DAVIS, Frederick C(lyde)

(1902-1977)

   US writer of pulp fiction, sometimes under pseudonyms. His first book was The Smiling Killer (coll c1935 chap UK). His most interesting early work was the Moon Man sequence, first published from 1933 in Ten Detective Aces; after the publication, decades later, of one tale as The Moon Man (1974 chap), the sequence began to be released in book form with The Night Nemesis: The Complete Adventures of the Moon Man, Volume One (coll 1985) ed Gary Hoppenstand and Garyn G. Roberts; however, no further volumes appeared. Under the house name Curtis STEELE, FCD was responsible for the lead novels in the magazine OPERATOR \# 5 from Apr 1934 to Nov 1935. 13 of these appeared in book form in 3 separate paperback series: (a) Legions of the Death Master (1966), The Army of the Dead (1966), The Invisible Empire (1966; vt Operator 5 \#2: The Invisible Empire 1974), Master of Broken Men (1966), Hosts of the Flaming Death (1966), Blood Reign of the Dictator (1966), March of the Flame Marauders (1966), and Invasion of the Yellow Warlords (1966); (b) the original first 3 magazine novels republished in chronological order as The Masked Invasion (1974), The Invisible Empire (see above) and The Yellow Scourge (1974); (c) Cavern of the Damned (1980), Legions of Starvation (1980) and Scourge of the Invisible Death (1980).

   JC/PN

   Other work: The Mole Men Want Your Eyes (1976 chap).