Operator #5 #16: Legions of the Death Master

Operator #5 #16

by Curtis Steele (Pseudonym), Frederick C. Davis

The one with the latest plan to take over the country is doing so by harnessing the wealth and intelligence of those he has lured to his cult, nearing his goal of disarming the entire country so he can take over. Operator #, Jimmy Christopher, thinks otherwise.

Genres: Pulp

234 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1935

About the author

Henry Steeger, the owner of pulp publisher Popular Publications, launched the monthly pulp magazine "Operator #5," about a hero who would "single-handedly, or almost, save the nation from complete destruction regularly every month," in 1934. The novels were published under the pseudonym Curtis Steele, and were written by Frederick C. Davis until November 1935, then by Emile C. Tepperman until March 1938, and then Wayne Rogers for the remainder of the run.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Operator 5 was a pulp magazine that lasted for forty-eight issues from 1934-1939. The hero was Jimmy Christopher, who had to defend America from conquering hordes of barbaric invaders month after month. The basic idea became quite popular several decades later with series such as Jerry Ahern's Survivalist, William W. Johnstone's Ashes, Mack Maloney's Wingman, Ryder Stacy's Doomsday Warrior, etc. I was a big fan of the pulp heroes who battled crime, such as The Spider, The Shadow, The Avenger, and, of course, my main man Doc Savage, and also of the futuristic science fiction series that featured Captain Future and "Doc" Smith's space operas, but I found Operator 5 to be an unsatisfying mix of the two. I read this one and perhaps one or two others and thought they were fun, but never became hooked. The writing was typically lurid pulp fiction, but not really noteworthy, and I didn't think that the plots were up to the level of the other heroes I mentioned.

[Jeff J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pulp novel featuring Operator 5. US weapons are being stolen by an espionage ring. Much chaos ensues.