Y is for Yellowback

Come on, what’s the first thing to come to mind? Is it this?

Or?

Or maybe this?

That was mine, and now I’m hungry.
Or if you’re still in the gutter, perhaps this?

And the winner is: (insert drum roll) None of the above! It’s this…

And all of the above. Huh?

The yellowback is a deadly spider, a poisonous frog, and scrumptious sushi along with dozens of other things, but mostly it’s a book. And since I am a writer, I find this the most important.

The yellow-back, as more commonly known, is a cheap fiction novel published in Britain in the second half of the 19th century. They were less commonly known as 'mustard-plaster' novels. In honor of the Royal nuptials and all things British today, I thought it was appropriate.

The book given the honor as being the first was Horace Mayhew’s, Letters Left at the Pastrycook’s. Sounds like an exciting read, right? Good thing, as the each of these little goodies were considered sensational fiction writing. Even Robinson Crusoe was a yellowback.

I can’t think of a more deserving almost finish for our one month blogging challenge as without these cheap and sometimes tawdry yellow bound reads the type of writing I do, YA, might never have come about.

I could expound on for another few paragraphs, but let’s admit we’re all getting just a wee bit tired of blog reading for a spell.

So hip, hip, and toss back a Black and Tan to the Yellow-back and good luck to the latest lovers from dear old England.

(I am the only one who noticed the Dear Queen didn’t make Good Kate a Princess? Does she really plan on living forever?)