The passing of a giant. RIP Derrick Ferguson

Derrick Ferguson passed away on April 4th 2021. I cannot claim to be anywhere near as close to him as his many friends and writing collaborators over the years but I felt like I should add to the tributes. And there are many. Just take a look at his Facebook page (unfortunately, many of them are set at 'friend' viewing only but there are still a lot of public posts and links to blog posts.)

I'd only gotten to know Derrick in the past few years. He was a huge mover, motivator, and founder of the New Pulp movement. I read a Dillon short story in BLACK PULP and then read THE VRIL AGENDA and friended him on Facebook. He wasn't just a giant of New Pulp, he was a gregarious giant of a man.

His 100 NEW PULP BOOKS TO GET YOU STARTED is an invaluable resource to help a newbie get their feet wet in the New Pulp movement. When I came in, the list was 50. Then in just the past few years, he bumped it from 50 to 75 to 100, often by going on recommendations from others, not just himself. I was honored he took my suggested additions on faith.

He read a short story of mine in STORYHACK #5 and lauded it. That meant a lot, as I was shifting into New Pulp writing, a new thing for me, having dabbled in some horror and weird up until then.

My favorite, and sadly only, collaboration story; Derrick put out a call for stories for DILLON: THE ODD JOBS 2. The concept being that Derrick would take contributions from other authors to write tales of Dillon or other Dillon-verse characters. I'd missed out on the first ODD JOBS. I wasn't going to let the opportunity pass.

I'd been trying to write a novella featuring my jungle hero, the Puma. I kept getting stuck on plotting. When the ODD JOBS 2 chance came, I asked Derrick if it would be all right if I tried a crossover, using Dillon. I wasn't sure two alpha males in the jungle pulp story would work but I wanted to try. Derrick gave me the go ahead.

I took a little longer than I wanted, but I sent him the novella in January. His first reply to me was that he had more to say, but upfront, he liked it and it reminded him of the Mike Henry Tarzan movies. I replied that was exactly what I'd been aiming for.

Imagine my surprise when next I heard about my story, Derrick was lauding it as a preview on his Facebook Dillon discussion group. Not only that, but he said,

I've just finished reading Paul McNamee's story for DILLON: THE ODD JOBS II and it was even more fun reading it the second time around as the first time I read it I had a feeling about what Paul was doing in this story and was delighted when he confirmed my hunch.
I'm not going to say much more about his story--which not only has the expected non-stop action a Dillon story is expected to have, but [also] some interesting observations about the deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon rain forest--except for this:
If you're as much of a fan of the Mike Henry Tarzan movies as I am (especially "Tarzan and The Valley of Gold") then you're going to totally love Paul's story because that's exactly what he's done: dropped Dillon right into the action-packed middle of a Mike Henry Tarzan movie

Later, I revealed to Derrick an Easter egg joke I'd really wanted to include in the story but never found the right spot. He replied, "LMAO! I would have fallen out of my chair if that had been in there!"

If there's one thing I take away from Derrick's writing presence it is that sense of absolute fun he was having. He reminded us all that you should have as much fun writing it as reading it--at least when it comes to pulp action adventure.

I wish I'd gotten to know him sooner and better. Life is too short. Time passes much too quickly these days.

Grab some of his books, read in his honor. I guarantee you will have fun and you won't be bored.

RIP, you giant of a wonderful human being. You are and will be sorely missed, Derrick Ferguson.

recent read; Derrick Ferguson WILL WRITE FOR FOOD

 WILL WRITE FOR FOOD: The Freelance Stories of Derrick Ferguson

Derrick Ferguson has rapidly become one of my favorite writers since I discovered New Pulp and his body of work. He can always spin an unpretentious fun tale that will keep the reader entertained. His Doc Savage/James Bond/international adventurer extraordinaire, Dillon, put him on the map, but rest assured Derrick can write anything that gets thrown at him.

WILL WRITE FOR FOOD is a collection of his non-Dillon work, and for the ebook price of admission, you really shouldn't miss out.

Stories of G-men, 1930s Pacific island adventurers, crime tales, a fantastical voyage of Sinbad the sailor, a superhero throw down, and Old West stories of Bass Reeves.

Put this collection on your list!

recent read; DILLON Annual Collection 2018

DILLON Annual Collection 2018 by Derrick Ferguson

Continuing my foray into New Pulp, this DILLON Annual Collection 2018 has a spot on Derrick Ferguson's 100 New Pulp Books To Get You Started. What's that? You ask when happened the 25, the 50, the 75? Well, it was always Derrick's goal to create a list of 100 titles. Well worth your time to keep it handy. Pick a title now & then as part of your reading mix!

Back to the collection. Not only do we get a round up of DILLON novellas and short stories, this collection also includes the complete novel, DILLON AND THE PIRATES OF XONIRA, so it's a deal, especially at ebook prices.

Among the mix you'll find; a kidnapped movie star, lost artifacts, action, pirates, submarines, trains, intrigue & betrayals, showdowns with foes and friends, and a coveted bad ass belt buckle!

DILLON stories are very much action movies in prose form, and if you enjoy those flicks, any kind from the 1960s through today, you'll have a blast going along with Ferguson and Dillon on this collected joyride.

recent read: Derrick Ferguson's Dillon 2-fer

Not so much on detailed reviews here. Just wanted to highlight some very enjoyable New Pulp adventures you should check out.

As I've mentioned before, if you have any interest in New Pulp, a great place to start is Derrick Ferguson's 75 Pulp Books To Get You Started.

Ferguson's own spy-mercenary-adventure hero, Dillon, appears in a growing body of work. If you like James Bond, or action movies in general, you should be reading Ferguson's Dillon tales. They are a blast!

 I first encountered Dillon in BLACK PULP, in the story "Dillon and the Alchemist's Morning Coffee."

Near the end of last year, I read the first Dillon novel, DILLON AND THE VOICE OF ODIN. I was not disappointed. Check out the behind-the-scenes notes.

Recently, Ferguson released DILLON: THE ODD JOBS, where he had other writers play in his sandbox. The results are enthusiastic fun!

In the introduction to the anniversary release of VOICE OF ODIN, Joel Jenkins states, "Derrick has the ability to mix ... disparate elements together so they work." He is spot on. You never quite know what will be thrown in the mix--character-wise, or plot-wise, or both. The Dillon stories are break-neck speed romps of action-adventure.

I will be reading a lot more Dillon in the near future. And you should, too!