Buckle your seat belts! This is going to be a wild ride! We take a deep dive into “Blacktop Wasteland” by SA Cosby, a novel we both describe as a modern classic. Cosby takes us on a journey through the rural hills of Virginia in this exhilarating, timely work that highlights everything godo that modern …
In Episode 54, we revisit to one of the masters of hardboiled detective crime fiction, Raymond Chandler, and his acclaimed second novel, Farewell, My Lovely. Damn, this book is boozy. (And racist!) But also rich with memorable secondary characters (Moose Malloy and Jessie Florian) and Marlowean one-liners. It’s a classic example of hardboiled detective fiction …
From the shadows, we emerge to discuss the huge topic of spy fiction. We look at this genre in broad strokes, covering nearly a century of spy novels, including works by Joseph Conrad, Eric Ambler, Ian Fleming, Graham Greene, John Le Carré, Alan Furst, Adam Hall, and more! I’m sure we’ve missed a lot, so …
Hello Blankers! In this episode we celebrate the Point Blank Podcast semicentennial by regaling you with memories of our first three years of hardboiled, noir, and detective fiction. Also, we answer tough questions about our personal favorite (and least favorite) crime fiction novels, authors, characters, and settings. Get in touch with the show: pointblanknoir@gmail.com Twitter: …
E51 — Russian Roulette with Kurt & Justin — First 50 Episodes Read More »
We made it to 50! In this golden anniversary of a show we return to the gritty, noir world of Jim Thompson with Pop. 1280. It’s another take on the corrupt sheriff that Thompson writes so well. Which character is more menacing; Lou Ford or Nick Corey? Which is the better novel? Tune in to …
In Episode 49, we dive deep into Attica Locke’s contemporary soon-to-be classic Bluebird, Bluebird. Justin reviews the western noir film Blood on the Moon, and we go five rounds in Five Round Burst. We also cross promo for a crime podcast we think our fans might enjoy — Crime Is Up Podcast. Get in touch …
E49 — Bluebird, Bluebird — Deep Dive — Cinema Spotlight — Five Round Burst Read More »
In Episode 48, we introduce Attica Locke’s contemporary rural noir soon-to-be classic, Bluebird, Bluebird. We look more closely at rural noir — what it is and who the major players are — in Subject Unknown. We also take a close look at Chris McGinley’s beautiful & disturbing short story collection, Coal Black. Finally, Kurt offers us …
E48 — Intro to Bluebird, Bluebird — Rural Noir — Forgotten Classic — Attica Locke Read More »
Hey, Blankers! In Episode 44 we introduce Richard Stark’s The Hunter, featuring the antihero of antiheroes, no-sense thief & miscreant Parker. Wrong Parker once, and you best watch your back. Also in this episode, Kurt shares a Forgotten Classic, Nightmare Alley, we chat about Crime Fiction in the age of Pandemic, & we learn a …
Greetings Blankers! In Episode 42, don your jet packs because we are going “back to the future” with our introduction to Philip K Dick’s sci-fi-noir classic Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? In Subject Unknown, we discuss Neo-Noir, particularly Sci-Fi Noir. For our Featured Review, we spend time with Dan Stout‘s terrific Titanshade. Kurt also sheds …
E42 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep — Neo Noir — Titanshade — Philip K. Dick Read More »