Murray Leinster

Robert Silverberg

Randall Garrett

Lester del Rey

Lester Dent

Jerome Bixby

Eando Binder

Zenith Brown

Hal Charles

Carolina Garcia-Aguilera

Dale Clark

This issue has been fun to put together. As a Maryland resident, I’ve always been partial to stories set in my home state, and Golden Age mystery author Zenith Brown is here this time with Murder in Maryland, a classic mystery originally published under her “David Frome” pseudonym. (She also wrote as Leslie Ford.) Add to that more mysteries by Hal Charles (another Solve-It-Yourself mystery challenge), Lester Dent (author of the famous Shadow pulp novels), Murray Leinster (whose name most science fiction readers should recognize), plus a great tale by Carolina Garcia-Aguilera (selected by Barb Goffman), and you have a terrific lineup. Alas, I wasn’t able to get to another Frank Lovell Nelson story, but his telepathic detective will be back next week. In the words of TV hucksters, But wait, there’s more! Remember, we also include great science fiction and fantasy in every issue, and here we have a bunch of classics by Lester del Rey (a rare fantasy from John W. Campbell’s Unknown first published in 1940), a devilish fantasy tale by Jerome Bixby, and a science fiction story by Robert Silverberg & Randall Garrett in collaboration. Plus I’m sneaking in one of my own Zelloque fantasies, written when I was reading the Richard Burton translation of The Thousand and One Nights. The influence shows. Our science fiction novel this issue is Get Off My World, by Eando Binder. —John Betancourt, Editor Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries “This Will Slay You,” by Dale Clark [novelet] “Playing by the Rules,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “The Pipeline Juggernaut,” by Lester Dent [short story] “Pink Ears,” by Murray Leinster [short story] “The Right Profile,” by Carolina Garcia-Aguilera [Barb Goffman Presents Mystery] Murder in Maryland, by Zenith Brown [novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy “The Pipes of Pan,” by Lester del Rey [fantasy short story] “The Incomplete Theft,” by Robert Silverberg & Randall Garrett [science fiction short story] “The Last Guardian of Ru Ishtl,” by John Gregory Betancourt [fantasy short story] “The Battle of the Bells,” by Jerome Bixby [fantasy short story] Get Off My World, by Eando Binder [novel]

Black Cat Weekly #11

Will Murray

Kenneth Robeson

Why did a desperate man shave his head before visiting Doc Savage headquarters, only to be struck down, his pulsing brain turned to inert stone? What sinister secret did his strange slaying silence? And how was a lizard-green shadow resembling Medusa branded on Doc's office wall? These are only some of the questions confronting the Man of Bronze as he pursues a grisly trail of petrified corpses to post-Prohibition Chicago, whose criminal underworld is being terrorized by a serpent-haired demon engaged in a seemingly senseless slaughter spree whose ultimate target will shake Doc Savage's men to their core. Suspects are many, clues baffling. Death and danger lurks everywhere they turn-symbolized by the silhouette of a faceless Gorgon. From the concrete canyons of Manhattan to the coal fields of Illinois, Doc Savage tracks a phantom fiend the likes of which he has never before hunted. Or is he the one being hunted?

Doc Savage: Glare of the Gorgon

When a brazen adventuress tries to hire Doc Savage for a secret mission-but won't tell him why-it lights the fuse for one of the most explosive exploits ever to involve the Man of Bronze. Who is Hornetta Hale? Why does she need to rent Doc's private submarine? And who is so determined to eliminate her that they destroy Doc Savage's skyscraper headquarters in the process? From Manhattan Island to the Caribbean Sea, Doc and his fighting crew chase the most violent gang of criminals they have ever encountered in a desperate race to unlock the secret of Phantom Lagoon. Or are they more than mere criminals?

Phantom Lagoon

Doc Savage

William Bogart

Thrill to the original pulp exploits of DC Comics' newest superstar as the Man of Bronze returns in two thrill-packed novels by Lester Dent, Martin Baker and William Bogart writing as "Kenneth Robeson." First, Doc Savage investigates a series of bizarre Hollywood murders surrounding "The Seven Agate Devils," strange Satanic statuettes left at the scene of each killing. Then, a rocket attack frees a deranged patient from Doc Savage's "Crime College" and the Man of Bronze journeys to Sleepy Hollow in search of "The Flying Goblin." BONUS: a Doc Savage chiller from the Golden Age of Radio! This classic pulp reprint features the color pulp covers by Walter Baumhofer and Emery Clarke, Paul Orban's original interior illustrations and historical commentary by Will Murray, writer of seven Doc Savage novels. (Sanctum Books) 978-1-60877-036-6 Softcover, 7x10, 144 pages, b&w, $14.95

The Seven Agate Devils and the Flying Goblin - HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

DOC SAVAGE Volume 41

With a mysterious black Chinaman, Doc Savage and his amazing crew journey to the jungles of Indo-China in a desperate gamble to destroy the infamous Thousand-headed Man. From the fogs of London to the jungles of Indo-China, Doc and his men follow the trail of the three mysterious black keys to an ancient lost city guarded by equally ancient terror known as the Thousand-Headed Man. We are delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience.

Special Edition

The Thousand-Headed Man

It was all a great mystery. Who was this man called Dan Thunden who claimed he was one hundred and thirty years old? Did he really have the secret of the fountain of youth? What was this island called Fear Cay that spelled horror and death? What was the strange thing that turned men to bone? These were the mysteries that Doc Savage and his fearless crew had to solve at peril of their very lives.

Fear Cay

Two classic noir novellas about young men who find treacherous jobs during the Great Depression In Hades, Alexander Titus, a former Olympic decathlon star, comes to Hollywood looking for work. He and his friend Haw Gooch are down to their last dollar when they find jobs as bodyguards for erratic film producer Roger Quinlan. Quinlan seems quite paranoid, claiming that he’s being stalked by a demon and that he found Hades in a cavern in New Mexico. The story sounds crazy, but when Titus is framed for murder, he realizes Quinlan’s alleged hell might be the one place where he can also find the truth. In Hocus Pocus, two penniless traveling magicians respond to an ad for a mind reader. A psychology professor hires them to infiltrate a group of evangelists who incorporate mind reading into their preaching. Cal “Marvelous” Merton and his assistant, Imagination Daly, will study the evangelists’ methods and report back on whether their mind reading is genuine. But as Merton and Daly join the New Apostles, the air of danger is palpable, and questions arise about their employer and what exactly they’re investigating.

Hades & Hocus Pocus

Chance Molloy pursues a crooked senator’s daughter aboard an airplane, but their flight is turbulent in more ways than one In the 1940s, air travel is still in its infancy. Seats turn into private sleepers, passengers smoke in flight, and it’s no sweat to carry weapons aboard. Chance Molloy, a self-made airline owner, is dealt a blow when his plans to establish a passenger airline in South America are thwarted by a corrupt US senator. At the news, Molloy’s brother, a partner in the venture, kills himself. Seeking some kind of justice, Molloy boards Flight 14 from New York to New Mexico with one goal in mind: to get acquainted with the senator’s daughter, Janet Lord, a passenger on the plane. But her charms are greater than he anticipates, and Molloy’s simple plan quickly becomes complicated. Also on board are three of the senator’s henchmen, a corpse disguised as a passenger, and Molloy’s stewardess ex-girlfriend. Soon Molloy realizes that this flight will reach a destination he hadn’t anticipated.

Dead at the Take-Off

"It began with an uncanny encounter on busy Seventh Avenue. Two men pass each other in the street, walking along calmly one minute -- struck down the next by a horrific fate. All over Manhattan, soundless detonations cut down prince and pauper alike.... One one man, Doc Savage -- scientist, adventurer and superman -- can penetrate the eerie enigma that threatens to bring the mightiest city on earth to its knees."--[P.4] of cover.

The Forgotten Realm

William G. Bogart

The pulp era's greatest superman returns in classic pulp thrillers by Lester Dent and William Bogart writing as "Kenneth Robeson." First, the Man of Bronze is summoned to the Oklahoma oil fields to confront the horrific rampage of "The Derrick Devil." Then, Doc and his aides journey to Lake Erie where a mysterious malady is turning steel workers into "The Spotted Men." This double-novel collector's edition features the classic color pulp covers by Robert G. Harris and Emery Clarke, Paul Orban's classic interior illustrations and historical commentary by Will Murray, writer of nine Doc Savage novels. (Sanctum Books) 978-1-60877-079-3 Softcover, 7x10, 112 pages, B&W, $14.95

The Derrick Devil and the Spotted Men

DOC SAVAGE Volume 58

Doc Savage is a fictional character originally published in American pulp magazines during the 1930s and 1940s. He was created by publisher Henry W. Ralston and editor John L. Nanovic at Street & Smith Publications, with additional material contributed by the series' main writer, Lester Dent. The heroic-adventure character would go on to appear in other media, including radio, film, and comic books, with his adventures reprinted for modern-day audiences in a series of paperback books, which have sold more than 20 million copies. Stan Lee (Marvel Comics) has credited Doc Savage as being the forerunner to modern superheroes. This volume collects ten adventures: THE MAN OF BRONZE THE THOUSAND-HEADED MAN METEOR MENACE THE POLAR TREASURE BRAND OF THE WEREWOLF THE LOST OASIS THE MONSTERS THE LAND OF TERROR THE MYSTIC MULLAH THE PHANTOM CITY If you enjoy this ebook, don't forget to search your favorite ebook store for "Wildside Press Megapack" to see more of the 350+ volumes in this series, covering adventure, historical fiction, mysteries, westerns, ghost stories, science fiction -- and much, much more!

Ten Classic Novels

The Doc Savage MEGAPACK®

"When 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."--P.[4] of cover.

The Desert Demons

Two classic noir novellas about young men who find treacherous jobs during the Great Depression . In Hades, Alexander Titus, a former Olympic decathlon star, comes to Hollywood looking for work. He and his friend Haw Gooch are down to their last dollar when they find jobs as bodyguards for erratic film producer Roger Quinlan. Quinlan seems quite paranoid, claiming that he's being stalked by a demon and that he found Hades in a cavern in New Mexico. The story sounds crazy, but when Titus is framed for murder, he realizes Quinlan's alleged hell might be the one place where he can also find the truth. In Hocus Pocus, two penniless traveling magicians respond to an ad for a mind reader. A psychology professor hires them to infiltrate a group of evangelists who incorporate mind reading into their preaching. Cal 'Marvelous' Merton and his assistant, Imagination Daly, will study the evangelists' methods and report back on whether their mind reading is genuine. But as Merton and Daly join the New Apostles, the air of danger is palpable, and questions arise about their employer and what exactly they're investigating.

Desperate to recover her son, a yacht designer turns to a hard-bitten captain for help Sarah Lineyack’s in-laws hated her the moment she married their son. They hated her when she was pregnant, and they hated her even more after the car crash that killed their darling boy but spared Sarah and her child. While Sarah recovered, the Lineyacks stole her baby, claiming she was an unfit mother and tricking her into believing there was nothing she could do about it. But now Sarah has found a way to save her son: She’s going to steal him back. Kidnapping her child will not be as easy for Sarah as it was for her in-laws. She has no money, no friends, and no influence, but she does have one person she can turn to. Captain Most is a man of iron, blessed with seafaring brilliance that will ensure that Sarah and her baby are together at last—whether at sea, on land, or in death. “A hard-boiled, violent and authentically gritty tale in the best pulp style.” —Publishers Weekly on Honey in Her Mouth “One of the grandest purveyors of ripping, tearing, he-man action-fiction.” —Richard A. Martinsen, editor of Sky Riders

Lester Dent

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