Pulp Noir

A Cluttered Romance
by Audrey Parente

A grizzled hobbyist of old paper magazines decides to gather collectors and vendors for a weekend of swapping tall tales and lurid artwork. Four decades later, another collector picks up the torch and stumbles. The power of love convinces him to trod on...but in which direction?

Can two avowed hoarders of comic books, paperbacks, hardcovers, movie memorabilia, etc., etc., make room in their lives for each other?
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From the novel ...

“The true hoarder gathers everything, but he never completes and appreciates anything. He can’t focus on one series or author long enough to make any decent headway. Unless, of course, he happens to be independently wealthy. In which case, he purchases everything in sight until his home looks like a warehouse. Then he proceeds to purchase a second house just to store the overflow of his collection.”

Brent’s eyebrows narrowed in thought. “Wait a second,” he said. A nervous laugh escaped his throat. “You mean to say there are guys who buy an entire house just for their collections? Not really, right? You don’t really know any guys like that personally?”

Page nodded. “I’m afraid so,” he said. “The place is cluttered, but the big sweep begins this week.”

A sardonic smile spread across Brent’s face. “Dude,” he spat, “you’ve been saying that for as long as I’ve known you.” Of course, now he expected company ....