Harlequin Books published 477 titles between 1949 and 1959. Export Publishing Enterprises, one of the other two large early Canadian paperback publishers, published 165 titles between late 1946 and early 1951. Two of the titles were shared by Export and Harlequin. Here is the first one - Outlaw Deputy by Murray Leinster. Leinster's real name was William Fitzgerald Jenkins (1896 - 1975). Many of his westerns were published as by Will Jenkins.
The book was first published by Julian Messner in 1936 under the title Black Sheep.
Typically the Export edition is abridged - about 30% shorter than the Harlequin. The back cover blurbs are nearly identical - both maybe lifted from the Star Guidance book.
News Stand Library 133 - September 1950
News Stand Library 133 back
Harlequin 281 - March 1954
Harlequin 281 back
I'm much more familiar with Murray Leinster as a science fiction writer. He was quite prolific in that genre. I didn’t know that he had written some non-science fiction books. I see that he also wrote a couple of romance novels under the name of Louisa Carter Lee.
ReplyDeleteThe Export edition spelt his name incorrectly on the cover. To spell Murray wrong shows astoundingly low production standards.
Export is the champion for lousy production efforts. Better than any other paperback publisher of the era in the US or Canada.
ReplyDeleteMurry on front cover and spine. Murray on back cover and title page.