The 120th Birthday of Lester Dent

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t was 120 years ago today, on October 12 1904, that Lester Dent was born in La Plata, Missouri. For those of you who have not heard of Lester Dent, he created the pulp hero Doc Savage with magazine publisher Street and Smith's business manager Henry Ralston and editor John Nanovic. He also wrote 159 Doc Savage novels, more than any other writer. I already wrote an in-depth post about Lester Dent on the occasion of his 110th birthday, but I wanted to pay tribute to a man who may well have had more impact than any other writer. I don't write fiction often, but when I do, it sounds a lot like Mr. Dent's work.

I am not absolutely sure when I first knew who Doc Savage was, but I know it was before I turned 10 years. old. It was then that I discovered the Doc Savage novels through my now former brother-in-law, who had an extensive collection of the Batman reprints of the novels. I remember the first Doc Savage novel I ever read was Brand of the Werewolf, which featured the first appearance of Doc's cousin Patricia Savage. I was hooked and I continued reading the Doc Savage throughout my childhood and into adulthood. At first I read my brother-in-law's books, but when I got older and had something of my own income, I began buying them on my own. I was very happy when, as a kid, I learned that I lived an hour away from Lester Dent's hometown of La Plata. Anyway, I still read the Doc Savage novels to this day.

The Doc Savage novels would develop an interest in pulp magazines in general on my part. I sought out other pulp heroes, such as The Shadow (whom I knew from the radio show), The Spider, and yet others. Of course, given I was a comic book fan with an interest in the Golden Age of Comic Books, I may have been predisposed to like pulp magazines, as well as old radio shows That having been said, I do think my interest in pulp magazines helped fuel my interest in Old Time Radio. Aside from Lone Ranger radio plays my third grade teacher played for us, I have to believe The Shadow was the first radio show I ever listened to. Quite simply, I think my interest in comic books and pulp magazine helped fuel my interest in vintage media.  And, as I said earlier, when it comes to writing fiction, my style is remarkably similar to Lester Dent's style.

I then owe Lester Dent a good deal. I honestly think he may have had more impact on me than any other writer, even Ray Bradbury and Arthur Conan Doyle. I honestly have to wonder how different my life would have been had I never encountered the Doc Savage novels. I rather doubt I would be the same person.