I don’t claim to know Mr. Bradley Denton. I met him exactly once, at someone’s house over two decades ago. At that time I’d probably read a few of his books, and liked them. As an awkward fan, of course, I muttered something complimentary about his books. No doubt he’s met many a fan, so it meant nothing to him. I may even have asked him to sign a copy or two of his book that I brought along with me, possibly a hardcover edition of Lunatics, or the trade paperback edition of Blackburn. Maybe not. I do own such signed copies of his books, but maybe I also bought them from Book People in Austin, as this bookstore tends to have a lot of authors show up for signings. I frequented Book People quite often back in the 1990s; I don’t recall being there for a Denton signing, but I’ve come across signed copies of books in their shelves, left over from authors who signed any extra books for the store.
Either before the day I met Denton, and definitely since, I’ve picked up every one of his books that I came across. His titles are varied and unique, from Buddy Holly is Alive and Well on Ganymede, to Laughin’ Boy, Wrack and Roll, and One Day Closer to Death. At one point, I struck gold and found copies of the pair of short story collections published by The Wildside Press in 1993 — The Conflagration Artist and The Calvin Coolidge Home for Dead Comedians. These two books were published in a special limited hardcover edition of 400 numbered and 26 lettered copies. They were both signed by Denton and artist Doug Potter, as well as Steven Gould, who wrote the introduction. Laughin’ Boy, published by Subterranean Press, was limited to 750 copies, and came out long after I met Denton, but I have the recollection (maybe right, maybe wrong), or mentioning that I’d heard he was writing this book. The pages of my copy of Wrack and Roll, a diminutive book from Headline in the UK in 1987, are already darkened with age. I’ve never found the paperback edition of this book, but I’m sure there are copies out there, somewhere.
In Denton’s own words, he’s a “semiobscure fiction writer” (One Day Closer to Death – 1998). Maybe he saw the writing on the wall already back then. As of this writing, it’s been a dozen years since his last published book, Sergeant Chip & Other Novellas, a collection published by Subterranean Press in 2014 as a signed/limited edition of only 750 copies. And then…nothing.
Along with Lunatics (1996), perhaps Denton’s most famous book is Blackburn (1993), a collection of tales about a serial killer. This pair of novels, along with One Day Closer to Death and Buddy Holly, received mainstream hardcover editions. Maybe it’s the semiobscure thing that caused the ink to dry, but by God, Denton deserves better. He’s a master prose writer. His stories are captivating, and his characters memorable and unique. And yet, nothing after 2014. I simply have to shake my head.
All this came to mind after I recently acquired a hardcover edition of Blackburn. I already had the trade paperback edition, a signed one to boot. But, I missed out on the hardcover when it first came out in 1993. Now, it joins the rest of my Denton books. Perhaps it’s time for a re-read, not just of Blackburn, but the other ones. I’ll hoist a glass to you, Mr Denton. If you’ve stopped writing, then thank you for the stories, and the memories. If not, then I hope to read more of your stories one day.
