FEAR CAY (Sep 6 2001) From September 1934, this is a great example of what most fans think of when Doc Savage is mentioned. The story starts off at a trot and then races straight through to a completely satisfying ending. Lester Dent's writing is lucid, enthusiastic and filled with tiny amusing details. Unlike some of the other writers on the series, Dent's style always keeps everyone important in mind as the plot thickens, so that the reader doesn't pause to figure out what happened. The effect is like watching a crisply-paced adventure movie from the period. FEAR CAY was dramatized on National Public Radio in 1985, and you can still download the episodes (along with THE THOUSAND-HEADED MAN) on the Cobalt Club site. There is the classic two-part structure with mystery and intrigue in Manhattan leading to a rapid journey to a faraway locale for the main action-- in this case, Fear Cay, an uncharted island far out in the Caribbean which holds something secret which is worth millions. It also is home to the grisly Skeleton Death. As if that wasn't enough, the place is honeycombed with natural tunnels and caverns, in which its sole inhabitant has spent ninety years building tricky, vicious death traps. Man! FEAR CAY is important in that it re-introduces Patricia Savage, who had first appeared in BRAND OF THE WEREWOLF a few months earlier. Her return must have been a pleasant surprise to readers back then. Pat is a delight and very likeable here. She shows up unnanounced in New York, hoping to meet Doc and the boys. She had enjoyed the excitement of the Werewolf adventure so much that she wants more and in a few minutes, she's being kidnapped, impersonating a movie star, saving Doc from being shot by blazing away with her six-shooter, and generally having a blast. The character most fans will fondly remember from this story is the inimitable Old Dan Thunden. One hundred and thirty years old, with long white hair and a white beard that covers his chest, Thunden was skipper on The Sea Nymph, sole survivor of the wreck which left him alone on Fear Cay for ninety years. Despite his age, Thunden is as agile and lively as a teen-age gymnast, fast enough to match Doc in a game of tag. Quick with guns and wily enough to pit Doc's team and the gangsters against each other, Thunden is not an outright villain but certainly not trustworthy either; he's motivated by self-interest. He's one character I would have liked to see return in another story. In fact, it's easy to imagine the white-haired old rascal in a series of short stories as a shady soldier of fortune-- just think of his remarks on how the world has changed since 1843. All five aides appear, which is one of the joys of the first few years, and they get in a good deal of brawling and gunplay. Johnny has a bit of a spotlight, spending most of the story with cracked ribs after repeatedly being shot at point-blank range and left for dead. His area of expertise comes into play as he spots the silphium and a Roman galley. But there's also the moment when he screws his magnifying monocle into his eye for a moment. If Johnny at his best is an odd-looking fellow, just think of how he looked all those years when he wore glasses with a powerful magnifying lense over his sightless eye. (Ewww.) The horror in the story comes from something weird on the island which turns people into white skeletons in a few minutes. As Doc and his crew find one bony carcass after another, they are creeped out big time. Even Doc is nervous enough to search his pockets for matches, although he knows he doesn't have any. The explanartion is completely believable and it would be unfair to spoil the secret for fans who haven't read this book yet. Just remember not to fall asleep by yourself on Fear Cay, especially if you hear a strange noise like grease frying. The plant silphium is featured in this story, and has caused much speculation on whether Doc and his friends have aged normally. Tea made from the leaves is supposed to be the source of the Fountain of Youth legend. After testing it, Doc decides that it's only an excellent antiseptic medicinal herb. Silphium has helped keep Dan Thunden active, but life on the island away from civilization is the main reason he's so spry. Actually, it's easier to believe that the plant does have longevity-enhancing properties, after seeing a man 131 running and jumping like an Olympic athlete, and Doc is suppressing the discovery. Incidentally, there really was a city Kyrene in North Africa which exported silphium all over the Mediterranean. Go to www.wildwinds.com (a coin reference site), and you can see an actual piece from ancient Kyrene (roughly 308-277 BC) one side of the coin shows Karneios (a horned Apollo) and sure enough, the other face shows the silphium plant. Of course, since people in the classical period did not live to be an average of 130 years old, it seems silphium is not the miracle serum the characters in the story think.

DEATH IN SILVER (April 29, 2004) FAMOUS LAST WORDS: "Doc Savage is heading straight for a trap from which he cannot possibly escape." Hah. That`s the optimistic view of Ull, leader of the rampaging Silver Death´s-Head gang as the bronze man interferes with their murderous plans. (SPOILERS further on down the review, just in case you think you might read this tale someday and don`t want to know too much in advance......) From October 1934, DEATH IN SILVER is a ripping yarn, moving in a blur of action and suspense; Lester Dent and Doc Savage working together at their early peak. It`s funny that I liked this story so much, because it lacks several of the aspects I enjoy best in the early Doc books. There is no frantic trip halfway through to Tibet or Missouri or Brazil; the entire story takes place entirely in the New York metropolitan area (although I suppose the bottom of the harbour is kind of an exotic place for a battle). Three aides are also AWOL for the first time. Renny, Johnny and Long Tom are away on their (professional) affairs, and although we are left with the antics of Monk and Ham instead, those two chums spend much of the story tied up and quiet. Also, Pat Savage turns up just long enough to get bonked over the head and abducted along with the babe of the month, so we don`t get to see enough of her either. Drat. On the other hand, this leaves Doc himself on stage for the entire book, and he is fascinating to watch in his prime. The bronze man is quite human (he shows just enough reaction to make it clear he has normal emotions behind the stoic mask) but he is also really pushing the upper limits of human ability. One of the great joys of the first few years were the amazing gadgets Doc (or actually Lester Dent) came up with. They might not have worked quite as well if you had tried them in real life, but their ingenuity always makes me smile. I especially like the tiny black seeds which explode like a firecracker when stepped on.... every homeowner should have a few of these by the door in case they suspect their kids are sneaking out at night. There is not much superscience in this yarn, either, no oxygen destroyer or invisible bandits. Just about all the action here could plausibly take place. Manhattan is puzzled at first by a few inexplicable murders committed by thugs wearing silver outfits, complete with hoods whose dark eyes and mouthholes make them resemble skulls (thus, the Silver Death's-Heads). Then in one night, the gang goes on a blitzkrieg of crime, holding up jewelry stores and movie theatres, blowing open a bank vault, using machine guns and gas with enthusiasm and the citizens groan, "Not another whacky mastermind and his masked killers." (There had been quite a few of them by 1934 in the pulp universe.)       In an example of poor judgement, the silver goons assassinate a shipping executive who is tied in with them in some unexplained way, and they do it with a three inch artillery shell into his office. Quite a trick, but then they have their own small submarine out in the nearby Hudson River, which also explains how they make their getaways. Unfortunately for them, the penthouse of the building they have just blasted contains the lab and living quarters of Andrew Blodgett Mayfair. Ham is visiting Monk, when the attack occurs, they shortly after see a man dressed in silver use a bow and arrow to kill a witness who knew too much, the horns blow and the hounds bay and the chase is on.       Since Monk and Ham are promptly knocked out and hauled away by the gang, Doc mostly acts on his own tracking them down and investigating the silver gang. He shows some nice deductive ability as well as forensic technique, engages in a grenade tossing fight inside an apartment building, and even gets to skulk around in one of the disguises he loves so much. Along the way, he picks up a pair of incidental characters and naturally, one of them has to be the secret mastermind behind the Silver Death's-Heads (this is part of the formula; sometimes it`s obvious, sometimes it works fairly well.)           A bloke named Ull is field leader of the silver gang but he`s not the big boss behind the scenes. Actually, Ull is quite impressive in his own right. His real name is Don Ull, and "he served a term n Sing Sing for manufacturing pineapples for gangsters. In the United States Patent Office he has over a dozen electrical inventions registered, some of them extremely clever. " Despite his scientific knowledge, he`s cold enough to execute a wounded gang member rather than leave him behind. Ull is sort of like a minor Lex Luthor, not quite a genius enough to be on a par with Doc, but enough to understand the bronze man`s methods and counteract them.             Ull has come up with a great password substitute for his band; they all wear identical watches synchronized two minutes and fifteen seconds fast. That`s a creative touch that almost gets lost in the energy and inventiveness of one of Dent`s 1934 stories.           Ham Brooks actually gets to do something useful with his specialty (for a change), being sent by Doc several times to do some research and get some facts. Actually, Brigadier General Theodore Marley Brooks finds out the real motive behind the gang`s activities and even points the finger at the culprit early on. For once, the lawyer sounds like he actually knows his trade ("Recapitalization with each merger, and flotations of immense stock issues which were disseminated to the public" -- he explains again in smaller words for Monk. Ham`s legal skills never get shown much on stage, but I imagine he spends a lot of time getting permits and making court appearances so Doc can be free for more critical matters. The big finale involves the showdown seventy feet below the surface of the Hudson between the silver gang`s submarine and Doc`s own craft. Fans of the Helldiver, previously seen in THE POLAR TREASURE and THE PHANTOM CITY, will be glad to see it back in service. Dent loved boats of any kind, what can I say, and his writing always perks up when the characters hit the water. The Helldiver is described in great detail, including all its new way cool gadgets. Unfortunately, it is after all an exploration vessel, not a fighting craft, and it doesn`t make a good showing against the Death´s-Head pirate sub. Things really look dark fore our heroes, all seems lost, and we get to see what Doc can really do when it`s do or die.           Finally, the cover to the Bantam paperback is one of the very best that James Bama painted, It`s the one I chose to illustrate the first page of my Doc reviews site. Against a grey background, the title in black and the big logo in white, in front of three menacing figures in silver outfits holding spearguns, Doc Savage stands in a classic pose. Backlit, with the famous torn shirt and jodhpurs and skullcap, it`s a great interpretation.

THE SEA MAGICIAN (Aug 14, 2001) From November 1934...and let's agree, EVERY Doc Savage book from 1934 was great. Judging from his writing, Lester Dent was having a blast turning out the early stories. Even if he wanted to move on to more prestigious *serious fiction*, it's clear he put a great deal of creative energy into the novels from the first two years. About the title....apparently Dent would submit his stories and the editors would frequently tack on a title which may have sounded appealing but which was often inappropriate. This book may have been labelled THE SEA MAGICIAN because a major part of the villain's scheme is a process for extracting gold from ocean water. (Sea Magican, okay, I get it). But Dent may well have wanted to call it something like KING JOHN'S GHOST which would have drawn in as many or more readers. The story is more complicated than it first appears, and it would not be fair to spoil it for fans who are planning to read it. The appearance of King John's ghost in the marshes of England, killing people and warning others away...a dramatic new machine for extracting gold, based on an island owned by no country...hmmm, just what is going on here anyway? The mastermind is a relatively low-key one for an early Doc story. The two or three possible suspects don't get much play, and to be honest, I had forgotten the character who turned out to be the main villain. Dealing with ordinary English and French thugs with no unusual weapons or powers (but with fully overdone accents) gives the aides a chance to shine a bit. In fact, one of the most enjoyable aspects of this story is that Johnny, Ham and Monk each get six to eight pages of action, in which they do fine as solo crimefighters. Johnny (on his own) goes to investigate the reports of an ghost in the Wash, and he barehandedly beats a man who is in armor and is brandishing a broadsword. Ham does a good deal of stealthy skulking, picking off thugs with single shots of the mercy bullets from a silenced machine pistol. And Monk goes on the most destructive rampage of his career, keeping count out loud as he shoots, punches, and otherwise demolishes thirteen gunmen in rapid succession. The boys make a good showing this time, and seem like each one could have functioned perfectly well as solo adventurers. It's important to remember that Doc himself gets captured a good number of times, the difference being that (with his gadgets and unusual abilities) he can free himself where the aides usually can't. Doc, by the way, snaps people's handcuff links apart with his hands four different times in this adventure. (I suspect he had just found out he could do it and was showing off.) In fact, the cover to the original pulp shows a close-up of our hero breaking open a pair of cuffs. There is a cute moment when Doc is climbing down the outside wall of a hotel, and enters a room where a classic Old Maid starts screeching for the police. BUT when she gets a good look at the big bronze man, she changes her tone. "What on earth are you doing in here?" she asks hopefully. As Doc keeps going and exits the room, she starts to yell again. Now that is a reaction the Shadow never got!

THE ANNIHILIST (June 26, 2001) From December 1934, this is one of the essential novels that a Doc Savage fan should make a point to read. Much about the Crime College is revealed here (we actually see the outside of the facility). Doc and the boys (as well as Pat) are in good form (Long Tom and Johnny are on the bench for this one), the gadgets are in full bloom and it's a fast-paced ride. THE ANNIHILIST is one of the most violent and gruesome adventures in the series. A mysterious force is affecting people who become violent or enraged, causing a painful death. The grotesque sign of the Crime Annihilist at work is bulging eyeballs, which in some cases pop right out of the sockets and hang from the optic nerves. Hundreds of people die in New York City, in increasing numbers as the effect recurs; there is a full scale panic, with people fleeing the city in droves and the authorities at a loss. As a plot gimmick, the pop-eye death is one of the best ever devised. At unexpected, critical moments, someone will paw at his eyes, howl in pain, and convulse on the floor until dying. Monk is nearly afflicted several times; like a few other characters, he becomes angry enough that the bizarre effect starts to manifest. (Ham takes advantage of Monk's inability to express anger to unload his grievances.) This book has a group of bizarre, memorable characters. Most likely to be a favorite with readers is 'Hardboiled' Humboldt, a tough police detective with sore feet and a short fuse. Not impressed with Doc, determined to end the onslaught of the Annihilist, Humboldt is regarded with wry affection by the Man of Bronze; the cop is honest and just what NYC in 1934 needs, although Doc doesn't intend to let the law get in his way. There is also Lizzie, an effeminate killer with 'rose-petal skin', delicate features and mimosa cologne. Lizzie is dangerous enough (although Renny calls him 'sissy') and you get the feeling Lester Dent would have revealed more about him if not for the magazine taboos of the time. There is also Boke, the mastermind who only appears as a pleasant voice or a figure so bundled up as to be completely incognito. But it's the tragic figure of Sidney Lorrey and his twin brother Robert who appear in the most intense scenes. Skilled surgeons who work for Doc at the College, they are targeted for interrogation by Boke, who has used a fortune and many investigators to learn a bit about Doc's facility. Sidney goes through a nightmarish ordeal. A real, literal sadist named Leo tortures Sidney to the extent that the gangsters watching are nauseated, continuing even after it's clear the victim isn't going to talk. After the pop-eye death claims Leo, the bleeding and shaking Sidney discovers that his twin brother (tied and gagged on a couch) has actually been dead all along, jiggled by a hidden crook to make Sidney think he's still alive. This is enough to make anyone's mind snap. If any criminals ever deserved to have their memories wiped clean, it's monsters like these. Leo chuckles about a squeamish thug, "I guess his crime gland ain't just right." Doc is in his prime here. After a mysterious event where a man is heard arguing with someone in an empty room, our boy promptly tells the baffled police that the man had been using the phone. The gadgets are a real source of the appeal of these early stories: the invisible chalk, the powder that glows to reveal footprints, even completely plausible tricks like a button with a sharp metal edge that can cuts ropes. (The James Bond of the movies could have learned much from Doc) It's here that Doc takes one of his most serious injuries, being shot by a rifle. The bullet goes in the side of his neck and comes out the top of his chest, apparently missing the lungs. There is no mention of Doc trying to dress the wound or even stop the bleeding, and although he doesn't do any leaping around or fighting after that, there's only one reference to the pain. (It's not clear why the flexible armor didn't help this time. Maybe this was a high powered rifle bullet that connected just right.) As a Renny fan, I'm glad to see our engineer make a good showing here. He punches a door open, manhandles a crew of thugs and seems perfectly ready to handle this mystery on his own. His modernistic penthouse apartment seems out of character, however; the simple, solid office and rooms shown in THE TEN-TON SNAKES were more his style. And Pat Savage not only makes an appearance, she is actually asked to investigate something by Doc, who admits he's baffled at the beginning of the Annihilist business. Pat jumps at the chance, sees some action, and sticks with the team til the end. Finally, the cover to the Bantam paperback is wonderfully atmospheric. Against a black background, Doc is looking up warily while at work in a dimly lit laboratory, stirring some smoking concoction, working with flasks and retorts. The lighting effect is perfect. I sort of wish James Bama had just this once put a white lab smock on the bronze man, but what are you gonna do?

Ahead to 1935