Doc Savage: The Desert Demons [Paperback]

Kenneth Robeson (Author), Lester Dent (Author), Will Murray (Author), Joe DeVito (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 28, 2011

Back after 20 years! Doc Savage and his mighty crew return in a brand-new series of nightmare exploits that can only be called…. THE WILD ADVENTURES OF DOC SAVAGE! Ferocious blood-red Things begin dropping down from the sky, the state of California is besieged by the Desert Demons—a phenomenon so fierce that it triggers a modern exodus. Only Doc Savage, the scientist-superman who was forged in the fires of scientific knowledge to battle the unknown, is equal to the challenge. From the Hollywood hills to the alligator-infested interior of Florida, the Man of Bronze wages war with cyclonic monsters that seem to possess an intelligence of their own—and a murderous malevolence that smacks of the unearthly!

Product Details

• Paperback: 270 pages
• Publisher: Altus Press; First Edition edition (June 28, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 161827001X
• ISBN-13: 978-1618270016
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #537,789 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Doc Returns! July 25, 2011

By Barry Reese

Format:Paperback

This novel kicks off the newest incarnation of Doc Savage, in a series that's billed as The All-New WILD Adventures of Doc Savage. Thankfully, the presentation within isn't nearly as camp as that series title would imply. For all fans of the hero pulps, this book is a really big deal -- it's the first new Doc novel in nearly twenty years and it's a treat from cover to cover. As with most Altus books, it's an oversized paperback -- personally, I would have loved to have seen something closer to the old Bantam books in size but this is certainly easier reading for tired eyes like mine.

The plot is classic Doc: a mysterious "desert demon" cloud descends upon the earth, killing nearly everything in its path. Along the way, we learn that certain prominent people are vanishing and that Doc is soon to be a target of this strangely dangerous "demon." This book is a great reminder of the days when pulp featured one exciting scene after another: if you want to see Doc throwing himself from one moving vehicle to the next, dodging a hail of bullets or flexing his Herculean muscles in an attempt to avoid seemingly certain death... this book is for you.

This novel is based on an outline by Lester Dent and I'd love to have seen how much Murray had to work with -- this certainly reads like Dent, implying that Murray has truly captured the "voice" of Doc just as much as his creator did. At no point in this excellent story did I ever pause for a moment and think that Murray's individual style was peeking through. This reads like a lost Dent story and I mean that in a good way. In general, I prefer authors to take classic characters and interpret them through new eyes but in this case, the pastiche works very well....

The presentation of the book is classy but my copy has several odd issues on the dedication, table of contents and copyright pages -- certain letters are replaced with boxed "x"'s and I was very glad that the problem did not extend into the story itself.

The only thing that bothers me about the book as a whole is the price... When I first heard that Altus was going to be publishing these, I had mixed emotions. On the one hand, I knew it would look good... on the other, I knew it would cost me an arm-and-a-leg to read it in print. This is a 250 page paperback and it costs $24.95 -- about what I generally pay for a hardcover. This is outrageous. Hell, at this price, the damned thing should be turning its own pages. I realize that Altus can charge whatever they can get but ordinarily, I'd tell people to just get this one off Half.com or something in hopes of finding it cheaper. As good as it is, no paperback is worth $24.95. But it IS Doc, so I urge all of you to support the endeavor in hopes that we get more classic heroes returning in (hopefully) cheaper packages. My first thought was that Altus had to charge more to cover some sort of licensing fee but since nearly all their other publications cost this much (or more!), I don't think that's the case. That's why I rarely buy Altus, either. People who say that e-books are going to replace print are right for many reasons -- one of them being that it's ridiculous to pay cover price for the print versions. Only old folks like me are going to fork over nearly 30 bucks for a paperback book and even then I felt like my head was going to explode.

Aside from that, however, this book is a treasure and I highly, highly recommend it to pulp fans far and wide. A worthy return of one of pulp's greatest characters. Read more ›

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Trilling Adventure! The Man Of Bronze Is BACK! July 27, 2011

By Andrew Salmon

Format:Paperback

Having discovered Doc Savage and the Fabulous Five about 8 years ago, I've been playing catch up ever since. So it was with a great deal of excitement and anticipation that I greeted the release of the first new Doc Savage novel in 18 years. Finally I'd be able to buy a new Doc adventure when it came out!

And I was not disappointed.

If you're a long-time Doc Savage fan, this novel will scratch you right where you itch. Everyone is here, including Pat Savage and the ever-annoying Chemistry and Habeous. If you're looking for a different kind of Doc adventure or a new take on the legendary hero, then you will be sorely disappointed.

That's right Doc fans young, old, novice or veteran... DOC SAVAGE IS BACK! The Doc you remember -- whether it be via those timeless pulp magazines of the 30s/40s, the unforgettable run of Bantam paperbacks from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s or whether you just started picking up the double novel re-issues courtesy of Sanctum Books. Yup, THAT Doc is back in a new adventure from Kenneth Robeson extraordinaire Will Murray.

Based on an original outline by the incomparable Lester Dent, and incorporating a considerable amount of vintage, unused Dent material, The Desert Demons is a worthy and fitting continuation of the Doc Savage legacy. Channeling Dent, Murray has given us an incredible Doc Savage adventure that slips seamlessly into the established canon. No updating, no re-imagining here. This is a classic Doc yarn that will delight fans everywhere.

The plot is classic pulp and classic Doc. Out in Hollywoodland, a mysterious red cloud is swooping down out of the sky, devouring people and machinery alike, causing no end of headaches for film crews and the general population. And Pat Savage has disappeared into this mess.... What follows is a rollicking adventure mixing science fact with science fiction while bullets whiz, grenades explode, schemes run rampant and gadgets save the day. All the classic pulp fiction elements are here: breakneck pacing, snappy dialogue and a relentless pace that keeps you turning the pages.

If you're a long time fan I guarantee you this novel will be the read you've been waiting for since the travesty of First Wave. If you've never read a Doc adventure in your life, then why not start here? If you are an adventure junkie, then The Desert Demons is the book for you.

The book is available in multiple formats. There's the softcover for sale here. But there is also a deluxe hardcover edition available through the publisher's website. I opted for the latter and can say that when they say deluxe they aren't kidding around. In the hardback edition, you get a fantastic Afterword in which Murray takes you behind the scenes of the book's creation. Find out precisely where Dent leaves off and Murray takes over in the story. In fact, reproductions of Dent's original typescript pages are included. And it comes with a signed bookplate, including the signatures of Murray, cover artist Joe Devito and a faux signature from Lester Dent himself. Devito also chimes in with an essay about how he came to be associated with the Doc Savage Bantam released in the 90s. If you're a fan of this stuff, then the hardcover may be for you. If not, there is the softcover and an e-book is pending.

Pulp fiction, both classic and new, is all the rage these days and reading The Desert Demons will show you why so many readers embrace this classic adventure prose. The Desert Demons is a stand out addition to the New Pulp movement and, as it is the first of a new series of Doc novels, pulp fans new and old have a ton of fun ahead of them. Read more ›

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Doc is Still Savage February 21, 2012

By P. J. Lozito

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have been a Doc Savage fan since around 1970. This is the first new Doc Savage material in almost two decades. It was with bated breath that I purchased this brand new volume that Doc scholar Will Murray cobbled together from original author Lester Dent's notes.I was not disappointed.

For maximum effect, especially to recreate the feeling of a 1930s pulp magazine, where Doc Savage got his start, read this all in one or two sittings.
The plot concerns very mystifying "demons" terrorizing California, particularly Hollywood. When Doc's pesky cousin disappears while out west, Doc and his men show up to pierce the veil of this menace and locates the girl. This time they end up on the run from the cops.
You may also get a chuckle out of Mr. Murray's pretty good attempt to bridge the pulp magazine cover hair style of Doc as contrasted with the James Bama widow's peak helmet-of-hair from his Bantam era (spoiler: Doc wears a wig-like protective garment of Clark Gable-like locks over short hair).

There are many outstanding moments, like the grenade being tossed into Doc's fast moving car, the demons harrowing encounter with Doc's airship and, of course, Doc's battle with enraged alligators. I particularly like how certain characters figured what repels and attracts the demons. The true nature of the menace will certainly keep you guessing. The final showdown with the villain is great!
My only criticism is in Mr. Murray's attempting to write as much like Lester Dent gave some of that awkward dialogue often found in Doc Savage adventures. People tend to remind the reader of facts than really talk to each other. If that was his aim, he succeeded. Some dialogue may be stiff but the action never flags. All hail a Doc Savage that has not been made new and improved....
A word about the price of this novel: this trade paperback book retails for $24.95. That's the going price for a hardcover these days. If you have bought used Doc Savage novels or magazines over the years, you owe it to the memory of Lester Dent to buy this. Read more ›