# Reading > General Literature >  Origin of the term "Pulp Fiction"

## Sitaram

http://www.cinemareview.com/production.asp?prodid=2

671

The term pulp fiction originally referred to "pulp" 
paper magazines of the late 19th century, such as 
Weird Tales and The Strand, which featured the work 
of such prolific literary masters as H.G. Wells 
(The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds), Sir 
Arthur Conan Doyle, (The Lost World, The Adventures 
of Sherlock Holmes) J.R.R. Tolkien (Lord of the 
Rings) and Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan of the 
Apes). Generally, pulp fiction stories focused on 
man struggling with dark, powerful and often, evil 
forces -- both internal and external --beyond his 
control. By the early and mid-20th century, pulp 
fiction, with its mix of science fact and 
speculative fiction, launched a new era and genre 
of fantasy stories with compelling alternative or 
parallel realities. 

The enduring universality of these conflicts and 
stories can be seen in the continued popularity of 
such characters as Sherlock Holmes and Tarzan as 
well as of the recent multiple-Oscar-winning film 
series, "Lord of the Rings," based on Tolkien's 
trilogy, and blockbuster film updates and remakes 
of "The Lost World" (Steven Spielberg's film of the 
same title), "King Kong" and the upcoming Robert 
Rodriguez adaptation of Edgar Rice Burrough's "A 
Princess of Mars." 

http://www.miskatonic.org/rara-avis/...9908/0231.html

how much right do you think Quentin Tarrantino has to use the title 
Pulp Fiction for his movie 


A definition of the term "pulp fiction" is displayed at the beginning 
of the movie, as if to say "This movie is a piece of pulp fiction (so it 
probably shouldn't be taken too seriously)." Not homage to anything, 
just 'nineties self-referential irony.

http://www.wordsmith.org/awad/archives/0804

Subject: A.Word.A.Day--trochal
X-Bonus: It is as impossible to translate poetry as it is to translate music. -Voltaire, writer (1694-1778)

trochal (TRO-kuhl) adjective

Resembling or revolving like a wheel.

[From Greek trokhos (wheel), from trekhein (to run).]

"Consider this unexpected similarity between Pulp Fiction and Forrest Gump: as Pulp Fiction breaks tradition with its trochal form, so Gump breaks the contemporary rules." John H. Richardson; Dumb And Dumber; The New Republic (Washington, DC);
Apr 10, 1995.

"It's trochal, as Malcolm Lowry says. Reiterative, as John Dos Passos said."
Jack Saunders; Forty; Illuminet Press; 1988.

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## subterranean

Thank you Sitaram  :Smile:

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## baddad

Pulp fiction was a term 'originally' coined to describe the 'low-grade' quality of the paper originally used to print inexpensive dime-store novels. The paper was made from moistened wood fibre, rags, etc., circa 1920-1930's. The modern term has incorporated the story genre as an overall description of the original content and quality of the product....

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## mono

I think I saw from some other source that the term 'pulp fiction' also has a connection with a reference to comic books, but this seems a very secondary-hearsay resource.

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## subterranean

And the content must be fiction.......rite?!
 :Wink:  



> Pulp fiction was a term 'originally' coined to describe the 'low-grade' quality of the paper originally used to print inexpensive dime-store novels. The paper was made from moistened wood fibre, rags, etc., circa 1920-1930's. The modern term has incorporated the story genre as an overall description of the original content and quality of the product....

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## baddad

Si' Sub, and Si' Mono, comic books are a good example to the paper product, and the calibre of fiction the term 'pulp fiction' refers to.....

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