The blurb: If books could kill…The 1970s and ’80s were a glorious time for paperback horror novels…if you enjoy tales of Satanic sex cults, homicidal ghost clowns, man-eating slugs and Nazi leprechauns. Don’t be afraid! Just hold the hand of horror author Grady Hendrix as he guides you through this forgotten horror fiction boom. With hilarious story recaps, poignant creator biographies, and hundreds of the most awesomely insane book covers ever published.
The review: Grady Hendrix is a horror author with an encyclopedic knowledge of horror fiction, which he has put to bloody good use in this journey through the foggy swamp of horror fiction in the 1970s and ’80s. During these decades, the art of frightening people shitless came of age, thanks to the huge critical, commercial and cultural success of, among others, The Exorcist and Rosemary’s Baby. The horror paperback became ubiquitous, with their often lurid subject matters and eye-catching covers.
Hendrix is our ideal guide, entertaining and informing us as we follow him through the many subject matters that fall under the umbrella of horror, such as devil worship, creepy children, haunted houses, rabid animals, humanoid monsters and more. It’s at times colourful, pulpy, outrageous, shocking, hilarious and batshit crazy. However, a few more sombre turns are taken, like when we touch upon the Satanic panic of the 1980s, or the lurid behind the scenes saga of The Amityville Horror.
The author biographies are fascinating, of course, but the real star of the show here is the dazzling array of book covers. Book cover art is a skill all of its own, and much of the art on display here really is glorious. A lot of them are schlocky, some are sensationalist, some evocative, many are creepy and more than a few are genuinely beautiful. But I guarantee you’ve never seen this many skeletons in one place (outside of a medical textbook, that is). Hendrix also supplies us with biogs of some of the stand-out artists in this field too, which is very welcome. Talent should always be recognised.
You don’t have to be a fan of the horror genre to enjoy Paperbacks from Hell, but, as the old cliche goes, it helps. This would appeal to any lover of books. On every page I was finding new novels I wanted to read, starting with the one about the Nazi leprechauns. You won’t find a book like that in any other genre, I guarantee you that.
The author: New York Times bestselling author Grady Hendrix makes up lies and sells them to people. His novels include HORRORSTÖR about a haunted IKEA, MY BEST FRIEND’S EXORCISM, which is basically “Beaches” meets “The Exorcist”, WE SOLD OUR SOULS, a heavy metal horror epic, THE SOUTHERN BOOK CLUB’S GUIDE TO SLAYING VAMPIRES, and THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP, coming on July 13, 2021. He wrote the screenplay for MOHAWK, a horror flick about the War of 1812, and SATANIC PANIC about a pizza delivery woman fighting rich Satanists. You can discover more ridiculous facts about him at http://www.gradyhendrix.com.
Paperbacks form Hell by Grady Hendrix is published by Quirk Books and is available online and from all good bookshops.
RICHARD E. ROCK 
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