Doc Wilde is a Doc Savage pastiche with a bit of a difference. Or two.
Written by Tim Byrd, the first Doc Wilde novel, Doc Wilde and the Frogs of Doom, originally appeared in 2009, then was reprinted in 2013 with new cover and interior artwork as the first of a planned series of works. That sadly never appeared. Gary Chaloner did the artwork, which really elevates the whole thing. Gary is a pulp fan and done other works, including his own Doc pastiche.
In this novel, we meet the Wilde family. First up is 12-year-old Brian and his 10-year-old sister, Wren. Their father is Dr. Spartacus Wilde, and all three share the same golden-brown hair, golden tan, and eyes with golden features. All we know of their mom is that she passed away when the kids were young. There is also Grandpa Wilde (but more on him later). They live in Lyonesse, the Wilde mansion that serves as home, headquarters, and laboratories. Their vehicles are also stored there.
Joining them are Phineas Bartlett, their major domo and attorney, and Declan mac Coul, pilot and driver. These two fill the Ham/Monk dynamic. Phineas is tall and thin, with a pencil-thin moustache, while Declan is a big red-bearded bear of a man. There are no pets, however.
When Grandpa Wilde disappears on an expedition in South America, the whole family heads out to find him. Even as they leave their home, they get attacked by man-size amphibian creatures and plagued by strange frogs. Along the way, they met Grandma Pat, who has golden-brown eye and bronze hair (now streaked with white). She, with Grandpa Wilde, live on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building.
Soon they head to Hidalgo, but this is not the Central America nation from the Doc Savage stories, but a small nation in the Andes. But it’s clear they have stumbled on something much more dangerous, dealing with dark matter and a weird amphibian threat. These have an immediate affect on one of them, but if not stopped, will not only destroy the world but our whole universe!
When we met Grandpa Wilde, we learn he is Clark Wilde Jr., and is 99 though he looks 60. Yup, Grandpa Wilde is a Doc pastiche, making Doc Wilde the son of a Doc pastiche. In addition to showing a son of Doc, this story is a kid-friendly story.
At the end of the story, we are promised the next adventure, Doc Wilde and the Mad Skull. Sadly this, and three more stories never appeared. I’m not sure why. This is a good story, and I wish the others had appeared. Maybe someday. Until then, enjoy this work.
