There I was, just minding my own business, at the Salvation Army thrift on Artesia when I came across this shopping cart full of goodies. It was someone’s entire collection of hardback 1950s-era fiction. I’m talking 40 books, at least. You better believe I dug in, admiring all the artwork. The designs on these vintage books are so inspired. Especially interesting: “A Scent of New Mown Hay.” At first glance, its pastel glory looks enticing, peaceful, perhaps some abstract expressionist flowers; even the title evokes country scenery. Then I saw the fine print: “A novel of action, horror and emotion.” Then it hit me. That’s blood splatter on the cover. Artistic, pastel blood splatter circa mid-century.
I wanted to buy the entire lot, but I refrained, snapping crappy cellphone photos to remember the designs.
I brought home only one book: “Forbidden Area,” a 1956 sci-fi novel. The jacket synopsis got me with this graph: “Set in Florida and Washington, in a world of supernuclear weapons and supersensitive emotion, Pat Frank’s new novel is guaranteed to split the most obdurate atom of reader restraint and cause a nationwide fallout of enthusiasm.”
How could I not buy a book with this premise?
