A complete, restored issue of Pulp Fiction from 1885 — all 16 pages of painted-cover fiction magazines that launched science fiction, horror, and hardboiled crime, free to page through at ComicBooks.com.

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A complete issue · 16 pages · 1885

Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 439

1885 · Free to read

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About this issue

This issue of Beadle and Adams' Dime Library (December 22, 1885) features "A Neat Piece of Work" by J. C. Cowdrick, author of "The Detective's Apprentice." The serial follows Sandy Sam Sanders, a fifteen-year-old Jersey City bootblack and street scout known for his bravery and quick wit. With $2.49, he sneaks into an empty cab to cross into Manhattan, evading tolls. After emerging at a fashionable avenue, he encounters the cab driver and escapes with characteristic sass. He witnesses a sick man being loaded into the cab with two companions, then observes a street fight beginning. The narrative emphasizes Sam's resourcefulness, street-wise dialect, and mischievous personality as he navigates urban adventure.

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Each page has its own page — the cartoon, who’s in it, and what the satire means.