Dr. Art Sippo resurrects a lost hero from the German pulps. Called the "German Doc Savage" by pulp historians this highly controversial character is introduced to Western audiences in a blend of adventure, political intrigue, and intelligent fantasy. Includes Dr. Sippo's original 3 part origin saga and two never before seen adventures! A MUST READ for any pulp or Doc Savage fan.
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By Andrew Salmon
Jul 28, 2010
During the Golden Age of the pulp genre, pulp fiction tales were scandalous, edgy, provocative, bloody and violent. And yet these classics seem rather tame by today's standards and pulp seems to have a somewhat quaint, innocent flavor. Now there's nothing wrong with that. This pulp fan has been reading and enjoying pulp tales for nigh on a decade. Heck I even write the stuff! However it seems that edge has been, if not lost, then at least blunted. That's not the case with Dr. Art Sippo's Sun Koh stories. The edge is back, my fellow pulpsters and this is one book you don't want to miss. The German pulp characters are not very well known in North America today but they had their moment in the sun back in the 1930s and Sun Koh lead the way. Sippo's return to the world of Sun Koh and his aids recreates and updates that lost world and does so with flair and a fearlessness that modern pulp scribes would do well to heed. Sun Koh, as a German Doc Savage, embraces Nazi ideals although he hails... More > from long lost Atlantis. Sippo's strength with the tales compiling this novel is that he carefully weaves his way through this potential minefield of controversy. He does not sugar coat, he does not champion the twisted beliefs of the Nazis. Rather he shows Sun Koh and his aids for all there flaws as they tackle one adventure after another. The result is a book that does not offend as the author distances himself from the beliefs of his characters and adds a peculiar perspective to Sun Koh who shares he Nazi beliefs but realizes they are being applied in a horribly corrupted form which could lead to potential disaster. The final result is a great pulp read! The stories have been meticulously researched and show a great deal of inventiveness. They do not shy away from sex, violence or the combination of the two. Heir Of Atlantis is a riveting read. Updated pulp at its finest with a true grounding in the Golden Age. Don't miss it!< Less
Dedicated pulp fans are aware of the fact that the concept of hero pulps was never limited to the United States. During the 30s and 40s, pulp magazines were popular all over the world and there were hundreds of original crime fighting heroes created in England, France and Germany. One such foreign star was Sun-Koh, Heir of Atlantis written by German writer Paul Muller and clearly intended to be an Aryan version of America’s Doc Savage. Like Savage he was larger than life and throughout his hundreds of adventurers was accompanied by a group of loyal, unique individuals. Beside the similarities there were also major differences and these were what have created an on-going controversy over the character. Whereas Doc Savage was a man of science and his companions all experts in various technical fields, Sun-Koh was geared to mythology and magic. He was supposedly a time-traveler from the sunken continent of Atlantis, a member of the royal family and master of mystic abilities. And... More > although there was plenty of super science gizmos in his adventures, it was the magic that took center stage. His aides were also magicians, immortals and religious assassins. Quite an eclectic mix. Still the biggest divergent was Sun-Koh’s political philosophy. It reflects the superman philosophy of Friedrich Nietzche. Muller easily adapted it into his character, a near perfect specimen of man. Yet these stories were being written at the same time Adolf Hitler and his Socialist Democratic Party were manipulating the philosophy to suit their own claims that pure blood Aryan supremacy was destined to rule the world. Initially the pulp writer and the new German administration were raising the same platform but in the end, unable to make allowances for anything they did not consider intellectual superiority, the Nazis shut down the flamboyant pulps for being cheap entertainment. Thus ended Sun-Koh’s adventures. Today’s pulp fans have a natural disdain for the Sun-Koh tales and it is to Dr.Sippo’s credit that he chose to bring this volatile character back in this new collection. Sippo believes there were real ideological differences between Muller’s creation and Hitler’s Aryan propaganda and this is what he explores further in his own original adventures. SUN-KOH HEIR OF ATLANTIS features three previously published stories by Sippo which set up the series and introduces this marvelous cast and then there two brand new tales that continue their adventures. The transfer is seamless and I was very impressed in how Sippo captured the over-the-top plotting of classic pulp writing. There is nothing small in these adventures, from invisible super planes run on cold fusion, to super-powered armored warriors battling each other like the knights of old. There’s also a large dose of violent Tantric sex thrown in which is brutal and savage and not for the timid. This is adult fare and although not lascivious in any way, the reader should be wary that these tales are not sanitized for some PG rating. In the end, this is a truly remarkable book and one no true pulp fan should pass up. Sun-Koh remains one of pulp history’s most remarkable figures and now, thanks to Dr.Sippo and Age of Adventure, all of us are discovering him for the very first time.< Less
I'm not usually one for hyperbole, but I think this was one of the best pulp novels I've read in a long, long time. The main character is somewhat controversial in that he was the "Nazi Doc Savage" and many people are hesitant to root for such a protagonist. But Art Sippo manages to make the characters both appealing and repugnant at the same time, which is quite a feat. Sun Koh's views on the "servant races" are disturbing but it would be wrong to really dub him a Nazi -- in many ways he was using Hitler's forces to pursue his own agenda (which, again, is disturbing -- he wanted to save the world for the Aryans with everyone else serving them). the first three stories are the origin of Sun Koh but the last two are the most interesting because they're Doc Savage-style adventures and we get to see the team in the field. The rape scene with Shani in the fourth tale was one of the most disturbing things I've seen in a pulp novel. I really can't wait for the... More > continuation of Sun Koh's adventures but I do yearn to see a truly great antagonist introduced for him. In other words, Sun Koh needs his own John Sunlight character, someone worthy of combating him. Truly a great book!< Less
