What do you think?
Rate this book
All-New Wild Adventures of Doc Savage #1
Doc Savage: The Desert Demons
Back after nearly 20 years, Doc Savage returns! The Man of Bronze and his amazing crew are called to 1936 California to combat the Desert Demons. Weather gone wild--or something far more sinister? From the Mojave Desert to the Hollywood Hills, and climaxing in the swampy interior of Florida, Doc confronts a threat to the Earth unlike any he ever faced before. Written by prolific novelist Will Murray, author of 7 previous Doc Savage novels, and based on an unfinished manuscript by originator Lester Dent, The Desert Demons is only the first of 7 projected Wild Adventures of Doc Savage. A perfect reintroduction to the seminal pulp superman-scientist whose adventures were originally published between 1933 and 1949. The Man of Bronze is back. For real this time.
208 pages, Nook
First published January 1, 2011
131 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
About the author
Kenneth Robeson
916 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
May 24, 2013
I finished reading The Desert Demons last night, the first in the latest series of new Doc Savage books. I started reading Doc Savage shortly after Bantam started reprinting them in the 60s and was hooked for many years. This is the third of Will Murray’s additions to the series that I’ve read (the others being Skull Island and Death's Dark Domain- The Wild Adventures of Doc Savage). I have yet to read any of the ones he wrote in the 90s.
In Death’s Dark Domain I thought Murray captured the feel of the early pulp stories very well, but this one didn’t seem quite as authentic. I enjoyed it, but couldn’t really lose myself in the adventure; Murray spends a little too much time explaining things the longtime fans already know. Plus, the story seemed a little too far out there, and the explanation even more so.
So, not quite as good as Death’s Dark Domain or Skull Island, but better than Escape from Loki. A fun read. I’m hoping this run lasts longer than the one in the 90s.
In Death’s Dark Domain I thought Murray captured the feel of the early pulp stories very well, but this one didn’t seem quite as authentic. I enjoyed it, but couldn’t really lose myself in the adventure; Murray spends a little too much time explaining things the longtime fans already know. Plus, the story seemed a little too far out there, and the explanation even more so.
So, not quite as good as Death’s Dark Domain or Skull Island, but better than Escape from Loki. A fun read. I’m hoping this run lasts longer than the one in the 90s.
November 22, 2019
In 2011, Altus Press began publishing a new line of Doc Savage novels, the first in nearly 20 years. This one is the first to be published in that endeavor. Will Murray is the author behind the ‘Kenneth Robeson’ moniker for these “All New Wild Adventures of Doc Savage” but this is not his first Doc Savage book, having written seven previous volumes, not to mention numerous articles and interviews, and consulting to both Bantam and Spectra. He is well-regarded as perhaps the greatest living authority on Doc Savage.
So, it was with great anticipation that I dove into this book. I’ve read many of the original Doc novels by Lester Dent as well as most of the other authors who wrote as ‘Kenneth Robeson’ through the years. Like many, I was cautiously optimistic of how this one would go. And now I can say I need not have been concerned. Will Murray has proven adept at channeling the style of the original Doc Savage stories, maintaining the same sort of pulp action plot, and capturing the personalities of Doc and his fabulous five.
The story takes place in 1936 and revolves around a strange and deadly cloud of tiny mysterious things that swarm from the skies over desert areas and attack objects, including people, transforming them into white salt-like piles. When a pattern emerges of targets tied to the budding Hollywood movie industry, Doc and his aides travel to California to determine the cause. The book is longer than the traditional Doc Savage stories allowing for more action, a greater and more threatening menace, and a larger cast of potential baddies.
In this book, all five aides contribute along with Pat Savage and, of course, Habeas Corpus and Chemistry. The author takes great pains to include all the Doc tropes we would want, (perhaps too many) including the gadgets/inventions, the Monk/Ham banter, Johnny's vocabulary, Doc’s trilling, his exercise regimen, etc. Of special interest to me was the way he weaves in the actual professions and expertise (engineering, electronics, chemistry, etc.) of the various aides when resolving the nature of the menace.
I have only one minor criticism. When the final explanations came for what the ‘Desert Demons’ actually were, it felt a little too ‘out there’, almost as if a real explanation couldn’t be thought of. This sort of ending is not unique among Doc Savage stories and since Will Murray reportedly worked off notes left from Lester Dent, I’ll let it be. It doesn’t really interfere with a fun adventurous Doc Savage book, which is what I was hoping for and certainly bodes well for the others in this ‘Wild Adventures’ series.
So, it was with great anticipation that I dove into this book. I’ve read many of the original Doc novels by Lester Dent as well as most of the other authors who wrote as ‘Kenneth Robeson’ through the years. Like many, I was cautiously optimistic of how this one would go. And now I can say I need not have been concerned. Will Murray has proven adept at channeling the style of the original Doc Savage stories, maintaining the same sort of pulp action plot, and capturing the personalities of Doc and his fabulous five.
The story takes place in 1936 and revolves around a strange and deadly cloud of tiny mysterious things that swarm from the skies over desert areas and attack objects, including people, transforming them into white salt-like piles. When a pattern emerges of targets tied to the budding Hollywood movie industry, Doc and his aides travel to California to determine the cause. The book is longer than the traditional Doc Savage stories allowing for more action, a greater and more threatening menace, and a larger cast of potential baddies.
In this book, all five aides contribute along with Pat Savage and, of course, Habeas Corpus and Chemistry. The author takes great pains to include all the Doc tropes we would want, (perhaps too many) including the gadgets/inventions, the Monk/Ham banter, Johnny's vocabulary, Doc’s trilling, his exercise regimen, etc. Of special interest to me was the way he weaves in the actual professions and expertise (engineering, electronics, chemistry, etc.) of the various aides when resolving the nature of the menace.
I have only one minor criticism. When the final explanations came for what the ‘Desert Demons’ actually were, it felt a little too ‘out there’, almost as if a real explanation couldn’t be thought of. This sort of ending is not unique among Doc Savage stories and since Will Murray reportedly worked off notes left from Lester Dent, I’ll let it be. It doesn’t really interfere with a fun adventurous Doc Savage book, which is what I was hoping for and certainly bodes well for the others in this ‘Wild Adventures’ series.
October 10, 2015
This was the first "wild" adventure published and it sure lives up to that descriptor. This is both unlike many of the original Robeson stories and yet strangely evocative of the better Dent exploits. While holding true to the feel of the original adventures, this one pits Doc and his amazing crew against a type of menace that Dent might only have hinted at. Most of the original mysteries all get explained away, sometimes stretching credibility, but there was always a line that wouldn't be crossed. While this threat doesn't actually cross that line it does open up a whole new direction for future stories.
July 31, 2011
After 20 years, Doc Savage returns to the page in a new novel created by Will Murray, put together from fragments and stories written by Doc Savage creator Lester Dent. In the hardcover edition's afterward, Murray details how he took unused opening chapters from one story, and edited them together with another Lester Dent non-Doc story, to create a brand-new novel. And the editing is seamless. If not for that afterward, I would never have guessed that this book was cobbled together from such completely separate elements.
It is to Murray's credit that he manages to preserve so much of the voice of the original books, while creating a longer, more involved story. Except for the length, which is maybe twice as long as one of the original pulp magazine versions, this feels just like it could have been published in the mid to late 1930s, as part of the original series. It's a fast-paced adventure with exactly the same kind of weird, over-the-top action and colorful characterization that fans expect. It's also written in the same idiosyncratic voice of Lester Dent--which, to me, always resembles that of an enthusiastic kid telling an adventure story--which is so much part of the charm of the tales.
Unfortunately, Murray also chooses to preserve some of the less admirable elements from the original period writing. We understand that obvious negative racial and sexual stereotypes and views will be found in historical works, when publishers, writers, and the reading public were less sensitive to issues of diversity. That doesn't mean we condone them, and when publishing new works in that style, we shouldn't include them for the sake of verisimilitude.
If this book were just an archiving of Lester Dent's unpublished writing, it would be ok to publish them unedited. But since Murray is already editing Dent's text pretty drastically, bolting together unrelated stories and fragments to create a new whole, unintended by Dent, that archival motive doesn't apply. I'm not suggesting that a new Doc Savage novel created in this manner should include Doc talking on an iPhone or uncharacteristically talking about his feelings. But in the 21st century, it doesn't seem appropriate to read Native American characters described as "the Red Man," or Doc Savage knocking his young female cousin unconscious and locking her in essentially the trunk of a car because he thinks the mission is too dangerous for a woman.
To be fair, Doc's treatment of his cousin, Pat, is the same sort of sexist stuff that happens all the time in the books. It also continues to be weird to read about Doc's Crime College, where he brainwashes criminals, casually erasing their pasts and turning them into productive citizens, without feeling more than a little creeped out. And the fetishistic descriptions of Doc's perfect physique and habits (here, we learn that Doc often wears black silk swimming trunks instead of underwear, just in case he needs to suddenly go for an unexpected swim) are as everpresent here as in the original series.
Despite the quirks, and despite the anachronistic offensiveness, this is still a fun adventure novel, and a good revival of Doc Savage. I look forward to the next in the series.
It is to Murray's credit that he manages to preserve so much of the voice of the original books, while creating a longer, more involved story. Except for the length, which is maybe twice as long as one of the original pulp magazine versions, this feels just like it could have been published in the mid to late 1930s, as part of the original series. It's a fast-paced adventure with exactly the same kind of weird, over-the-top action and colorful characterization that fans expect. It's also written in the same idiosyncratic voice of Lester Dent--which, to me, always resembles that of an enthusiastic kid telling an adventure story--which is so much part of the charm of the tales.
Unfortunately, Murray also chooses to preserve some of the less admirable elements from the original period writing. We understand that obvious negative racial and sexual stereotypes and views will be found in historical works, when publishers, writers, and the reading public were less sensitive to issues of diversity. That doesn't mean we condone them, and when publishing new works in that style, we shouldn't include them for the sake of verisimilitude.
If this book were just an archiving of Lester Dent's unpublished writing, it would be ok to publish them unedited. But since Murray is already editing Dent's text pretty drastically, bolting together unrelated stories and fragments to create a new whole, unintended by Dent, that archival motive doesn't apply. I'm not suggesting that a new Doc Savage novel created in this manner should include Doc talking on an iPhone or uncharacteristically talking about his feelings. But in the 21st century, it doesn't seem appropriate to read Native American characters described as "the Red Man," or Doc Savage knocking his young female cousin unconscious and locking her in essentially the trunk of a car because he thinks the mission is too dangerous for a woman.
To be fair, Doc's treatment of his cousin, Pat, is the same sort of sexist stuff that happens all the time in the books. It also continues to be weird to read about Doc's Crime College, where he brainwashes criminals, casually erasing their pasts and turning them into productive citizens, without feeling more than a little creeped out. And the fetishistic descriptions of Doc's perfect physique and habits (here, we learn that Doc often wears black silk swimming trunks instead of underwear, just in case he needs to suddenly go for an unexpected swim) are as everpresent here as in the original series.
Despite the quirks, and despite the anachronistic offensiveness, this is still a fun adventure novel, and a good revival of Doc Savage. I look forward to the next in the series.
June 19, 2016
Review from: http://www.cinemabluster.com
Receiving its first print publication in twenty years, Altus Press began a relaunch of the titular character in 2011 called The Wild Adventures of Doc Savage, The Desert Demons being the first story in this new ongoing series. Credited to Kenneth Robeson, which 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, many others worked on the title under the same house name and this new publication is no different as this novel was assembled by Will Murray, based on an outline from Lester Dent. Murray does a tremendous job of keeping Dent’s writing style intact and offers a novel that feels like it was published during the golden age of pulp storytelling.
As a ferocious blood-red “desert demon” cloud descends from the skies to earth, killing everything in its wake, Doc Savage snaps to action as prominent Hollywood players begin disappearing at the hands of this meteorological mystery. Causing a mass exodus from the state of California, Doc, along with his crazy cast of sidekicks, will travel to and from New York, California, Florida and more. The Man of Bronze will find himself pitted against seemingly intelligent and extremely deadly clouds that may contain an origin that is not of this world.
True to form of the classic novels from which this series was spawned, The Desert Demons is filled with heaps of pulp action. Bouncing from one action set piece to the other, very little character development is left standing in the way. Even though none of the characters are all that fleshed out or have any dramatic arcs, Murray delivers with plenty of classic over-the-top action with nice and tidy conclusions. The novel even ends on a cliffhanger that packs enough punch to lure you into the next entry of this series.
Dodging a hail storm of bullets, car chases, explosions, there is so much action packed into this quick read. Murray does an excellent job of expounding upon Dent’s original notes and provides a glorious story that feels right at home with the original run of novels from the heyday of the pulp era. This is a great jumping on point for new readers and serves as a wonderful continuation for long time fans.
June 18, 2016
It's been quite a long time since I read a new Doc Savage story and I was a little afraid that my tastes might have changed too much to enjoy this, or that Murray wouldn't be able to capture the Dent mood well enough to satisfy me, but I was quite pleasantly relieved. It's not the best Doc Savage story ever, but it's a fun adventure with all of the familiar excitement and humor that made the originals so much fun. I think he might have gone just a little bit overboard in trying to work in all of the familiar tropes and icons from the original series, which may have distracted from the thrust of the plot at times, but it was all great fun. All five aides participated, as well as Pat and Habeas Corpus and Chemistry, all of the familiar gadgets played a part, and we even had a brief side trip to the 86th Floor and the Hidalgo Trading Company.... I'll be picking up some more of these new Wild adventures!
December 26, 2012
After 40 years I finally did it, I read a Doc Savage novel. Doc has been a favorite of my father’s for his whole life and I knew that sooner or later I would end up reading one of his books. Little did I realize that the first Doc Savage book I would read would be a newer version of the books written by the late great Lester Dent (co-creator of Doc Savage) and Will Murray, and not one of my father’s old classic paperbacks from the 1960’s. The only question I have is, “What took me so long?” The story was entertaining and I found Doc and his gang to be an interesting mix of characters. I now understand why my dad was so interested in these stories and I plan to follow his path and read more. Great fun from a by-gone era.
April 3, 2021
Being a devout Doc Savage fan, and having read revivals by others that failed to capture the original aura, I was skeptical of this one by Will Murray. While it is much longer than the original ones orchestrated by Lester Dent, this book does a very good job of capturing the "original" Doc Savage timbre and is very consistent with the characters of those earlier pulps. This great job includes the characterization of Doc's five aides and his cousin. He does a good job of introducing them and keeps their character consistent with those created by the earlier writers.
While this book follows a "typical" Doc Savage adventure formula, it has a few more twists and goes further along the road than the pulps tended to do. Doc Savage fans can take comfort in the fact that there is more, but it stays within the lanes that we would expect. If you are a Doc Savage fan, you should enjoy this work. If you are new to Doc Savage, this may whet your appetite to go back to the beginning and read "The Man of Bronze".
This book is a solid, Doc Savage/pulp adventure story. While it is not great literature, it is not intended to be. It is, however, the escapism and entertainment that one would expect from such a story.
There were two things that Mr. Murray did in this book that stuck out to me and caused me some consternation: 1) Doc Savage spoke publicly and openly to the criminal that he was going to send to his "hospital." While many of the pulps provided explanations and details of the institution, I don't ever remember it being revealed either publicly or to the criminal; and 2) He spoke publicly of his Fortress of Solitude. Again, other than it coming out in a novel of that name and public speculation, I cannot recall him referring to it to anyone outside of his group.
I listened to the audio version of this book. It was well-read, with consistent volume and clear enunciation. It was read with attention to tones and inflection to fit the scene. The voicing of the characters was done well. (But for those of us who have read dozens of Doc Savage novels, it would be nearly impossible to capture the voices of his associates as we would have "visualized" them to ourselves.)
While this book follows a "typical" Doc Savage adventure formula, it has a few more twists and goes further along the road than the pulps tended to do. Doc Savage fans can take comfort in the fact that there is more, but it stays within the lanes that we would expect. If you are a Doc Savage fan, you should enjoy this work. If you are new to Doc Savage, this may whet your appetite to go back to the beginning and read "The Man of Bronze".
This book is a solid, Doc Savage/pulp adventure story. While it is not great literature, it is not intended to be. It is, however, the escapism and entertainment that one would expect from such a story.
There were two things that Mr. Murray did in this book that stuck out to me and caused me some consternation: 1) Doc Savage spoke publicly and openly to the criminal that he was going to send to his "hospital." While many of the pulps provided explanations and details of the institution, I don't ever remember it being revealed either publicly or to the criminal; and 2) He spoke publicly of his Fortress of Solitude. Again, other than it coming out in a novel of that name and public speculation, I cannot recall him referring to it to anyone outside of his group.
I listened to the audio version of this book. It was well-read, with consistent volume and clear enunciation. It was read with attention to tones and inflection to fit the scene. The voicing of the characters was done well. (But for those of us who have read dozens of Doc Savage novels, it would be nearly impossible to capture the voices of his associates as we would have "visualized" them to ourselves.)
July 20, 2019
California!!! The land of milk and honey, sunshine, and movie stars. But it also maybe the land of angry red demons brought about by the curse of the long dead who were displaced from that same glorious land. Great red clouds are appearing in the skies as if by magic...or some even more sinister force...descending upon, people, place, and things and leaving only bleached white dead remains behind. Doc and his crew set out to the west coast to solve a mystery that could be the death of them all...and may already have taken one closest to them. And the death tolls are climbing...!
After a long, quiet 18 years, Clark Savage, Jr and his crew of five have returned to grace the bookshelves once more. William Patrick Murray, crafts a "new" story of thrills and adventure writing under the original spinner of adventures house name of Kenneth Robeson. Working hand in hand with lost or unused writings from the mind of Lester Dent's time as the crafter of all things Doc, Will Murray gives us another grand Doc adventure. With all the sheer fun and excitement that made those old pulps from the 30s, 40s, and 50s such an important part of our lives, he returns us to a much different time when the world was not so harsh and glittery as it is today.
Want to mention the fantastic cover created by Joe DeVito as well. Joe had worked with Will to create the covers on the 7 new Docs from over 18 years ago and returns with a bang on this one.
With many more books to come, I think that you will enjoy this new foray into the old world of Doc Savage. If you are a veteran to these stories, you already know fun ahead. If you are new to everything that is Doc Savage...well...you have a whole new world of adventure ahead of you.
Thank you Will and Joe for this new labor of love...
After a long, quiet 18 years, Clark Savage, Jr and his crew of five have returned to grace the bookshelves once more. William Patrick Murray, crafts a "new" story of thrills and adventure writing under the original spinner of adventures house name of Kenneth Robeson. Working hand in hand with lost or unused writings from the mind of Lester Dent's time as the crafter of all things Doc, Will Murray gives us another grand Doc adventure. With all the sheer fun and excitement that made those old pulps from the 30s, 40s, and 50s such an important part of our lives, he returns us to a much different time when the world was not so harsh and glittery as it is today.
Want to mention the fantastic cover created by Joe DeVito as well. Joe had worked with Will to create the covers on the 7 new Docs from over 18 years ago and returns with a bang on this one.
With many more books to come, I think that you will enjoy this new foray into the old world of Doc Savage. If you are a veteran to these stories, you already know fun ahead. If you are new to everything that is Doc Savage...well...you have a whole new world of adventure ahead of you.
Thank you Will and Joe for this new labor of love...
July 15, 2020
When crimson clouds start killing people around the movie industry in 1930s Hollywood, Doc Savage and his crew fly out to solve the mystery and rescue his cousin Pat.
Writing under the house name Kenneth Robeson from notes left by the most prolific Doc writer, Lester Dent, author Will Murray continues the adventures of the classic pulp hero in a worthy outing. This book is better written than most of the originals, which is not meant as a slight against those classic authors who had to crank out a tremendous amount of prose under intense time pressure. Dent often padded his word count by continually reintroducing characters in virtually the same way each time—helpful for newbies, perhaps, but wearying for the faithful reader. Also, writing these adventures today allows Murray to place Doc within his historical context in a way that could be very fun. For example, this story displays an awareness of Hollywood as a growing creative center with a big future in a way that may not have been apparent in Dent’s time. I hope Murray exploits this opportunity in future volumes. This is not to say that the originals don’t have their advantages as well. The type of Saturday morning matinee “out of the frying pan into the fire” structure without significant character development that these stories employ can become tiresome when they go on too long. This novel is longer than the pulp originals (and, frankly, some of those feel a little long, too). On balance, though, I’m excited to read more in this series.
https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com
Writing under the house name Kenneth Robeson from notes left by the most prolific Doc writer, Lester Dent, author Will Murray continues the adventures of the classic pulp hero in a worthy outing. This book is better written than most of the originals, which is not meant as a slight against those classic authors who had to crank out a tremendous amount of prose under intense time pressure. Dent often padded his word count by continually reintroducing characters in virtually the same way each time—helpful for newbies, perhaps, but wearying for the faithful reader. Also, writing these adventures today allows Murray to place Doc within his historical context in a way that could be very fun. For example, this story displays an awareness of Hollywood as a growing creative center with a big future in a way that may not have been apparent in Dent’s time. I hope Murray exploits this opportunity in future volumes. This is not to say that the originals don’t have their advantages as well. The type of Saturday morning matinee “out of the frying pan into the fire” structure without significant character development that these stories employ can become tiresome when they go on too long. This novel is longer than the pulp originals (and, frankly, some of those feel a little long, too). On balance, though, I’m excited to read more in this series.
https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com
March 25, 2020
Doc Savage has always been a guilty pleasure. I discovered them back in the 80's when the paperbacks came out and picked up 30+ of them. Doc and his 5 went on the most fantastic adventures and had the greatest gadgets, from machine guns to submarines. So it was with great interest that I stumbled on new stories (almost 10 years after they came out)
I've read that due to WW2, the later Doc adventures got quite a bit shorter and had a much different tone, so I was worried that I would not like the newer books and in fact it would sour me on the series, I am happy to report that I enjoyed it tremendously!
Hollywood of the 30's is in chaos as Doc and his crew race to California to fight strange red clouds that appear from clear air and destroy everything they touch - be it man, machine, rocks or anything.
Its a pretty classic Doc adventure, with multiple exotic locations and several people who could be the bad guy as well as slowly revealing the big secret. My only complaints were that it dragged a bit in the middle and Monk/Ham feuding seemed kind of thrown in without a lot of thought behind it, almost as if it was a checkbox that had to be checked off....but it is forgivable for the first in a new series that hopefully introduces readers to all the characters.
All in all a wonderful Doc Savage novel and although I have plenty of the originals still to be read, I think I will be picking up several more of the "Wild" adventures of Doc Savage.
I've read that due to WW2, the later Doc adventures got quite a bit shorter and had a much different tone, so I was worried that I would not like the newer books and in fact it would sour me on the series, I am happy to report that I enjoyed it tremendously!
Hollywood of the 30's is in chaos as Doc and his crew race to California to fight strange red clouds that appear from clear air and destroy everything they touch - be it man, machine, rocks or anything.
Its a pretty classic Doc adventure, with multiple exotic locations and several people who could be the bad guy as well as slowly revealing the big secret. My only complaints were that it dragged a bit in the middle and Monk/Ham feuding seemed kind of thrown in without a lot of thought behind it, almost as if it was a checkbox that had to be checked off....but it is forgivable for the first in a new series that hopefully introduces readers to all the characters.
All in all a wonderful Doc Savage novel and although I have plenty of the originals still to be read, I think I will be picking up several more of the "Wild" adventures of Doc Savage.
December 21, 2017
A quick read from pulp fictions past, Doc Savage
I'd never taken the time to read one of the staples from the pulp fiction era, Doc Savage. While the writing style and technology are straight from the 1930s, Doc Savage: The Desert Demons, moves at a nonstop lightning pace packed with adventures meant to stir ones imagination until the final printed line.
Reading The Desert Demons was a good change of pace and an interesting exercise in comparing action and adventure stories from back in the day to the current state of the genre.
I'd never taken the time to read one of the staples from the pulp fiction era, Doc Savage. While the writing style and technology are straight from the 1930s, Doc Savage: The Desert Demons, moves at a nonstop lightning pace packed with adventures meant to stir ones imagination until the final printed line.
Reading The Desert Demons was a good change of pace and an interesting exercise in comparing action and adventure stories from back in the day to the current state of the genre.
April 15, 2018
Brought back memories
Remembered reading Doc Savage as a kid. The language is sometimes flowery and the characters over the top.... just like a pulp fiction comic from that era. Enjoyed it.
Remembered reading Doc Savage as a kid. The language is sometimes flowery and the characters over the top.... just like a pulp fiction comic from that era. Enjoyed it.
January 11, 2022
Doc Savage - bronze is still gold
I've always loved this stuff and I don't try to justify it, just enjoy the heck out of it. If you are a fan, you'll like it. If not, at least it's cheap.
I've always loved this stuff and I don't try to justify it, just enjoy the heck out of it. If you are a fan, you'll like it. If not, at least it's cheap.
February 12, 2020
Nostalgia
I read these a boy. Hardly great literature, but it was a nice stroll down memory lane. Worth a peak if you read them a generation (or two) ago.
I read these a boy. Hardly great literature, but it was a nice stroll down memory lane. Worth a peak if you read them a generation (or two) ago.
July 25, 2020
This is one strange menace, and more proof you can't fool Doc!
December 5, 2020
A good read. I enjoy reading these books and others which provide a window into the past.
November 14, 2021
Just as I expected...I needed something to read that could engage my interest but not require intense concentration...a throwback to when I first read Doc Savage in the 60s....and that it did!
April 4, 2022
Nice mix of nostalgia, thriller and camp. Fun read for what it's worth.
August 15, 2023
Very entertaining, good mystery elements, a little sci fi. Support Team & guest stars shine.
October 2, 2023
Adequate take on Doc Savage.
January 28, 2017
I bought my first Doc Savage novel (the Bantam movie tie-in reprint of the very first in the series) back in 1975. I remember the book store had about a dozen in the series in one row, in numerical order, at about eye level for me. I was attracted by the James Bama covers, and I wondered, "How could there be a man made of bronze? Was this magic? Was he a robot?" I didn't know, nor did I care, that this story was first published before my dad was born. I only knew that I was interested, and they had the first one in the series (being a comic book fan, I knew the importance of that) so I picked it up. I loved it.
In the ensuing years, I was able to find over 70 of the 124 paperback reprints that Bantam had published between 1964 and 1990. Many were purchased new but many were picked up used. There was a certain thrill in seeing the black spine with "Kenneth Robeson" under the title in the familiar white font on a shelf in one of the used bookstores I would frequent.
I don't think I spent more than a few bucks on any of them (the exception being the rare Omnibus #13, which I splurged on the last time I saw it) but in 2011, when I saw that Will Murray would be continuing the series he left off back in 1993, I decided I would pick up the hardcover of the first one, just because it was special. Needless to say, it was a little more expensive than that first paperback all those years ago.
But it was worth it, because the story was great. Will Murray, working from Lester Dent's notes, does a great job of crafting a roller coaster ride of a story that to me read like one of the original pulp stories. It had action, danger, and amusing side characters who you're not quite sure what side they are on. Doc's aides were used to good effect, and while I was a little disappointed that the mystery was not completely explained by the end of the book, the story did have a satisfying conclusion. This is a great addition to the Doc Savage canon, and I'm looking forward to reading more of these new adventures.
In the ensuing years, I was able to find over 70 of the 124 paperback reprints that Bantam had published between 1964 and 1990. Many were purchased new but many were picked up used. There was a certain thrill in seeing the black spine with "Kenneth Robeson" under the title in the familiar white font on a shelf in one of the used bookstores I would frequent.
I don't think I spent more than a few bucks on any of them (the exception being the rare Omnibus #13, which I splurged on the last time I saw it) but in 2011, when I saw that Will Murray would be continuing the series he left off back in 1993, I decided I would pick up the hardcover of the first one, just because it was special. Needless to say, it was a little more expensive than that first paperback all those years ago.
But it was worth it, because the story was great. Will Murray, working from Lester Dent's notes, does a great job of crafting a roller coaster ride of a story that to me read like one of the original pulp stories. It had action, danger, and amusing side characters who you're not quite sure what side they are on. Doc's aides were used to good effect, and while I was a little disappointed that the mystery was not completely explained by the end of the book, the story did have a satisfying conclusion. This is a great addition to the Doc Savage canon, and I'm looking forward to reading more of these new adventures.
March 16, 2015
A Cover to Cover Romp
A quick search for a pulp magazine hero led me to The Desert Demons: A Doc Savage Adventure by Kenneth Robeson. I eagerly downloaded the title to my Kindle, curled up on the couch, and tapped the cover art to begin my adventure among the virtual pages.
Opening in 1936 Hollywood, mysterious red clouds appear to devour several persons with ties to the film industry, turning everything they touch brittle, bleached, and cold to the touch. Clark “Doc” Savage, Jr. and his companions employ their scientific expertise and futuristic gadgetry to find the missing Pat Savage, Doc’s cousin, and unravel the mystery of the Desert Demons.
After finishing the story, I learned that this novel, published in 2011, is the first in the most recent Doc Savage tales. Based on some notes by Lester Dent, the most prolific of the depression-era Doc Savage authors, Will Murray authored the book under the pseudonym Kenneth Robeson. The Desert Demons has all the hallmarks of welcoming back longtime readers. In addition to Pat Savage, the author includes Chemistry and Habeus Corpus, a pet ape and pig respectively, and all five of Doc’s frequent associates: Ham, Monk, Renny, Long Tom, and Johnny. The methods of introducing elements such as the stratospheric dirigible, firearms capable of discharging tear gas or traditional bullets, and Doc’s use of his finely trained body to perform feats of strength and agility imply reader familiarity from previous encounters.
Containing all the shoot-outs, fisticuffs, and fantastical explanations I hoped for, The Desert Demons proves to be a satisfying read crafted in a driven style with vernacular evoking the setting.. The discovery that this was not part of the first run serials remains my only disappointment. The Desert Demons left me eager to discover the stories which originated the Doc Savage.
A quick search for a pulp magazine hero led me to The Desert Demons: A Doc Savage Adventure by Kenneth Robeson. I eagerly downloaded the title to my Kindle, curled up on the couch, and tapped the cover art to begin my adventure among the virtual pages.
Opening in 1936 Hollywood, mysterious red clouds appear to devour several persons with ties to the film industry, turning everything they touch brittle, bleached, and cold to the touch. Clark “Doc” Savage, Jr. and his companions employ their scientific expertise and futuristic gadgetry to find the missing Pat Savage, Doc’s cousin, and unravel the mystery of the Desert Demons.
After finishing the story, I learned that this novel, published in 2011, is the first in the most recent Doc Savage tales. Based on some notes by Lester Dent, the most prolific of the depression-era Doc Savage authors, Will Murray authored the book under the pseudonym Kenneth Robeson. The Desert Demons has all the hallmarks of welcoming back longtime readers. In addition to Pat Savage, the author includes Chemistry and Habeus Corpus, a pet ape and pig respectively, and all five of Doc’s frequent associates: Ham, Monk, Renny, Long Tom, and Johnny. The methods of introducing elements such as the stratospheric dirigible, firearms capable of discharging tear gas or traditional bullets, and Doc’s use of his finely trained body to perform feats of strength and agility imply reader familiarity from previous encounters.
Containing all the shoot-outs, fisticuffs, and fantastical explanations I hoped for, The Desert Demons proves to be a satisfying read crafted in a driven style with vernacular evoking the setting.. The discovery that this was not part of the first run serials remains my only disappointment. The Desert Demons left me eager to discover the stories which originated the Doc Savage.
July 31, 2011
So great to see Doc Savage "officially" back in action again, after a nearly two decade absence. The Desert Demons is penned by Will Murray (AKA "Kenneth Robeson") and it is really good-the action takes place in 1936 and the novel reads as if it were one of the original Savage adventures. Murray has the vernacular down pat (pun intended) and the action rings true. Murray manages to work elements of the entire series into this book-it is like a feast for a starving man. Doc and all of the Fabulous Five are here in good form, plus Pat Savage, the Hidalgo Trading Company, Habeas Corpus & Chemistry, and the typical world-shaking menace.
Is the book perfect? No. For example: one thing I'm not crazy about is the tag line for this set of new novels, as "The All New WILD Adventures of Doc Savage" leaves me cold. The explanation for the Desert Demons...well let's just say that left me cold as well. (Alternately this is truly a pulp novel so I can be unusually forgiving of the implausible.) But around such imperfections a pearl will hopefully form. This book was well worth the shekels I spent on it, and I'm looking forward to the next one.
Is the book perfect? No. For example: one thing I'm not crazy about is the tag line for this set of new novels, as "The All New WILD Adventures of Doc Savage" leaves me cold. The explanation for the Desert Demons...well let's just say that left me cold as well. (Alternately this is truly a pulp novel so I can be unusually forgiving of the implausible.) But around such imperfections a pearl will hopefully form. This book was well worth the shekels I spent on it, and I'm looking forward to the next one.
July 10, 2022
One of the weaker offerings of Will Murray's new Doc Savage novels, this outing has an interesting, if rather outre, menace, some exciting action, and some colorful characters. However, the menace and the villain's motivations are rather poorly matched, and the reader is apt to be left wondering if the villain's plan was really worth all the effort it received. Readers are likely to find themselves agreeing with the protagonists, who can't seem to bring themselves to believe that the villain has done all he's done just for his stated goals. There are some intriguing historical elements to the novel's setting, but while Murray provides some surprising moments of humor, on the whole, the book feels like a rather perfunctory and slapdash mixture of components thrown together in the Doc Savage formula. It's readable, and reasonably entertaining, but not much more than that.
November 29, 2016
Some aspects of the series don't translate too well for contemporary readers. Like the bit where we're supposed to marvel at Doc's mercy when he opts to have criminals lobotomized and trained to perform productive labor at his secret rehabilitation center rather than turning them over to the police. Also, Doc is SUCH a Mary Sue. Drowning? Good thing he spent time with Tahitian pearl divers learning the art of breath holding. Forced to operate for hours without sleep? Good thing he has a scientifically-derived exercise routine that magically restores energy. Shot in the head? Good thing he always wears a metal skullcap with covered with fake hair (no, really). I was looking for something a little pulpy, but man...this was too much.
February 28, 2014
This was the first in a new series of Doc Savage novels by Will Murray, often using notes from Lester dent's files.
THE DESERT DEMONS comme down out of the clouds, turning bright red and destroying anything they attack. They leave everything bone white and brittle. That includes sand, rock, trees, buildings - and people!.
Their chief target seems to be people conncted to the movie industry in California, but when Doc's cousin, Pat Savage, disappears, he and his five men are drawn into the affair.
All the hallmarks of good pulp, including colorful characters, Author Murray knows his characters.
THE DESERT DEMONS comme down out of the clouds, turning bright red and destroying anything they attack. They leave everything bone white and brittle. That includes sand, rock, trees, buildings - and people!.
Their chief target seems to be people conncted to the movie industry in California, but when Doc's cousin, Pat Savage, disappears, he and his five men are drawn into the affair.
All the hallmarks of good pulp, including colorful characters, Author Murray knows his characters.
July 1, 2013
Nice to have Doc & his crew back in action, and even better that it was written so that it takes place in the era when the previous Doc pulps were originally written! Will Murray, writing as Kenneth Robeson, kept the phrasing and tone very much in line with the previous adventures written almost 80 years ago, and it still seems fresh and snappy! Perhaps the plot was not the most engaging Doc story that I have ever read (It was no The Thousand-headed Man or The Majii), but it was certainly not even close to being the worst! Missing an old friend, or wondering why fan-boys still gush at the exploits of the bronze Hercules and the fabulous five, this would be a fine place to start.
June 16, 2016
I quite liked this book but probably shouldn't have. It's sexist and racist... and not subtly so, especially with regards to native Americans... But it's full of the same gee whiz, boys own adventure feel of Tarzan and early comic characters. Doc Savage himself hardly says a word and little insight is provided via his thoughts or internal monologue, but the narrator and Doc's entourage frequently reiterate Doc's supremacy in every human skill and trait. It's pulp, it's high adventure and if you can overlook it's sexist and racist commentary that brand it as a product of its time, it's a lot of fun.
November 14, 2012
Interesting book. Not as slam bang as The Secret in the Sky or The Spook Legion, which straddled the line between science fiction and fantasy. Getting ready to tackle the Murder Melody next, which I haven't read in a long time. I know that's one of the over-the-tope SF stories, ghosted by Laurence Donovan, which will make a good comparison.
It's a good start for the new "wild" adventures, no matter what. Looking forward to seeing how they continue with Horror In Gold, The Infernal Buddha and Death's Dark Domain.
It's a good start for the new "wild" adventures, no matter what. Looking forward to seeing how they continue with Horror In Gold, The Infernal Buddha and Death's Dark Domain.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews