Doc Savage: Brand of the Werewolf/Fear Cay

Brand of the Werewolf / Fear Cay (Doc Savage, Vol. 13)
by Lester Dent as Kenneth Robeson
Nostalgia Ventures
ISBN 1932806865

Man, what a find! Have I mentioned that I love libraries? I don't normally keep up on newly released books but I did wander through the new arrivals section of the other day. Much to my surprise, the library had purchased a large collection of reprinted pulp novels of the 1930s! Rows and rows of The Shadow! Volumes of Doc Savage! Superheroes before tights were all the rage! I was familiar with some of the character's histories but I hadn't read any of the actual stories. I limited myself to just one volume containing two Doc Savage stories, Brand of the Werewolf and Fear Cay.

While I found the book in New Arrivals, it should be noted that the stories date back to the 1930s. The first Doc Savage novel was published in March of 1933. For comparison, Superman was created in 1932 and first published in 1938. I believe I have those dates right. Now, if you're familiar with the earliest versions of Superman, you know he was a lot different than his current incarnation. He and the writing behind him were reflections of the times. Doc Savage is no different.

Savage is a renaissance man. He's incredibly strong. Through various exercises, he's heightened his senses to near superhuman levels. He's an engineer, a chemist, and an electrician. He's wealthy so cash isn't a problem. He even has a Fortress of Solitude before Superman had a refuge of the same name. He travels with a team of guys, all of which are the tops in their particular field. It's like Captain America meets the A-Team. They're a bunch of guys seeking adventure simply for the sake of adventure. They help others where there's no profit for themselves. I guess that's just a mentality I don't see much of these days. Sure, we still have superheroes but it just doesn't seem the same. Savage is more real. There's no element of fantasy involving radioactive spiders, gamma ray mutations, or alien power rings. He really is just a normal dude that's worked hard to be the best. This feels more attainable.

As for the writing, I'd say it was decent. The characterizations and some of the dialog amongst the main characters is a little repetitive. Ok, there were actually two consecutive paragraphs that were nearly identical so maybe is would be more accurate to say it was very repetitive. Then again, these were pulps. I don't know that they were ever expected to be more than disposable escapism. Anyway, the actual stories/mysteries are actually pretty good. I didn't find them to be predictable and that was good. There were enough twists and turns to keep it going.

The books were reasonably family friendly as they're clearly intended to appeal to adolescent boys. Keep in mind, though, that the 1930s was a lot different than the 2000s. This was before political correctness. Before society began sheltering children from, well, just about everything. So, while Savage and his team have a vow to never take another's life, people do get hurt and/or killed. People and they're dialog are often stereotyped. Something to keep in mind.

Anyday, in a world where basketball players get more praise than nearly everyone, Savage is a refreshing change.