Friday, May 14, 2010

Friday's Forgotten Books: LAND OF ALWAYS NIGHT by Kenneth Robeson

LAND OF ALWAYS NIGHT features a bizarre, 'Count Orlok' looking individual named Ool whose freakish finger floats hypnotically like a butterfly and can kill with a single touch. Ool tangles with Doc Savage and his stalwart gang of extraordinary gentleman on a search for a lost subterranean civilization.

NIGHT is straightforward pulp at its best. Nearly each chapter begins and climaxes with balls to the wall action. Plus gadgets, babes and high tech dirigibles all make their expected appearances. NIGHT was written by the legendary Lester Dent (Kenneth Robeson) with additional help from W. Ryerson Johnson.

Nostalgia Ventures has done a top job of repackaging NIGHT with another Savage adventure, MAD MESA. The Nostalgia reprint includes a "Meet The Writers" section with in depth biographies and B&W photos. A must-have for pulp aficionados. But be warned, I'm clearing off the shelf everywhere I find these books.

Click here for more FFBs courtesy of Patti Abbott.

11 comments:

Richard Prosch said...

This sounds terrific! BTW- you may want to check out Greenberg and Pronzini's collection of Ryerson Johnson western stories called "Torture Trek."

David Cranmer said...

Johnson sounded like someone I would like to have known. He is described as a Bohemian soul and Dent observed "Johnny is one guy who never lets anything interfere with the pleasant ambling business of grazing through life."
Ryerson Johnson. I will search for more and thanks for the tip on TORTURE TREK.

Leah J. Utas said...

Sounds very cool.

Anonymous said...

I like some Savage every now and again but after reading one, I'm done for another year or two.

Bill P

David Cranmer said...

Leah, Doc invented cool. Before Bond or any of them. Heck, he hung out at the North Pole before Clark Kent in his own fortress of solitude. I wonder how he felt when Superman moved in?

Bill, I know what you mean, a little goes a long way. But I'd say I can read three or four a year.

George said...

Nostalgia Ventures seems to be back in business after a hiatus. I have the first 25 of their DOC SAVAGE series. I think they're up to 35 now.

Evan Lewis said...

Great choice. It's fun rereading these in this new format, with the pulp art.

David Cranmer said...

George, I guess I have some catching up to do. I hadn't realized they had been around for so long.

Evan, Maybe the success of Hard Case inspired them with their packaging?

Charles Gramlich said...

I'm kinda with Bill. I'll get in the mood and read like two Savage books back to back and then I'm done for a good long while. The titles are always so evocative and the ideas behind the titles so cool, but the writing generally doesn't quite live up to it, I find.

David Cranmer said...

Trust me, I understand with the writing. But, damn, I just dig these far out tales.

Dave King said...

My vote goes with Richard's. Yes it does sound great.