Lester Dent

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Lester Bernard Dent (born October 12, 1904 in La Plata , Missouri in Macon County ; † March 11, 1959 ibid) was an American author of mystery , adventure and western stories , some of which also contained science fiction elements. He also became known in Germany through his Doc Savage series, which was also published in German in the early 1970s , but was originally published in the 1930s / 40s as Pulp Magazine under the publisher's pseudonym Kenneth Robeson .

Origin and education

Dent's parents were the farmer Bernard Dent and Alice, nee. Norfolk, who had been a teacher before she got married. Although the parents lived on a ranch near Pumpkin Buttes, Wyoming , Lester Dent was born in La Plata, where his mother received family support. Dent grew up on the ranch without a large circle of friends due to the remoteness of the place. It was not until 1919 that the family moved to La Plata, where he was able to complete his schooling.

In 1923, Dent joined the Chillicothe Business College in Chillicothe to become a banker . When he realized that there were better earning opportunities as a telegraph operator , he took appropriate courses. In 1924 he became a telegraph operator at the Western Union in Carrollton . In 1925 he moved to Ponca City , Oklahoma , where he worked for the Empire Oil and Gas Company . Here he met his future wife Norma Gerling (born July 13, 1901). The couple married on August 9, 1925.

Writing career

In 1926, the couple moved to Chickasha , Oklahoma, where Dent worked as a telegraph operator for the Associated Press . Inspired by the example of a work colleague, he began to write trivial literature for pulp magazines, for which he mainly used the night shifts when there was little work. The first story sold was the adventure story Pirate Cay , which appeared in Top Notch magazine in September 1929 .

Due to an offer from Dell Publishing , the Dents moved to New York in early 1931 . Here Dent self-taught himself the writing techniques for the pulps and learned to work quickly and effectively. In 1932 he accepted an offer from Henry Ralston of Street and Smith Publications for a new adventure series, Doc Savage . The first issue of the magazine appeared in February 1933. After only six months, Doc was one of the ten most successful magazines placed on the pulp market.

In 1940 the couple moved back to La Plata while Dent continued to write for Doc Savage magazine. After Doc was hired , Dent wrote for other magazines, the last story published during his lifetime was the western short story Savage Challenge , which appeared in the Saturday Evening Post on February 22, 1958 .

Dent suffered a heart attack in February 1959 and died of the consequences on March 11th. He is buried in the La Plata cemetery.

Private life

Dent was extremely interested in technical innovations, especially in the field of electrical engineering . He had a pilot's license and the schooner Albatross , on which he and his wife made long voyages on the North American coast and in the Caribbean . These experiences flowed into his writing activities. Dent was also a member of the Explorers Club .

literature

  • Philip José Farmer : Doc Savage: His Apocalyptic Life , New York (Bantam Books) 1975.
  • M. Martin McCarey-Laird: Lester Dent: The Man, His Craft, and His Market , West Des Moines, Iowa (Hidalgo Publishing Company) 1994. ISBN 0-9641004-9-5
  • Marilyn Cannaday: Bigger than Life: The Creator of Doc Savage , Bowling Green, Ohio (Bowling Green University Popular Press) 1990. ISBN 0-87972-471-4

Web links
personal data
SURNAME Dent, Lester
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Dent, Lester Bernard (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American writer
DATE OF BIRTH October 12, 1904
PLACE OF BIRTH La Plata , Missouri
DATE OF DEATH March 11, 1959
Place of death La Plata , Missouri