Pulp Fiction: Chapbooks, Dime Novels and Penny Dreadfuls

The library hosts a fall exhibit on dime novels, short works of fiction usually focused on the dramatic exploits of a single heroic character. In the U.S., a rise in literacy rates around the time of the Civil War created a market for books among the working class. In England, the same forces created penny dreadfuls. Both were characterized by the cheap, pulp paper on which they were printed. They appealed mostly to boys and young men, with stories that focused on the American frontier, cowboys, scouts, and Indians. Chapbooks were cheaply produced literature published before 1860 and distributed by peddlers. Through Dec. 3; library open 10 am-6 pm Mon-Sat (to 8 pm on Wed).