Francis Stevens

An American explorer discovers an ancient Mexican temple and comes under the influence of a powerful evil god

The Citadel of Fear

Bryan Alexander

I read this novel for the SFF Audio podcast, and enjoyed it very much.

Citadel of Fear is a fun pulp novel from 1918, an adventure based on Aztec mythology and Irish-American adventures. As a pulp, it has many scenes of action and high pitched excitement, starting with the two main characters nearly dying in a Mexican desert. From there, we leap into a forgotten city of magic and/or super-science. Around one third of the way in "Francis Stevens" (pen name for Gertrude Barrows Bennett) suddenly yanks the action a thousand miles away and years hence, setting up a domestic story with building menace. Then the finale ties most of it all together with a spectacular battle.

I don't want to say much more because of spoilers.

As a read, Citadel of Fear offers many attractions, especially for anyone familiar with early 20th-century pulp fiction. There are weird creatures, strange vistas, fighting and escapes, a heroic hero, a mysterious heroine, some period humor, and supernatural forces at work.

I was struck by how the hero and other characters are Irish, and how that's simply a good thing. Pretty unusual for 1918, when many Americans dreaded non-Anglo-Saxon immigration.

I also enjoyed uncovering part of genre history. Bennett is someone I've been meaning to read, and look forward to reading more of.

The Citadel of Fear

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