are the Voyages - TOS: Season Two, by Marc Cushman & Susan Osborn (2014):

These are the Voyages - TOS: Season Two

By Marc Cushman & Susan Osborn.

Introduced by Walter Koenig.

These Are The Voyages series.

Published by Jacob Brown Media Group.

Published 2014.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0989238156

ISBN-13: 978-0989238151

Description:

"Compelling, page-turning ... the most important book of Star Trek journalism ever done and is just as gripping as [Marc Cushman's] look at the shows and launch of the first season." – Jeff Bond, Editor, Geek Magazine.

"With These Are the Voyages - TOS: Season Two, author Marc Cushman has topped his amazing predecessor!" – Scott Mantz, Access Hollywood.

"You can trust these books! You won't be reading a P.R. man's spins. This is honest and this is how it was being there making Star Trek." – Walter Koenig.

SATURN AWARD WINNING BOOK! The second installment of the These Are the Voyages, TOS trilogy. Now, travel back to 1967, with Star Trek entering its second season on NBC as the incredible, in depth, behind-the-scenes story gets even more remarkable. For Gene Roddenberry and his talented team, launching Star Trek was nearly an impossible task. Keeping it on the air was even harder. Learn why Leonard Nimoy almost didn't return for Season Two. Explore why Lucille Ball, whose Desilu Productions, had gambled big on financing Star Trek, would lose her studio. Discover the real reason producer Gene Coon suddenly quit in the middle of the second year. Find out about the unproduced episodes written by renowned science fiction masters. Read the memos from Roddenberry and his staff, and NBC, concerning all 26 Season Two episodes. Witness the continuing deception by the network over the show's ratings, and how the fans took on a corporate giant to save their favorite series.

Recommended reading - The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, by Mordecai Richler (1959):

The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz

By Mordecai Richler.

Filmed as The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974), directed by Ted Kotcheff.

Published by Gallery Books.

First published 1959.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0671028472

ISBN-13: 978-0671028473

Description:

It is time to recognize Mr. Richler as one of North America's most powerful novelists. – The Washington Times.

A rasping humor pervades the book....It burgeons with its special talent and a vulgar vitality. – Chicago Tribune.

A fast-moving, entertaining, and bawdy novel. – The Washington Times.

Funny in the biting, subversive manner of Joseph Heller and Philip Roth. – Los Angeles Times.

Duddy Kravitz [is] Richler's most famous creation. – Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Richler has been praised for his clear-eyed vision and his realistic style.... The total effect is as brash and blatant as a sports car rally -- and as suggestive of power. It comes off brilliantly. – Alfred Kazin, The New York Times Book Review.

From Mordecai Richler, one of our greatest satirists, comes one of literature's most delightful characters, Duddy Kravitz -- in a novel that belongs in the pantheon of seminal twentieth century books.

Duddy -- the third generation of a Jewish immigrant family in Montreal -- is combative, amoral, scheming, a liar, and totally hilarious. From his street days tormenting teachers at the Jewish academy to his time hustling four jobs at once in a grand plan to "be somebody," Duddy learns about living -- and the lesson is an outrageous roller-coaster ride through the human comedy. As Richler turns his blistering commentary on love, money, and politics, The Apprenticeship Of Duddy Kravitz becomes a lesson for us all ... in laughter and in life.

Recommended reading - Nightmare, by Cornell Woolrich (1964):

Nightmare

By Cornell Woolrich.

Filmed as Fear in the Night (1946), directed and written by Maxwell Shane.

Paperback.

Published by Dell.

Published 1964.

ASIN: B0027Q9XOO

Description:

Anthology of six short stories. Story titles: I'll Take You Home, Kathleen / aka One Last Night; Screen Test / aka Preview to Death; I O U / aka I.O.U.–One Life; Three O'Clock; Nightmare / aka And So To Death; Bequest / aka Implacable Bequest.

Recommended reading - Twelve Angry Men, by Reginald Rose (1954)

Twelve Angry Men

Teleplay by Reginald Rose.

Introduction by David Mamet.

Filmed as:

12 Angry Men (1957), directed by Sidney Lumet.

12 Angry Men (1997), directed by William Friedkin.

Paperback.

Published by Penguin Classics.

First published 1954.

ISBN 13: 9780143104407

ISBN 10: 0143104403

ASIN: 0143104403

Description:

A blistering character study and an examination of the American melting pot and the judicial system that keeps it in check, Twelve Angry Men holds at its core a deeply patriotic faith in the U.S. legal system. The play centers on Juror Eight, who is at first the sole holdout in an 11-1 guilty vote. Eight sets his sights not on proving the other jurors wrong but rather on getting them to look at the situation in a clear-eyed way not affected by their personal prejudices or biases. Reginald Rose deliberately and carefully peels away the layers of artifice from the men and allows a fuller picture to form of them—and of America, at its best and worst.

After the critically acclaimed teleplay aired in 1954, this landmark American drama went on to become a cinematic masterpiece in 1957 starring Henry Fonda, for which Rose wrote the adaptation. More recently, Twelve Angry Men had a successful, and award-winning, run on Broadway.

Recommended reading - The Name Is Archer, by Ross MacDonald (1955):

The Name Is Archer

By Ross MacDonald.

Part of the Lew Archer mystery series.

Paperback

Published by Grand Central Pub.

First published 1955.

ISBN 13: 9780446361569

ISBN10: 0446361569

ASIN: 0446361569

Description:

Anthology containing the following stories: Find the woman; Gone girl; The bearded lady; The suicide; Guilt-edged blonde; The sinister habit; Wild goose chase; Midnight blue; Sleeping dog.

Recommended reading - The League of Gentlemen, by John Boland (1958):

The League of Gentlemen

By John Boland.

ASIN: B000WH36FM
Published by Beacon Envoy.
Published 1958.
Mass Market Paperback.

The basis of the movie The League of Gentlemen (1960), directed by Basil Dearden.

Recommended reading - William Wordsworth Selected Poems, by William Wordsworth (2004):

William Wordsworth Selected Poems

By William Wordsworth.

Introduced by Stephen Gill.
Published by Penguin Classics.
First Edition.
First published 2004.
Paperback.
ISBN-10: 0140424423
ISBN-13: 978-0140424423

Description:

One of the major poets of Romanticism, Wordsworth epitomized the spirit of his age with his celebration of the natural world and the spontanous expression of feeling. This volume contains a rich selection from the most creative phase of his life, including extracts from his masterpiece, The Prelude, and the best-loved of his shorter poems such as 'Composed Upon Westminster Bridge', 'Tintern Abbey', 'I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud', 'Lucy Gray', and 'Michael'. Together these poems demonstrate not only Wordsworth's astonishing range and power, but the sustained and coherent vision that informed his work.

Recommended reading - Nightmares & Dreamscapes, by Stephen King (1993):

Nightmares & Dreamscapes

By Stephen King.

Published by Scribner.

First published 1993.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 1501192035

ISBN-13: 978-1501192036

Description:

Includes the story “It Grows on You” – set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine.

The classic short story collection from #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King.

A wrong turn on a lonely road lands a wayward couple in Rock and Roll Heaven, Oregon, where there’s no escaping the free nightly concert…. A novelty toy becomes an unexpected and terrifying instrument of self-defense…. An ex-con pieces together a map to unearth a stolen million dollars – but at what price?... A private investigator in Depression-era Los Angeles is finding his life unraveling as he discovers the shocking truth of who he really is…. A third-grade teacher is willing to dig deep in order to exact revenge for his murdered wife.... These are just some of the haunting scenarios to be found in this classic collection – spellbinding tales from the darkest places and the unparalleled imagination of fiction’s master storyteller. Stories include: Dolan's Cadillac; The End of the Whole Mess; Suffer the Little Children; The Night Flier; Popsy; It Grows on You; Chattery Teeth; Dedication; The Moving Finger; Sneakers; You Know They Got a Hell of a Band; Home Delivery; Rainy Season; My Pretty Pony; Sorry, Right Number; The Ten O'Clock People; Crouch End; The House on Maple Street; The Fifth Quarter; The Doctor's Case; Umney's Last Case; Head Down; Brooklyn August.

Recommended reading - The Blue Hammer, by Ross Macdonald (1976):

The Blue Hammer

By Ross Macdonald.

Published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.

First published 1976.

ISBN-10: 0307279065

ISBN-13: 978-0307279064

Description:

The desert air is hot with sex and betrayal, death and madness and only Detective Lew Archer can make sense of a killer who makes murder a work of art.

Finding a purloined portrait of a leggy blonde was supposed to be an easy paycheck for Archer, but that was before the bodies began piling up. Suddenly, Archer find himself smack in the middle of a decades-long mystery of a brilliant artist who walked into the desert and simply disappeared. He left behind a bevy of muses, molls, dolls, and dames-each one scrambling for what they thought was rightfully theirs.