Ron Goulart

For some reason I feel I'm in the mood for light reading lately, and I've been drawn tot he comic SF writer Ron Goulart. So far I've read six of his books:

1. Calling Dr. Patchwork
2. Hello, Lemuria, Hello
3. The Robot in the Closet
4. A Talent for the Invisible
5. When the Waker Sleeps
6. The Sword Swallower

None of the books were more than 160 pages, and most I finished in 24 hours. They are probably not great literature, but I like them even when they are formulaic and predictable. I'm not sure what exactly it is that appeals to me, but I guess I needed something on the lighter side...maybe I've been reading too much Stephen King or something. The books usually feature secret agents or investigators of one kind or another, with a little secret agent romance, though definitely not of the steamy type. In fact, it seems downright ridiculous sometimes, but I find it doesn't matter. Some of his characters are married, and some not. Neither situation affects the shallow/awkward romace.

It might seem like corny stuff, but Goulart doesn't overdo it, as some have (John Zakour, to name one) and the light tone of the books underscores the fact that they are a tribute to the earlier pulp fiction stories of the 1930s and '40s. Goulart has written a number of nonfiction books on this era, as well as pulp fiction and comics. He's a writer who is also a fan. I like the combination.