The Czar of Fear

Doc Savage (Original) #9

by Kenneth Robeson (House Name), Lester Dent

DOC SAVAGE IS ACCUSED OF MURDER! The bronze giant battles police, thugs, and a macabre foe in a spectacular struggle to save a city from total desolation. The Arch Enemy of Evil pits his tremendous resources against the grisly and mysterious Green Bell--the sinister hooded figure whose deadly genius threatens to destroy Doc and drive thousands of innocent people mad!

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

140 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1933

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

[Darryll Doucette · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a kid, I read dozens of tattered Doc Savage and Avenger paperbacks. As an adult, I recently rediscovered my love for the pulp genre and it's heroes. I will always love some good pulp escapism on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
The CZAR OF FEAR is a recent favourite. This one has Doc's adventures taking place on a smaller, more local scale. A New Jersey mining town has been terrorized by a mysterious but visually dynamic villain calling himself the Green Bell. At the behest of some of the town's beleaguered citizens, Doc flies to the rescue. What I really liked about this one is it's acknowledgement of the Great Depression in the thirties and the ravages of unemployment on everyday Americans. It's use as a story device brings Doc down to earth a little in a slightly more realistic setting than we are used to seeing in the pulps. It was a stroke of genius to have Doc use philanthropy and charity as a weapon against the forces of evil. He really puts his legendarily vast wealth to great purpose in this one.
Unfortunately, the sub-plot involving Doc being framed for murder was fairly stale and the reveal of the identity of the Green Bell was mostly predictable.
But still, if you are a fan of Doc Savage and his intrepid crew, this is yet another thrilling adventure for them. I highly recommend it. Especially if you appreciate a more grounded version of his usual tales.

[Tim Schneider · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Ninth super-saga is a little bit of an anomaly for this series. The Doc Savage formula was to have Doc and his crew go to an exotic location and fight evil. While tied to the time period they inhabited they generally didn't delve deeply into what was happening politically or economically at the time. This one, however, breaks the mold a bit.

This one finds Doc, who is being framed for a murder, and crew battling The Green Bell in a small coal-mining town in the north-east US. Even more off point than the lack of an exotic locale is that the book actually looks at the then-current economic depression in the US. Unfortunately these changes to formula don't fully make up for the fact that the identity of the antagonist is pretty damn self-evident from the second or third chapter and there is no way it should have taken Doc as long as it did to figure it out. The villain's motivation is also pretty weak. With the advanced tech he had access too and the money he clearly spent on his endeavors he probably could have completed his "plan" without actually breaking the law.

So on the one hand it's probably worthwhile as being a bit out of the ordinary. On the other hand it's weaker on plot than the average Doc adventure.

[Forrest · Rating 3 out of 5]

After two globetrotting adventures, the ninth Doc Savage tale (#22 in Bantam's reprint order) takes our hero only a few hundred miles from New York, to a small town in the Allegheny Mountains.

The Czar of Fear was released in November 1933, and the Great Depression looms large over the story, as the town is subjected to an economic reign of terror that keeps factories idle and good men out of work. It's a fairly straightforward mystery—who is the masked Green Bell, and why is he bringing Prosper City to its knees?—but when Doc is falsely accused of murder, he's forced to work largely from the margins, giving his five associates a rare chance to take the spotlight. This was a quick, entertaining Doc story, not my favorite but keeping up the momentum of the series.

[Dan Mushalko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doc novel #9, "The Czar of Fear" is another solid entry from author Lester Dent. We're back home in the United States. In the depths of the Great Depression with unemployment at its worst, a secret industrialist is using fear tactics -- including murder and insanity -- to force the closure of all the factories and mines in Prosper City, Pennsylvania, so he can buy them at steep discounts in hopes of operating and/or selling them to make "millions, if not billions" of dollars in profit.

The only reason this installment of Doc's saga doesn't earn a full five stars is that the villain's identity is too easy to guess, and the red herrings to throw the reader off the scent are a little too obvious.

This is an important read, though, for anyone interested in sociology. It's striking how much America has changed since then. Greed and profit in 2020s America are considered virtues; in 1933, they're clearly seen as evil, with Greed itself the villain, and the Green Bell merely its avatar. Doc strikes a perfect ideological balance politically between liberal and conservative: he uses his vast wealth to buy food for and provide a stipend to the unemployed of Prosper City (thanks to the Green Bell, the unemployment rate is a staggering 90%!), but with the understanding that these are interest-free loans folks should pay back as they are able when jobs return.

"The Czar of Fear" is a fun mystery, AND a fascinating glimpse into the America of the common citizen 90 years past.

[Craig · Rating 4 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!

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this book had some high points, overall it was a pretty tepid entry in the series so far.

The plot felt like it borrowed a great deal from previous installment "Quest of the Spider," but with the sinister criminal mastermind attempting to move in on a mining town rather than the lumber industry. I tend to prefer Doc Savage's more globe-trotting expeditions, however, so this small town America-bound story was less engaging for me. Apart from the titular Czar of Fear, the Green Bell, the other antagonists seemed pretty one-dimensional and ineffectual.

On the plus side, the villain makes some interesting use of technology and is also fairly clever in his struggle against Doc Savage. Having Doc on the run from false murder allegations also adds an extra twist to the tale, making this adventure seem like slightly less of a cakewalk than usual for him. And while I missed Ham's absence from most of the narrative, Long Tom has a bit more spotlight time than most episodes and Monk's soft spot for beautiful women is brought up again.

Overall, this book is worth a read for Doc Savage fans, but it's not a particularly distinguished or memorable adventure.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

November of 1933 brought the Czar of Fear, my favorite to date. I know I didn't read this one as a boy because I had to purchase it to add to the collection. A great story, this one. For the first time, the danger and death that stalks Doc is actually turned against him as the villain, the Green Bell, convinces authorities that Doc is the murderer. Doc must stay undercover for most of the story and the Fabulous Five get to do a bit of the heavy lifting in the plot. This book also marks the first appearance of the Hidalgo Trading Company, Doc's warehouse hanger on the Hudson River. From now on, many adventures will begin there. Doc has yet another woman fall for him, the sixth so far, I think. While that subplot is getting old, this story was a gem!

[Andrew Salmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a bit of an odd Doc but it was great to see him and the crew go against a great costumed villain. The Green Bell has a strange way of doing business and even though I was fairly certain as to the identity of the villain (it's always someone actively involved with Doc and the gang), I still wasn't completely certain until the very last page. Lots of great action sequences here. And the Bell really puts Doc and the others through their paces. A great read.

[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.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. I love Doc Savage, but they are terribly formulaic. That being said, this one was a bit of a cut above some that I've read. This one had a pretty good villain, even if he did go down a bit quickly for my taste. Still, not bad.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, fast-paced entry in the series. Doc and his helpers travel to a town in Pennsylvania that is being terrorized by a robed, hooded villain and his accomplices, and also has to fend off a murder charge against himself.

[Captain Basil · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Doc Savage adventure from November of 1933 was a fun read and a little different for a Doc Savage Adventure. The story takes place in a small American Town, rather than some exotic locale. If you are a fan or even a newcomer to Doc and the gang, you will enjoy yourself.

[Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very typical Doc adventure ( by which I mean fun and action packed) with a cool bad guy.
I like the visual of the 'Green Bell'

[Mark Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this is the type of Doc story that I'm used to. Very fun.

[Dale Rosso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always enjoy the Doc Savage books, good simple read.

[Glenn Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book.....

[Ronald · Rating 5 out of 5]

read SOMETIME in 2011

[Keith B · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 for nostalgia. Good story with more of a detective element. Resolves abruptly.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good Doc adventure that I read back in the 70s.

[Michael Sigler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easily the best of the Doc Savage series up to this point. Almost redeems the terrible books before it... almost.

[Harold Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy reading these books. So much adventure and you have to understand the time period. He is so smart that he almost created everything. Then there is his crew of great guys that follow him and assist in a lot of these endeavors. Modern Sherlock Holmes. Good times.

[John Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very 1933. Not an insult. Feels like a lot of the theatrical mysteries and comedies of the era. Needed Ham, though. One of the early ones that makes it clear Doc doesn't kill people. This wasn't true of the first few books.

[user · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best I've read in the series until now. More than a few surprising turns of events. Kept me guessing at the villain's identity.

[Duane Olds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad, not bad at all. But all through it I couldn't help but feel like this was The Beverly Hillbillies meet Doc Savage in Mayberry, now THERE'S a crossover you didn't know you needed. That cover alone makes the bad guys look like they are undercover workers for western bell, or Taco Bell superheroes. Also, I was dissapointed that I read that whole book and there was not one dude named Cesar but a lot of people overtaken by fear so the title was only half true.

It did however have these literary gems:
"Our Special To-day--Roast Beef Plate Lunch, Twenty-five Cents." (OUTRAGEOUS!! I won't pay! Do you have a payment installment plan?)

"And moreover he's studied until he knows just about everything worth knowing from electricity and astronomy to how to bake a decent batch of biscuits." (Our fresh biscuits are made by scratch early every morning in house by Doc Savage, who knows everything about electricity and astronomy)

“I have already put a plan in operation which will keep Savage so busy that he will have no time to stick a finger in our pie.” (Is that slang for something dirty? I bet it is..)

'The slugs doubled him up, spun him around and around, knocking him out of shape.' (*singing* It spun him around, around baby, around round, like a record baby right round round round...)

'Doc exposed himself briefly.' (Holy crap! EVERYTHING on him really IS made of bronze!)

'Few jungle anthropoids could have done better.' (Do you mean Monk?)

“Damn you! Damn them eyes!” He squirmed madly' (*singing* All the boys think he's a spy, he's got, Doc Savage eyes!)

“A jigger which wiggles when there’s an earthquake!” some one muttered' (You mean my belly? Is that a fat joke? I bet that's a fat joke)

And don't let us forget the (Insert your own joke here) phrase of the adventure:
'Ham and Monk were always riding each other.'

Because i had nothing else better to do on a friday night, this adventures superamalgamated count was zero again, but the 'Holy Cow' count was 3 so...that's better than nothing I guess.

Oh well, on to the next one....

[Glenn Hopp · Rating 2 out of 5]

Writer Lester Dent was a hack (though at the pace of a novel a month, a really overworked one; his working life was one NaNoWriMo after another), and his Doc Savage novels are at times laughable (even to an 8th-grade reader, as I was long ago). Rereading this one originally published in pulp in 1933 for nostalgia, I was surprised at how fully the Depression gets into the story, how the character of Ole Slater seems like a young Clifford Odets gathering copy for an agitprop play, and how sweet and seditious Aunt Nora, as Will Murray has pointed out, seems based on Mother Jones. There is the usual silliness (Doc goes from beating up villains one second to acting bashful around girls the next), but the slice of life element provides the greatest interest. (My friend Larry Davis and I thought Doc’s unconscious trilling sound was stupid even in junior high.)

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doc Savage as superhero with villians and secret societies. Very much in vein of the first novel, Man of Bronze.

[Ronald · Rating 5 out of 5]

possibly read in spring 1968