2022 has seen the release of two Doc Talos re-imaginings of classic pulps, Wolves (based on Brand of the Werewolf), and Fear (based on Fear Cay). Now available at a pre-release price is a pastiche novel based on one of the most iconic pulp tales of all time: Fortress.
In the year 1938, a small group of purged Russian scientists are expelled from a Siberian gulag, then transported to the arctic Greenland coast and abandoned. Led by the charismatic outlaw Sergei Illumus, they discover a mysterious domed installation, which proves to be a place of both wonders and terrors.
It is the arctic retreat of Dr. James Talos, the man known to most as “Doc”. Inside the sanctuary are weapons of horrific destruction, as well as books, notes and films that provide a deep and nuanced look into the psyche and heart of one of the Twentieth Century’s most enigmatic figures.
Illumus must decide if the man, whose drives, ambitions and demons are an uncanny mirror of his own, should become an ally or an opponent…to be embraced or killed.
The novel’s roots, of course, are in the pulp classic Fortress of Solitude. But this is far from the story of the 1938 Doc Savage Magazine. An ambitious melding of psychology, philosophy and human drama, it goes deep into labyrinths of the mind the surface of which was barely scratched in the original tale of Doc Savage and John Sunlight. It was a time in history when the world was edging closer and closer to catastrophe, and against that backdrop the two men are driven, each in their own way, to both safeguard and revolutionize society.
Who is a hero, and who a villain? After reading Fortress, you will find your own concepts about bravery, dedication and determination powerfully challenged.
Fortress will release on December 31, and after New Year’s Day will retail for $30 plus shipping. If you pre-order before release day, your cost will only be $20 plus $5 US shipping (international shipping will be calculated for you if you reside outside of the United States). You can place your order by sending an email to taloschronicle@gmail.com. A PDF download of the book will also be available for $10.
Fortress, presented by Gromagon Press in partnership with Tetragrammatron Press, is a 6 x 9 paperback, 122 pages, by R. Paul Sardanas, with 75 stunning full color painted illustrations by Iason Ragnar Bellerophon. The book has mature content, and is for adults only.
Journey to the edge of the world, and experience fear and hope as you never have before.
Doc Talos 