La terra dell'eterna notte

Doc Savage (Bantam) #13

by Kenneth Robeson, Angela Campana (translator)

Chi ama l'azione, il movimento, la libera scatenata corsa di peripezie, coincidenze, colpi di scena e di mano, non potrà non diventare un «patito» di Doc Savage, detto l'Uomo di Bronzo. Questo grande ciclo di romanzi d'avventura, che fu celebre nell'America degli Anni '30, conosce ora in tutto il mondo un successo strepitoso ma non sorprendente. Da James Bond, dalla fantascienza, dai fumetti, dai cartoni animati, un pubblico enorme ha imparato a prendere per il verso giusto le strabilianti imprese del fulmineo eroe che è contemporaneamente miliardario, scienziato eccelso, erudito poliglotta, detective infallibile, atleta invincibile, e che mette questa sua prodigiosa somma di doti al servizio della giustizia, dovunque e contro chiunque. Urania offrirà ai suoi lettori questo mondo parallelo della fantasia e del divertimento, in una serie mensile che inizia con il presente romanzo (ogni romanzo è una storia conclusa), dove l'Uomo di Bronzo e i suoi cinque aiutanti se la devono vedere con una mano dalle micidiali proprietà, un paio di misteriosi occhialoni e un vasto enigma etno-geologico.

Copertina di Karel Thole

Genres: Pulp, Adventure, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Action

200 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published July 1, 1974

About the author

Kenneth Robeson was the house name used by Street and Smith Publications as the author of their popular character Doc Savage and later The Avenger. Though most Doc Savage stories were written by the author Lester Dent, there were many others who contributed to the series, including:

William G. Bogart
Evelyn Coulson
Harold A. Davis
Lawrence Donovan
Alan Hathway
W. Ryerson Johnson

Lester Dent is usually considered to be the creator of Doc Savage. In the 1990s Philip José Farmer wrote a new Doc Savage adventure, but it was published under his own name and not by Robeson. Will Murray has since taken up the pseudonym and continued writing Doc Savage books as Robeson.

All 24 of the original stories featuring The Avenger were written by Paul Ernst, using the Robeson house name. In order to encourage sales Kenneth Robeson was credited on the cover of The Avenger magazine as "the creator of Doc Savage" even though Lester Dent had nothing to do with The Avenger series. In the 1970s, when the series was extended with 12 additional novels, Ron Goulart was hired to become Robeson.

Reviews

[The Frahorus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adesso ho capito da dove hanno preso ispirazione gli autori di Superman, Indiana Jones e James Bond: da Doc Savage! Egli è un misto dei tre: fortissimo, inteligente, amante dei misteri, un ottimo combattente e sempre pronto a partire per avventure mozzafiato. Ho scoperto, a malincuore, che questo romanzo fa parte della sua tredicesima avventura, mentre io speravo di avere fra le mani la prima (che è La piramide d'oro) che devo cercare di recuperare senza ombra di dubbio.

In questo romanzo egli si scontra con due cattivi molto intelligenti che cercano dei misteriosi occhiali neri. Il nostro Doc, con l'aiuto dei suoi cinque assistenti, riuscirà a salvarsi la vita più di una volta fino a scoprire un misterioso luogo ai confini del mondo, addirittura nei ghiacci dell'Artico! Ho trovato la lettura interessante, nonostante sia stato scritto nel 1935 risulta ancora abbastanza godibile. Lo consiglio a chi ama il genere avventuroso con dosi di ragionamenti alla Sherlock Holmes. Doc Savage è il padre di Superman e di tutti gli attuali supereroi, tutti concentrati in lui.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Land of Always-Night is a "Doc Savage" novel by Kenneth Robeson. Kenneth Robeson was the house name Street and Smith Publications used as the author of their popular Doc Savage novels. Though most Doc Savage stories were written by the author Lester Dent, there were many others who contributed to the series, including: William G. Bogart, Evelyn Coulson, Harold A. Davis, Lawrence Donovan, Alan Hathway, and W. Ryerson Johnson.
I love reading these old pulp novels from time to time. I read about 80%+ of the Doc Savage novels when I was a teenager but that was a very long time ago. I have been trying to find them again in the Bantam editions I read in my youth. I have found several of them in used bookstores and have bought several from online aftermarket bookstores.
In this one, Doc Savage and his men are in the thick of it again. The action is classic Doc Savage, filled with good old-fashioned adventure and gadgets that always seem to be there when the hero needs them. You can relax and escape for a little while. A good read in the Doc Savage series.

[George Jankovic · Rating 2 out of 5]

Doc Savage comic books were created in the 1930s. He's one of the first great superheroes. He's ultra smart, the Man of Bronze, has a great team of accomplished people (scientists, archeologists, ex military etc.) and some cool transportation devices, especially for those times (autogyros, a submarine etc). The dynamic between some of his partners also adds fun.

I loved these comics as a kid and have decided to re-read some of them.

This was one of my least favorite Doc Savage comics.

[Mary JL · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the earliest Doc Savage books I read and it is very fast-paced and exciting. The early Doc Savage adventure (from say 1933 to 1938) I believe were the best--the series was at the top of its form.


Doc and his crew end up finding a lost civilzation in underground caverns in the Arctic. They end up opposing a group of New York gangsters who have also discovered the lost civilazation--while trying to convince the locals they're the good guys. I would have liked a longer look at the lost civilization--I found it interesting.

Almost all the Doc Savage adventures are under 200 pages, so a quick and easy read--slam bang action and lots of pulpy fun. For action adventure fans---perfectably suited for anyone age 12 on up.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mysterious, abnormally pale man with the apparently ability to kill with a certain movement of his right hand joins forces with New York gangsters to recover a pair of dark goggles in the possession of Doc Savage in an adventure that features a lost underground civilization in the Arctic. This is indeed pulp fiction that would have made a great movie serial back in the 1930s. Great fun!

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised when this popped up in my Audible suggestions one day as I have been a fan of Doc Savage tales for quite some time. This audio book straddles the line between a reading and a dramatization. While not a full-fledged dramatization, it does offer a cast, sound effects and a touch of music. The book is read word-for-word by a narrator but the dialogue is read by different cast members. Also, there are sparse sound effects and music at appropriate times. I really enjoyed it!

I'm not going to go into the story since anyone interested at all in this is most likely familiar with the derring-do of Doc's pulp adventure stories. This is one of the better ones and it does not disappoint.

[Arlomisty]

I've read many Doc Savage novels over the years and I have to admit that this one was one of the most enjoyable in recent memory. I love the pulp era stories and how they are a continuous on going story... I have many more Doc Savage books in my collection and I intend to read a couple this year if I can...

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the cover with the hands.

[Woolrich13 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I read this book first when I was about eleven years old, and that may be the best age to read it. It's a perfect "boy's adventure novel" about a larger-than-life hero/prototypical superhero and his very loyal adventuring companions, who all have different specialties: law, chemistry, civil engineering, geology/archaeology, and electrical engineering. Doc also has a lovely but tough cousin, Patricia ("Pat") Savage. Except for Monk and Ham (the chemist and the lawyer), the rest are a bit generic as characters. This is a relatively early Doc Savage novel, and, eventually, most of the characters were all pared away save Monk and Ham with odd appearances by Pat. In terms of his character, Doc is a polymath and also the world's biggest boy scout. When it comes to pulp heroes, I always preferred the Shadow to Doc Savage as a character, but the imagination behind the plots of the Doc Savage novels just can't be topped. Yes, they are of their time, and may not be quite as enlightened about some social issues as the present. But they certainly aren't as reactionary as some other pop culture icons of the 1930s or 1940s, like Chester Gould's Dick Tracy.

Speaking of Chester Gould, most of the villains in "Land of Always Night" would have made good Dick Tracy villains or maybe minor early Batman antagonists. They have names like "Watches" Bowen, a gangster who is obsessed with, well, watches, and even has trick watches with special weapons, and "Ham-hock Piney," an African-American character who's so unfortunately stereotypical that he makes Will Eisner's Spirit's Ebony look like a well-rounded, realistic depiction of a black person. However, these characters are soon joined by Ool, a frightening, pale, almost hairless man who dresses all in black and who can kill with one touch of his snakelike arms. Who is Ool, why is he obsessed with some peculiar goggles, and where does he come from? All of those questions will be answered by the end, and, in typical Doc Savage fashion, by verging into "lost race" literature tropes. Turns out there is a lost city, deep under the Arctic ice, and it's inhabited by a technologically advanced race of chalk-skinned weirdos like Ool and that has many technological marvels and also giant mushrooms. Doc and his men and Watches and his minions all converge there and clash. Of course, there's another trope of these lost-race stories, a beautiful, exotic princess named Sona becomes involved in the plot. In the end, all is tied up neatly. As you're reading, expect endless action sequences and a lot of character catchphrases ("I'll be super-amalagmated!" and "Holy cow!").

I read this book again because I have had a very difficult year personally and was looking for some pleasant nostalgia. This volume delivered that, and I was happy with it. I don't know if I would have had the same reaction if I had read this for the first time as a middle-aged man. Maybe try giving this book to a young boy to read or any other Doc Savage novel, and they might enjoy it. If the dated stereotypical character in this novel bothers you, you could always pick one of the other 200-odd novels that wouldn't have content like that.

[Tony Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hey, did you know that Doc Savage is "bronze"? If not, you'll know after the author tells you roughly one thousand times by the end of this novel.

"The Bronze Man's bronzed bronze was so bronze that it bronzed and bronzed until all that was left was bronze" - Direct quote

So yeah, Doc Savage is bronze. He's also literature's all-time Gary Stu. There's nothing that he's not the best at (and he never fails to let you know it). Fighting. Science. Making waffles. As a result, he's utterly and completely boring. He has absolutely no discernible personality. He's like a bronze robot. There is a colorful (no pun intended) team of sycophants surrounding him, but they're even more annoying than he is.

There are some fun pulp ideas and tropes here, thus why I gave it two stars instead of one, but it's not enough--not nearly enough--not recommend this or any other Doc Savage novel.

On a side note, this novel was written in the 1930's and as a result it has a few things that are... problematic. One thing in particular will stand out, unless it's been changed in some sort of updated edition. I'm by no means "Woke" or "PC", but this specific reoccurring description of one of the baddie's henchman will likely serve to offend %90+ of readers.

[Richard Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I keep trying Doc Savage novels, and keep liking them just a little... just enough...

The first half of this read like a pretty good action novel. It didn't last, though. Once we reach the Arctic, it's just regular pulp again, with plotless back and forth action.

You get to know the characters and root for them, and that adds a little interest to it. The covers are cool. People I like have liked these books. These inducements bring me back, hoping to find something more in the novels than really exists.

Didn't hate it. Didn't much enjoy it, either, except in parts, and at the end was only reading a couple pages at a time. Recommended for those who already know they like Doc Savage.

(FWIW--it's billed as one of the more popular of his adventures. Fair. I liked it better than some of the others.)

Post script--I bought this copy at a Doc Savage convention I attended with my daughter when she was writing a story and getting video for the event for a journalism class at ASU. The convention was fun. The people were cool. If you get a chance to attend one, I *do* recommend it.

[Jim N · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a kid, I was an avid reader and collector of Doc Savage books and read as many as I could get my hands on. I decided to re-read some of them this year, beginning with the first, Man of Bronze, and followed by Fortress of Solitude and The Devil Genghis. All 3 of those books were written by Lester Dent, who wrote the majority of the series. I thoroughly and nostalgically enjoyed them. They’re far from great literature but as fun pulp adventure, they were a good time.

Land of Always Night is one of three Doc Savage novels written by pulp writer and editor, Ryerson Johnson. It has a fun premise, a pair of interesting, intriguing villains and gets off to a great start. Like Dent, Johnson keeps things moving at a rapid pace and the first two acts flew by. I felt it faltered in the third act, breaking down into overly repetitive action just when it should have been most interesting. I enjoyed the book as a whole but it wasn’t as good as the 3 I mentioned above.

A word of warning: this book contains a particularly unfortunate racial stereotype.

[Tobin Elliott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Twenty-five books into this 181-book series, and I keep hoping the rot will stop spreading and we'll get back to the fun. This book didn't turn it around.

The villains are getting sillier, the science—while always somewhat silly—is getting sillier. And the plot was, for an action series, rather dull. And I feel as though Monk and Ham (and Habeas Corpus) are becoming more the star of the series than the titular Man of Bronze himself.

I'll give it to book thirty, but if this bus don't turn around soon, I'm getting off.

[Devlocke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I probably shouldn't have been surprised by all the eugenics-y stuff, but I was, cuz' I came to Doc Savage from the movie and this is the first book I'd read. Fun book, but man, is it is of-its-time, and also not really my jam. I think these books fill a niche that is better filled by films that fill the same niche.

Bump it up two stars if you don't care that it's not very good and the kinda racist shit doesn't bother you. It's a solid action-adventure movie, as pulp novel.

[Gian Luigi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Metto 5 stelle perché sono un grande fan dei romanzi e al cuore non si comanda. Sicuramente non è un capolavoro della letteratura ma una storia avventurosa con elementi fantascientifici che non lascia un attimo di tregua. Tenendo conto che è stato scritto negli anni 30 porta molto bene i suoi anni.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this Doc adventure in the 70s

[Devin Coryell · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 / 5

[Luca Gonella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Romanzo banale di avventura vecchio stile, nulla di che. Anche se rileggere romanzi vintage ha un suo fascino.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great adventure yarn. Wildly imaginative.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first Doc Savage story appeared in 1933 and the series ran in pulp and later digest format into 1949. Bantam reprinted the entire series in paperback with wonderful, iconic covers starting in the 1960's. Doc was arguably the first great modern superhero with a rich background, continuity, and mythos. The characterizations were far richer than was common for the pulps; his five associates and their sometimes-auxiliary, Doc's cousin Pat, and the pets Chemistry and Habeas Corpus, all had very distinctive characteristics and their byplay was frequently more entertaining that the current adventure-of-the-month. The settings were also fascinating: Doc's Fortress of Solitude, the Hidalgo Trading Company (which served as a front for his armada of vehicles), and especially the mysterious 86th floor headquarters all became familiar haunts to the reader, and the far-flung adventures took the intrepid band to exotic and richly-described locations all over the world. The adventures were always fast-paced and exciting, from the early apocalyptic world-saving extravaganzas of the early days to the latter scientific-detective style shorter works of the post-World War Two years. There were always a few points that it was difficult to believe along the way, but there were always more ups than downs, and there was never, ever a dull moment. The Doc Savage books have always been my favorite entertainments... I was always, as Johnny would say, superamalgamated!

[Duane Olds · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a chore to get through, mainly because the extremly racist portrayal of one characters dialogue was so hard to get through that it slowed things down every time he talked.
This one had characters that reminded me of Dick Tracy villans every time they were mentioned: Watches Bowen, Ham-Hock Piney, Honey Hamilton.

It also seemed that out of the 13 Doc Savage books i've gone through already, the 'discover a mysterious race of people in a forgotten/unexplored region of the world who wish to have their existance kept secret' storyline was used in half of them, so this story seemed like a cop out.
At one point towards the end I almost gave up entirely...poor Habeas Corpus...

But I did enjoy the literary gems that this adventure gave us, like:
'He was a big man with some surplus around the waist' (This is in Jabba the Hutts Tinder bio)

'Watches poured himself a hooker of the Napoleon brandy.' (Is that a hooker made out of Strawberry, Vanilla and Choclate brandy?)

"If he gets funny again, I'll tickle his ribs in a way he won't like." (Then smoke his ribs slowly for 16 hours in our special sauce untill it falls off the bone)

'His fingers got it. A small, hard article of peculiar shape.' Insert your own joke here.

And for those with the Doc Savage home game, our Superamalgamated count this time was 7.

Oh well, on to the next one...

[Anfenwick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit, I don't know why anyone would read a book like this... unless they happened to be in a hostel with nothing in particular to do, and there it was in front of them.

Having said that, it wasn't an unpleasant experience. I didn't put it down or anything, partly because I found the endeavors of these scientific geniuses - each one more manly than the last (!) - actually, Doc Savage himself is so manly that it's made quite clear that he only keeps the other five hangers-on as adornments - anyway, as I was saying, I found their scientific endeavors quite entertaining. To pick one example, they flit around in a dirigible filled with a gas that's lighter than hydrogen, now that takes genius!

Since this is #13 in the series, it is never explained why Doc Savage is bronze-colored (which I took to mean metallic, not sun-tanned), or why he has gold leaf eyes. Not so much as a word. That's what I get for not reading the first 12 in the series.

[Wes · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the earliest Doc Savage yarns, this one boasts Lester Dent's flair for action to a T. It reads like a non-stop thrill ride: murder, fight scene, robbery, fight scene, exposition, chase, explosion, fight scene. Though it's quite enjoyable to read, I found the fight scenes a little excessive and feel they bog the book down a bit. However few authors of this time and ilk succeeded in creating villains which are just as nuanced and captivating (if not more so) as the heroes. The best part of the story in my opinion, doesn't occur until the third act when Savage and his five trusted aids leave the familiarity of New York City, venture far up into the Arctic Circle and discover the LAND OF ALWAYS-NIGHT!

[Lizabeth Tucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Land of Always-Night, originally published in Doc Savage Magazine in March 1935, has Doc and his men heading to the Arctic Circle in pursuit of Ool, a mysterious and powerful killer.

The plots are silly, without a doubt, but the true appeal is that of the characters' relationships, particularly Ham and Monk. Talk about your Odd Couple! Ham is a dapper lawyer, his appearance pleasing to all. Monk is an engineer, simian in appearance but still a hit with the ladies. They fight and bicker 24/7, but are devastated if one of them is injured or in grave danger.

Don't expect great literature, just a rollicking good time. Have fun with Doc and the boys and expect a quick read.

[Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had an interesting concept. A quest to find out the mystery of a pair of strange, black, thick glasses that on first appearance does nothing. Doc and his five men chase this enigma around New York City before heading to the Arctic by dirigible. Eventually, the adventure leads to an undiscovered civilization located underneath the Arctic tundra. What does this all lead to? You will need to read this exciting Doc Savage saga. This was a fun and exciting adventure that includes all of Doc’s men as well as Monk’s pet, Habeas Corpus.

This story was a collaboration between W. Ryerson Johnson and Lester Dent, written in March, 1935.

[Randy D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's wall to wall action in this Doc Savage adventure when Doc and his crew battle a gang of thugs led by a mob boss and a renegade member of a society of people who live under the Arctic Ocean in an underground metropolis. The bad guys' objective is to commandeer a specific part of the infrastructure which is critical to the operation of the underground city. Doc and his guys are standing shoulder to shoulder with the folks who live in this unique environment.

Lester went science fiction with this one. All in all, "Land Of Always Night" is a pretty good story. *****

[Charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to this on my Kindle, from a file I downloaded from Black Mask online and converted to Kindle. There was an error early in the book where a few pages were transposed but it didn't cause me a lot of problems.

Doc Savage and his crew discover a lost race in the arctic. It's rather standard fare and not among the best Doc Savage adventures. I found it easy to get through but not terribly exciting.

[Little Timmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of all the pulp era heroes few stand out above the crowd, Doc Savage is one of these. With his 5 aides and cousin he adventures across the world. Fighting weird menaces, master criminals and evil scientists Doc and the Fab 5 never let you down for a great read. These stories have all you need; fast paced action, weird mystery, and some humor as the aides spat with each other. My highest recommendation.

[Jeff Chase · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this entry - it had all the elements that make up a good Doc story. Action at the office, in a mysterious land, an attractive helpmate, and all the guys were involved. It seems like so many of the stories only have Monk and Ham accompany Doc, but the Fab 5 were all in action in this one.

[Ed Wyrd · Rating 3 out of 5]

As usual, Doc and his gang of five face mystery and death, this time in the form of a strange white faced man who can kill with just the touch of his hand, a man who comes from a fantastic lost civilization hidden underneath the Arctic.