Saturday, December 29, 2012

Paperback 585: A Dram of Evil / D.J. Olson (Award Books A285X)

Paperback 585: Award Books A285X (PBO, 1967)

Title: A Dram of Evil
Author: D.J. Olson
Cover artist: allworkandnoplaymakesJackadullboy

Yours for: $10

Award285X

Best things about this cover:
  • If I'd had any hand in decorating that room, I'd've hanged myself too. "Living nightmare," indeed.
  • Grandma got run over by a reindeer ... and then she lay down on this bed and bled out.
  • This cover is making me nostalgic for "Harold & Maude."
  • I want to live in a world where more things are done "in the BABY JANE manner." 

Award285Xbc

Best things about this back cover:

  • Ugh. Text. Come on. Enough with the wordy-words.
  • Wait ... if the girl had been dead ... Jack Wardlaw would *still* have been a murderer. What am I missing?
  • I want to live in a world where more things are "personified by Boyd Hanover."
  • Oooh, a *black* web of evil. Nice. I was expecting mauve.


Page 123~

The room was dark and humid and I caught myself actually sniffing the air like an animal, as if wary of his scent.

"Actually" is the definition of unnecessary in this sentence. I'm sure you'd like some fantastically withering comment here, after my month+-long hiatus, but all I've got is my inner editor going "oh, hell no. Cut!"

~RP

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2 comments:

Karl said...

The old fashioned pitcher and basin add quite a charming touch to the otherwise straight-from-hell decor, I think. Maybe the pitcher is where the dram of evil is kept?

Speaking of which, it's almost like they were encouraging people to think the word "dram" is a misprint, the way they put "nightmare" and "awaken" in the tagline above the title...

Anonymous said...

So, how high is the ceiling in that room? I'm guessing 30' or more.

I really don't think a dram of evil can do that much harm. I mean, a dram of pure, uncut coke doesn't even get me off, so how much damage could a dram of evil effect one?

Welcome back Rex, you're been missed.