THE RED HOT TYPEWRITER

The life, career, and era of mystery writer MacDonald have been painstakingly researched and presented by journalist Merrill (ESKY: The Early Years at Esquire, 1995).

Generous helpings from MacDonald's many letters enliven the narrative and help to offer an up-close look at this prolific author's personal and professional life. A graduate of the Harvard Business School, MacDonald approached writing with an eye toward daily productivity and an aversion for genres that were not selling. His output (at his death in 1986, he had published 70 novels, more than 500 short stories, and 4 books of nonfiction) is a testament to that no-nonsense approach. Merrill notes the unique characteristics of MacDonald's style—among them, the transplanting of the plot of the hard-boiled detective story from the dark streets of the mean city into the bright light of suburbia. Women characters met with more respect from MacDonald than they did from the pens of other favorites like Mickey Spillane and Ian Fleming. Perhaps most outstanding, MacDonald's main characters held strong moral convictions: Travis McGee, hero of the well-known 21-book series, worried about racism, corporate greed, and ecology. The details of MacDonald's career serve as a study of a transformational era in publishing. When he started, there were hundreds of pulp magazines. He wrote for them, paid by the word. During WWII, he saw the pulps' huge numbers dwindle. Right in time, though, his career was significantly aided by the advent of the paperback book. He also experienced firsthand (and none too happily) the writing of screenplays and the adaptation of several of his books into films or television productions.

For potential and actual MacDonald fans, a worthwhile read. It will interest many others, too, who can learn about a revolutionary period in publishing through the eventful career of John D. MacDonald.