John D. Macdonald: A Literary Giant of the Pulp Era

Hello Readers!

Last week we explored the murder mystery genre, and because John D. Macdonald is one of our favorites in that realm we thought he deserved his own blog. 

We're trying to get you excited about murder mysteries because our next novel (which is getting closer and closer to publication) "An Educated Death" has a lot of the classic hallmarks of the genre. We've been enjoying these kinds of stories for decades, and have always wanted to write one ourselves. One source of inspiration was Mr. Macdonald. Here's a little more info about him and what makes him special. 

John Dann Macdonald was born in Sharon, PA in 1916. After graduating from Syracuse University, and then receiving an MBA from Harvard, Macdonald joined the Army as a first lieutenant just before WWII broke out. He served in the OSS in the China Burma India theater. If you've read his stories, you know that he set some of his earlier work in this region, and that was no coincidence. It's probably fair to say that working for what would eventually become the CIA during a world war exposed him to the, shall we say, complexities of human existence. 

Following his military service, Macdonald began his foray into the world of writing, typing away 14 hours a day 7 days a week. Eventually, a short story of his was accepted into a pulp magazine. It was during these formative years that he honed his craft. He would later say in an interview with Writer's Digest, "If you're not willing to commit one million words to paper--ten medium-long novels--without much hope of ever selling one word in the process of learning this trade, then forget it."

Macdonald published over 60 novels during his career, 21 of which were part of the Travis McGee series. The series transports the reader to the sun-soaked, gritty landscapes of Florida, which provide a vivid backdrop for the intrigue, violence, and lust. Living on his houseboat, McGee serves as a self-described salvage consultant who will help anyone retrieve their stolen goods, for half of what's recovered. 

A young Travis McGee

Macdonald also wrote what came to be known as Cape Fear, a standalone novel that was published with the original title The Executioners. After the success of the two film versions, it was renamed. 

With his keen understanding of human nature and knack for building multi-dimensional characters, Macdonald set himself apart from his peers. He was awarded a National Book Award for The Green Ripper, and was also named Grandmaster of the Mystery Writers of America. John was married to his wife Dorothy for 49 years, from 1937 up to his death in 1986. They had one son together. 

Whether it's examining the human psyche or exploring moral gray areas of society, Macdonald's work remains (mostly) timeless, making him a literary giant whose influence can still be felt in the world of crime fiction today. Look no further than us for proof!

Do you have a favorite Macdonald novel? Let us know!

That's all for now readers. We'll see you next week!

~2authors