Hidalgo Trading Company

A review of the new chronology written by Jeff Deischer

You can blame Phillip Jose Farmer for the spate of Doc Savage chronologies. Farmer proposed that the Doc Savage adventures were based on real events. He proceeded to list the adventures in chronological order. His list wasn't the last word on the subject. As other's have disagreed with his decision to mark Doc's birthdate there have been other chronologies.

The latest attempt to place the Doc novels in historical order is by a person DocSavage.Info readers recognize -- Jeff Deischer. He wrote the second Doc novel offered by the Hidalgo Trading Company -- The Stone Death. No matter his connection to this site I have to tell you I really enjoyed The Adventures of Doc Savage: A Definitive Chronology. A manuscript prepared by a Doc scholar, well-written, and thought-provoking.

In his introduction Deischer offers the cornerstone to his chronology: the LPO. The Last Possible Occurance of each adventure is "the latest date that the last day of an adventure can occur." Deischer decided that it takes at least 60 days before an magazine cover date to write and prepare a novel for publication.

This time includes the fact that the cover date of an issue is actually more than a week after the magazine appeared on the newsstands. Deischer notes that the issues were on the newsstands the third Friday of each month. Since he didn't want to find the exact date he makes an assumption the newsstand date is always the 15th of the month. I note this since I decided to list the actual release dates on DocSavage.Org and here.

Deischer's second assumption is that the novels occured in manuscript submitted order unless internal evidence disputes that order.

Deischer took the LPO and submitted order then looked at the novels to find weather data, known events, dates, days, and vegatation. With meticulous research and strong logic Deischer presents the Doc novels in "actual order of occurance." Whee Farmer simply listed the order and maybe a word or two about his reasoning Deischer offers paragraphs for each entry. The reader is offered not only clues deciding order but interesting trivia for each entry.

After I finish each novel I plan to read the pertinent entry in Deischer's book. Also, look for the Deischer Number to be added to the Submitted Number, Publication Number, and Bantam Reprint Number for each entry on DocSavage.Org .

You can email Jeff with comments at: ikonoklast61@juno.com

To order the book write:

Green Eagle Publishing
2900 Standiford Ave., 16B PBM 136
Modesto, CA 95350