L'Oasis perdu

Doc Savage (Bantam) #6

by Kenneth Robeson

En cherchant à percer le mystères des « vampires » dressés, Doc Savage et ses compagnons sont capturés par des malfaiteurs et précipités dans une aventure plus périlleuse que jamais. Surtout lorsqu'il leur faudra faire face à des plantes carnivores géantes et à une bande de chauve-souris voraces, suceuses de sang !

Genres: Adventure, Pulp, Fiction, Science Fiction, Action, Mystery, Speculative Fiction

1960 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 1, 1933

About the author

Kenneth 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.

Reviews

[Kenneth McKinley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book #6 down of the Doc Savage series and this one was the weakest one so far. Doc and the crew spend most of the book following the bad guys and we’re not really sure why. Yes, they’re bad guys. Yes, they kidnapped a pretty girl, but no one knows why or what the bad guys are really up to. There’s a missing zeppelin, huge diamonds, some talk about slavery, and an attempt to be mysterious about a bunch of unknown flying monsters everyone seems terrified over. A pretty weak attempt at concealing what the unknown is, especially since the cover has vampire bats flying all around Doc!

The Lost Oasis has some ingredients that could’ve made for a fun romp of a story, but the muddled execution made this one a slog. Plot holes, the constant yammering on how great Doc is, and the absolute fawning over him by the females and his cohorts gets old fast.


2 Sleeping Gas Bombs out of 5

[Beorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It had a dirigible! What else is there to say?

[Forrest · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the seventh Doc Savage adventure, originally published in September 1933. The stories seem to be hitting their stride by this point, and this is a quick, breezy adventure with a couple of crazy twists that I really enjoyed. I wanted more action within the Oasis itself, but that might have made the story too similar to "Land of Terror," which had come out only a few months earlier. As it is, there's plenty to like here. You really can't go wrong with Doc Savage and a zeppelin!

[Oliver Clarke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow first half but the finale more than makes up for it.

[Dan Mushalko · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's set: THIS is Doc Savage, Man of Bronze, America's first superhero!

There were plenty of bumps along the way via the first six Doc adventures. Here, in #7 (remember, the Bantam paperback reprints are not numbered in order of the original publications), author Dent has the fully formed Doc character, better developed sidekicks, and a very solid and well-executed adventure formula.

The core plot: Missing aviatrix Lady Nelia Sealing escapes from a slave camp in North Africa to enlist Doc's help. Not content to simply save Sealing from her pursuers, Doc's ethics compel him to dive deeper into danger by going to the slave camp so he can free the dozens of people forced into working a secret diamond mine there.

For a 1933 reader, this would have been extra exciting, as the story "solves" two real-world mysteries of the Depression period: a French dirigible that went missing over the Mediterranean, and the archaeological search for a lost oasis rumored to hold riches of a long-dead civilization. The dirigible probably blew up in a lightning strike, and archaeologists never did find the oasis -- but Dent's/Robeson's fictional solutions would have been of extreme interest to 1933's young readers.

I very highly recommend this book, even to non-Savage readers, as it's excellently wrought in general, AND serves as a fine example of why pulp adventure novels were so popular in Depression-era America.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lost Oasis 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.

[Josh Hitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its hard not to like these stories. In this you have Savage and his gang face off against dangerous criminals and slavers. You have a lost oasis, a long thought lost giant dirgible, a secret diamond mine, monstrous carnivorous plants and huge poisonous vampire bats, what is not too like? Savage is basically super human but it doesnt seem as silly in this one as it has in the others I have read. Also his crew of 5 seemed more helpful and needed, which made this a better tale. Always though a book with just his 5 allies and without Savage would be a fun book.

Highly recommended, early 30s pulp adventure is hard to beat.

[Kurt Reichenbaugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

First published in September 1933 issue of Doc Savage Magazine, this goofy adventure has Doc and his team stowing away in a hijacked zeppelin and going to Africa where they encounter a diamond mine in a "lost oasis" deep within uncharted mountains. This one has "monstrous, bloodsucking bats" and carnivorous plants and a beautiful woman to rescue. This one is a brisk adventure that overcomes the clunky writing. It's another short pulp adventure that's appropriate for Halloween reading. I used to read these books when I was a nerdy kid. Nerdy kids don't read these stories anymore. Just nerdy old men like them now.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the best in the series so far. The pace was brisk and both Doc and his companions have plenty of opportunity to shine. There’s some good use of gadgetry, including a form of night vision technology. There were exotic locations and threatening wildlife, which is exactly what I look for in pulp adventure.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A ship approaching New York City has sent a message, offering $1 million if Doc Savage will contact them. Are there friends or foes aboard? I won't say here, but the situation ends up leading Doc and his crew on an adventure to Africa. Oh, and there are vampire bats and a zeppelin, so what's not to love?

[Michael Sigler · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Doc Savage when he's alone. Cause when he is surrounded by people, he's nothing short of a pompous asshole. Also, sign language isn't called deaf-mute language, and Arabs aren't cinnamon-skinned camel people, 1930s author. Gross.

[Mark Desrosiers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hijacked zeppelin, a lost diamond mine, and deadly carnivorous vampire bats, what’s not to like. A classic Doc Savage story. Always fun and inspiring to read a good Doc Savage novel. Doc is a model of pure stoicism. A+

[Randy D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wall to wall action abounds in this Doc Savage adventure; the guys discover a diamond mining scheme using slave labor to mine the fabulous diamonds, located in a hideous lost oasis in the Sahara Desert. Doc and the boys get in several tight spots in The Lost Oasis which featured a “lost world” setting, popular in pulp fiction at the time. *****

[AndrewP · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty much what you would expect from this 1930's era pulp fiction. In this book Doc and his companions travel to a hidden oasis in the Sahara desert by airship. Some outlandish things in here but interestingly includes the use of night vision goggles, pretty prescient for 1933!

[Jeremiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for a good Zeppelin! Nice action-filled romp with Doc and his crew.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good Doc adventure that I read back in the 70s.

[Mark Bates · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was a close one...Doc Savage almost got it...I won't say what happens. Love those books.

[Devin Coryell · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 / 5

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this one about 40 years ago. I enjoyed it a lot. It was a fun Doc adventure, always on the move.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent Doc Savage story. Each one seems to get better. Amazing how many current books, borrow from Lester Dents library!

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

carnivorous plants, vampire bats, and dirigibles! now that's a pulp book.

[Duane Olds · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was OK and seemed to drag on. Not my favorite but hey, the cover is cool so it's got that going for it. Also, I have never seen sign language referred to as 'deaf-mute language' so many times in my life.

Oh well, on to the next one...

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Kara Jorges · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Lost Oasis begins with Doc, who had been away at his Fortress of Solitude, investigating a $1 million reward promised to anyone who can find him. Someone else is after the people hunting for Doc, however, murdering two men with a strange flying creature that very nearly does Doc in, and kidnapping the lovely young woman seeking his aid. Doc follows the perpetrators and he and his gang stow away on a mysterious ghost zeppelin that takes them to a remote part of Africa where they must outwit evil criminal masterminds, dodge gigantic, poisonous vampire bats, and stay out of the clutches of huge, carnivorous plants while they free the slaves the villains have working the diamond mines of the oasis.

As far as Doc Savage adventures go, this one fell a little flat, as if the author was on Valium when he wrote it. All the elements are there, but the spark of excitement was missing. This is just proof of how important location is in an adventure yarn, as too much time was spent with Doc and the gang hiding in the zeppelin, which just wasn’t very exciting.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doc and his pals try to save a woman in peril against evil slavers in the deepest part of Africa. Lester Dent coming up with a most amazing plot in this one, with an oasis in the middle of the African desert that has giant man eating plants and giant poisonous vampire bats. Yuttal and Hani-Mot are the evil slavers, and they've been collecting people to work in their diamond mine in the middle of this oasis. This also marks the first dirigible in the series. Dent seemed to love these airships, because Doc will use more as the series progresses. He doesn't seem to have any more luck with them than the US Air Force did. This is a very fast-paced tale, and Long Tom gets a workout , building a lot of electrical gadgets. Another woman gets disappointed when Doc won't pay any attention to her. I really liked Lady Nelia. I think she would have turned my head, but not Doc. He has adventures to seek and wrongs to right, so she's left behind while Doc and the Fabulous Five move on.

[Douglas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tales of a misterious ghost Zeppelin haunt the world. Long lost missing persons reappear only to die of terror and madness. An english noblewoman flees from a fate worse than death.

All this sets Doc Savage and the Fabulous Five against a gang of slavers that capture ships and its travellers to use them as slaves in a diamond mining operation in a lost oasis in Africa. The result is a bloody showdown, one of the most serious bloodbaths before the "no-kill" phase of Doc and his friends.

A somewhat disappointing adventure. Oh, c'mon, a GHOST ZEPPELIN, how cool is that? And it cames it's just a regular, out-of-the-shelves, zero-ghostish zeppelin after all.

[Ed Wyrd · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is #6 of the Bantam Books series from the 1960s with the marvelous cover illustrations by James Bama. Someday maybe I'll try to figure out how out of order Bantam published them compared to their original releases back in the mid-30s.

This story is typical Doc Savage fare: he's just returned from his Fortress of Solitude to find there is a $1 million reward for anyone who finds him. This launches him into a weird adventure of mysterious deaths, slavery, a hidden diamond mine, a long lost dirigible, and a hidden African oasis where deadly man-eating plants thrive. As usual, its non-stop action for the Savage crew, but there's nothing particularly outstanding about the tale.

[Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun one. It entails a dirigible ride, vampie bats and diamonds. The action takes place in New York City, starting out and concludes in an oasis deep in the deserts of Africa.

With the opening of the story, Doc has just returned from his Fortress of Solitude in the Arctic. All five of Doc’s men are in this adventure, although Johnny forgets to use large words when he gets excited. Doc’s special institution in upper New York State is mentioned. Unfortunately, Doc’s autogyro is blown up. Oh well!

All of this plus a cute and courageous Brit girl against some evil villains make this a fun pulp fiction read.

Published in September, 1933. It was authored by Lester Dent.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doc and his team must hide away on a zeppelin to get to the bottom of a mystery involving diamonds, slaves, and a beautiful, aristocratic captive. They find themselves fighting amazing killing creatures hungry for a man's blood and mercenaries determined to add them to the ranks of slaves. Why is the "oasis" not a safe haven and how will the imperiled crew and the victims ever make it back to civilization alive? A notable story in that the featured female character is brave and calm not flighty and swooning as usual--though, of course, she falls in love with Doc!

[Little Timmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.