The Wee Ones

Doc Savage (publication order; no omnibus) #150

by Kenneth Robeson

150 pages, Paperback

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

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of Doc Savage's Scooby-Doo type adventures (supernatural threat turns out to have crooked human behind it) but actually covering up a noir thriller plot. A freak experiment has turned a young woman into a superstrong, two-foot high dwarf, running around attacking people. Doc is skeptical ("Nothing is impossible, but many things are ridiculous."). And, of course, he's right. Not a classic in the Doc Savage series, but cleverly executed. If you're a trivia fan, know that this book establishes Doc is a terrible cook.

[Ronald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting premise about small people lurking about pulls in Doc, Ham and Monk. Typical denouement.