I have posted previously on Joseph Lovece‘s series, the “Steam Man of the West.” This is an original series inspired by the various “boy inventor” adventure series that ran in the dime novels, the late 1800s forerunners to the pulp magazines.
Known as the “Edisonades,” these included characters like Frank Reade Jr., Jack Wright and others who built steam- and electric-powered vehicles that went on the land, sea, and air.
Lovece’s series is obviously inspired by Frank Reade Jr., as the main character is young inventor Frank Rude Jr. I had read the five books, and now we have a new ones: Juan Nadie.
In the first five works, Frank and his growing circle of associates traveled across the U.S. and over to Europe, having adventures with Frank building new inventions, including the titular Steam Man, along with the Electric Man and Thunderbolt, his airship. At the end of the fifth book, most of them got back in the airship to head back to the U.S.
But at the beginning of Juan Nadie (Spanish for “John Nobody”), Frank wakes up in an Argentinian hospital with a bandaged face and no memory of who he is. In quest to find out, he teams up with a local detective named Gato Negro. Soon they are on the trail of a murderer, getting involved with other characters like Gaucho Gil and the Science Cowboy. These are interesting characters, but I don’t know to what existent they are based on actual fictional characters of the time, or whether they are wholly the creation of the author. Along the way, Frank (who remembers his science), builds a new Steam Man.
After solving the mysteries, Frank remembers that he and his friends were blown off course and crashed in the area. And Gato Negro finds out Frank’s friends are being held by pirates, and Frank is off to rescue them in the next book. I am told it’s written, but a cover needs to be commissioned before it will be published. As Lovece was impacted by Hurricane Matthew, I don’t know how that may delay things. In the meantime, check out this series as well as his other works (all on Amazon), many of which I’ve reviewed in the past.
