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![]() Richard S. Prather Richard S. Prather passed away this year in Feb., leaving behind a large library of wonderful paperback originals, written with great wit and bouyant imagination. Though he began writing in the late 1940s, his success came just shortly afterwards when he invented one of the funniest characters and book series in the annals of 20th century pop literature, SHELL SCOTT. Inspired by personal friends and his own life (Scott is Prather's middle name), SHELL SCOTT was the loveable horn-dog Los Angeles private eye. He was the dopey doppleganger to Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer -- all about good times, bodacious babes, and an eye for the humor in even the most threatening of private dick exploits. Imaginatively plotted, cleverly written, and filled with colorful detail about the 50s cocktail-chugging hi-life, the Gold Medal series books (later Pocket Books) sold an astounding 50,00,000 copies -- that's right 50 million books! The reason why you may not be familiar with this phenomenal writer has to do with the real sleaze of the book business -- the power of publishers to control ... and squash a writer's career. I had drinks some years ago with Prather in his Sedona, Arizona home and he recounted the intricacies of his fall-out with Pocket Books, which stemmed from his wish to have a full accounting of his sales. After the company management balked at this, he brought a lawsuit against them and they in turn destroyed his career and soured him on writing. Nonetheless, this man is sadly mourned, and as in all cases with the passing of great creative forces, we are thankful for the bodacious body of work he left behind. For more information, check out Dean Davis' excellent Richard S. Prather website. A growing selection of Prather books below.
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![]() ESCAPADE 2.4 January 1957 VERY GOOD PLUS $16 |
![]() BEST FOR MEN 5.1 February 1966 VERY GOOD PLUS or better $35 |
Books
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