Rapture books might sound like that crap you can buy in bulk at "Christian" bookstores, virtually the only bookstores left in business today...but that may be due to their considerable trinket sales. However, on the collection plate today is Rapture books offering a second coming alright, but of a different sort.
Rapture started out as a west coast paperback publishing branch off the pulp tree of Publishers Export Company. Since they printed books to be read with one hand, they came to the attention of Cosa Nostra associate Rebuen Sturman, who wanted to control the ENTIRE printed sex business. Eventually, Rapture and the whole line of paperbacks under the PEC umbrella would be distributed by Sturman.
Class act Reuben immediately began selling them by the pound. (See the ad below which offered 100 different for a quarter each.) In another ad, Connoisseur (Sturman's Cleveland headquarters) proudly proclaims "We bought out the publisher's warehouse" and offers "hundreds of thousands of Nightstand, Midnight, Pillar, Ember, Leisure and Evening Readers" and promises to include their catalog of what were increasingly graphic depictions of tired models making love in dismal studios, though the copy says they will "appeal to those who desire a real lustiness..." At the time, "real lustiness" was apparently pale hippies who should have been marching to end the war, but were instead enjoying some free love in makeshift photo studios.
Rapture started out as a west coast paperback publishing branch off the pulp tree of Publishers Export Company. Since they printed books to be read with one hand, they came to the attention of Cosa Nostra associate Rebuen Sturman, who wanted to control the ENTIRE printed sex business. Eventually, Rapture and the whole line of paperbacks under the PEC umbrella would be distributed by Sturman.
Class act Reuben immediately began selling them by the pound. (See the ad below which offered 100 different for a quarter each.) In another ad, Connoisseur (Sturman's Cleveland headquarters) proudly proclaims "We bought out the publisher's warehouse" and offers "hundreds of thousands of Nightstand, Midnight, Pillar, Ember, Leisure and Evening Readers" and promises to include their catalog of what were increasingly graphic depictions of tired models making love in dismal studios, though the copy says they will "appeal to those who desire a real lustiness..." At the time, "real lustiness" was apparently pale hippies who should have been marching to end the war, but were instead enjoying some free love in makeshift photo studios.
At one time, I believe before Sturman muscled in, PEC even had a distributor in Amsterdam, Holland, another hotbed of hippie hedonism.
Rapture got in on the "swap" bandwagon. Hilarously so. In one book which prints their new slogan "A RAPTURE NOVEL: Exploring New Sex for Husbands and Wives" they even quote "Dr. Sara Greenbert" on the value of learning about sex..whether she was referring to "Orgy Island" or "My Wife for Yours" is unclear.
Oh, wait...My Wife for Yours has a quote from Eisenhower! (The "unpopular books" speech he gave in 1953.) The quote runs just before an ad for their next swap masterpiece, one "Swap Massacre" which is hyped as "The Orgy of the Century" and says you should go to your bookseller and ask for it now.
Rapture got in on the "swap" bandwagon. Hilarously so. In one book which prints their new slogan "A RAPTURE NOVEL: Exploring New Sex for Husbands and Wives" they even quote "Dr. Sara Greenbert" on the value of learning about sex..whether she was referring to "Orgy Island" or "My Wife for Yours" is unclear.
Oh, wait...My Wife for Yours has a quote from Eisenhower! (The "unpopular books" speech he gave in 1953.) The quote runs just before an ad for their next swap masterpiece, one "Swap Massacre" which is hyped as "The Orgy of the Century" and says you should go to your bookseller and ask for it now.
"Dammit, I've been coming in here for three weeks. WHEN is Swap Massacre getting here?" Ike said it was on the way!
For another big laugh consider the covers, many of which were painted by super-grumpy artist Doug Weaver (tracked down with ferret diligence by Britney Daley HERE.) Weaver is still inhaling paint fumes, and now peppers his website with new age platitudes and sells cheap giclee prints of his dreadful "old west" scenes to rich republicans. Weaver's skeleton in the closet was curved, rounded and ripe. if featuring his particularly askew perspective and only amateur skill.
Vin Saxon, I believe, wrote Rapture number one, but it was called R201. I am not sure of that, their numbering "system" was as wacky as the trippy Escher-like psychedelic swirl they put on the back covers. (Though the only acid was in the pulp paper, note yellowing and foxing.) That old trick to imply the smut soup had been cookin' a while. Miriam Linna of KICKS has done the lion's work on Saxon.
There appears to be no definitive bibliography of Rapture titles online. Graham Holyroyd lists precious few in his Paperback Prices and Checklist. I am sure there are complete collections somewhere, but for the meantime you can enlarge the list they provided in one of their books. The titles are hilarious enough, but you should see the covers! As for the text? Who knows. I don't read this junk, but someone did. Some fellow wrote "excellent" on the lower edge of one of my copies in ink, and he did NOT mean the condition.
Group of Rapture Vintage Sleaze Paperbacks collection Victor Minx
Preview and Order books and cheap ebook downloads by Jim Linderman HERE
