Hollywood publisher Galaxy Press announces the release of the multicast audio book mystery tale “Dead Men Kill”.
Hollywood, CA – August 27, 2010 (via PressReleaseNation.com) — Hollywood publisher Galaxy Press has announced the release of the multicast audio book mystery tale Dead Men Kill. One of the first zombie fiction tales ever published, Dead Men Kill was written in 1934 for Thrilling Detective magazine by L. Ron Hubbard – whose fifty-year writing career drew upon his real-life adventures as a barnstorming pilot, ethnologist and master mariner.
In the story Dead Men Kill, Detective Terry Lane is trying to solve a series of murders committed by what appear to be zombies – and getting to the bottom of how a zombie is made proves to be even more peculiar when a pufferfish is thrown into the mix. (Find out more about the book Dead Men Kill at the Stories from the Golden Age website: http://bit.ly/GoldenAgeDeadMenKill )
While there appears to be no definitive evidence of zombies within the halls of science – with research and proof constantly challenged – the fact remains that zombies, or something close to zombiism, must have some shred of truth to have catapulted the concept to such high levels of fame within popular culture. Witness George A. Romero’s 1968 film, Night of the Living Dead, and even Michael Jackson’s tribute to the undead in his unforgettable zombie video, Thriller.
Now a zombie, by definition, is a reanimated human body devoid of consciousness; in voodoo, it is a dead person who has been revived by a voodoo priest and remains under control of the priest, since a zombie has no will of its own. While opinions differ as to how you make a zombie, or what causes a person to become one, or why one should even become a zombie, for that matter, a common element that seems to be agreed upon is that the key ingredient for a zombie is a fish – the pufferfish, to be exact.
Supposedly one of the ingredients a voodoo priest uses to create a zombie is found in the pufferfish, ( http://bit.ly/GoldenAgePufferFishAndZombies ) also known as a blowfish (and they do strike an uncanny resemblance to some zombies). Because of its slow, clumsy swimming style, the pufferfish developed two forms of defense. The first is its elastic stomach, which it can hugely inflate with water (and air if need be) to transform itself into a giant inedible ball. The second line of defense that almost all pufferfish have is the poison tetrodotoxin, which is lethal to most other fish, and up to 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide. One pufferfish contains enough toxin to kill thirty adult humans, and unfortunately no known antidote exists. One of the side effects of this poison is paralysis. Cases have been documented of people ingesting it and appearing dead, but making a full recovery.
Now one would think it would be smart to stay clear of “Mr. Puffer”, but strangely, some of the meat of the pufferfish is considered a delicacy. It is called fugu in Japan; it is very expensive, and must be served by a licensed and trained chef who knows that a bad cut will mean almost certain death – and many such deaths do occur every year. The fugu, served raw, contains just enough tetrodotoxin to cause tingling and lightheadedness, making for no doubt what would be considered a very exciting, if not stressful, evening out.
Dead Men Kill is just one of over 150 tales in the Stories from the Golden Age collection which draw on fascinating historical facts and incidents. Tiffany Holmes, V.P. of Marketing and Sales for Galaxy Press states, “It’s a refreshing break from stereotypical fiction and cookie-cutter protagonists that tend to crowd most retail bookshelves today.”
The Stories from the Golden Age tales are available in paperback and audio book format, and can be found at the Stories from the Golden Age web site or wherever books are sold. A fascinating behind-the-scenes video, Making Golden Age Pulp Fiction Audio Books, can be seen online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOtwOYBL1Zs
About Stories From the Golden Age:
Stories From the Golden Age is a line of 80 books and multi-cast, unabridged audio books, featuring 153 stories written by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1930s and 1940s in any of the several popular genres of the day – mystery, thriller, adventure, science fiction, fantasy and western – with tales appropriate for all ages from middle school and up. The covers for the complete available library are displayed in the iBookstore and purchasing is a breeze on the new iPad. The eBooks are also available at Amazon.com, BarnesAndNoble.com and on the Stories from the Golden Age website.
For more information on Stories from the Golden Age, go to http://www.GoldenAgeStories.com
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Press Contact:
Tiffany Holmes
VP Marketing
Galaxy Press
7051 Hollywood Blvd.
Suite 200
Hollywood, CA
90028
(323) 466-7815
tholmes@galaxypress.com