Pre-dating the great comic book villains, Paul Ernst's Doctor Satan stalked through the pages of Weird Tales in 1935 and 1936, bent on world domination and bizarre evil deeds for his own amusement. Opposing him with his own blend of science and sorcery is criminologist Ascott Keane. For the first time since their original publication—from Doctor Satan's first appearance to his last bow in the pages of "the unique magazine"—at long last, all of Doctor Satan's appearances are collected in one handsome volume in chronological order. All the stories have been carefully edited and re-typeset, and this edition features a new introduction by author/editor John Pelan.

The complete eight story arc as first published in Weird Tales pulp magazine featuring Ascott Keane, wealthy playboy/criminologist fighting the diabolical and masked Doctor Satan.

The eight Doctor Satan stories by Paul Ernst appeared in Weird Tales in 1935 and 1936. Doctor Satan, an enormously wealthy man, tired of all the thrills that money can buy, turned to crime and became a cold-blooded monster. He employs both scientific and occult knowledge to commit fiendish and sinister acts of evil, and spectacularly gruesome murders. Ascott Keane, strangest of detectives, with an equal knowledge of science and the occult, battles against the diabolical Doctor Satan to save society. Doctor Satan (1935) – The world’s weirdest criminal and strangest detective come face to face—a thrilling, fascinating and utterly different mystery story 1 - The Death Shrub 2 - Ascott Keane 3 - Doctor Satan 4 - Satan’s Trap 5 - The Two Titans The Man Who Chained the Lightning (1935) – Another amazing tale of Doctor Satan, the world’s weirdest criminal, whose startling exploits will hold you spellbound 1 - Death on the Wall 2 - Beneath the Metropolis 3 - The Red Trail 4 - The Fifth Victim 5 - Chained Lightning Hollywood Horror (1935) – Doctor Satan, the world’s weirdest criminal, spreads terror in Hollywood in a powerful thrill-tale of blind, unreasoning fear and panic terror 1 - Death in Life 2 - Satan’s Decree 3 - The Heart of the Web 4 - Black Box of Death The Consuming Flame (1935) – A violet flash, then the speeding car and its inhabitants vanished from sight leaving only a charred spot on the concrete of the highway. Another amazing tale of Doctor Satan, the world’s weirdest criminal. 1 - The Night Explodes 2 - The Death Engine 3 - Satan Schemes 4 - The Voice of Satan 5 - Living Death 6 - Two Metal Cubes Horror Insured (1936) – Another amazing story about the exploits of the sinister figure who calls himself Doctor Satan, the world’s weirdest criminal—a tale of breathtaking incidents and eery power 1 - In Satan’s Crucible 2 - Lucifex Insurance Co. 3 - Stroke and Counterstroke 4 - The Screaming Three Beyond Death’s Gateway (1936) – Doctor Satan and Ascott Keane battle to the death— in the Afterlife! A four chapter novelette. The Devil’s Double (1936) – A powerful, blood-chilling thrill-tale about the Blue Death and the world’s weirdest criminal, who called himself Doctor Satan 1 - The Mad Dancer 2 - Satan’s Threat 3 - Road to Hell 4 - Hell’s Anteroom 5 - The Scarlet Twain Mask of Death (1936) – A weird and uncanny tale about a strange criminal who called himself Doctor Satan, and the terrible doom with which he struck down his enemies 1 - The Dread Paralysis 2 - The Living Dead 3 - The Stopped Watch 4 - The Shell 5 - Death’s Lovely Mask The Diabolical Doctor Satan has 10 illustrations.

In March 1944, as the Nazis occupied Paris, the French Police and Fire Brigade were called to investigate a vile-smelling black smoke that had been pouring from the chimney of 21 Rue La Sueur for days. Inside the house, they were confronted with a scene from a nightmare. The thick black smoke was rising from a series of wood-burning stoves throughout the property that were stocked with human remains. In the basement, they discovered a furnace with larger body parts and a pit filled with quicklime and decay. There were suitcases full of the deceased's belongings, and in the other rooms, they came upon something like a factory line of bodies. This was not mere murder - it was methodical processing of corpses. The homeowner was Dr. Marcel Petiot, an admired and charismatic physician. When questioned, Dr. Petiot claimed that he was a part of the Resistance and the bodies they discovered belonged to Nazi collaborators that he killed for the cause. The French Police, resentful of Nazi occupation and confused by a rational alternative, allowed him to leave. Was the respected Doctor a clandestine hero fighting for national liberty or a deviant using dire domestic circumstances to his advantage? One thing is for certain, the Police and the Nazis both wanted to get their hands on Dr. Marcel Petiot to find out the truth. Doctor Satan is a chilling account of Dr. Marcel Petiot and one of the most disturbing true crime stories in French history. Ryan Green's riveting narrative draws the reader into the real-live horror experienced by the victims and has all the elements of a classic thriller. CAUTION: This book contains descriptive accounts of torture, abuse and violence. If you are especially sensitive to this material, it might be advisable not to read any further

Alas, poor Satan. He's not happy. No one seems to like or understand him; people have got him all wrong. And his relationship with God is a hostile one. Unloved and misunderstood, he's come back to Earth in search of a psychotherapist; he's prepared- if cured- to deliver the all-important Great Answer. In Jeremy Leven's wildly original comic novel, we follow the Prince of Darkness through his seven amazing therapy sessions. And we watch him grow increasingly well adjusted while his therapist, the unfortunate Dr. Kassler, descends deeper and deeper into hell.

Destination Moon; George Pal's 1950 Technicolor epic, is generally cited as the first noteworthy science fiction film. Usually ignored or casually dismissed in genre histories are the serials, the low-budget chapterplays exhibited as Saturday matinee fare and targeted almost exclusively at children. Lacking stars and top-notch writers or directors, the serials went largely unnoticed and unacknowledged by either critics or by the film industry. Yet serials were financially important to the Hollywood studios, and were often free to exploit risky or outlandish subjects that producers of "distinguished" movies would not touch. Influential serials such as The Phantom Empire (1935) and Flash Gordon (1936) finally brought science fiction themes to the big screen. Those serials and 29 others are exhaustively covered in this work, which provides complete cast and credit information along with plot descriptions and historical commentary for each serial. Video distributors (if available) are also listed.

From their heyday in the 1910s to their lingering demise in the 1950s, American film serials delivered excitement in weekly installments for millions of moviegoers, despite minuscule budgets, nearly impossible shooting schedules and the disdain of critics. Early heroines like Pearl White, Helen Holmes and Ruth Roland broke gender barriers and ruled the screen. Through both world wars, such serials as Spy Smasher and Batman were vehicles for propaganda. Smash hits like Flash Gordon and The Lone Ranger demonstrated the enduring mass appeal of the genre. Providing insight into early 20th century American culture, this book analyzes four decades of productions from Pathe, Universal, Mascot and Columbia, and all 66 Republic serials.