A Selection Of My Favourite Stories From Playboy’s Archives

A couple of months ago, there were more than a few raised eyebrows at my impulsive acquisition of a recently deceased man’s collection of vintage Playboys. Over 60 dog-eared magazines piled up beneath my work desk and based on the titillating women on each of the covers, I could understand their sentiment if not entirely relate. It occurred to me that most people’s introduction to the iconic ‘Gentlemen’s Magazine’ was probably cloaked with a certain amount of repressed guilt. For young boys growing up in India, few fears were greater than their (then tangible) porn stash being stumbled upon by a family member. For girls, the accidental discovery of their brother or father’s best-kept secrets decidedly needed to remain that way—kept.

Then there was us. Those oddball kids who didn’t rush past the fine print just to get to the pictures, though that reward made it significantly more exciting. The ones who managed to make it past the glossy centre-spreads to…more fertile pastures. Even before the age-appropriate tales of ’Witches’ and ‘Esio Trot’ took over my bookshelf, Roald Dahl’s wonderfully twisted adult stories (excerpts from what eventually became ‘Switch Bitch’) became my best-kept secret, gleaned from the depths of earlier issues, among other finds. The source of my exceedingly colourful vocabulary remained a mystery but given that the owning family member suddenly changed his hiding place, perhaps my stealth was not as undetectable as I assumed. Luckily, my disappointment didn’t last long. Shortly after its disappearance, I noticed a hard-cover book on my parents’ bookshelf that looked far too academic to be forbidden. Yet there it was printed down the spine for all the world to see. ‘PLAYBOY - Stories’ in large, gold lettering, announcing itself to the world without shame. I continued to peruse the worlds of Norman Mailer, Kurt Vonnegut and Dahl in private. The collection of short stories my first foray into what became an obsession for good literature, coupled with a deep love for dark humour and sci-fi. My first real-life introduction to the concept of a binary. Proof of a world where things could be two very contradictory things at once.

In many ways, Hugh Hefner was a champion of this kind of thinking. Dead, today, at 91, too few seem to know what a pioneer of uncensored thinking he really was. It’s hard to reconcile that the same man who allegedly slept with over 2000 women in his outlandish, over-sexed mansion (there’s a statue of a cherub molesting a dolphin in there somewhere) was the same man who gave huge discounts in subscriptions for priests and church officials because he wanted to spark healthy debate between two opposing camps. He was also a relentless champion of gay rights and racial equality as early as the 1950s. It makes sense, then, that he always envisioned his magazine to be much more than a ‘fun, little fantasy’ for grown men. The legacy he leaves behind for the world goes far beyond a sexual revolution, it’s a philosophical one too. But only if you knew where to look. This was a man who showed me, a too-curious girl of just 10 at the time, how liberating a little rebellion can be. For that, I will always be grateful.

In remembrance of his work and life, we put together a little selection of short stories and impeccable journalism (though I must admit I only learned of their reporting prowess much later in life) that’s found its way into Playboy over the years. For all those who never made it past those centre-spreads, know that going deeper always has its perks.

I. Alex Haley Interviews Martin Luther King Jr.

In 1964 Alex Haley (author of Roots) sat down for a series of interviews with civil rights activist and all round legend, Martin Luther King Jr. These interviews were later complied and published in Playboy magazine, it was the longest interview King had ever granted a publication. In it, he details his many encounters with racial discrimination and outlines his hopes for the future. His famous ‘I Have A Dream’ speech came after this interview was published but in it we can see the beginnings of his social revolution in the offing.

II. An Interview With Stanley Kubrick

The pages of Playboy might be the last place you’d expect to find an interview with this notoriously reclusive director. In it, he speaks about everything from his masterpiece ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ to his philosophical beliefs on God and metaphysics. A deep and detailed read, this piece gives us a unique insight into Kubrick’s complex creative process.

III. An Interview With Arthur C. Clarke

The renowned master of Science Fiction had multiple short stories published in Playboy and in 1986, sat down for a full interview in Sri Lanka. This lively piece is filled with witty repartee and casual mentions of his friend, Isaac Asimov. For all die-hard sci-fi fans, this interview is a goldmine, featuring an exclusive take on Clarke’s ideas about space travel and virtual reality as well as his experience working with Kubrick on 2001: A Space Odyssey.

IV. Short Story ‘The Visitor’ By Roald Dahl

When he wasn’t creating magical chocolate factories and telekinetic bookworms, Dahl was weaving tales of misery and macabre. His adult works, though lesser known, are testaments to his vivid, if somewhat twisted imagination. ‘The Visitor’, the short story that appeared in Playboy, was later expanded into the novel ‘My Uncle Oswald’ who was an infamous fornicator and ceaseless adventurer. Like all of his short stories, ‘The Visitor’ is a gripping read and Dahl proves himself yet again to be the master of the unexpected.

V. Essay ‘The Great Shark Hunt’ By Hunter S. Thompson

His autobiographical essay ‘The Great Shark Hunt’ about covering a deep-sea fishing tournament in Mexico appeared in Playboy and was later included in his book of the same name. Best known for his novel, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Thompson is well remembered for his eccentricities, something that translated into the creation of the Gonzo style of writing.

VII. Short Story ‘The Bog Man’ By Margaret Atwood

Playboy is hardly a beacon of feminism, so seeing gender equality champion Atwood among its list of contributors comes as a bit of a surprise. They definitely won back a few points when they published her short story “The Bog Man”which details the trials of a woman who uncovers a 2,000-year-old corpse as she simultaneously investigates her husband’s extramarital affair. Definitely not your average everyday Playboy content.

VIII. An Interview With Bette Davis

A gifted actress with an acid tongue, Bette Davis is a true force of nature. Though today she is everybody’s old age goals, in this interview it becomes clear that she’s never hesitated to speak her mind. She speaks openly about her views on abortion and the gay community in Hollywood, stances which garnered a lot of criticism in her day.

IX. Alex Haley Interviews Mohammed Ali

Though today he’s remembered as one of the greatest boxers in history, outside the ring Mohammed Ali was a notoriously difficult and eccentric man. In his interview, Alex Haley doesn’t pull any punches and digs relentlessly to find the answers he’s looking for. In doing so he unmasked a Ali that few people have seen before or since.