40 Years of The Executioner

In 1969 Don Pendleton (1927-1995) penned War Against The Mafia, which ushered in an era of "men's adventure" novels, that is still going today. Since that first book, which introduced the character of Mack Bolan, and 37 subsequent books penned by Pendleton himself, there have been dozens of similar series that have come and gone, some mere imitators and knock-offs, and some genuinely original.

This year celebrates 40 years, and believe it or not, the original Executioner series is still in print, with #365 hitting the shelves in April, 2009. Through the years Mack has fought the corruption and evil of the Mafia, the KGB, the Cartels, and just about every other terrorist and criminal organization, both fictional and real, and come away with his mission accomplished. But his "War everlasting" shows no signs of slowing. And Mack and his compatriots at Stony Man Farm (made up of Able Team and Phoenix Force, who also enjoyed success with their own titles for a time, before being combined into the Stony Man novels) are still in action. their ageless, timeless adventures being penned by a stable of talented writers with a passion for justice and sense of nobility that can only be found in works of fiction.

So, I implore you all, no matter your age or taste in fiction, to head to your local book store and pick up one of these great books. They're fast-paced and easy to read, and will entertain you just as much as the best of the hardcore action movies we all love (whether secretly or openly).

You're not into that sort of thing, you say? You think you won't enjoy them because you're a woman, you say? Well, Don's widow, Linda had this to say on his official webpage (www.donpendleton.com):

"Don also believed that the male attraction to Bolan had to do with the innate warrior essence that has basically been lost over the centuries. Men identify with Bolan's warrior essence, even at a subliminal level, and in doing so, re-identify the male essence within self.

"Approximately forty percent of Executioner fans over the years have been women. From a woman's perspective, Bolan is the romantic hero, a man of strength and a protector–a knight in shining armor. So in a society that seems to fail to give us true heroes, Bolan fills the bill."

So head to your bookstore for the latest books, or the used bookstore if you want to start at the beginning, or even somewhere in the middle. Each book is an adventure unto itself, and aside from occasional trilogies, each book can be read and enjoyed on its own.

I also recommend heading to www.mackbolan.com and seeing what's there. There's a nice list right on the front page of the most-recommended books rated by fans. That's a good place to start.

In these trying times of moral corruptness, who wouldn't enjoy a little aggressive diplomacy that can only come from the end of rifle, in the hands of men whose lives are dedicated to eradicating evil?

Verbosity

So, I figured I would post about some things that have been on my mind. First, an update on my book. It's dead, Jim. Well, not really. But it is on the back burner. My creative focus (as diminished as it is by school, work, and an infant son) has been focused on the Western genre. I've read a couple of books, and listened to some Louis L'Amour stories on CD. I've started a story of my own, but have been re-thinking it entirely. I like the character I have created, and I like the opening scene. I just don't like the setting. It's too cliche. Which made me start thinking about where I could set it. And I thought, why not Wisconsin? So, doing a little research, I found that the state has a good history for stories. The logging boom in the early 1800's, the settlements by Germans and Scandinavians, I can see some good potential. My story was originally set in New Mexico, with the character from Texas. So, I figured it would be kind of cool to have the same Texan head North instead of West, and end up in a logging community. We'll see how it goes.

Not surprisingly, I also have another creative iron in the fire. Among my recent audiobook endeavors was a Mack Bolan book, Zero Option, by Mike Linaker (who is also a prolific writer of Westerns). This one got me thinking about action/adventure books again, and I have been contemplating dusting off some of my story ideas for Executioner novels.

Our D&D 4E game got off to a bumpy start, but then we had a really fun session. And just as suddenly as it started, we had to pause for a month, as one of our players (we have only 3) had to bow out for the month of March for work-related reasons. I think it will be fine. Though I wonder if I am going to be as enthused about the character now that I will probably have a copy of the Player's Handbook 2 by the time we start again. Then again, my wife got paints for minis for her birthday, so that may keep me enthused. After all, nothing brings a character to life than a well-painted, well-sculpted mini.

One down-side to working for a game distributor, I am easily swayed by a lot of the products we sell. Especially the RPGs and miniatures games. I have been looking longingly at the products from Rattrap Productions, with their pulp-inspired goodness, and nifty figures. I want to play some of them badly. But, I just don't know who I would play them with. My wife and I like to play games, but solo adventures and the like are difficult at best. And making time for them is a logistical nightmare sometimes. We're lucky to keep up with the D&D game every other Sunday.

So, in the end I read a little, write a little, game a little, and try to get my geek on when I can.