Medium Boiled And Two More Stories

by Thomas Burtis

Overview

Excerpt from "Medium Boiled": "The big De Haviland bombing plane was a little more than eight thousand feet high, and "Shag" Moran, its pilot, had an excellent view of a considerable portion of south Texas. His big body was hunched deep into the front cockpit to avoid the terrific airblast which swept back from the propeller, and his black eyes alternated the maze of unfamiliar instruments before him and the unending desert of mesquite below. In long, gray-green waves the chaparral billowed away to the horizon on every side, and there was not so much as a wisp of smoke to indicate that a living thing inhabitated that trackless waste, a mile and a half below It was a sight calculated to make any pilot concentrate on his motor, for there was no possible landing field below, in case that twelve-cylinder Liberty ahead should start to miss. To Shag Moran, however, the very ugliness and desolation of it was a pleasant thrill—a constant reminder of where he was going, and why. Even the thought of himself, alone in a world of his own, was delightful, for the time being. It was the visible evidence of the fact that he had attained combined objectives for which he had dared not hope, three months before. "First Lieutenant John Moran, of the McMullen flight of the Border patrol—" He mouthed the words with leaping heart us his eyes swept the wastes below him, which seemed to epitomize all the romance and danger of the job he was on his way to do. He was bound for the border. More than that, he was to be a member of the blue ribbon outfit of the Army Air Service, the Border patrol. And as the last ingredient of what he conceived to be flyer's paradise, he was to be one of the McMullen flight of that patrol—the flight with the finest record along the Rio Grande."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783988269423
Publisher:	Otbebookpublishing
Publication date:	11/20/2023
Series:	Classics To Go
Sold by:	Bookwire
Format:	eBook
Pages:	111
File size:	756 KB

About the Author

Thomas Burtis, an enigmatic figure in early 20th-century American literature, carved a niche for himself with his distinctive blend of noir and existentialism. Born in 1898 in New York City, Burtis grew up amidst the gritty urban landscape that would later permeate his writing. His early years were marked by a restless spirit and a penchant for rebellion, leading him to drop out of high school and join a traveling circus—a period that profoundly influenced his storytelling.Burtis's literary career began in earnest during the Roaring Twenties, a time of great social upheaval and cultural transformation. His works often grappled with themes of alienation, moral ambiguity, and the human condition, resonating deeply with a generation disillusioned by World War I and the Great Depression. His prose, characterized by sharp dialogue and vivid, almost cinematic descriptions, set him apart from his contemporaries.Controversy was never far from Burtis. His unflinching portrayal of crime and corruption drew both acclaim and censure, with some critics accusing him of glorifying vice. Yet, it was this very rawness that endeared him to a burgeoning counterculture, influencing writers like Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. Burtis was also a vocal advocate for social justice, using his platform to highlight issues such as racial inequality and workers' rights, long before they became mainstream causes.Despite his relatively short life—Burtis died under mysterious circumstances in 1942—his legacy endures. Modern readers find his work not only a window into a turbulent past but also a mirror reflecting timeless human struggles. His revolutionary ideas and fearless exploration of society's underbelly continue to inspire and provoke, ensuring that Thomas Burtis remains a vital figure in the annals of American literature.
Henry Thomson Burtis (1896–1971) was an American writer. Burtis was born in New York. After serving as a lieutenant in US Army Air Service and as a member of the aerial border patrol, Burtis worked as a newspaper reporter before becoming a writer. He wrote more than two hundred stories for pulp magazines such as Adventure as well as over 20 novels, most of which had an aviation theme and were written for children. Many of his stories appeared in The American Boy. In Old Oklahoma was one of several films that were adapted from his short stories. Thomson Burtis died in Santa Monica, California, on April 24, 1971.