Doc Savage - The Infernal Buddha by Kenneth Robeson (Will Murray)

Will Murray does it again with this installment of Doc Savage’s continuing adventures. This time Doc’s team only includes Monk, Ham, and Renny along with Doc himself as they find themselves drawn into an adventure in the South Seas. Seems there is a Buddah-shaped artifact of some kind, possibly delivered to Earth in a meteor, that has the horrific effect of sucking the moisture out of everything nearby.  Living beings are reduced to dried husks in seconds. It is not known if there are any limits so, theoretically, if this thing were to be unleashed ala Pandora’s Box, it might well suck up all water on the planet.

Definitely a job for Doc Savage!

This was another wonderful adventure from the pen of Will Murray. Probably my favorite of his that I’ve read so far even though he is content to let the science behind the artifact remain vague. The adventure takes them among 1940’s era Malay pirates and we even get to see Doc going undercover as a swashbuckling scourge of the South Seas pirate captain himself. Awesome! But at the same time, the terrible nature of the artifact leads Doc to one of his most challenging adventures ever. Rarely have I seen Doc so vulnerable and even unsure of himself as he confesses to have been in the final pages. This brings an extra edge to the story; it’s just not good to have a completely invulnerable hero.

Good setting, good characters for Doc and team to work with (or against), a good peril to be dealt with, and a good plot with plenty of action that keeps the pages turning. Everything I want in a Doc Savage yarn.

Skycruiser by Howard M. Brier

I found this book in the dusty back storage area of an antique shop where it looked like it had been languishing for years. I took pity and rescued it and, of course, I had to read it. From the cover and the back cover description I figured I was in for an old-fashioned YA adventure yarn with a lot of "Golly Gee" type dialog. But I must say, this turned out to be a really fun read. 

First published in 1939, it's a straightforward adventure story of Barry Martin, a rookie pilot who gets hired on by an airplane manufacturer as a test pilot. Barry is a great flyer but his main challenge is finding a way to fit in with the other two pilots who regard him as an unnecessary addition to the team. Barry has many flying adventures in this novel, as he earns his place, but he also encounters some intrigue in the form of industrial espionage from rival manufacturers. His loyalty is tested as are his courage and flying skills.

Lots of fun to be had here. Today's book market would probably classify this as YA even though Barry is in his 20s. But I can certainly appreciate the more innocent age in which it was written. I'm very happy to have rescued this one from whatever fate awaited.

The Fortunes of Brak by John Jakes

John Jakes is well known as the best-selling author of such grand historical fiction series as the Kent Family Chronicles (The Bicentennial series), the North and South trilogy, the Crown Family Saga, and several others.  He was a perineal chart topper of the 1970s and 80s and most of his works seemed destined to be adapted as TV mini-series. But fewer people know that his writing career began in the science fiction and fantasy arena.

Brak the Barbarian is John Jakes’ tribute to the great Robert E. Howard and specifically to the Conan stories.  Jakes wrote these stories in a similar style but perhaps a little more modernized. They are slightly more politically correct than the original Conan stories with the damsels still being in distress but not always quite so dependent on the strong male to rescue them.  Evil magicians, swashbuckling sword fights, narrow escapes…you get the idea.

The Brak series includes both novels as well as short stories.  This particular title is a collection of 5 stories, all of which were first published in various magazines and anthologies:

"Devils in the Walls" (from Fantastic Stories of Imagination v. 12, no. 5, May 1963)

"Ghoul's Garden" (from Flashing Swords! #2, Sep. 1973)

"The Girl in the Gem" (from Fantastic Stories of Imagination v. 14, no. 1, Jan. 1965)

"Brak in Chains" (originally "Storm in a Bottle," from Flashing Swords! #4: Barbarians and Black Magicians, Spring 1977)

"The Mirror of Wizardry" (from Worlds of Fantasy v. 1, no. 1, Sep. 1968)

These stories are not world-changing, thought-provoking, pieces of art, nor are they meant to be. They are, however, fun stories to read and I recommend them to those who enjoy pulp-era sword and sorcery.

The Seventh Scroll (Ancient Egypt #2) by Wilbur Smith

"The Seventh Scroll", by Wilbur Smith is the follow-up to "River God", one of the best historical novels I have read in a very long time. "The Seventh Scroll" was meant to be read after "River God" but it is not exactly a sequel. It actually takes place in the present day with a couple of archeologist types who are out to discover the hidden tombs that were depicted in the first book. What an intriguing concept! What we got to live through before is now seen through the eyes of history, including all the distortions of history that are bound to happen. After all, what we assume to be true through archeological research isn't necessarily the way it really happened. 

The author does another intriguing thing in this book. He inserts himself into his own fiction, having a main character refer to Wilbur Smith as having authored the fictional "River God" from information uncovered in the first 6 scrolls found in the tomb. Of course it is the 7th scroll that the characters are after in this second book. This leads to some funny moments as the two main protagonists argue about just how accurate Wilbur Smith was in the first book; one of them goes so far as to dismiss Mr Smith as a hack writer who changes the historical record in order to include more sex and violence. It's a twisted loop whereby an author actually negatively critiques his own work...I guess you have to be pretty secure in your own writing career to do that. Regardless, it works wonderfully here. 

The novel itself is just as good as the first book in the series. When you get right down to it, this is a pretty straightforward adventure/treasure hunting story along the likes of "Romancing the Stone". But Wilbur Smith is an outstanding writer who has a knack for making you read just a little more and then still more despite any deadlines you may have to deal with. You know the two main characters will hook up by the end but it's not predictable how that happens. The dangerous scenes in the book are really dangerous and the suspense is spot on. As for historical accuracy...everything sure seemed to be accurate based on my limited knowledge of ancient Egypt and my trip to that country a few years ago.

I've read all the "Ancient Egypt" series (at least those written by Wilbur Smith himself) and count this one among the best. I've tried a couple of others, reportedly written with co-authors but frankly I believe Smith's only contribution to those may have been outlines or notes due to his advanced age. They're still coming out now, after his passing. Unfortunately, while they're "not bad", they sure don't live up to Smith's abilities. From here, the series returns to the past and the further adventures of Taita. Good stuff!

Dr. Thaddeus C. Harker - The Complete Tales by Edwin Truett Long

Dr. Thaddeus C. Harker, along with his two assistants, the lovely Brenda Sloan and the muscular slow-witted Hercules Jones, travel the country in the guise of a travelling medicine show, selling their cure-all, “Chickasha Remedies”. But it seems that at every stop, they encounter crime and thus Doc Harker is obliged to utilize his considerable sleuthing skills, his forthright and charming personality, and his trailer that doubles as a criminology laboratory to solve the crimes.  His plans to thwart the criminals are quite complex and make good use of Brenda, (often as bait), and Herc as the muscle.

This book collects all three of the Doc Harker novellas ever published by the author Edwin Truett Long, a prolific pulp writer in the 1930s and 1940s, under a wide variety of pseudonyms. Altus Press (now Steeger Books) did their usual wonderful job in reprinting these stories from yesteryear. The stories are as follows:

Crime Nest, originally appearing in the June 1940 issue of Dime Detective Novels (Volume 1, Number 1)

Woe to the Vanquished, originally appearing in the June 1940 issue of Red Star Detective (Volume 1, Number 2)

South of the Border, originally appearing in the June 1940 issue of Red Star Detective (Volume 1, Number 3)

All are part of the Munsey-owned pulp mags (probably best known for Argosy) and in fact Doc Harker was used as the primary drawing card for the brand new launch of Dime Detective Novels pulp magazine in 1940 (not to be confused with the very popular Dime Detective Magazine).

The novellas themselves are filled with adventurous action, dangerous situations, and a variety of pulpy characters.  I found the plots to be a little on the convoluted side and felt like I wasn’t always privy to the clues that Doc Harker had available to him.  The stories probably are not as polished as what we might read today but given the sheer number of stories that this author turned out that is hardly surprising.  But in the end, they are good, hearty stories and good for an evening’s entertainment.

Doc Savage - Death's Dark Domain by Will Murray

Another fine Doc Savage adventure written by the inestimable Will Murray. This one features Long Tom more than most Doc adventures and it’s nice to see him get a major role for a change. This book is best read after reading The Fortress of Solitude from the original series run. The fate of John Sunlight from that novel looms over this one, mostly in regards to his having stolen a number of diabolical weapons and devices from Doc’s arctic workshop. Now it seems possible that one or more of them have found their way into the hands of two opposing countries in the Balkans, each of whom are intent on claiming a strip of land between the two and are not hesitant to use these unusual weapons.

Neither Renny nor Johnny make appearances in this one, both being off on projects of their own. Doc’s cousin, Pat Savage, only barely makes an appearance, just long enough to be exposed to anthrax and be thrust into quarantine and miss all the fun. So, it’s just Doc, Monk, Ham, and Long Tom who find themselves facing a variety of weird menaces including a bunch of invisible hairy cyclopes, vampires, unexplained patches of extreme blindness-rendering darkness, and hordes of aggressive giant leathery-winged bats. A nice assortment of other characters round out the cast and we are kept guessing as to who is really who they say they are and which are trying to get away with something. All the gadgets and seat-of-your-pants escapes that you hope for in a Doc novel are here. Perilous adventure abounds.

One of my least favorite parts of the original Doc Savage books are the endless squabbles between Monk and Ham. It just gets so repetitive and annoying. I think Will Murray feels the same. Of course, he must leave in the banter between the two and indeed, channeling Lester Dent seems to come second nature to him. But he really ratchets up the imagination when it comes to their insults and actually makes them fun to read. 

Looking forward to more of these Wild Adventures.

The Beast of Nightfall Lodge by S.A. Sidor

The follow-up to Fury From the Tomb begins in 1920, almost 35 years after the events of that first book. A mature Rom Hardy and Evangeline Waterson of the Institute for Singular Antiquities are reminiscing about prior adventures when Evangeline decides she wants to hear Rom’s version of one particular adventure having to do with a Beast at Nightfall Lodge back in 1890 in the mountains surrounding Raton New Mexico. The rest of the book describes that adventure in full detail.

This is a solid sequel to the first book, continuing the over-the-top plot and style. The main story involves a wealthy big-game hunter who seeks the ultimate kill. No not a human being…that’s been done to death. Instead, he hunts “the Beast”, a supernatural wendigo-type monster. To aid him in the hunt, he invites a number of guests to join in, including a huge hulking mountain man with a trained grizzly bear, a wild west gunslinger, a snake-oil salesman/inventor, a mute Native American, and a man claiming to be Billy the Kid (although the Kid had been killed by Pat Garrett several years previously -- sure looks like him though...). And of course, all four of Rom Hardy’s team from book one are invited as well. The prize for who can capture the Beast? The true and authentic golden calf idol from when Moses went up Mt Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. Wouldn’t that be a fine addition to the Institute for Singular Antiquities!

What follows is a rollicking adventure mixed with gruesome horror, humor and supernatural injections of lycanthropy, séances, and resurrecting the dead. Once again, there is a lot of plot packed in to this one novel but somehow the author manages to make it a coherent story. It blends the best of Indiana Jones, the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, the weird-west genre, and classic Universal monster movies.

This is modern pulp adventure done right. It’s fun reading all the way through and I certainly hope there are more to come in this series.

Jewel of the Java Sea by Dan Cushman

Frisco Dougherty has been hanging around the islands of the South China Sea, from Singapore to Manilla and to the coast of India ever since the war ended. He’s been hunting for over fifteen years, hunting diamonds, hoping to gain his fortune and enough dough to get him back home to San Francisco. And now he’s found one. A diamond that’s been oddly cut, not so large as he’d hoped but certainly of superior quality. And even better, it appears to be just the start of a group of diamonds, all available for a man filled with enough cunning and bravado to acquire them one way or another.

This is a classic 1950’s-era South Pacific adventure novel. The plot is filled with rogues and villains out to steal that which Frisco has legitimately stolen first. Frisco has allies but he’s never certain he can entirely trust them. Among them is a beautiful native girl named Anna as well as a Cockney named Jaske, a Chinese merchant, and an American going by the name Deering. From some he can gain clues to how to acquire the rest of the diamonds and from others he can make deals to his own advantage. But just who will help and who will hinder remains an open-ended question.

Author Dan Cushman has written a number of novels that take place in the South Pacific as well as the Congo and the Yukon, all based on his own adventurous life and experiences. Later he turned his hand to writing western/historical novels featuring Native Americans and Montana history. He is probably best known for his novel, “Stay Away, Joe” which was turned into a film starring Elvis Presley.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I was in the mood for a good rollicking adventure yarn and this one fit the bill nicely. I managed to learn a little more about the regions where the story takes place as well as some nice details about the provenance of some famous diamonds that found their way through this area. But at its heart, this is a solid novel of back-stabbing, conniving adventurers intent on gaining riches the old-fashioned way. Trading, dealing, stealing, and murdering, all on the way to a satisfying ending.

King Kong vs. Tarzan by Will Murray

I always love diving into a Will Murray novel. He seems to love all the pulp characters that I also love, and he is somehow able to channel the authors’ voices as he writes new adventures.

This story takes place between the capture of King Kong on Skull Island and his eventual arrival in New York City. The logistics of that transport are always glossed over in all the movies, but here we see just how much of a struggle it can be to keep such a behemoth alive and unhurt throughout that voyage. What we now know, though, thanks to this story, is that the ship stopped off for supplies near Tarzan’s home in Africa and Kong had a side adventure with the Lord of the Jungle.

I really enjoyed the overall story and as much as I like Kong, I felt the first section was a little too long. Tarzan isn’t even mentioned until after the first 100 pages and doesn’t make an appearance until after the 250-page mark. It's all Kong up to that point, which is why, I suppose, he gets top billing in the title. The details of the ship's journey with Kong on board is filled with so many feeding-time-at-the-zoo sorts of scenes that I started to worry they’d never make it to Africa.

But that criticism aside, I loved the story, especially how Tarzan first reacted to such a creature invading his protected lands. Their battles are truly of epic proportion. The resolution and how Tarzan ultimately deals with the threat and humanely treats Kong is excellent storytelling. Murray really captures ERB’s style here and also manages to drop in a few Easter eggs from prior Tarzan adventure novels.

A worthwhile read for Kong lovers or Tarzan enthusiasts alike.

The Shrinking Island by Mickey Spillane

Mickey Spillane is an absolute icon of hard-boiled crime/mystery of the 20th century. His Mike Hammer character is truly one for the ages. But it’s doubtful that very many readers know he also wrote fiction of other stripes, including westerns and Young Adult novels. This volume collects all three of the “Larry and Josh” YA novels including one that has never seen print before. Max Allan Collins provides an insightful introduction describing the origins of these novels as well as a focused biography of Spillane himself.

Larry and Josh are young lads around the ages of 12-14 or so, having adventures among the Caribbean islands. Larry is from the Miami area while Josh is an “Islander” and together they are a formidable pair. Their divergent backgrounds and educations are an effective combination. Their fathers allow their various pursuits, but while they try to keep an eye on them, the boys manage to find themselves in dangerous situations all the same. Their quests take them in search of lost treasures, sunken ships, and strange phenomena that can hint at a bit of the supernatural.

In many ways, these stories remind me of the old Saturday morning cartoon series, “Johnny Quest”. The boys are very intelligent and quite competent while the adult antagonists can lean toward the bumbling and sinister side. I was happy to see that Spillane doesn’t “write down” to a young audience but rather unleashes his full story-telling mojo to keep the reader turning the pages. 

I loved these kinds of adventure stories when I was a young reader and I still love them today. Who doesn’t like a good treasure hunting story complete with old legends, infamous shipwrecks, mysterious ancient longboats, dangerous storms at sea, and nefarious salvage hunters?

Kudos to Rough Edges Press for putting this collection together in such a high-quality product with astounding cover art. A most worthy reawakening to the Spillane cannon.

Fury From the Tomb by S.A. Sidor

Romulus “Rom” Hardy is a young Egyptologist in 1886, working out of New York, and has just received an endowment to lead a team of discovery to the Valley of the Kings in Egypt.  Once there, the team makes a startling discovery including five coffins and an over-large sarcophagus.  But upon returning to the US, it is clear that a fabled curse is all too real.

Thus begins this first-in-a-series novel that strives to blend the best of Indiana Jones, the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, the weird-west genre, and classic Universal monster movies.  And, for the most part, it succeeds.  I love all these sorts of adventure fiction themes and styles so I may be a bit prejudice towards liking this book.  Throw in cursed Egyptian mummies, Mexican banditos, Chinese vampires, bloated slickened worms the size of silos, asps, killer train wrecks, horseback-riding grave eaters – one with a flamenco guitar! and much more and you start to get the idea of what a mash-up story this is.  About the only thing missing is a gang of undead Caribbean pirates.  Perhaps in book two…

One might think this was all just too much to cram into a single novel but I didn’t feel that way at all.  It’s written in a style that reminds me a lot of Lovecraft, especially the horror aspects, and I thought it all held together quite well.  But the addition of three other main characters really brings out the emotional humanity of the plot.  A pretty occultist librarian, a gun-toting rebel of the old west, and an orphaned Chinese busboy round out the cast and their teamwork is fun to watch develop.

I recognize this sort of over-the-top adventure novel is not for everyone.  But if you want to take a chance on a pulpy throwback to the classics of yesteryear, this would be a good one to try.  The main story does conclude in this volume but it is easy to see how other books could flow forth. 

I’m looking forward to number two in the series. 

Steel's Treasure by Nick Auclair

Japanese general Tomoyuki Yamashita is known today for many heralded accomplishments during World War II. He conquered Malaya within 70 days from the British, earning him the moniker "The Tiger of Malaya". In October of 1944, when the war situation was critical for Japan, he assumed command of the Fourteenth Area Army to defend the occupied Philippines. But he is perhaps best known today for “Yamashita’s Treasure” or “Yamashita’s Gold” which is the alleged war loot stolen from Southeast Asia by Imperial Japanese forces and supposedly hidden in caves, tunnels, or underground complexes in different cities in the Philippines.

In this novel, US Air Force Captain William Steel is an intelligence officer stationed at Clark Air Base in the Philippines in 1985. He’s excellent at his intel job but he’s not exactly a by-the-book officer. In his spare time, he searches for Yamashita’s treasure, utilizing his network of locals that he’s accumulated over the past three years. He’s been called a “problem officer” more than once because he has a tendency to cut corners to achieve his goals.

This novel, the first in a series, is a dynamic story of Steel’s hunt for the treasure. But it’s also much more than that. Part mystery, part historical, and part men’s action adventure, it also has a nice bit of romance. Steel is a complex character, balancing his duty to the USAF with his own personal desires and goals which lead to several conflicting choices, often landing him in hot water. A healthy cadre of supporting characters round out the story and provide a real page-turning read.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of the novel is its realism. The author, himself, served as a USAF Intel officer for five years in the Philippines in the 1980s. As a retired USAF officer, myself, I can attest to the accuracy of the day-to-day activities of an overseas air base that we find here. The interactions of the Airmen, NCOs, and officers is so spot-on that it really brought back some memories for me. The lingo is perfect, not overdone like you see in the movies and on TV, but absolutely the way it is. And the setting of Clark Air Base and the surrounding territory, including Angeles City couldn’t be better.

I also enjoyed the flashback sequences showing the war effort from various points of view, including Yamashita himself. It added a nice touch of history without bogging down the plot.

Don’t go into this one expecting an over-the-top Indian Jones type of treasure hunting adventure. Sure, it has plenty of action including gun battles and a daring rescue of an American General. But there is no nuke-the-fridge kind of action here. This is a realistic, albeit dangerous approach to a treasure hunt. The author ought to know since he also spent his spare time in the Philippines searching for this same treasure.

I really enjoyed this one. Thankfully, there is a sequel out called, "Steel's Gold".

The Exotic Adventures of Robert Silverberg by Robert Deis, Wyatt Doyle & Robert Silverberg

I’ve been a long-time fan of Robert Silverberg but have almost always limited myself to his science fiction novels and short stories. He has been incredibly prolific for many years and has won just about every award out there for sci-fi. I also knew he wrote in other genres, and I even knew he wrote a lot in the men’s adventure genre for the MAMs (Men’s Adventure Magazines). However, up until now I’ve never run across any such stories or anthologies so never got to sample them.

Thankfully, as is so often the case, it is Bob Deis and Wyatt Doyle to the rescue. The years 1958-59 saw the publication of a short-lived MAM called “Exotic Adventures”. While Silverberg only had one story included in the first issue, his ability to write different stories in a variety of locales and do it very quickly resulted in him gaining more and more of the authorship in future volumes, under different pseudonyms. By the final issue of the magazine, he was writing almost the entire content.

Every one of Silverberg’s stories written for “Exotic Adventures” is included here for a total of 17 tales. They are all pulpy stories that include adventure, sexy girls, exotic locations, and more sexy girls. Some are written as pseudo-real stories, as if they are factual events with by lines such as in “Island of Exiled Women” by “Lin Charles as told by Sam Mallory”. All are told from a male character’s point of view with the exception of the final tale, “I Escaped from the Soviet Slave Camp”, told from a female’s POV. Every story includes some form of sexual adventures although the level of detail is quite tame by today’s standards.

Additionally, original advertisements are included, sprinkled throughout, just as in the original MAMs. It’s fun to peruse opportunities to acquire fine products such as “40 of the most sensational and exciting scenes and poses ever photographed of Bridgette Bardot”. Or perhaps learn how to “Run your car, half on gas, half on air”. I was certainly tempted to send in my $4.98 right now for “A Real Mobile Tank over 6 feet long”, or perhaps the “Genuine Stuffed Alligator for only $1.98”.

All in all, this is a dandy collection of stories, accompanied by the wonderful artwork of the original magazine. The introduction by Deis and Doyle provides a great background, not only on Silverberg himself, but also on the artwork and the original “Exotic Adventures” magazine. I’m very happy to have this volume in my collection.

Something's Alive on the Titanic by Robert Serling

Well that was certainly better than I thought it might be.  I wasn’t sure what to expect with such a title but right from the beginning I was pleasantly surprised.  This novel is broken into two parts, the first taking place in 1975 when a somewhat amateurish crew discovers the wreck of the Titanic (the actual discovery took place in 1985) based on some decrypted evidence of gold bullion on board.  The second half of the novel takes place in 1995 where an almost entirely different set of characters takes advantage of new technology and techniques to once again go after the rumored crates full of gold bullion on board the wreckage.

The title certainly suggests this to be a horror novel but most of the book is better classified as scientific adventure.  I found the science of deep-sea diving and salvage operations in both eras to be quite interesting, and the build-up of suspense on what the characters might find within the hull of the doomed ocean liner was well done.  Lots of historical tidbits were included as well. Once the wreckage was reached, there were horror elements introduced which began to drive the plot but even these supernatural reveals were also discussed among the two separate crews in a rather scientific manner…and quite plausibly.  The horror, for the most part, was fairly subtle but had huge impacts on the plot.  It struck a nice balance that included some moral lessons about greed and guilt.

Interestingly, this novel was written and published only a couple of years before James Cameron’s “Titanic” burst on the movie scene, so at the time of publication I think a reader might have been a bit more intrigued by the wonder and mystery that surrounded the Titanic’s sinking.  Today it is hard not to picture scenes from the movie when reading this novel.  Nevertheless, I was happy to take a chance on this one and I enjoyed it quite a bit.  This author intrigues me so I may just have to seek out more of his work.

Men's Adventure Quarterly, Vol 1 by Bob Deis & Bill Cunningham

Color me impressed!

This is the first volume of what I sure hope is a continuing quarterly publication of stories and essays from the golden age of what are known as “MAMs” or Men’s Adventure Magazines. These were magazines mostly from the 1950s-60s that were geared toward men, often violent and with pulpy adventure style yarns. More often than not, the stories were accompanied by colorful art that featured scantily clad women. The publishers, after all, knew their target audience.

Now, Robert Deis and Bill Cunningham have put their considerable knowledge of the MAMs to work for our enjoyment. Each volume will focus on a single theme. This first one focuses on westerns and the second revolves around the world of espionage while the third devotes itself to the world of vigilantes. I own them all will be posting reviews of them as well, shortly.

This is a large, slick, high-quality product.  The cover alone makes my mouth water. But it is the contents that really blow me away. It’s chock full of reprinted stories and articles from the original MAMs as well as wonderful introductions by Bob Deis, Bill Cunningham, and guest editor, Paul Bishop. There are nine stories presented from the likes of “MALE”, “Man’s Life”, and “All Man” magazines complimented by impressive original full color and B&W artwork. It’s absolutely gorgeous. Additionally, there are a couple of in-depth articles as well as a full color art gallery of classic covers.

All of that would have added up to a sure-fire winner. But, for me, what really drives it over the top are the introductions to each story and article. Often when I read anthologies, I feel lucky when a story is introduced with a paragraph or two providing some background. But here, we get two and three pages of intro, describing each story’s origins, the author’s life, the artists involved and even the publishing background. The folks behind this publication really know their subject and their passion for all of it shines through in spades.

This will have a permanent place on my shelves, right alongside every issue that is published in the future. Highest recommendation!

Doc Savage: Spook Hole by Kenneth Robeson (Lester Dent)

Originally published in August 1935, this was the 30th Doc Savage story to be let loose upon the world. (Bantam has it as number 70 while the Sanctum reprints list it as number 43). Relatively speaking this falls much nearer the beginning of the series than the end and was written by the series’ creator, Lester Dent. 

Overall, this is more of a straight mystery adventure without as many potentially supernatural occurrences (or even the perception of such), as most Doc novels. The real mystery throughout most of the book is, “What exactly is Spook Hole?” What is it? Where is it? Why are so many people interested enough to kill for it? 

All but one of Doc’s crew makes an appearance in this one (another indicator of it falling in the first half of the series).  Even Doc’s cousin Pat Savage gets in on the action, as if you could keep her out of the fray once she’s gotten a whiff of an adventure to be had. One of Doc’s aides spends most of the novel undercover, but I won’t spoil that by naming names. 

The novel spends a bit too much time spinning its wheels in the first half, with various individuals or groups chasing after one another and trying to avoid Doc and friends. This is still fun reading because a lot of “Docisms” are on display such as various disguises, infiltrations, 86th floor lab break-ins, Monk/Ham insults, the upstate criminal college, and gadgets galore. However, it fails to advance the plot much. When we finally get around to Spook Hole, the plot develops nicely, and the guest character build-ups pay off. The final McGuffin reveal was a little under par but that’s OK. These books aren’t really about that anyway. The story does feature one of my favorite character names in the entire Doc Savage series: Hezemiah Law. Whether or not he is a good guy or a bad guy…well, you’ll have to read the book to find out.

Sheba by Jack Higgins

Henry Patterson first published ‘The Seven Pillars of Hell’ in 1963 under his Hugh Marlowe pseudonym. It was then revised and re-released in 1994 as ‘Sheba’ under his much more familiar pseudonym of Jack Higgins. It was written fairly early in his career (the 9th novel published out of over 75).

The story revolves around an early Nazi plot to blow up the Suez Canal at about the same time as the invasion of Poland. The plan would greatly hinder much of the logistical support that their foes would likely count on should they form a coalition against Nazi aggression.  That’s the big picture going on behind the scenes. However most of the story itself is centered around an American archeologist named Gavin Kane who finds himself helping a woman try to locate her missing husband in the desert of Southern Arabia. During their adventures, they locate a lost Temple of Sheba as well as encounter the group of Nazis who are planning the bombing of the Canal.

This sounds like a good pulpy Indiana Jones adventure style plot, and it is. Lost treasures, nefarious Nazi plots, tie-ins to an ancient Roman general, a touch of romance, and plenty of action-oriented fights and daring escapes combine to make this a fun ride. This is a stand-alone novel, unlike so much of Jack Higgins’ work so if you’re thinking about trying him out, this is a pretty good place to start.

The Mystic Mullah (Doc Savage) by Kenneth Robeson (Lester Dent)

First published in 1935, the 23rd Doc Savage novel (as originally published – number 9 in the Bantam paperback order) opens with two mysterious strangers from the fabled Asian Kingdom of Tanan arriving in New York City, seeking Doc Savage's aid. They are being hunted by some sort of supernatural “soul slaves” on behalf of an entity known as the Mystic Mullah. They need Doc’s help to save their country.

The Mystic Mullah itself seems to be a mysterious and monstrous floating face which can speak and warn of dire threats. It uses strange ghostly “soul slaves” that look like floating snakes to attack, causing horrible burns or snapping necks. It’s a creepy foe to be sure but we readers know Doc will get to the bottom of it and discover who is behind the mysterious moniker of the Mystic Mullah. Lots of action permeates the novel. We have Doc’s machine pistols, Russian spies, Doc’s skin-bleaching trick, Doc in disguise, and plenty of fisticuffs. All five of Doc’s aides are present for this one, and all of them get captured at one point or another. We also get to see the team travel to Asia and the Kingdom of Tanan. It's always a treat to see them in action in an exotic locale.

Interestingly, pulp writer Richard Sale started ghost writing this novel based on an outline by Lester Dent but removed himself from the project after receiving criticism from Dent. So Lester Dent wrote it himself. Many fans believe, consequently, that Dent worked extra hard on it to make sure it was a good one. Could be. I certainly enjoyed it and would rank it among the top 20 Doc Savage novels.

The Awful Egg (Doc Savage) by Kenneth Robeson (Lester Dent)

The 88th novel in the Doc Savage series (#92 by Bantam publication order) is representative of the later Doc stories, published during the WW2 years. This one was the second published in 1940 and features a plot that hints at the kind of fantastic elements from earlier novels but reveals itself to have a much more mundane plot. Perhaps the publisher wanted more realism by this time in the face of the growing war as well as to better match up to the competition.

But no matter, this book has most of the “Doc’isms” I hope for including appearances by all of Doc’s five aides. (But no Pat Savage in this one, alas). The plot features what appears to be the discovery of a dinosaur egg, with a Little one still alive inside and about to chip its way out. Even Johnny, master archeologist and geologist is convinced of its authenticity. But when the egg is stolen Doc and his crew must chase down the mystery before it eats its way through man and beast. 

The plot quickly turns from a dinosaur hunt to a murder and stolen gold plot but it was another fun read. It’s written by the creator, Lester Dent and not one of the handful of ghost writers working on the series in the 1940s.

The Thousand-Headed Man (Doc Savage) by Kenneth Robeson (Lester Dent)

The 17th Doc Savage novel, (as originally published, and 2nd in the Bantam publishing order) has long been a fan favorite, frequently listed among the top 10 and even on top 5 lists. And it's no surprise considering the avalanche of pulp adventure that lies within. 

The plot revolves around an explorer who’s gone missing somewhere in the jungle forest of Indochina while searching for a strange cult. Originally published in 1934, the novel takes full advantage of “Yellow Peril” themes that had become popular with the Fu Manchu novels, making use of a mysterious Chinaman character named Sen Gat who prides himself on his incredibly long fingernails. Ultimately, it’s a race between Sen Gat and Doc Savage to see who can discover the secrets behind what appears to be an all-too-real Thousand-Headed Man.  The novel has all you could ask for in a pulp adventure story including a lost civilization in a mysterious land, perilous plane rides, river boat adventure among crocodile infested waters, an attractive yet desperate girl who needs help rescuing her father, and plenty of twists and turns. All five of Doc’s aides participate and are actually useful this time out with their individual skills, especially Monk and his chemistry expertise.

For me, this was a nostalgic re-read. I can remember the summer after the sixth grade when my family moved to a new town. I was filled with trepidation. My older brother and I had no friends yet so when we discovered the first dozen or so Doc Savage paperbacks in the local bookstore, we bought them all. It turned out to be a pretty good summer after all.