Retreats from Oblivion: The Journal of NoirCon
Noir, crime, and mystery short stories, scholarship, and so much more
BOOK REVIEW: “While not of the caliber of Chandler or Hammett, Keene’s working-class novels show his talent for telling intriguing mysteries at a breakneck pace.”
Read More “Dead Men Are My Business: Day Keene’s Mrs. Homicide, Naked Fury, and Murder on the Side” by William BlickBOOK REVIEW: “As deadly serious as an infected a wound that Billy and people like him live with every day. No humorous anecdotes here. The novel is consistently tragic….”
Read More “Faith, Sport, and Tragedy: Don’t Know Tough” by William BlickREVIEW: “Dan Gremeley and Brad Padowski’s new release shows the glory of the ever-independent neo-noir film that will be around for a long time….”
Read More “The Amazing Elasticity of Neo-Noir: Silent as the Grave (2023)” by William BlickINTERVIEW EXCERPT: “The book moves through different genres and, finally, through different historical moments, gradually emerging from the alternate world of movies into the worlds of movie-making and movie-watching, as if finally coming out of the theater after a day at the pictures.”….”
Read More “In the World of Pre-Code: Geoffrey O’Brien on Arabian Nights of 1934” (Excerpt)NONFICTION: “Bizarre, absurdist, and disturbing, Pollack offers striking revelations…. He attempts to conjure the literary ghosts of a forgotten America.”
Read More “Donald Ray Pollack: A Grit-Lit Trailblazer” by William BlickBOOK REVIEW: “Using a distinct setting, a complex anti-hero, a series of unsavory, as well as empathetic characters, and most notably, a social heartbeat, Dorothy B. Hughes’ Ride the Pink Horse offers an extremely compelling journey.”
Read More “Noir with a Social Conscience: Ride the Pink Horse (1946)” by William BlickBOOK REVIEW: “Demonstrates a degree of mastery of plot, character, and structure as the mystery is solved with all twists and turns readers have come to expect from the genre….”
Read More “Jonathan Latimer, Skilled Artisan of the Crime Genre: Headed for a Hearse (1935)” by William BlickNONFICTION: “Padura has had to walk a fine line in his writing as he faces restrictive elements from the Cuban government, while being realistic about the state of his society….”
Read More “Walking the Fine Line: Leonardo Padura and ‘Havana Noir’” By William BlickNONFICTION: “Woodrell’s visceral and raw prose, combined with precise perception of stark, menacing environments and characters’ flaws and virtues….deserves to be recognized as part of the American literary landscape in the tradition of Faulkner, O’Connor, and McCarthy….”
Read More “Daniel Woodrell: Pulp Outlaw and Pioneer of Rural Noir” by William Blick
