Bigger than Life: The Creator of Doc Savage

by Marilyn Cannaday

In this biography, Marilyn Cannaday recreates the life and times of Lester Dent, a little-known giant of the pulp magazine era of U.S. popular literature. From 1929 to 1959, Dent wrote and sold millions of words of fiction—wildly colorful action stories with sea, air and western settings, adventure and suspense novels. His most famous serial character was supehero Doc Savage, the Man of Bronze, who battled crime throughout the pages of a ten-cent pulp magazine in the thirties and forties.

Genres: Biography

210 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Philip Athans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've attached myself maybe a bit too strongly to Lester Dent, using his Pulp Paper Master Fiction Plot as the basis for my online Pulp Fiction Workshop, but even for you non pulp fans, this well researched and personal biography is a fascinating look at a real, working author from an age when you could make a living writing for fiction magazines. And Dent led a life almost as full of adventure as Doc Savage. Authors, take note!

[James Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was hard to get hold of this book, but worth it for the two essays on pulp writing craft at the end. Lester Dent is hardly known now, but wrote millions of words that sold. Yes, sold.
This book is short, well-written and gives a good account of Dent's upbringing, motivation and style. I'm surprised Cannaday didn't write more: she has a nice style.