Poison Island: A Doc Savage Adventure (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. A 1930s Pulp Adventure of Scientific Heroism, Sinister Villains, and a Perilous Mysterious IslandBy Lester Bernard Dent
Length5h 5m
About this audiobook
Poison Island: A Doc Savage Adventure exemplifies the exuberant synthesis of science fiction, detective mystery, and high adventure that defined the Doc Savage pulp series. The narrative sends the super-scientist Clark Savage Jr. and his extraordinary associates into a perilous conspiracy involving a deadly island, scientific menace, and the fate of civilization. Its rapid plotting, spectacular reversals, technical inventions, and vividly heightened confrontations reflect the imaginative excesses of American magazine fiction in the late 1930s. Beneath its sensational surface, the novel also dramatizes faith in rational inquiry, disciplined cooperation, and scientific expertise as safeguards against criminal abuse and social catastrophe. The book was written by Lester Bernard Dent under the house pseudonym Kenneth Robeson. Dent, a prolific pulp author and former newspaperman, possessed a formidable instinct for narrative propulsion: he organized scenes around escalating danger, compressed exposition into action, and made specialized knowledge accessible through dramatic spectacle. His work emerged during a period fascinated by aviation, radio, engineering, exploration, and the promises—and anxieties—of modern science. These cultural currents helped shape Doc Savage's idealized heroism and the series' distinctive blend of technological wonder and moral certainty. Readers interested in the history of popular fiction, the development of the modern superhero, or the literary imagination of interwar America will find Poison Island especially rewarding. It is best approached not as realistic science fiction but as expertly engineered pulp romance: fast, inventive, ethically clear, and unapologetically grand. The novel offers both an entertaining adventure and a revealing document of how American popular culture imagined intelligence, technology, and collective courage.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 3.9 (154)
Includes Goodreads, LibraryThing, Amazon
GenreAction and Adventure, General Fiction
Length5 hrs 5 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateAug 16, 2022
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Poison Island: A Doc Savage Adventure (Annotated)
2Introduction
3Synopsis
4Historical Context
5Chapter 1 THE HINDU SAID
Mostrar todos os capítulosVer menos
6Chapter 2 THE EYE ON THE MAST
7Chapter 3 INTERRUPTED RADIO
8Chapter 4 SOMETHING TO WONDER ABOUT
9Chapter 5 DEATH AT SEA
10Chapter 6 THE WATCHERS
11Chapter 7 SIX ARGUMENTS
12Chapter 8 THE DECEIVERS
13Chapter 9 THE WATCHMEN
14Chapter 10 THE KARL MAXIMUS
15Chapter 11 FIVE KICKING MULES
16Chapter 12 THE NO-TALK MEDICINE
17Chapter 13 EUROPE’S ANGRY MAN
18Chapter 14 PARACHUTES
19Chapter 15 IS A GIRL BAD?
20Chapter 16 A MYSTERY CREEPING
21Chapter 17 STRANGE ISLAND
22Chapter 18 THE COVE OF WRECKS
23Chapter 19 MUTINY
24Chapter 20 DEATH RAN AND YELLED
25Chapter 21 THE NABOB OF POISON ISLAND
26Chapter 22 THE BOW-AND-ARROW ROUTE
27Analysis
28Reflection
29Memorable Quotes
The Giggling Ghosts: A Doc Savage AdventureLester Bernard Dent4h 58m3.7 (108)$2 · $0.00
Resurrection Day: A Doc Savage AdventureLester Bernard Dent4h 50m4.1 (176)$2 · $0.00
Quest of the Spider: A Doc Savage AdventureLester Bernard Dent6h 45m3.8 (525)$1 · $0.00
The Flaming Falcons: A Doc Savage AdventureLester Bernard Dent4h 23m3.7 (113)$2 · $0.00
The Men Vanished: A Doc Savage AdventureLester Bernard Dent4h 37m3.9 (148)$2 · $0.00
The Secret in the Sky: A Doc Savage AdventureLester Bernard Dent5h 16m3.7 (193)$2 · $0.00
The Motion MenaceLester Bernard Dent4h 45m4.0 (233)$2 · $0.00
The Laugh of Death: A Doc Savage AdventureLester Bernard Dent4h 30m4.0 (47)$2 · $0.00
The Mental Wizard: A Doc Savage AdventureLester Bernard Dent5h 49m3.9 (140)$2 · $0.00
Pirate of the Pacific: A Doc Savage AdventureLester Bernard Dent6h 9m3.8 (374)$2 · $0.00
Brand of the Werewolf: A Doc Savage AdventureLester Bernard Dent7h 12m3.8 (677)$1 · $0.00
Devil on the Moon: A Doc Savage AdventureLester Bernard Dent4h 33m3.8 (176)$2 · $0.00
The Other World: A Doc Savage AdventureLester Bernard Dent5h 7m3.7 (146)$2 · $0.00
The Squeaking Goblin: A Doc Savage AdventureLester Bernard Dent6h 9m3.9 (254)$2 · $0.00
Red Snow: A Doc Savage AdventureLester Bernard Dent7h 1m3.8 (167)$1 · $0.00
The Man of Bronze: A Doc Savage AdventureLester Bernard Dent6h 50m3.9 (3.6K)$2 · $0.00
The Terror in the Navy: A Doc Savage AdventureLester Bernard Dent5h 27m3.9 (179)$2 · $0.00
The Mystery on the Snow: A Doc Savage AdventureLester Bernard Dent6h 50m3.6 (140)$1 · $0.00
The Flaming Falcons: A Doc Savage AdventureLester Bernard Dent4h 22m3.7 (109)$2 · $0.00
ShivajiRanjit Desai25h 13m4.6 (3.1K)$24 · $0.00
The Road to Gundagai (The Matilda Saga, #3)Jackie French12h 31m4.6 (1.2K)$33 · $0.00
TimelessR. A. Salvatore12h 30m4.5 (8K)$33 · $0.00
An Inside JobDaniel Silva9h 28m4.4 (26.3K)$29 · $0.00
The CommodoreP. T. Deutermann11h 53m4.5 (2.4K)$20 · $0.00
A Closed and Common OrbitBecky Chambers11h 30m4.4 (140.7K)$29 · $0.00
Thud!Terry Pratchett10h 31m4.4 (112.6K)$8 · $0.00
All Quiet on the Western Front (Annotated)Erich Maria Remarque8h 34m4.4 (12.9K)$1.99 · $0.00
Crime and punishmentFyodor Dostoevsky22h 34m4.4 (1.3M)$3 · $0.00
Exit FeeBrad Taylor3h 16m4.5 (1.9K)$18 · $0.00
The Alice NetworkKate Quinn15h 7m4.4 (887.1K)$33 · $0.00
The Ohio River Trilogy: Betty Zane, The Spirit of the Border & The Last TrailZane Grey29h 8m4.4 (1.8K)$1 · $0.00
A Darkness ReturnsRaymond E. Feist19h 29m4.4 (1.9K)$40 · $0.00
THE VALLEY OF SILENT MEN (Annotated)James Oliver Curwood8h 25m4.5 (420)$2 · $0.00
West of the TularosaLouis L’Amour5h 53m4.4 (3.6K)$20 · $0.00
The Emperor's FistJay Allan8h 37m4.5 (272)$26 · $0.00
The Amazing Interlude (Annotated)Mary Roberts Rinehart8h 42m4.5 (365)$1.99 · $0.00
Hornblower and the Hotspur (Annotated)C. S. Forester14h 7m4.4 (17.3K)$2 · $0.00
Shades of WickedJeaniene Frost8h 51m4.4 (19.5K)$29 · $0.00
The Log of a Cowboy (Annotated)Andy Adams9h 47m4.4 (1.1K)$2 · $0.00
WhistlerAnn Patchett10h 45m4.6 (4.6K)$29 · $0.00
Demon CopperheadBarbara Kingsolver21h 3m4.5 (949.4K)$46 · $0.00
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee12h 18m4.5 (7.4M)$29 · $0.00
Remarkably Bright CreaturesShelby Van Pelt11h 17m4.4 (1.7M)$29 · $0.00
White HotIlona Andrews13h 18m4.5 (136.9K)$5 · $0.00
The Ghost by the Billabong (The Matilda Saga, #5)Jackie French14h 58m4.6 (773)$33 · $0.00
Cast in BloodMichelle Sagara16h 35m4.6 (607)$33 · $0.00
The Captain Blood Trilogy (Annotated)Rafael Sabatini29h 20m4.6 (1K)$3 · $0.00
Ship of the Line (Annotated)Cecil Louis Troughton Smith11h 13m4.6 (1K)$2 · $0.00
The George Orwell CollectionGeorge Orwell24h 46m4.5 (14.4K)$10 · $0.00
ShivajiRanjit Desai25h 13m4.6 (3.1K)$24 · $0.00
Time RegainedMarcel Proust15h 38m4.5 (9.2K)$2 · $0.00
Driving ForceElle James4h 58m4.6 (407)$20 · $0.00
When God Calls the HeartBrian Bird, Michelle Cox3h 24m4.6 (439)$10 · $0.00
Five Little IndiansMichelle Good10h 34m4.5 (64.5K)$29 · $0.00
Lolth's WarriorR. A. Salvatore13h 20m4.6 (2.4K)$33 · $0.00
The Things We Cannot SayKelly Rimmer13h 48m4.5 (359.1K)$33 · $0.00
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du BoisHonoree Fanonne Jeffers29h 49m4.5 (58K)$8 · $0.00
Going PostalTerry Pratchett11h 23m4.5 (189.9K)$29 · $0.00
Glen AffricKarine Giebel22h 51m4.5 (3.2K)$46 · $0.00
You may also like
Dr. NoIan Fleming8h 27m3.9 (36.7K)$26 · $0.00
The Hand of Fu-ManchuSax Rohmer7h 22m3.6 (1.1K)$17 · $0.00
The 39 StepsJohn Buchan3h 54m3.8 (66K)$11 · $0.00
Dr. NoIan Fleming9h 37m3.9 (35.3K)$2 · $0.00
The Elusive PimpernelBaroness Orczy9h 39m4.1 (3.5K)$2 · $0.00
The Thirty-Nine StepsJohn Buchan4h 29m3.9 (89.5K)$34 · $0.00
The Castle of AdventureEnid Blyton7h 56m4.2 (7.8K)$1 · $0.00
The Salzburg ConnectionHelen MacInnes16h 25m4.1 (5.2K)$25 · $0.00
The Riddle of the Sands (Spy Thriller)Erskine Childers12h 46m3.8 (13.8K)$0.99 · $0.00
The Return of Fu-ManchuSax Rohmer8h3.7 (1.2K)$17 · $0.00
The Secret of Spiggy Holes (Children's Book Classic)Enid Blyton6h 8m4.1 (2.2K)$0.99 · $0.00
The Secret AdversaryAgatha Christie8h 6m3.9 (104.6K)$17 · $0.00
The Insidious Dr. Fu-ManchuSax Rohmer7h 50m3.8 (6.2K)$17 · $0.00
THE RUSTLERS OF PECOS COUNTYZane Grey8h 46m4.0 (1.4K)$1 · $0.00
The Riddle of the Sands (Annotated)Erskine Childers12h 59m4.0 (23.9K)$1.99 · $0.00
Trailing WestLouis L’Amour4h 24m4.1 (1.4K)$15
Biggles in the BlueW. E. Johns4h 44m4.0 (367)$1.99 · $0.00
THE BADDEST VILLAINS - James Bond EditionIan Fleming43h 24m$0.99 · $0.00
Max Pemberton - Premium Edition: 50+ Murder Mysteries & Adventure BooksMax Pemberton124h 5m$0.99 · $0.00
The Moving Picture Boys at Panama, or, Stirring Adventures Along the Great CanalVictor Appleton4h 52m3.3 (14)$2.30