Fall Dieselpunk Fashion

With the turn of the seasons we retro-fashionistas turn our thoughts to Fall fashion. And just in time the online media gives us a perfect gift. On 9/28/2018, the Huffington Post loaded an article in their Style and Beauty section titled “These Old Hollywood Photos Are All The Fall Style Inspiration You Need”.

In this posting, the reporter Julia Brucculieri writes,

This season, we’re taking a few cues from the women of Old Hollywood, who injected classic glamour into every outfit they wore. Whether it was a sophisticated coat, classic slacks paired with a button-up shirt or a turtleneck sweater, these ladies had autumnal dressing down to a science.

Brucculieri correctly points out that “adding a little vintage flair” to one’s wardrobe is easy. Whether it’s women’s or men’s fashion, most are still considered in fashion.

While not all of the images in the article are from the Diesel Era most are. Read the article here.

Dieselpunk Book Review: Bloodlist by P.N. Elrod

In my last blog post I wrote about the Vampire Files Vol. 1 by P.N. Elrod. In this post I review the first book in the collection: Bloodlist.

Set in the Windy City during the Great Depression, Bloodlist follows ex-newspaper reporter now private detective and newly turned vampire Jack Fleming. The novel begins shortly after his death and resurrection. We then follow Jack as he tries to adjust to being one of the undead while at the same time solving his own murder without dying permanently in the process.

Without a doubt, Elrod has the pulp noir genre down perfectly. Written in the first-person it has the feel of a Dashiell Hammett novel. The banter is perfect and the characters are well-written. Bloodlist has all of the usual suspects. Along with the detective it has the loyal sidekick, the vicious gangsters, and the gorgeous dame.

Of course, the heart of the story is the protagonist Jack Fleming, a hard-boiled detective who honed his skills as a reporter on the streets of New York before moving to Chicago. Even though he’s now a vampire he hasn’t lost his humanity, which leads to internal conflicts and doubts. Is he still a man or is he now a monster?

Elrod take on the vampire myths is quite interesting. Her vampire is an interesting mix of elements retained from the classic while subtracting some and adding new. This mixture results in a creature with some intriguing powers yet also some serious weakness.

P.N. Elrod, author

While I admit that I’m a fast reader I will say that I finished Bloodlist in record time. Looking back, I would say that the main reason I got through it so quickly was largely because it was so well written. The story was fast paced and fun. Plus, Elrod’s writing flows naturally and smoothly.

Bloodlist is a great Dieselpunk novel. Even if one isn’t a fan of vampire novels anyone who enjoys a good pulp noir will enjoy Bloodlist. I look forward to reading more of the Vampire Files series by P.N. Elrod.

Vampire Files by P.N. Elrod

I love it when I come across fresh Dieselpunk. However, it’s frustrating when I learn of that what I thought was fresh had actually been around for decades and I just wasn't aware of it. This applies to a series of novels I've just discovered.

Imagine Sam Spade as a vampire in 1930s Chicago. That’s the premise of the Dieselpunk fiction series The Vampire Files by P.N. Elrod. The first book of the series was Bloodlist, which was published in 1990:

I, VAMPIRE

I've always had a weak spot for strange ladies. One very beautiful girl had even warned me that she was--get this--a vampire. But did I listen?

No.

Well, before you know it, I'm being chased by an ugly thug with a gun, and a bullet blasts its way through my back, and--believe it or not nothing happened. I survived!

How?

You guessed it. I, Jack Fleming, ace reporter, have been transformed into ... a vampire! Which has its advantages. You never die, you never grow old, you sleep all day, and best of all ...

You can hunt down your own murderer.

The Vampire Files Volume. 1 is a collection of the first three books in the Vampire Files series: Bloodlist, Lifeblood, and Bloodcircle. I’ve just started the Vol 1 and I will say that I’m enjoying it greatly. Elrod has the pulp noir style down, the mystery is intriguing, and his take on the vampire myth is very creative.

I plan to write a full review of Bloodlist once I’ve finished.