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Doc Savage (Bantam) #79
The Devil Genghis
A fantastic horror has come out of the polar regions-a menace so bizarre it causes men to go insane! The Man Of Bronze and his courageous crew penetrate the rugged Asian interior on a perilous to find the source of this mystery and smash the evil genius who controls it.
Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 1938
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About the author
Lester Dent
356 books58 followersLester Dent (1904–1959) was born in La Plata, Missouri. In his mid-twenties, he began publishing pulp fiction stories, and moved to New York City, where he developed the successful Doc Savage Magazine with Henry Ralston, head of Street and Smith, a leading pulp publisher. The magazine ran from 1933 until 1949 and included 181 novel-length stories, of which Dent wrote the vast majority under the house name Kenneth Robeson. He also published mystery novels in a variety of genres, including the Chance Molloy series about a self-made airline owner. Dent’s own life was quite adventurous; he prospected for gold in the Southwest, lived aboard a schooner for a few years, hunted treasure in the Caribbean, launched an aerial photography company, and was a member of the Explorer’s Club.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 13, 2022
Something is causing men to go insane. First, it’s an Eskimo in the Polar regions. Then it’s two more people in the deepest, darkest regions of Asia. All the victims seem to be fighting something invisible in the air above their heads and the only thing that stops them is to get them into a strait jacket. If that’s not bad enough, Renny falls afoul of the same menace and a beautiful girl named Toni Lash manages to kidnap both Monk and Ham! And now it looks like Doc himself is next!
This Doc Savage entry is an absolute must for fans of the Man of Bronze. Yes, it’s a rollicking fun adventure story but more importantly it is the only direct sequel ever to occur in the lengthy run of original Doc Savage stories and the only one to feature a repeat engagement from the primary villain. It is, arguably, Doc’s greatest foe, . Make sure to read Fortress of Solitude first.
The two books represent the 68th and 69th stories to be submitted for publication in late 1938, although The Green Death was actually published between them. This novel does mention that “several months” have passed since the events of Fortress. I have no idea why Bantam chose to publish them as #23 and #79.
I particularly enjoyed this outing, possibly because the constant squabbling of Monk and Ham was minimized due to their kidnapping and allowing other events to take center stage. Renny and Johnny get to participate but Long Tom is away on a project. Alas, this is not one of the 39 Doc stories in which Pat Savage appears. The plot was a pretty straight-forward mystery/adventure story with some good use of gadgets and disguises. Doc does get to pull off the ol’ fake all-powerful-God-like-being-to-impress-the-natives trick by disguising Ham in gold paint and using his ventriloquism to speak to them in their native language. I do wish we got to spend more time with the villain as he is truly a fascinating character. However, if you wish to read more about him than these two books, you’ll need to delve into DC/Dynamite comics.
This Doc Savage entry is an absolute must for fans of the Man of Bronze. Yes, it’s a rollicking fun adventure story but more importantly it is the only direct sequel ever to occur in the lengthy run of original Doc Savage stories and the only one to feature a repeat engagement from the primary villain. It is, arguably, Doc’s greatest foe, . Make sure to read Fortress of Solitude first.
The two books represent the 68th and 69th stories to be submitted for publication in late 1938, although The Green Death was actually published between them. This novel does mention that “several months” have passed since the events of Fortress. I have no idea why Bantam chose to publish them as #23 and #79.
I particularly enjoyed this outing, possibly because the constant squabbling of Monk and Ham was minimized due to their kidnapping and allowing other events to take center stage. Renny and Johnny get to participate but Long Tom is away on a project. Alas, this is not one of the 39 Doc stories in which Pat Savage appears. The plot was a pretty straight-forward mystery/adventure story with some good use of gadgets and disguises. Doc does get to pull off the ol’ fake all-powerful-God-like-being-to-impress-the-natives trick by disguising Ham in gold paint and using his ventriloquism to speak to them in their native language. I do wish we got to spend more time with the villain as he is truly a fascinating character. However, if you wish to read more about him than these two books, you’ll need to delve into DC/Dynamite comics.
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!
April 23, 2023
The Devil Genghis 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
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.
In this one, Doc Savage and his men face off against John Sunlight again. John Sunlight is arguably Doc Savage's greatest enemy. He matches Doc Savage in intelligence yet also has an animalistic cunning which made him a great threat to Doc. He is also as physically powerful as Doc. He however uses his talents to pursue his goal of world dictatorship. At times he has been known to emit a low growl subconsciously, very similar to Doc's trilling. His ultimate goal is to end humanity's problems such as war, famine, and intolerance by bringing the world under his control. The two have shown immense respect for each other, and Sunlight has even offered to spare Doc's life if he joins him. Sunlight is tall and gaunt with strangely long fingers. He has a hypnotic stare that only the most intelligent or determined can resist. He was also the only enemy to appear twice in the original pulp stories. This novel, The Devil Genghis, and Fortress of Solitude. The action is classic Doc Savage, filled with good old fashion adventure and with 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.
William G. Bogart
Evelyn Coulson
Harold A. Davis
Lawrence Donovan
Alan Hathway
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.
In this one, Doc Savage and his men face off against John Sunlight again. John Sunlight is arguably Doc Savage's greatest enemy. He matches Doc Savage in intelligence yet also has an animalistic cunning which made him a great threat to Doc. He is also as physically powerful as Doc. He however uses his talents to pursue his goal of world dictatorship. At times he has been known to emit a low growl subconsciously, very similar to Doc's trilling. His ultimate goal is to end humanity's problems such as war, famine, and intolerance by bringing the world under his control. The two have shown immense respect for each other, and Sunlight has even offered to spare Doc's life if he joins him. Sunlight is tall and gaunt with strangely long fingers. He has a hypnotic stare that only the most intelligent or determined can resist. He was also the only enemy to appear twice in the original pulp stories. This novel, The Devil Genghis, and Fortress of Solitude. The action is classic Doc Savage, filled with good old fashion adventure and with 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 26, 2020
A trail of insanity leads out of the Arctic, leaving men fighting unseen threats over their heads. Someone is seeking to capture Doc Savage, and even his Iron Crew are helpless against the insanity. Doc must find out who's behind it all and stop this threat from growing!
John Sunlight returns in this book that is a sequel to Fortress of Solitude. While I generally enjoyed this book more than the first, I was a bit disappointed that we didn't get a lot more of Sunlight himself. As Doc's opposite number, it would have been fun to not only get more than a few chapters of his malevolence, but also learn a little more about his past and how he honed his mind to the point we meet him in the books.
The book still has a lot of pulpy action, some great humor, and a better female character than the first. Toni Lash was a great character for the time. I'm sure we mustn't have seen too many women being a Lieutenant to the main bad guy or having many positions of authority. True, she uses her sexuality a lot and the author doesn't fail to mention that in most chapters where she appears, but I thought she was a pretty strong character. There are few other characters of significance in the book, so she was a pretty bright spot.
Very fun pulp that kept me engrossed through to the end.
John Sunlight returns in this book that is a sequel to Fortress of Solitude. While I generally enjoyed this book more than the first, I was a bit disappointed that we didn't get a lot more of Sunlight himself. As Doc's opposite number, it would have been fun to not only get more than a few chapters of his malevolence, but also learn a little more about his past and how he honed his mind to the point we meet him in the books.
The book still has a lot of pulpy action, some great humor, and a better female character than the first. Toni Lash was a great character for the time. I'm sure we mustn't have seen too many women being a Lieutenant to the main bad guy or having many positions of authority. True, she uses her sexuality a lot and the author doesn't fail to mention that in most chapters where she appears, but I thought she was a pretty strong character. There are few other characters of significance in the book, so she was a pretty bright spot.
Very fun pulp that kept me engrossed through to the end.
July 29, 2023
Authored by Lester Dent and published December 1938. This was a very satisfying read. Nicely paced with a very satisfying end.
Doc is being hunted by a gang led by a beautiful woman, of course. What’s a Doc Savage novel without a beautiful damsel-in-distress?
Doc, Monk and Ham are off to Europe to trail those that are attempting to kidnap Doc. In the process, an Eskimo is driven crazy in the Arctic as well as an English pilot and then an American in the Riviera are struck with this illness. What does it all mean When Renny is likewise afflicted?
Long Tom is on assignment in Alaska. Renny is working in France and Johnny is in Egypt working. Both Renny and Johnny come running at Doc’s beckoning. Somehow, Johnny Sunlight may not be dead after all.
From the Arctic to New York City, France and London before flying to Central Asia, this saga covets a lot of ground.
Doc is being hunted by a gang led by a beautiful woman, of course. What’s a Doc Savage novel without a beautiful damsel-in-distress?
Doc, Monk and Ham are off to Europe to trail those that are attempting to kidnap Doc. In the process, an Eskimo is driven crazy in the Arctic as well as an English pilot and then an American in the Riviera are struck with this illness. What does it all mean When Renny is likewise afflicted?
Long Tom is on assignment in Alaska. Renny is working in France and Johnny is in Egypt working. Both Renny and Johnny come running at Doc’s beckoning. Somehow, Johnny Sunlight may not be dead after all.
From the Arctic to New York City, France and London before flying to Central Asia, this saga covets a lot of ground.
May 13, 2017
The return of Doc's greatest Villain! These stories are pretty darned entertaining. This volume has less "capture and escape" sequences than the rest and a little more action.
October 11, 2017
Doc adventure read in the 80s
September 6, 2018
Doc Savage is always a fun read.
November 13, 2015
Original Doc Savage magazine readers had to wait an extra month for the sequel to "Fortress of Solitude," slogging through the poor "The Green Death" before the payoff for the John Sunlight saga, "The Devil Genghis," in December 1938. This climax to the tale of the greatest villain in the series was worth the wait, however.
In "Fortress of Solitude," the calculating and calmly wired Sunlight, having escaped from a Soviet prison camp, stumbled upon Doc's arctic hideaway and stole some frighteningly dangerous weapons. Sunlight had appeared to have been mauled by a polar bear at the end of that tale; no such luck for Doc, but lucky for readers.
Sunlight only appears at the beginning and end of "The Devil Genghis," but it's still a very strong tale, albeit one in which Sunlight's goals seem different from the earlier tale. Here he explains to Doc his plan to rule over a world without war and with a single language, English. He's building an army of simple folk in Afghanistan, ruling them as a modern Genghis Khan, to carry out his plan.
There's a little of "Meteor Menace" in this approach, but with Afghanistan substituted for Tibet.
Along for the adventure is one of the most beguilingly stunning beauties in the series, Toni Lash.
The story doesn't pick up directly where "Fortress" left off — the intervening "The Green Death" and Street & Smith's general policy banning serials in its hero pulps seeing to that. Writer Lester Dent sort of brings John Sunlight in through the back door. So the Fortress of Solitude and the arctic angle are gone, but we do get a real confrontation between Doc and Sunlight this time that's reasonably satisfying.
I was a little disappointed years ago when I first read this sequel; I don't feel that way now. "The Devil Genghis" is every bit as good as "Fortress of Solitude," making the only repeat performance from a Doc Savage villain an epic experience but, again, not bringing us an absolute top-tier Doc tale.
In "Fortress of Solitude," the calculating and calmly wired Sunlight, having escaped from a Soviet prison camp, stumbled upon Doc's arctic hideaway and stole some frighteningly dangerous weapons. Sunlight had appeared to have been mauled by a polar bear at the end of that tale; no such luck for Doc, but lucky for readers.
Sunlight only appears at the beginning and end of "The Devil Genghis," but it's still a very strong tale, albeit one in which Sunlight's goals seem different from the earlier tale. Here he explains to Doc his plan to rule over a world without war and with a single language, English. He's building an army of simple folk in Afghanistan, ruling them as a modern Genghis Khan, to carry out his plan.
There's a little of "Meteor Menace" in this approach, but with Afghanistan substituted for Tibet.
Along for the adventure is one of the most beguilingly stunning beauties in the series, Toni Lash.
The story doesn't pick up directly where "Fortress" left off — the intervening "The Green Death" and Street & Smith's general policy banning serials in its hero pulps seeing to that. Writer Lester Dent sort of brings John Sunlight in through the back door. So the Fortress of Solitude and the arctic angle are gone, but we do get a real confrontation between Doc and Sunlight this time that's reasonably satisfying.
I was a little disappointed years ago when I first read this sequel; I don't feel that way now. "The Devil Genghis" is every bit as good as "Fortress of Solitude," making the only repeat performance from a Doc Savage villain an epic experience but, again, not bringing us an absolute top-tier Doc tale.
January 19, 2014
This is one of the best Doc Savage 1930s pulp novels. For once, Doc faces a villain who's close to his equal. Indeed, John Sunlight, is the only antagonist who gets more than one appearance in the 100+ Doc Savage novels. Sunlight make this book stand out not just because of that, but because he's not a run-of-the-mill baddie. He wants world peace... by conquering the world. Within the confined range of character types in these monthly pulp adventures, he's far more interesting than any other of Doc's enemies. I just wish Lester Dent, the primary writer of this series, has brought him back more than this once.
What's that he was killed by his followers trying to escape in front of the heroes? Ha! I say, a poor slob made up to look like him while he left via his pre-arranged escape path set up in the event of his men turning against. Come on! You know he would have done it that way!
What's that he was killed by his followers trying to escape in front of the heroes? Ha! I say, a poor slob made up to look like him while he left via his pre-arranged escape path set up in the event of his men turning against. Come on! You know he would have done it that way!
March 14, 2016
The return of John Sunlight (the villain from Fortress of Solitude) makes for a good novel, but frustratingly short of the original—Sunlight doesn't appear very much and his evil deeds are less interesting. On the plus side, Toni Lash, the female spy Sunlight coerces into working for him, is one of the series' extremely competent women, capturing Doc and a couple of his men for the Big Bad. And the opening in which Doc plays music purely as a reaction against his hyper-rational upbringing, is quite good.
February 29, 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.
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May 5, 2009The Devil Genghis by Kenneth Robeson
March 28, 2014
My first Doc Savage read in over 30 years. If you just want some pulp fun, this will serve. However, the writing is VERY clunky.
I'll pick another Doc book at random and try it again.
I'll pick another Doc book at random and try it again.
May 25, 2016
read some time in 1988
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews