After nearly three years we got the latest volume in Dave Robinson‘s Doc Vandal series. Volume 6, The Ziggurat of Doom became available on Amazon recently.
Doc Vandal is clearly influenced by Doc Savage, but has other influences as he was raised on the Moon (shades of Captain Future) by alien AIs and gifted with an improved body, along with knowledge of a long-ended alien civilization (shades of Perry Rhodan). Doc Vandal exists in a different world where aliens exist along with other strange things, and the level of tech in some areas, like airships and robots, is higher.
He has a small group of associates that over the novels slowly increases, thus I recommend folks read this series from the beginning. You can obtain the novels singly or in omnibus volumes with three novels each. There are two omnis so far.
Originally, he was aided by Vic, Gus, and Gilly. Vic is an ex-pat Russian countess, pilot, and thrill-seeker who is like a sister to Doc. Gus is a talking gorilla from a lost city in Africa and a genius. Gully is the group’s driver, as well as a diver and photographer, and is black. Over the next few books they are joined by Gus’ gorilla wife, Kehla; Vic’s girlfriend, Li Ming (who is also a doctor); and Shard, an alien from another dimension (who is more an associate than a member of the team, but gets involved in the action sometimes).
Others who are around, but don’t get involved in the main action, are Vic and Ming’s mothers, who share an apartment in New York. We get a couple of pages in this book that gives a good rundown of these characters.
This one is set toward the end of 1937. Vic is invited to the British Consular party in New York, where most of the rest of the group also attends. It seems the British consul plans to use it to solicit Doc Vandal’s aid in Iraq. Something strange is going on: an invisible shield has appeared around the city of Ur, and two British battle airships are destroyed, with a third is able to avoid it and report.
But as they are talking, the party is attacked by men in strange powered armor suits. The team makes short work of the group, but the German consul wearing one grabs important papers and escapes. So do the Nazis have some involvement in what is going on?
After that, Doc along with Vic, Gus, Kehla, and Ming head out in one of Doc’s airships, meeting up with a British air platform and another airship. But as they prepare, they are attacked by a group of strange flying vehicles that seem to be manned by 8-foot armored giants with strange weapons. Doc, Gus, and Kehla are captured, while Vic and Ming follow in a British plane.
Taken to Ur, Gus and Kehla are “sacrificed,” leading to them exploring the underground areas of the temple. Doc, however, is taken as a pet by the leader of the strange giants. We learn they are an alien race that inspired Sumerian legends, and who apparently created the human race by altering apes, with the purpose of making them slaves or servants. But as they have been in hibernation, they didn’t realize their new servants have developed and spread across the world. And it was the Nazis who had awoken them, whom each think are using the others.
While this is going on, Vic and Ming crash in the swamps nearby and are able to sneak in with a group of women workers.
We learn more about the race and why they are here, and that there is a conflict rising. Their leader, who is called a “goddess,” is working to return to their world, which is in our solar system but is actually in “hyperspace,” and restore it. But some, led by her main priest would prefer to remain on Earth and rule over man, as if they return, they will be just ordinary citizens. What will be the outcome of this conflict?
While it’s been a while since I last read a Doc Vandal story, this one addresses one of my main issues with the prior stories of not fully using Doc and his abilities. Too often in several of the past stories, things seem more centered around Vic. Now, as we got a story that was focused on Gus as we learned his origin and met his wife, I don’t mind when different stories focus on different characters so we can better know them. We got another story that developed Vic’s story and origin as well. But too often Vic was the center of many of the stories, and Doc’s unique abilities were never utilized, either physical and mental. In this one, they were, and they were vital for a positive conclusion for several characters. Thus this one was more satisfying for me.
As for the others, Gilly was again kind of sidetracked here, as was Shard. Hopefully, we’ll see them again. The Vic and Ming’s mothers did have a good role early on. That’s always a problem when you start having a large ensemble cast of how to best utilize them.
Now, an element I have to criticize is how the romance between Vic and Ming has been handled. It really doesn’t matter to me that they have a relationship. That’s not my issue. My issue is how their relationship is shown as it just seems so over the top as to be tiresome. We have Gus and Kehla being married and they have a great relationship without being over the top. Frankly, if Vic was in a relationship with a guy and they acted like Vic and Ming do, I won’t care for that either. It just strikes me as annoying and unrealistic.
The next volume is The Skyscraper Thief. My understanding is that it’s being worked on, but as yet we don’t know when it will come up. I wonder if what was hinted at with Shard will be revealed here? I doubt it will be the center of things, but expect it will be covered.
And I also have to wonder about WWII. The politics of the world of Doc Vandal are pretty similar to ours. But the technology is not, what with airships much different from ours, mobile suits, and the like. While I can’t see Doc and friends being involved directly in any way, same as with Doc Savage and his aides, I expect they will be involved along the fringes, so to speak. How might that look?
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