Pulp Poem of the Week

The sun was bright and

hot as the insides of

a Russian horse doctor’s valise.

George H. Smith

Bayou Babe

1960

Book Review: George H. Smith and Gil Brewer, Bayou Babe (1960)

You can have a remarkable time reading George H. Smith’s Bayou Babe, but only if you read Gil Brewer’s Backwoods Teaser first. Brewer's novel was published in January 1960; Smith’s book followed five months later. In between, Smith took considerably more than inspiration from Brewer. The books have the same premise, more or less the same opening scene, and many scenes scattered throughout are eerily similar. Historical bottom line: An unexpected payday for Brewer when someone alerted him to Smith's plagiarism. Grade reserved for plagiarists and The Colorado Kid: F-