• Originally published in Doc Savage Magazine, January 1937
• Reprinted by Bantam as DS # 47
• Laurence Donovan writing as Kenneth Robeson
One of ghostwriter Laurence Donovan’s better efforts for the series.
Doc Savage and crew go to war in the darkest heart of Africa — embroiled in a conflict between the noble Kokone tribe and an army of foreign mercenaries poised to plunder its mineral-rich land. A group of sinister agents provocateurs, led by the mysterious “Shimba”, has prepared the groundwork for invasion using terror and the threat of “Juju” magic to destabilize the Kokonese kingdom. One of Doc’s assistants, big-fisted engineer Col. John “Renny” Renwick, is captured by the Shimba while surveying the area for a railroad project, his last desperate radio message spurring Doc and the rest of the Amazing Five to action. Boarding Doc’s newest aircraft — a propellerless flying wing powered by a combustible gas of the bronze man’s invention, capable of speeds of over 500 miles per hour and able to hover in mid-air like a gyrocopter — the team makes for the Kilimanjaro region to rescue their comrade and help the natives beat back the invasion. Oh, and there’s a fabulous secret treasure at stake, too.
This is fairly standard 1930s Saturday afternoon serial stuff, your typical period jungle adventure spiced up with a little Buck Rogers sci-fi tech. But Donovan’s prose isn’t quite as clunky this time out, and Doc Savage is less robotic here than in most of his other turns as “Kenneth Robeson”. Action scenes are pretty good if predictably outlandish. Thankfully, the book isn’t as racist as it easily could have been.
Grade: C+
• Reprinted by Bantam as DS # 47
• Laurence Donovan writing as Kenneth Robeson
One of ghostwriter Laurence Donovan’s better efforts for the series.
Doc Savage and crew go to war in the darkest heart of Africa — embroiled in a conflict between the noble Kokone tribe and an army of foreign mercenaries poised to plunder its mineral-rich land. A group of sinister agents provocateurs, led by the mysterious “Shimba”, has prepared the groundwork for invasion using terror and the threat of “Juju” magic to destabilize the Kokonese kingdom. One of Doc’s assistants, big-fisted engineer Col. John “Renny” Renwick, is captured by the Shimba while surveying the area for a railroad project, his last desperate radio message spurring Doc and the rest of the Amazing Five to action. Boarding Doc’s newest aircraft — a propellerless flying wing powered by a combustible gas of the bronze man’s invention, capable of speeds of over 500 miles per hour and able to hover in mid-air like a gyrocopter — the team makes for the Kilimanjaro region to rescue their comrade and help the natives beat back the invasion. Oh, and there’s a fabulous secret treasure at stake, too.
This is fairly standard 1930s Saturday afternoon serial stuff, your typical period jungle adventure spiced up with a little Buck Rogers sci-fi tech. But Donovan’s prose isn’t quite as clunky this time out, and Doc Savage is less robotic here than in most of his other turns as “Kenneth Robeson”. Action scenes are pretty good if predictably outlandish. Thankfully, the book isn’t as racist as it easily could have been.
Grade: C+
5 comments:
Very cool posting. I was a fan of Doc Savage comics & kids books which were found in toystores in the 70's. I've been looking for some of these now to add to my collection. Thanks for the info.
I have a couple of Doc Savage Bantam reprints..."Hex", and (I think) "The Man of Bronze". But this one by far has the cooler title...
--J/Metro
I haven't read this in so long, I've no idea what the phrase "long juju" refers to.
Anything like the Polynesian concept of "long pig?"
In the book, "Long Juju" is a powerful magic curse... Witchdoctor stuff.
At first glance, I thought the two guys in the background were Klansmen. The KKK, an African witch doctor, and our boy Doc Savage--that would have been quite an adventure tale.
Brian, it has been a while since you've review any DS. Glad to have you back. Only about 130 or so novels left!
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