Welcome to my new blog, Gumshoes, Gats, and Gams. In case you can’t figure out from the title, the focus on this one will be detective and crime fiction, with a heavy dose of noir. I toyed with several titles before selecting this one. Originally I was going to call it Booze, Bullets, and Broads. That title contains the three elements common in Raymond Chandler’s fiction. (I was exposed to Chandler in high school and never quite recovered.  Biologists call this imprinting.) However, given the recent brouhaha MiKe Resnick and Barry Malzberg set off when they referred to a female editor as a “lady”, that title might be deemed a little too sexist. I still like it and may use it for a series of future posts.

Likewise, Detectives, Danger, and Dames. Besides that one is too similar to the title of at least one anthology. The present title hearkens back to the classic detective stories from the 30s and 40s, which sets the tone I’m looking for. It tells you there will be a lone knight walking the mean streets, facing gunfire and a femme fatale or two.

I’ve always enjoyed a good noir or detective story, but they really were outside the focus of Adventures Fantastic, not that I didn’t include some from time to time. Here I can indulge that interest without alienating fantasy fans who aren’t looking for discussions and reviews of detective fiction. And maybe attract some followers who aren’t interested in fantasy or science fiction.

Welcome aboard. I’m glad you’re hear. We’re going to have fun.