Doc Savage - The Red Terrors by Kenneth Robeson (Lester Dent/Harold Davis)

A sailor on a ship in the South Atlantic eats an apple contaminated with diphtheria and infects the rest of the merchant vessel’s crew. One passenger, a deep-sea diver, tries to survive by diving into the water with his suit on, only to experience something incredible. We readers aren’t privy to exactly what that is until much later in the novel, but a clue is provided in the form of a torn piece of red suit material.

Meanwhile strange attacks are occurring in New York City involving red humanoids. And then word reaches Doc Savage's headquarters of a criminal doctor getting dragged off his ship by another red creature. But when Long Tom and Renny go missing, and then Johnny is severely injured (two broken legs and a broken arm!) Doc pulls out all the stops to get to the bottom of whatever’s going on. Doc, Monk, and Ham follow the trail that leads them to an extraordinary under-the-sea civilization, a civilization connected to one they’ve discovered before in Mystery Under The Sea, published two years previously in 1936.

This is the 67th Doc Savage novel to be published (number 83 in Bantam edition order). It was co-written by Lester Dent and Harold Davis. The year was 1938 and the yearning for technological adventure was in full swing. The Doc Savage novels have always been on the cutting edge of technology, thanks to creator and primary author, Lester Dent who liked to have Doc using all the latest gear. Frequently, he used items that weren’t even in existence yet, projecting what would be logical advancements in the near future. In this novel, however, the tech speculation goes beyond mere projection and into pure fantasy. While some explanative science is provided for how the humans can live and breathe under water using pills and a specialized gas, today's readers must really suspend their disbelief and just go with it. 

Putting that observation aside, this was a fun entry in the Doc Savage series. Lots of action sequences but balanced with a straightforward mystery plot. No Scooby-Doo ending this time; the bad guys and the good guys are identified early on with no double-crossing to be found. The real focus here is on the underwater society and how it developed and operates despite the obvious barriers. Good pulpy fun. And the Boris Vallejo cover art on the Bantam edition doesn't hurt.

The Yellow Hoard (The Avenger #2) by Kenneth Robeson (Paul Ernst)

This second novel in The Avenger series, originally published in October, 1939, continues the early adventures of Richard “Dick” Benson in his efforts to fight crime, especially criminal organizations that are similar to the one who was responsible for the death of his wife and young daughter.  Here, he and his two associates, chase after a group who has discovered that an archaeological find will lead them to a huge secret Aztec treasure hoard of gold which they plan to use to further their nefarious goals.

The author behind the Kenneth Robeson name is Paul Ernst, once again, and he delivered a solid second installment of the series.  The plot was fun if rather simple and straightforward.  It does its job as a follow-on to the origin story told in the first book, Justice, Inc. and serves as a good example of the kind of adventure that readers could expect in the stories to come.  It is probably best remembered for the introduction of the character, Nellie Grey, as the latest recruit to Benson’s stable of crime fighters.  Her small, pretty, and seemingly fragile physique disguises a mastery of jiu-jitsu and other martial arts.  She is a welcome addition to the group, and quite remarkable considering the male-dominated era in which this series was written (1939-1942).

The Avenger #1 - Justice, Inc. by Kenneth Robeson (Paul Ernst)

This first novel in the Avenger series tells the origin story of Richard Benson, a man who, prior to the events of this book, had earned his fortune by being a professional adventurer; i.e. discovering rubber in South America, leading native armies in Java, making aerial maps in the Congo, mining amethysts in Australia and emeralds in Brazil, etc.  But at the beginning of this novel, just when Benson is planning on settling down, his ideal life is brutally shaken when his wife and young daughter are killed, inexplicably disappearing from an airplane on which he himself is also a passenger.

The sheer shock and stress of that experience lands Benson in a hospital and changes him forever.  His face becomes paralyzed while both his skin and hair have turned white, his facial flesh becoming malleable, like clay.  His quest to chase down the crime ring behind his tragic loss forms the basis for this novel.  During the story he also recruits the first two members of what will become “Justice Inc.”: Fergus "Mac" MacMurdie and Algernon Heathcote "Smitty" Smith.  

While these books bear the author house name of “Kenneth Robeson”, this book along with most of the original Avenger stories was written by Paul Ernst.  It was originally published in the September 1939 edition of the pulp magazine “The Avenger”, published by Street & Smith.  Reportedly this series of pulp novels grew out of a wave of magazine cancellations in the late 1930s and recognition that a new hero was needed; a hero that combined the styles and features of previous best sellers Doc Savage and The Shadow.

For me, while I did enjoy the story, it felt a little disjointed.  I’ve read a lot of Doc Savage and did notice many similarities including Benson’s aversion to outright killing the bad guys.  It is also evident that he is building a team of aides and that he enjoys using gadgets in his work.  Of course Benson is a physical hero with incredible strength and intelligence.  The plastic, malleable state of his facial features is pretty bizarre, I must say.  It allows him to reshape his facial features into a likeness of any person, his features remaining in sculpted form "until they are carefully put back into place".  It’s a cool ability I suppose but weird.  Something I would expect in the comics from a bad guy but I suppose the pulps of this era weren’t much different.  I need to remember that those kinds of comics had just gotten started with Superman having just debuted in Action Comics #1, (cover-dated June 1938), so all those weird bad guy characters were still to come.

All in all, I’m glad I finally got around to this series and this character.  He’s been on my list a long time and I somehow managed to acquire the complete set of paperback books from Popular Library so I’ll be reading more.  Looking forward to seeing how he progresses and especially to meet the new members of his team as they are introduced.

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.