From 1933–37 pulpsmith extraordinaire Frederick C. Davis chronicled the adventures of the classic pulp hero the Moon Man in the pages of Ten Detective Aces. One of the most unique and compelling characters in the history of the genre, the Moon Man was the Robin Hood of the pulps: He stole from those who profited from the misery of the Depression to help those in need, to balance the scales of justice.
And justice was close to the Moon Man’s heart. For the Moon Man was actually police detective Stephen Thatcher—a dedicated law officer all too familiar with the cracks in the system criminals used to avoid retribution. Donning a black robe and a globe of Argus glass, Thatcher became the Moon Man, a thief who stole from criminals the law could not touch.
Now the Moon Man is hunted by his best friend and partner, reviled by his father and fiancé who all want to see the masked thief pay the ultimate price for his crimes. Stephen Thatcher must walk the razor’s edge of his double life where, every minute, the threat of exposure could shatter his fragile world.
For the first time in decades all 38 of the Moon Man’s exploits have been collected by Altus Press in a seven-volume set. And it includes an all-new introduction by Moon Man expert Andrew Salmon.
- Preview to Murder: The unwinking crystal eye of a camera caught Sue McEwen helping the notorious Moon Man. Then the Moon Man soon found that he must be a slave to the ruthless demands of a public-enemy gang, or his sweetheart would be sent to the chair.
- Ghoul’s Carnival: The notorious Moon Man, enigma of enigmas, was faced with the dishonor of deserting the staunchest friend he had—and with losing his sweetheart in a slough of disgrace, from which he could never rescue her. He had no way out—unless he turned corpse-master to make the dead cheat the living.
- Skeleton’s Snare: Death stilled the lips of a blackmail victim who was about to rip open a city-wide money scandal. But before that man died he named the notorious Moon Man as his murderer. Yet, even the Moon Man’s deadliest enemy had never accused him of cowardly extortion.
- Murder for a Pastime: Kidnapers snatched Sue McEwen and held her for a hundred-grand ransom to be paid by the notorious Moon Man. For even the underworld did not believe he was a true Robin Hood whose every haul went to the poor and oppressed. And the nearly penniless Moon Man did not know how to double-cross both the law and the lawless to save the girl he loved.
- Blackjack Jury: Detective Sergeant Steve Thatcher, alias the Moon Man, was sure that his number was up. For his own father, the chief of police, would suffer ignominious discharge from his life-treasured post unless he brought in the Moon Man.
The Complete Adventures of the Moon Man, Volume 7: 1936-37 by Frederick C. Davis contains the following stories:
- “Preview to Murder”
- “Ghoul’s Carnival”
- “Skeleton’s Snare”
- “Murder for a Pastime”
- “Blackjack Jury”
