Where the Good Guys Aren't All That Great

Dr. Quake by Warren Murphy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

On my continued survey of 20th century pulp fiction--I take on The Destroyer #5: Dr. Quake.

It's not that great.

Like other pulp fiction, it reads quick, and plenty happens, especially at the end. The language is often sexist and somewhat racist and homophobic--though most of that seems to be in character, coming out of the mouths of gangsters and redneck sheriffs and the like. But some of that is definitely the author, writing intentionally for the perceived audience. (Some of it is the equivalent of "the woman boobily boobied down the stairs.") So that part is interesting and awkward, in roughly equal parts.

Silly plot, of course. Somebody has a machine that can trigger earthquakes and is using it to shake down businesspeople in one particular town, for a few thousand dollars monthly. The machine is ridiculous. But it's just a plot point to get Remo Williams out there, facing the bad guys. Well, bad girls. Women's libbers. Very 70s.

My biggest complaint with the book is that we mostly follow the villains and patsies. I don't really want to spend so much time in the company of unlikable, unpleasant people. We only get a little of the main character until near the end, when he finally gets to show what he's capable of.

And I don't like Remo Williams. At least, not the version in this book. I wonder if he gets better. He is callous and shallow and frivolous. Kinda stupid. Not too amusing. (Though I think I'm supposed to laugh at him for being a goof instead of being annoyed at him for it.) I've got a couple more books on the shelf, so we'll see if I warm up to him.

I've always connected The Destroyer (Remo Williams) and The Executioner (Mack Bolan) in my mind since seeing the books more or less together, both series being read by older relatives when I was a kid back in the 70s. And they have some things in common, enough to explain the crossover appeal. However, so far, I much prefer Mack Bolan. He also has some bad qualities, but he appears to be a more palatable hero. IMO. However, until I've read a few more of this series, it's not a very informed opinion. We'll see.

If I were giving half-point scores, this is more of a 2.5 than a 3--I didn't DNF, but it was on the bubble, and it wasn't great.

It definitely has a macho 70s ethos, and based on that I wouldn't care to recommend this to most readers. Most of them would probably hate it. (That doesn't make it a bad book, in my mind. There should be a wide range of books for a wide range of readers.) If you do find you do like a book in the series, look for dozens like it on the rickety turnstile in the back corner of your local book store. :)

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