Review “Pat Savage: Six Scarlet Scorpions” by Kenneth Robinson

When the classic tales of Doc Savage first appeared in pulp publications in March of 1933, fandom fell in love with the iconic character of Clarke “Doc” Savage Jr., a brilliant, heroic, larger than life super hero. Pushing the envelope of most human abilities, there was little Doc couldn’t do better than those around him.

Written under the Street & Smith Publishing house name of Kenneth Robinson, a majority of The Doc Savage stories were penned by writer Lester Dent and released in the beautiful pulp magazine fashion so many of us recall when we think of the character. Over the years, the character has appeared on radio, in comics, and in novel form.

Here, we welcome a long-awaited return to the Doc Savage universe through the dedicated talents of writer Will Murray. Well versed in the style and lore of pulp era literature, the author dons the pen cloak of Kenneth Robinson and takes readers back to a world of adventure and danger. But this time, it is a little different.

Pat Savage: Six Scarlet Scorpions by Kenneth Robinson was published by Atlus Press on October 13, 2016, the first installment of The Wild Adventures of Pat Savage, a promising new line of adventures staring the Doc’s cousin Pat.

The stunning cover art (left) is by Joe DeVito.

Taking a page out of Dent’s formula for whipping up a story would probably satisfy the avid Doc Savage fan, but Murray steps it up a notch by focusing on the character Pat Savage, who made several brief appearances in the original stories, but never seemed to gain enough interest to garnish her own series. Until now. And the Six Scarlet Scorpions is a strong argument for the publisher to give us more.

One noted difference between Pat and her legendary cousin is her believability. A skilled pilot and sharpshooter, she still exhibits a vulnerability that Doc rarely displayed. Though this takes a little away from the over-the-top feeling we may be used to from the original series, it does allow readers to settle in and look at the hero on a personal level, more as a developed character than just another caricature like so many current writers try to push.

Pat Savage: Six Scarlet Scorpions should fill the long-awaited void that so many Doc Savage fans have felt over the years. With a fresh take on such an iconic story-line, and more escapades on the horizon, these new adventures are going to be wild.

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2 Comments

  1. BTW–Will Murray seems to be a good guy. We corresponded briefly when he was writing The Destroyer some years ago. I look forward to reading this. Thanks, Ricky!

  2. …um–you keep saying “Kenneth Robinson,” yet it’s always been–and is marked on the cover you posted–“Kenneth ROBEson.” Is it “brain fart Tuesday”?

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