A complete, restored issue of Pulp Fiction from 1889 — all 32 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 · 32 pages · 1889

Beadle's Dime Library No. 557

1889 · Free to read

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About this issue

This Beadle dime novel from June 26, 1889, features "Old Riddle's Greatest Riddle" by J. C. Cowdrick. The story opens with Zeb Horn, the Rocky Ranger called "Old Riddles," returning to his mountain cabin with his dog after his wife's death forced him to abandon his Eastern life. Finding a weathered placard signed by "Sweetwater Saul" requesting he join in a discovery and venture toward "the bottomless pit," the ranger puzzles over this cryptic message. The narrative combines frontier adventure with Riddles' characteristic pastime of reciting wordplay riddles to his dog to lift their spirits—including "Why is an island like the letter T?" and "Why is a pair of skates like an apple?" The story establishes a mystery while maintaining the series' lighthearted riddling element.

Browse this issue page by page

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