The Joy Wheel

Paul Warren Fairman (1909-1977) was the founding editor of the science-fiction magazine If and the editor of Amazing Stories, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, and Fantastic. As a prolific novelist, Fairman authored the spy series The Man from S.T.U.D. (as F.W. Paul) and contributed to genres like westerns, gothics, crime-noir, young-adult fiction, and television and film tie-ins. 

My first experience with Fairman's writing is his crime novel The Joy Wheel. The book was originally published as a paperback by Lion in 1954. Stark House Press imprint Black Gat Books chose to reprint the book in a new edition as their 73rd release.

Eddie is a high school kid growing up in the 1920s in Chicago. Prohibition is in full-swing and many average blue-collar men are now making a side hustle running the moonshine gauntlet through rival criminal networks and the crack-down police force. Eddie's Uncle Frank, an alcoholic that comes and goes throughout Fairman's addictive narrative, is a moonshine boozer that is near death due to the physical toll of alcoholism. 

Frank's daughter Helen is forced to live with Eddie and his family. This creates a sexual tension between the two cousins. Helen is consumed by inner turmoil with the breakup of her family due to Frank's alcoholism while Eddie is a tenth-grade hormonal time bomb. The two highly-charged emotional states are drawn together to create an irresistible passion. But, this is just one issue affecting Eddie's young life. 

This coming-of-age tale presents a timestamp on an era of American history marked by financial ruin, heightened criminal activity, and new discoveries for Americans searching for opportunity. Eddie quits school to pursue entry level opportunities in the gambling and moonshine racket. He routinely fights with his older sister Gloria, the most mature family member. She's on the cusp of marriage and a new life out west. However, Eddie finds fault with her relationship with their father, a man that Eddie idolizes but soon realizes is emotionally and ethically scarred.

Eddie's journey through sexual revolution, criminality, domestic difficulties, and a fevered concern for tomorrow makes for an enthralling read that is delightful in presentation and meaning. Fairman, while known for his far-flung science-fiction adventures, certainly had a knack for charming crime-noir. This is a thoroughly enjoyable read with a memorable end-of-innocence experience. Highly recommended. Get it HERE.