Pulp Magazine Genres
Pulp magazines cover a wide variety of genres and as early as 1896, there were over 200 pulp magazines on the market in America.
Pulp Magazine Genres
Adventure – Aviation – Crime – Detective – Espionage – Fantasy – Gangster – Horror – Humor – Mystery – Occult – Railroad – Romance – Science Fiction – Série Noire – Spicy/Saucy – Sports – War – Weird Menace – Western
Adventure Pulp
The Adventure Pulp genre is a combination of action, mystery, and suspense. It typically features a hero who is thrust into a dangerous situation and must use his wits and physical prowess to survive. Adventure Pulp Magazines featured stories of pirates, lost worlds, and ancient civilizations. Some examples of Adventure Pulp Magazines include: Argosy, Amazing Stories, and Weird Tales.
Aviation Pulp
The Aviation Pulp genre is a type of fiction that typically features stories about airplanes and pilots. These stories often have elements of adventure, danger, and suspense. Aviation Pulp Magazines often featured stories about daring pilots and their adventures. Some examples of Aviation Pulp Magazines include Ace High, Air Stories, and Flying Aces.
Crime Pulp
The Crime Pulp genre is a type of fiction that typically features stories about criminals and their crimes. Crime Pulp Magazines are typically filled with stories of suspense, violence, and sex. Some examples of Crime Pulp Magazines titles include: Black Mask, Dime Detective, and The Shadow.
Detective Pulp
The Detective Pulp genre is a type of crime fiction that was typically told from the perspective of a private investigator who was hired to solve a crime. The stories were often fast-paced and full of twists and turns. Many of the most popular detective pulp magazines were published in the United States, but the genre was also popular in other countries, such as the United Kingdom. Some of the most famous detective pulp magazines were The Black Mask and Detective Fiction Weekly.
Espionage Pulp
The Espionage Pulp genre is a type of crime fiction that typically feature stories of international intrigue and espionage, and often include elements of mystery, crime, and suspense. Some examples of Espionage Pulp Magazines titles include: The Shadow, The Black Mask, and The Spider.
Fantasy Pulp
The Fantasy Pulp genre is a combination of fantasy and pulp fiction. It typically features stories with elements of sword and sorcery, adventure, and mystery. Some examples of Fantasy Pulp Magazines titles include Weird Tales, Strange Tales, and Astonishing Stories.
Gangster Pulp
Gangster Pulp is a subgenre of crime fiction that typically features stories about gangsters and other criminals. The stories often have a gritty, realistic style and are often set in urban environments. Gangster Pulp Magazines often have titles such as Gangster Stories or Crime Stories.
Horror Pulp
The Horror Pulp genre is a type of fiction that combines elements of horror and pulp magazines. Horror Pulp Magazines often feature stories of monsters, mad scientists, and otherworldly creatures. These stories are often set in dark and suspenseful settings, and they often end with a twist or a shock ending. Some examples of Horror Pulp Magazines titles include Strange Tales, Startling Stories, and Terror Tales.
Humor Pulp
Humor Pulp is a genre of fiction that is characterized by its light-hearted and comedic tone. Humor Pulp Magazines often feature stories with elements of satire, parody, and farce. Some examples of Humor Pulp Magazines titles include College Humor, Ballyhoo, Capt. Billy’s Whiz Bang, and Fun House Magazine.
Mystery Pulp
The Mystery Pulp genre typically featured stories with elements of crime, suspense, and the supernatural. Some examples of Mystery Pulp Magazines titles include The Shadow, Weird Tales, and Strange Tales.
Occult Pulp
The Occult Pulp genre is a sub-genre of horror that includes stories with elements of the occult, supernatural, and/or paranormal. Examples of Occult Pulp story elements include ghosts, vampires, werewolves, witches, zombies, and other monsters. Occult Pulp titles include Weird Tales, Strange Tales, and Tales from the Crypt.
Railroad Pulp
The Railroad Pulp genre is a subgenre of the Pulp fiction genre that focuses on stories that take place on or near railways. Story elements often include crime, adventure, and romance. Examples of Railroad Pulp Magazines titles includeThe Railroad Man’s Magazine and Railroad Magazine (considered to be the first pulp to specialize in a genre in 1906).
Romance Pulp
The Romance Pulp genre is a subgenre of the Pulp Fiction genre that focuses on stories with a romantic element. Some examples of story elements that are common in Romance Pulp stories are damsels in distress, dashing heroes, and exotic locations. Some examples of Romance Pulp Magazines titles are Love Story Magazine, Ranch Romances, and North-West Romances.
Science Fiction Pulp
The Science fiction Pulp genre is a subgenre of speculative fiction that typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universes, and extraterrestrial life. Some of the many scifi pulp titles include Amazing Stories, Galaxy Science Fiction, Fantastic Universe, and Analog Science Fiction and Fact.
Série Noire
The Série Noire are French crime pulps, although most of them were originally english. The gener itself showed the French interest at the time in stories that focused on the dark and seedy side of human nature, often featuring characters that are criminals or otherwise involved in unsavory activities. Série Noire magazines typically feature stories with gritty, realistic settings and characters that are often flawed and morally ambiguous. Some examples of Série Noire titles include Black Mask and Detective-Dragnet Magazine.
Spicy Pulp
The Spicy pulp genre was a subgenre of pulp magazines that were published from the 1920s to the 1950s. These magazines were characterized by their focus on sensational, often titillating stories with explicit visuals. Spicy pulp magazines often featured stories about topics such as crime, sex, and violence, as well as stories with a more lighthearted and humorous tone. Some examples of Spicy pulp magazine titles include Spicy Detective Stories, Spicy Mystery Stories, and America’s Spiciest Stories.
Sports Pulp
The Sports pulp genre is a subgenre of pulp fiction that typically deals with sports-related stories. Common story elements include athletes, coaches, teams, and games. Examples of Sports pulp Magazines titles include Thrilling Sports, Sport Story Magazine, and Fight Stories.
War Pulp
The War pulp genre is a subgenre of the pulp magazine genre that featured stories about wars, both past and present. War pulp story elements include stories about wars and battles, stories about soldiers, sailors, and aviators, stories about heroism and bravery, and stories about adventure and excitement. Some examples of War pulp magazines titles include Yankee Doodle, Air War Magazine, The American Eagle, and Starry Flag.
Weird Menace Pulp
The Weird Menace Pulp Genre was a subgenre of Pulp Magazines that focused on stories with a supernatural or horror element. Common story elements included mad scientists, evil aliens, voodoo priests, and zombies. Some examples of Weird Menace pulp magazine titles include Dime Mystery Magazine, Terror Tales, and Strange Tales.
Western Pulp
The Western Pulp Genre was a subgenre of American pulp magazines that were popular in the first half of the 20th century. Western pulp magazines typically featured stories about cowboys, gunfighters, and outlaws, and often had dramatic cover art. Some common story elements included shootouts, stagecoaches, and barroom brawls. Some examples of Western pulp magazine titles include Western Story Magazine, Wild West Weekly, and Frontier Stories.
