Richard McKenna

Set in China on the eve of revolution, the book tells the story of an old U.S. Navy gunboat, the San Pablo, and her dedicated crew of "Sand Pebbles" on patrol in the far reaches of the Yangtze River to show the flag and protect American missionaries and businessmen from bandits. The arrival of machinist's mate Jake Holman, a maverick and loner, dramatically alters the lives of the crew and of the people they have come to save. It is the story of old loyalties versus new values, of violence and tenderness, tragedy and humor, and it engages the reader from the first line to the last.

The Sand Pebbles

Kelly Roberts

Michael Grasso

An offbeat odyssey through the most daring and disruptive phase of American cinema since the advent of sound — during the most transformative and tumultuous period of American history since the Civil War. We Are the Mutants is a critical reassessment of what is arguably the most discussed and beloved stretch of movies in Hollywood history. Documenting the period between the arrival of US combat troops in Vietnam and the end of President Ronald Reagan’s second term, it forgoes the usual and restrictive exemplars of “auteur cinema,” and instead focuses on an eclectic selection of films and genres — horror, documentary, disaster, vigilante action, neo-noir, post-apocalyptic sci-fi — to track this period's tumultuous transformation in American life, culture, and politics. Covering everything from Rosemary’s Baby and Enter the Dragon to Escape from New York and Fatal Attraction, and from manufactured blockbusters and studio sleepers to forgotten Bs and cult classics, We Are the Mutants re-writes the history of modern American cinema, and in doing so, the history of America itself.

The Battle for Hollywood from Rosemary's Baby to Lethal Weapon

We Are the Mutants

Charles F. Myers

Hal Charles

Shannon Taft

Norman Spinrad 

O’Neil De Noux 

Darrell Schweitzer 

Gil Brewer 

Andy Adams 

Cordwainer Smith 

This issue features original mysteries by O’Neil De Noux and Shannon Taft (thanks to our Acquiring Editors, Michael Bracken and Barb Goffman), a Gil Brewer crime classic, and another entry in the Biff Brewer mystery series by Andy Adams. And what issue would be complete without a solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles? On the more fantastic side of things, you might say things have gone to the birds…we have a pair of classic avian-themed stories by Cordwainer Smith and Richard McKenna. But we also have a terrific Norman Spinrad short, about the effects of virtual entertainment on actors, and Darrell Schweitzer contributes a poignant tale of a man whose father has delusional battles against the dreaded Zeppelin Gang. Or are they delusions? And a few issues ago, I promised more of the humorous Toffee tales from Charles F. Myers. Well, in my research through the pulps, I only looked at titles…imagine my surprise when The Shades of Toffee turned out to be a novel, instead of a short story! Here it is. More Toffee shorts (I assume they’re short) will follow in future issues. Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “The James Mason Effect,” by O’Neil De Noux [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “The Clue in the Conservatory,” Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “A Tail of Justice,” by Shannon Taft [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “The Gesture,” by Gil Brewer [classic short story] The Mystery of the Caribbean Pearls, by Andy Adams [novel, Biff Brewer series] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “A Man of the Theater,” by Norman Spinrad “Fighting the Zeppelin Gang,” by Darrell Schweitzer “The Night of Hoggy Darn,” by Richard McKenna [classic short story] “From Gustible’s Planet,” by Cordwainer Smith [classic short story] The Shades of Toffee, by Charles F. Myers [novel, Toffee series]

Black Cat Weekly #114

DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "The Sand Pebbles" by Richard McKenna. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

The critically acclaimed New York Times–bestseller and the basis for the Academy Award– and Golden Globe–nominated film starring Steve McQueen. As a spirit of nationalism inspired by Chiang Kai-shek’s leadership begins to sweep through China, the river gunship San Pablo is ordered to patrol the region and to protect US citizens. Jack Holman is a machinist aboard the San Pablo, who has joined the navy in order to avoid jail time. Because he is so fiercely independent, Jake remains a relative loner and is uncomfortable with navy protocol and discipline. McKenna’s independent mind chafes against military hierarchy and also ensures that he does not share his shipmates’ disdain for the Chinese. Instead, McKenna is fascinated with the culture and the people that surround him and develops emotional bonds that prove quite thorny when the circumstances become more tumultuous and more dire. The perspective of The Sand Pebbles is therefore both panoramic as well as personal. Like Lawrence of Arabia, the tension explored here is between the self as individual against the broader spectrum of social and historical forces against which we are all measured. “A bold well-written book, inclusive in its concepts, memorable in character and incident, fearlessly impartial in its delineation of the incompatible sets of values held by the men on all sides.” —Kirkus Reviews

Casey Agonistes, and Other Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories

Selections from the author's uncompleted second novel and stories about a lonely warrant officer, a crafty sailor, and a proud engineer are accompanied by essays about historical research and naval life and reform.

Richard McKenna

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