That Freedom of Speech Thing

Now along comes something that really challenges my support of freedom of speech. Talk about squirm-inducing.

O.J. Simpson's about to unleash IF I DID IT, a hypothetical account of the murder of his ex-wife and the poor schmuck who was with her. Regan Books is publishing it, and naturally FOX, the self-proclaimed moral arbiter of these here United States, is planning to air an exclusive "very special" two-part special with The Juice to promote the book.

All just in time for the holidays.

Of course, O.J. was found not guilty, and there is freedom of speech in the U.S., so yes, he does have the right to say pretty much anything he wants. And Regan Books and FOX have the right to publish and broadcast pretty much anything they want.

And of course as a writer and a liberal and a Trudeau-era Canadian and Montrealer and all that I tend to side for all sorts of rights and liberties including, perhaps most importantly, freedom of speech.

I still believe in it.

But sometimes it's tough...

From the Thrilling Detective Vault #2: Chance Purdue

Well, here's number two in the series (Collect 'em all!). I guess I'm just gonna keep doing this until someone tells me to stop.

CHANCE PURDUE
Created by Ross Spencer (1921-1998)

A series of novels spoofing the private eye genre.

They feature the beer-soaked adventures and screwball cases of a Chicago-based P.I.

His name is Chance Purdue.

They are all titled The "Something-or-other" Caper.

They are all written in one-sentence paragraphs.

Like this.

And no punctuation.

Except for periods and question marks.

Each chapter begins with witticisms quotes and aphorisms from Monroe D. Underwood.

No.

I don't know who he is either.

Some people think they're a real hoot.

Some don't.

Author Ross H. Spencer went on to create a whole slew of low-rent, hard-drinking stumblebum Chicago private eyes who stagger, stumble and bumble their way through cases in a self-induced alcoholic fog in pursuit of truth, justice, nymphomaniacs and beer. Fortunately, he dropped the annoying prose style. Some of his other gumshoes include Lacey Lockington, Buzz Deckard, Birch Kirby and Luke Lassiter.

THE CHANCE PURDUE NOVELS
The Dada Caper (1978)
The Regis Arms Caper (1979)
The Stranger City Caper (1980)
The Abu Wahab Caper (1980)
The Raddish River Caper (1981)

OMNIBUS EDITIONS
The Compleat Chance Purdue (1997)

Lord knows, there's plenty more where this came from. If this tickles your fancy, head on over to the Thrilling Detective Web Site, and get that fancy good and tickled.