Doc Savage: His Apocalyptic Life

Wold Newton #2

by Philip José Farmer

Biography of the famed Clark Savage, Jr. The author swears every word is true! Includes a biographical essay on each of his friends and collaborators; A long article concerning the family tree of Doc Savage (you will be amazed at who is included in that tree!); and, a boon to collectors everywhere, a list of all the Savage novels in their order of publication.

Cover Illustration: Fred Pfeiffer

Genres: Science Fiction, Pulp, Fantasy, Fiction, Adventure, Superheroes, Science Fiction Fantasy

270 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1973

About the author

Philip José Farmer was an American author, principally known for his science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories. He was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, but spent much of his life in Peoria, Illinois.

Farmer is best known for his Riverworld series and the earlier World of Tiers series. He is noted for his use of sexual and religious themes in his work, his fascination for and reworking of the lore of legendary pulp heroes, and occasional tongue-in-cheek pseudonymous works written as if by fictional characters.

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

My fascination with Doc Savage started when I was younger and inherited a few of the older pulps, then curiosity led me onto the old Bantam paperbacks. I then stumbled across this book, Phillip Jose Farmer's odd take on it all: written as a quasi-documentary with the premise that Doc was a true living person and was part of a larger family tree of supposedly fictional people. sounds crazy I know but it was actually a very fascinating approach. there is no doubt the author loved the old pulps as Mr. Farmer has also similar takes on Tarzan and The Shadow. highly recommended to anyone else that is a fan.

[Rahadyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big geek points for this book, one of three (the others being Farmer's Tarzan Alive and Baring-Gould's Annotated Sherlock Holmes) that started me on my Wold Newton hobby. I was also motivated to purchase Doc Savage paperbacks at every flea market and garage sale I could find in the 70's on Long Island

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

In which Farmer purports to tell the true story of Doc Savage. It was inventive and actually better than quite a few of the original Doc Savage novels. It also had a lot of just weird stuff in it. It's worth reading if you like Doc Savage. It's not the best thing Farmer ever wrote.

[Velvetink · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked it when I read it as a kid. Have to read it again to comment though.

[Baron Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book back in the 80s. It has excellent insight on the Pulp Hero. Not a novel but a writer's eye Who's Who of Doc's world and the extension of Farmer's Wold Newton theory that ties many of the Pulp and other fictional character's into a family tree relating Doc, to the Shadow, The Avenger, Tarzan, the Scarlet Pimpernel, Sam Spade, James Bond, Mr. Moto, Captain Nemo (who Farmer insists was also Professor Moriarty) Alias the Spider and even Fu Manchu.

The book goes into detail about Doc, his amazing five, their two pets and his sultry cousin Pat (who I have images of her modeling for the late Dave 'Rocketeer' Stevens) using the 181 pulp novels as reference. Great detail is given for his headquarters (purportedly the 86th floor of the Empire State Building), his warehouse (the Hildago Trading Co) and his unique vehicles. The book touches on the history of each prominent character, Doc's technology, his "Rehabilitation" Hospital where the defeated villains were taken, brain surgery performed and then retrained and reintroduced back into society. and the stand out villains them selves.

Doc's history runs from the dawn of the 19th century and their entry into World War I where the group met. Doc's emergence during the Great Depression and his final mission against the communist menace in 1947.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a hoot. Farmer takes a close look at the entire run of Doc Savage stories, giving a brief overview of every main character (Doc, his five "brothers" in adventure, and his cousin, Pat Savage) and every major aspect of the stories. But he looks at them as if the characters and adventures were all real, merely reported (often with inaccuracy and exaggeration) by Lester Dent and the other writers who wrote under the name "Kenneth Robeson." Farmer also looks at the Doc Savage stories with real affection, but also with wry humor. At the end, he ties Savage in with his "Wold Newton" timeline, tying Savage in with Tarzan, the Scarlet Pimpernel, the Shadow, the Spider, G-8 and many other characters from the pulps and other fiction. If you're not already a big fan of Doc Savage, I don't know if this will win you over. But if you are a fan, I think you'd dig this book.

[Howard]

Loved this when I read it as a kid. I think it was my first experience of somebody presenting a fictional character as real, or maybe just the first time I read somebody taking somebody else's character and making it more contemporary, or otherwise reworking, which is of course a boom industry these days. Farmer also did this Tarzan Alive. Anyway, at the time, I thought it was all extremely cool.

However, I have no idea if I'd think it was any good if I read it now. I'll have to wait and see what KD says.

[George Kraft · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this when it was first published. What a riot, espeially the letter to the management of the Empire State Building asking if Clark Savage, Jr. ever had office space. Apparently, Doc is related to Tarzan, Sherlock Holmes and Travis McGee. For a fun book. Hope it comes out as an ebook soon.

[Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant book and a must own for any true Doc Savage fan.
An amazing amount of research went into figuring out how all the books fit together and how the hints given about Doc's past as well as those of his 'Famous Five' can be pieced together to form a history.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a remarkably interesting and comprehensive exploration of the life of Doc Savage, his fictional family tree, his friends and associates, and the authors who brought the greatest pulp hero of all time to life. I've read it many times!

[Christopher Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book I ever read that focused in an author's career. Odd way to start, but this was an important book in my realizing I could write. Years later, my novel owes a tip of the hat to this book for giving me permission to want to write.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This chronicle of the fictional character created by Lester dent is a fascinating combination of research and speculation based on Clark W. (Doc) Savage. The chapter dedicated to the life of the author was my favorite. 181 books in 17 years.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book ever.

[Jamie Jonas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. Farmer, the Great Amalgamist, has here given us yet another phenomenal attempt to weave together the fictional lifelines of just about every mystery/fantasy/science fiction protagonist who ever caught his interest (not to mention a few from classic literature as well). And although I do admire his organizational skills, and to some extent his creativity, in this unbelievably wide-scope study of the old pulp superhero Doc Savage, I think that this one reaches and exceeds the point of absurdity. Yes, in its way it's a great literary effort, but it's also more than a little mind-boggling trying to keep up with a seemingly never-ending fictional genealogy. I will read some of Farmer's independent works in future, but I doubt I'll ever give his interlinked literary universe a try again.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I am a big fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Robert E. Howard, I never got into Doc Savage. Seeing this book, I thought this would be a good way for me to dip my toe into the Doc Savage world before I made the commitment to track down the original stories in the used book markets. The further I got into this book, the less I found myself interested in Doc Savage and his adventures. The book is a bit repetitive and seems to want to avoid spoiling the stories. However, this wasn't what cooled me on Doc Savage. I think I just prefer the more fantastical stories of ERB and REH. I may check out Doc Savage further if the opportunity presents itself, but I don't plan to seek out the books on my own.

[Keith B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite being a Doc fan for 36 years, I can't say I REALLY like this book. I read it back in the 80's and was struck the same at that point also. No doubt Farmer did a great job and took Doc quite seriously but the genealogy and back history are too much. Accounting of Doc and his gang are too shallow. the exception being his coverage of at Savage. His childhood infatuation is definitely evident in his accounting of her life and character. A must have for serious Doc Savage fans but tedious in spots.

[Derek McCaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this a few times as a kid, and decided to pick up the new(ish) revised edition. It remained a delight for me, though some of Farmer's attitudes have become jarring -- a few stray observations that didn't bother me in the 1970s seem outdated and a little dismissive in 2021. It's still a fascinatingly detailed extrapolation of fiction and connection -- and the additional essays by scholars/writers/fans made this well worth the re-read for me.

[Gary Jaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fun...the 'true' biography of the famous 'historical' hero! This and Farmer's bio on Lord Greystoke sets up the family tree of all the literary heroes- The Wold Newton Family!

Lot's of nerdy 'facts' about this famous collection of heroes -Doc Savage's team and of his relationship with the rest of the Wold Newton family.

[Joe Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uneven but definitely more interesting than Tarzan book. This is generally divided into short chapters that move fast and make for good reading. Barring the chapter on Pat, this isn't just a recap of who appeared where and did what when which plagued the previous book. As usual the supplementary materials are interesting for anyone who is curious about the whole Wold-Newton universe.

[Edward Amato · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book for rabid (and I mean hyperhydrophobic-foaming-at-the-mouth rabid) fans of Doc Savage. Never having read any of the books (periodicals? magazines? comic books?) I was not as intrigued by this book. They were written for teenage boys during the 1930s and 1940s. So there was that also. Now I don't have to read them because I have all the information I need about Doc Savage.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great premise! Taking a fictional character and creating a biographical story around the idea that the character actually existed.

I'm not into pulp stories yet but this book served as a great introduction to whet my appetite for checking out the Doc Savage supersagas in the future.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating biography of one of my all-time favorite characters.

[Kirby Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is really just for the Doc Savage megafans and really no body else. Wish I could get paid to write fan fiction biographies, at least it cites it sources.

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful read this was for me during my adolescence. I loved how the author took fictional characters and wrote a fictional nonfiction book.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't find the first book in the Doc Savage series so this was a great introduction and more!

[Scott von Berg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Better than some of his other stuff. Worth 2 stars.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A biography of the fictional Doc Savage for his fans. Amusing retrospective of all 181 stories. Not for those who are unaware of this pulp fiction hero from yesteryear.

[Roberto Lagos Figueroa]

Doc Savage es el Superman de la Era Pulp. Sus aventuras en formato de novela popular suman mas de 200 relatos y ya dio su salto a la radio, cine y comics. El autor cifi Philip Jose Farmer era un fan de este personaje de. los años 30s del siglo pasado. Y en este libro homenaje, relata su relacion con esta época pulp muy sentida. Despues da una fascinante y susinta biografía de su novelista mas famoso: Lester Dent. Despues procede a contar el misterioso origen de la vida del héroe, la descripción de sus portentosas habilidades físicas e intelectuales, sus aliados y su universo en general. Avanzando los capitulos, se hace tediosa la profundidad de información sobre cada lugar o escenarios conocidos que salen en los pulps, sobre su cuartel general en el Empire State, o su almacen en los muelles por decir algo. Seguramente esto muy util como biblia para los que deseen escribir nuevas aventuras del Doc.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Philip Jose Farmer goes off on a tangent or three in his "biography" of hero pulp giant Doc Savage, but he provided a valuable service to Doc fans in an entertaining book. "Doc Savage: His Apocalyptic Life" was especially valuable when first published in the mid-'70s. Then, having a full list of the 181 Doc adventures was great, less than 80 having been reprinted by Bantam at the time. Farmer also provides a fun (though sometimes problematic) chronology of Doc's adventures as he attempts to write a biography of the fictional Doc as a real person.

Farmer touches — though often too briefly — on Doc touchstones in separate chapters: the Hidalgo Trading Company, the Crime College, his aides and Pat Savage, some of the great villains, the skyscraper headquarters and the 86th floor.

But, yes, those tangents. Farmer connects the Savage novels within a group of four writers that includes ... Henry Miller? I still have no idea how he could attempt that link. Farmer also provides a lengthy fictional family tree for Doc that traces his supposed relatives (many pulp crime fighters such as The Spider) in the Wold Newton universe. And boy, does he go on and on. Farmer would have been better off spending more pages on "real" Doc Savage info instead of concoctions.

Farmer also has a dirty mind, so of course he has to delve into Doc's imagined sexuality.

I was tremendously excited to read this book as a 14- or 15-year-old. It was highly entertaining. It seems less so now, though it's still solid. I remember being excited to read some of the Docs that I hadn't bought yet or that hadn't been reprinted: "Fortress of Solitude," especially. I took as gospel some of Farmer's opinions, which now I think are crap, such as his calling 1940's merely OK "The Purple Dragon" one of the best entries in the series. Come on. Still, a big thank you to Farmer for this effort.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Philip Jose Farmer has been one of my favourite authors because of two reasons: -
1. Firstly, he had a vision (and also the ability to share it with the more earth-bound readers) that was truly wondrous, and which allowed the reader to get amazed with their scope, while remaining, paradoxically, resolutely footed on familiar territory.
2. Secondly, he could “play” with creations of other authors, without diminishing their inherent strengths (factors that made them fascinating), while giving them an altogether different level of depth.
The present book under review is a work that belongs to the second category. As long as Farmer kept weaving his ‘Wold Newton’ thread onto & around the titular character, whose fictionalised biography is this book, I found it compelling. Unfortunately, most of the chapters were, quite naturally, about a pulp character whose adventures could have happened ONLY in the pulps. Those parts left me cold, and it was only when the book delved on his ‘cousin’ Patricia (or more specifically, the relation between her and the titular Doc Savage), it became intriguing, making the forays of subsequent authors into the ‘Patricia’ territory something worthy of reading.
This particular edition has been brought out by Meteor House with lots of love. And Win Scott Eckert has done a magnificent job in giving a new polish to the main text by adding valuable bonus material to it. Overall, if you are a fan of Doc Savage, this is a MUST read. If you are an admirer of Philip Jose Farmer, especially his ‘Wold Newton’ universe, this is a necessary read. Recommended.