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Doc Savage (Bantam) #84
The Mountain Monster
The monster came without warning. It came as Indian legend said it would come, in the night and while a storm raged. It brought terror and horror to peaceful Arcadia Valley. It transformed an Alaskan paradise into a panic-stricken, fear-blanched hell. Only one man could stop it-- the Man of Bronze.
122 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 1938
1 person is currently reading
108 people want to read
About the author
Kenneth Robeson
919 books134 followersKenneth Robeson was the house name used by Street and Smith Publications as the author of their popular character Doc Savage and later The Avenger. Though most Doc Savage stories were written by the author Lester Dent, there were many others who contributed to the series, including:
William G. Bogart
Evelyn Coulson
Harold A. Davis
Lawrence Donovan
Alan Hathway
W. Ryerson Johnson
Lester Dent is usually considered to be the creator of Doc Savage. In the 1990s Philip José Farmer wrote a new Doc Savage adventure, but it was published under his own name and not by Robeson. Will Murray has since taken up the pseudonym and continued writing Doc Savage books as Robeson.
All 24 of the original stories featuring The Avenger were written by Paul Ernst, using the Robeson house name. In order to encourage sales Kenneth Robeson was credited on the cover of The Avenger magazine as "the creator of Doc Savage" even though Lester Dent had nothing to do with The Avenger series. In the 1970s, when the series was extended with 12 additional novels, Ron Goulart was hired to become Robeson.
William G. Bogart
Evelyn Coulson
Harold A. Davis
Lawrence Donovan
Alan Hathway
W. Ryerson Johnson
Lester Dent is usually considered to be the creator of Doc Savage. In the 1990s Philip José Farmer wrote a new Doc Savage adventure, but it was published under his own name and not by Robeson. Will Murray has since taken up the pseudonym and continued writing Doc Savage books as Robeson.
All 24 of the original stories featuring The Avenger were written by Paul Ernst, using the Robeson house name. In order to encourage sales Kenneth Robeson was credited on the cover of The Avenger magazine as "the creator of Doc Savage" even though Lester Dent had nothing to do with The Avenger series. In the 1970s, when the series was extended with 12 additional novels, Ron Goulart was hired to become Robeson.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 11, 2023
The Mountain Monster is a "Doc Savage" novel by Kenneth Robeson. Kenneth Robeson was the house name Street and Smith Publications used as the author of their popular Doc Savage novels. Though most Doc Savage stories were written by the author Lester Dent, there were many others who contributed to the series, including: William G. Bogart, Evelyn Coulson, Harold A. Davis, Lawrence Donovan, Alan Hathway, and W. Ryerson Johnson.
I love reading these old pulp novels from time to time. I read about 80%+ of the Doc Savage novels when I was a teenager but that was a very long time ago. I have been trying to find them again in the Bantam editions I read in my youth. I have found several of them in used bookstores and have bought several from online aftermarket bookstores.
In this one, Doc Savage and his men are in the thick of it again. The action is classic Doc Savage, filled with good old-fashioned adventure and gadgets that always seem to be there when the hero needs them. You can relax and escape for a little while. A good read in the Doc Savage series.
I love reading these old pulp novels from time to time. I read about 80%+ of the Doc Savage novels when I was a teenager but that was a very long time ago. I have been trying to find them again in the Bantam editions I read in my youth. I have found several of them in used bookstores and have bought several from online aftermarket bookstores.
In this one, Doc Savage and his men are in the thick of it again. The action is classic Doc Savage, filled with good old-fashioned adventure and gadgets that always seem to be there when the hero needs them. You can relax and escape for a little while. A good read in the Doc Savage series.
April 2, 2019
I had a nice afternoon to relax--and read a book, so I picked up a Bantam paperback edition of a Doc Savage adventure--Number 84, "The Mountain Monster." It follows the formula for the 30s pulp hero created by Lester Dent under the pen name of "Kenneth Robeson." However, this one was written by a fill-in writer, Harold Davis. Most fans would consider it inferior Doc Savage, but I didn't think it was so bad. In this one, Doc and three of his aides go from Chicago to Alaska Territory to investigate a monster that has been killing settlers in the Far North. Of course, there is a gang of crooks determined to thwart "the Man of Bronze." As usual, Doc is captured and as always finds a way to escape. I have to say Doc is lucky that he has never encountered bad guys who kill him as soon as they capture him! Good fast-paced action perfect for an afternoon's fast read.
February 24, 2020
The Mountain Monster was originally published in Doc Savage magazine, a classic pulp publication similar to The Shadow (to which there is a reference in this book on p. 57) and The Spider. Pulp adventures, one may remember, were a primary means of “escape” through entertainment in the period before television. And, printed on the cheap paper for which the genre gets its name, these thick magazines provided significant value until many of the pulp publishers shifted to the comic book format for stories of adventure, imagination, and romance. I like the genre so much that I once subscribed to a publication that reprinted stories and novellas from a variety of the pulp adventure books and published them quarterly in a quality paperback format.
Many people believe that Doc Savage, the “Man of Bronze” who towered over ordinary men, had super-human strength, and was a genius and inventor, may have been the inspiration for “The Man of Steel” in much the same way that The Spider served as inspiration for, at least, one Batman story, if not for the character himself. As with “The Spider,” Doc Savage is complemented by a team of experts—Harvard lawyer, world-class chemist, superb aviator, and premier archaeologist. While the entire team (including the unusual pets of pig and ape kept by the attorney and chemist) doesn’t appear in every issue, their particular talents or convenient arrival on the scene are extremely useful as plot elements. The Doc Savage books, similar to those featuring The Shadow and The Spider, are contemporary to the movie serials which offer a delightful escapism requiring perceptible suspension of disbelief. So, as with those movie serials and the later comic books, pulp adventure heroes and supporting actors aren’t necessarily dead when they seem like they would certainly be dead.
Another aspect of the Doc Savage stories, which is certainly featured in The Mountain Monster is that the set-up often involves something which looks like it could only be explained by something supernatural. Yet, part of the fun is “riding” along with Doc Savage as he puts the clues together and discovers how these apparently extra-normal phenomena have been accomplished. In The Mountain Monster, one would suspect a mystery surrounding the huge, spidery creature featured in the title itself, but there are also some mysterious deaths that seem tied to the monster even though they are nowhere near the proximity of the monster. Of course, there is also the mystery as to the motive beyond the vast conspiracy the “Man of Bronze” seeks to unravel.
Anyone reading this review should be aware that I have a very low threshold of satisfaction when it comes to pulp adventure. I feel transported to a simpler era, before I was born, and I view the stories, characters, and plots with an unsophisticated viewpoint as though I am a child at a motion picture showing with several serial episodes presented. Those who might resent a rather sexist perspective probably wouldn’t appreciate the breaking of the fourth wall with a knowing wink as a female character is described: “She had curves in the right places, and features that would have sold extra copies of any magazine.” (p. 35) Certainly, many of the pulps were not deficient in terms of artwork suggesting what once was called “cheesecake.” One should also be warned that there are racist stereotypes in almost all of the pulp adventures. I don’t like to think of the United States of America as being overtly racist toward Asians and Near Easterners alike, but these stereotypes are there as sure as in the Fu Manchu series by Sax Rohmer.
The Mountain Monster is fast and interesting reading. There are numerous twists and turns with some predictable and some somewhat surprising, but all perfectly in tune with the genre itself.
Many people believe that Doc Savage, the “Man of Bronze” who towered over ordinary men, had super-human strength, and was a genius and inventor, may have been the inspiration for “The Man of Steel” in much the same way that The Spider served as inspiration for, at least, one Batman story, if not for the character himself. As with “The Spider,” Doc Savage is complemented by a team of experts—Harvard lawyer, world-class chemist, superb aviator, and premier archaeologist. While the entire team (including the unusual pets of pig and ape kept by the attorney and chemist) doesn’t appear in every issue, their particular talents or convenient arrival on the scene are extremely useful as plot elements. The Doc Savage books, similar to those featuring The Shadow and The Spider, are contemporary to the movie serials which offer a delightful escapism requiring perceptible suspension of disbelief. So, as with those movie serials and the later comic books, pulp adventure heroes and supporting actors aren’t necessarily dead when they seem like they would certainly be dead.
Another aspect of the Doc Savage stories, which is certainly featured in The Mountain Monster is that the set-up often involves something which looks like it could only be explained by something supernatural. Yet, part of the fun is “riding” along with Doc Savage as he puts the clues together and discovers how these apparently extra-normal phenomena have been accomplished. In The Mountain Monster, one would suspect a mystery surrounding the huge, spidery creature featured in the title itself, but there are also some mysterious deaths that seem tied to the monster even though they are nowhere near the proximity of the monster. Of course, there is also the mystery as to the motive beyond the vast conspiracy the “Man of Bronze” seeks to unravel.
Anyone reading this review should be aware that I have a very low threshold of satisfaction when it comes to pulp adventure. I feel transported to a simpler era, before I was born, and I view the stories, characters, and plots with an unsophisticated viewpoint as though I am a child at a motion picture showing with several serial episodes presented. Those who might resent a rather sexist perspective probably wouldn’t appreciate the breaking of the fourth wall with a knowing wink as a female character is described: “She had curves in the right places, and features that would have sold extra copies of any magazine.” (p. 35) Certainly, many of the pulps were not deficient in terms of artwork suggesting what once was called “cheesecake.” One should also be warned that there are racist stereotypes in almost all of the pulp adventures. I don’t like to think of the United States of America as being overtly racist toward Asians and Near Easterners alike, but these stereotypes are there as sure as in the Fu Manchu series by Sax Rohmer.
The Mountain Monster is fast and interesting reading. There are numerous twists and turns with some predictable and some somewhat surprising, but all perfectly in tune with the genre itself.
October 15, 2016
The first Doc Savage story appeared in 1933 and the series ran in pulp and later digest format into 1949. Bantam reprinted the entire series in paperback with wonderful, iconic covers starting in the 1960's. Doc was arguably the first great modern superhero with a rich background, continuity, and mythos. The characterizations were far richer than was common for the pulps; his five associates and their sometimes-auxiliary, Doc's cousin Pat, and the pets Chemistry and Habeas Corpus, all had very distinctive characteristics and their byplay was frequently more entertaining that the current adventure-of-the-month. The settings were also fascinating: Doc's Fortress of Solitude, the Hidalgo Trading Company (which served as a front for his armada of vehicles), and especially the mysterious 86th floor headquarters all became familiar haunts to the reader, and the far-flung adventures took the intrepid band to exotic and richly-described locations all over the world. The adventures were always fast-paced and exciting, from the early apocalyptic world-saving extravaganzas of the early days to the latter scientific-detective style shorter works of the post-World War Two years. There were always a few points that it was difficult to believe along the way, but there were always more ups than downs, and there was never, ever a dull moment. The Doc Savage books have always been my favorite entertainments... I was always, as Johnny would say, superamalgamated!
January 11, 2019
This Doc Savage novel was actually written by fill in writer Harold Davis. I didn’t particularly like it. Action was dull and predictable. Two stars from me.
December 7, 2022
This book, I had a bit of difficulty liking in that it was a bit over the top with the sensational aspect of the “monster” in the story. The other problem that I had with it had to do with all of the criminals located in one spot in the book and that none of the locals were aware of this. Maybe a few sneaking in but the numbers that were there strained incredibility.
This story begins Arcadia Valley in Alaska. Doc comes into the adventure in Chicago before returning to Arcadia Valley. There is a most beautiful girl, a reporter, of course. Why wouldn’t there be.
One aspect that was interesting to me was that the main action took place in Alaska. It was interesting for the author to call the people that had moved to this area of Alaska as colonists. He also mentioned that there those that wanted to move back to the United States. I wonder if people back then didn’t consider Alaska as a part of the United States despite the fact that Alaska was a U.S. territory.
Another interesting point occurred when Doc came across a couple of thugs, on of which was reading The Shadow Magazine. Lol. Rather clever of the author.
This Doc Savage adventure included Monk and Ham. About half way through the book, Long Tom arrives by plane and joins in on the mystery of the monster.
The Mountain Monster was authored again by Harold A Davis and Lester Dent. Maybe that is the explanation for the weirdness. This is the third book in a row with the two authors collaborating. This book was published February 1938.
This story begins Arcadia Valley in Alaska. Doc comes into the adventure in Chicago before returning to Arcadia Valley. There is a most beautiful girl, a reporter, of course. Why wouldn’t there be.
One aspect that was interesting to me was that the main action took place in Alaska. It was interesting for the author to call the people that had moved to this area of Alaska as colonists. He also mentioned that there those that wanted to move back to the United States. I wonder if people back then didn’t consider Alaska as a part of the United States despite the fact that Alaska was a U.S. territory.
Another interesting point occurred when Doc came across a couple of thugs, on of which was reading The Shadow Magazine. Lol. Rather clever of the author.
This Doc Savage adventure included Monk and Ham. About half way through the book, Long Tom arrives by plane and joins in on the mystery of the monster.
The Mountain Monster was authored again by Harold A Davis and Lester Dent. Maybe that is the explanation for the weirdness. This is the third book in a row with the two authors collaborating. This book was published February 1938.
December 8, 2024
The Mountain Monster was published in the January 1938 issue of Doc Savage Magazine; I read the September 1976 Bantam edition for this review. The story begins in the wilds of Alaska with the explanation of an old Native American legend concerning a great “monster” that has apparently come to life. The threat of its reappearance has sent the Native Americans packing. When a government agent's friend and co-worker is killed by the "monster," he decides to seek Doc's help in solving this mystery.
The story progresses rather rapidly as Doc continues his preliminary work en route to Alaska. When Doc and the guys, minus Renny and Johnny, who are in China on a commercial enterprise of vast importance, quickly go to work, they wrap up this mystery of The Mountain Monster in approximately 24 hours; even “Chemistry” and “Habeas,” Ham’s and Monk’s pets, get into the action. Everyone, of course, is repeatedly captured, and with some quick thinking always make their escapes.
The Man of Bronze learned the identity of the criminal master mind and deduced his motives for commandeering a secluded area in the wilds of the Alaskan wilderness, but he didn’t know its precise location. When Doc locates the hideout, everything comes together in short order as an elaborate conclusion to the story is revealed. As a result, justice prevails on a grand scale, thus signaling a return to normalcy in the otherwise peaceful Arcadian Valley of the Alaska Territory.
The Mountain Monster was written on the verge of World War II; the events in Europe and Asia were certainly making the daily newspapers here in the United States, thus serving as a backdrop for this story. Also, within twenty years after The Mountain Monster was published, Alaska became our 49th state. Perhaps some of these “colonists,” as Harold Davis, Lester’s pinch-hitting substitute refers to them, voted for statehood for the Territory of Alaska.
And with those two thoughts in mind, another thrilling five-star Doc Savage adventure, one of the better ones I have read, comes to a successful conclusion. *****
The story progresses rather rapidly as Doc continues his preliminary work en route to Alaska. When Doc and the guys, minus Renny and Johnny, who are in China on a commercial enterprise of vast importance, quickly go to work, they wrap up this mystery of The Mountain Monster in approximately 24 hours; even “Chemistry” and “Habeas,” Ham’s and Monk’s pets, get into the action. Everyone, of course, is repeatedly captured, and with some quick thinking always make their escapes.
The Man of Bronze learned the identity of the criminal master mind and deduced his motives for commandeering a secluded area in the wilds of the Alaskan wilderness, but he didn’t know its precise location. When Doc locates the hideout, everything comes together in short order as an elaborate conclusion to the story is revealed. As a result, justice prevails on a grand scale, thus signaling a return to normalcy in the otherwise peaceful Arcadian Valley of the Alaska Territory.
The Mountain Monster was written on the verge of World War II; the events in Europe and Asia were certainly making the daily newspapers here in the United States, thus serving as a backdrop for this story. Also, within twenty years after The Mountain Monster was published, Alaska became our 49th state. Perhaps some of these “colonists,” as Harold Davis, Lester’s pinch-hitting substitute refers to them, voted for statehood for the Territory of Alaska.
And with those two thoughts in mind, another thrilling five-star Doc Savage adventure, one of the better ones I have read, comes to a successful conclusion. *****
October 27, 2020
Written by Harold Davis, one of the ghosts that Lester Dent had help him out with Doc Savage, it's a relatively quick read. Only took me three days rather than 5 listed, as I lost two days to travel between Alabama and Ohio. Great cover, definitely comparable to the one that graced the Bantam reprint.
October 11, 2017
Good Doc adventure.
October 27, 2021
Fun until the usual Scooby Doo ending of the later Docs.
September 28, 2015
Are the Doc Savage adventures not written by Lester Dent, the primary "Kenneth Robeson," automatically inferior? Well, almost always.
So as an adventure written by Harold A. Davis, who produced more than a dozen Docs, "The Mountain Monster" already has to work a little harder. It does that work in decent fashion, but with Davis' faithfulness to the canon typically a little wobbly, a fact that hopefully gets lost in his breakneck pace. Yeah, you sure can tell this ain't a Dent, big-time.
"The Mountain Monster," from February 1938, has a decent central idea: a horrible, monstrous spider seems to be mangling settlers in Alaska (still more than 20 years from becoming a state). Get the Man of Bronze on the case! The monster's appearances don't provide quite the jolt they should, but it's an OK premise from which to build. Unfortunately, Davis constructs the usual rickety track on which to careen his roller coaster. Logic tends to get thrown out the window. Doc's faking of his own death (involving a disguise and mirrors) in a flaming crematorium is howlingly unlikely. Whatever Davis needs to whip up at the moment to get his hero out of a jam gets fabricated, presto. Doc has handy every gadget needed to pull off the most unlikely of rescues or escapes.
Overuse might as well be Davis' middle name. From gadgets to Doc's aides' pets, it's logic be damned. Davis is particularly fond of setting loose Ham's chimp/ape/what-is-it Chemistry to run amok. Here's your chance, folks, at Chemistry driving a car. (Unwillingly, though! He was tied to the wheel by bad guys!). Davis didn't seem to like Habeas Corpus, Monk's pet pig, as much. At least he didn't make Habeas drive a car.
I can't fault the breakneck pacing, but Dent's knack for detail and drawing reader investment through plot- and character-building scenes are missed in this Davis tale.
"The Mountain Monster" is concluded decently, though, and while quite a ways from being a Doc Savage masterpiece, it's not the worst of the novels written by the fill-in ghosts. You'll have to read a Laurence Donovan for that.
So as an adventure written by Harold A. Davis, who produced more than a dozen Docs, "The Mountain Monster" already has to work a little harder. It does that work in decent fashion, but with Davis' faithfulness to the canon typically a little wobbly, a fact that hopefully gets lost in his breakneck pace. Yeah, you sure can tell this ain't a Dent, big-time.
"The Mountain Monster," from February 1938, has a decent central idea: a horrible, monstrous spider seems to be mangling settlers in Alaska (still more than 20 years from becoming a state). Get the Man of Bronze on the case! The monster's appearances don't provide quite the jolt they should, but it's an OK premise from which to build. Unfortunately, Davis constructs the usual rickety track on which to careen his roller coaster. Logic tends to get thrown out the window. Doc's faking of his own death (involving a disguise and mirrors) in a flaming crematorium is howlingly unlikely. Whatever Davis needs to whip up at the moment to get his hero out of a jam gets fabricated, presto. Doc has handy every gadget needed to pull off the most unlikely of rescues or escapes.
Overuse might as well be Davis' middle name. From gadgets to Doc's aides' pets, it's logic be damned. Davis is particularly fond of setting loose Ham's chimp/ape/what-is-it Chemistry to run amok. Here's your chance, folks, at Chemistry driving a car. (Unwillingly, though! He was tied to the wheel by bad guys!). Davis didn't seem to like Habeas Corpus, Monk's pet pig, as much. At least he didn't make Habeas drive a car.
I can't fault the breakneck pacing, but Dent's knack for detail and drawing reader investment through plot- and character-building scenes are missed in this Davis tale.
"The Mountain Monster" is concluded decently, though, and while quite a ways from being a Doc Savage masterpiece, it's not the worst of the novels written by the fill-in ghosts. You'll have to read a Laurence Donovan for that.
March 1, 2016
Of all the pulp era heroes few stand out above the crowd, Doc Savage is one of these. With his 5 aides and cousin he adventures across the world. Fighting weird menaces, master criminals and evil scientists Doc and the Fab 5 never let you down for a great read. These stories have all you need; fast paced action, weird mystery, and some humor as the aides spat with each other. My highest recommendation.
April 30, 2015
This was another fun adventure in Doc's series. The only downside was some ridiculous stereotypes of Indians and Asians. Otherwise, a giant spider terrorizes an Alaskan valley and it's up to Doc and his crew to solve the mystery. Monk, Ham, and Long Tom go along as well as Habeus Corpus and Chemistry.
September 21, 2015
2.5 stars. Interesting for seeing Alaska as an untamed frontier separate from "the states" and a reasonably good plot, but a little erraticly written. While I do like the villain's secret agenda, the mastermind is such a minor character he's about one step away from not appearing in the book at all.
November 5, 2012
A giant monster seeking the heart of a bronze haired man. A group of criminals trying to prevent Doc and the gang from getting there. Another good Doc Savage adventure.
November 15, 2018
read some time in 1979
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews