MURPHY, Warren (B.)

(1933-)

   US writer known largely for the Destroyer sequence, a long series of spoof thrillers, many with Richard Ben SAPIR, featuring the Doc Savage-like adventures of Remo Williams, a White man (and avatar of Shivathe Destroyer) trained in the paranormal combat arts of Sinanju, which allow him (for instance) to interpenetrate his body with other matter. The first titles were written mostly by WBM and Sapir, who died in 1987, but later titles - sometimes listed as by these two, sometimes by one alone - are by various hands including WBM. The most prolific recent author of Destroyer titles is Will MURRAY, who also wrote The Assassin's Handbook(coll 1982; rev vt Inside Sinanju 1985) as by WBM and Sapir, an amused (and amusing) companion to the sequence; other authors include WBM's wife Molly Cochran, Ed Hunsburger, William Joy, Ric MEYERS and Robert Randisi. A detailed presentation of titles, listing ascribed and actual authors, can be found in R. REGINALD's Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature: a Checklist, 1975-1991 (1992). Here we pay no attention to ascribed author(always, in any case, WBM and/or Sapir); up to \#74, unless otherwise indicated, the actual author is WBM, alone or with Sapir; from \#74 on the author is Murray.The sequence began, rather inauspiciously, with Created, the Destroyer (1971) with Sapir (who collaborated on all but one through \#24) and Destroyer \#2: Death Check (1972), ponderous imitations of JamesBond; but with \#3: Chinese Puzzle (1972) it took off with remarkable panache, some instalments coming close to SPACE OPERA, others engaging with SUPERMAN themes, and most indulging in raucous SATIRE of US politics and mores. The sequence then runs: \#4: Mafia Fix (1972), \#5: Dr Quake (1972), \#6: Death Therapy (1972), \#7: Union Bust (1973), \#8: Summit Chase(1973) by Murphy alone, \#9: Murder's Shield (1973), \#10: Terror Squad (1973), \#11: Kill or Cure (1973), \#12: Slave Safari (1973), \#13: Acid Rock (1973), \#14: Judgment Day (1974), \#15: Murder Ward (1974), \#16: Oil Slick (1974), \#17: Last War Dance (1974), \#18: Funny Money (1975), \#19: Holy Terror (1975), \#20: Assassin's Play-Off (1975), \#21: Deadly Seeds (1975), \#22: Brain Drain (1976), \#23: Child's Play (1976), \#24: King's Curse (1976), \#25: Sweet Dreams (1976) with Meyers, \#26: In Enemy Hands (1977), \#27: The Last Temple (1977) with Meyers, \#28: Ship of Death (1977), \#29: The Final Death (1977) with Sapir and Meyers, \#30: Mugger Blood (1977), \#31: The Head Men (1977), \#32: Killer Chromosomes (1978), \#33: Voodoo Die (1978), \#34: Chained Reaction (1978), \#35: Last Call (1978), \#36: Power Play (1979), \#37: Bottom Line (1979), \#38: Bay City Blast (1979), \#39: Missing Link (1980), \#40: Dangerous Games (1980) with Randisi, \#41: Firing Line (1980), \#42: Timber Line (1980) with Joy, \#43: Midnight Man (1981) with Randisi, \#44: Balance of Power (1981) with Cochran, \#45: Spoils of War (1981) by Cochran, \#46: Next of Kin (1981) by Cochran, \#47: DyingSpace (1982) by Cochran, \#48: Profit Motive (1982), \#49: Skin Deep (1982) by Cochran, \#50: Killing Time (1982) by Cochran, \#51: Shock Value (1983) by Cochran, \#52: Fool's Gold (1983), \#53: Time Trial (1983) by Cochran, \#54: Last Drop (1983) by Cochran, \#55: Master's Challenge (1984) withSapir and Cochran, \#56: Encounter Group (1984) with Murray, \#57: Date with Death (1984) with Cochran and Hunsburger, \#58: Total Recall (1984) with Randisi, \#59: The Arms of Kali (1984), \#60: The End of the Game (1985), \#61: Lords of the Earth (1985), \#62: The Seventh Stone (1985) with Sapir and Hunsburger, \#63: The Sky is Falling (1986) by Sapir and Murray, \#64: The Last Alchemist (1986) with Murray, \#65: Lost Yesterday (1986) by Sapirand Murray, \#66: Sue Me (1986) by Sapir, \#67: Look into my Eyes (1987) by Sapir, \#68: An Old-Fashioned War (1987) by Sapir, \#69: Blood Ties (1987)with Murray, \#70: The Eleventh Hour (1987) with Cochran and Murray, \#71: Return Engagement (1988) with Murray, \#72: Sole Survivor (1988) withMurray, \#73: Line of Succession (1988) with Murray, \#74: Walking Wounded (1988) by Murray (who is responsible for the remaining titles listed), \#75: Rain of Terror (1989), \#76: The Final Crusade (1989), \#77: Coin of the Realm (1989), \#78: Blue Smoke and Mirrors (1989), \#79: Shooting Schedule (1990), \#80: Death Sentence (1990), \#81: Hostile Takeover (1990),\#82: Survival Course (1990), \#83: Skull Duggery (1991), \#84: Ground Zero (1991), \#85: Blood Lust (1991), \#86: Arabian Nightmare (1991), \#87: Mob Psychology (1992) and \#88: The Ultimate Death (1992) (we cannot trace \#87, nor have we been able to monitor further publications, though we are aware of the release of \#96: Infernal Revenue (1994). An out-of-series Destroyer title, Remo: The Adventure Begins * (1985) by Sapir, is a film tie to Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985; vt Remo-Unarmed and Dangerous).Othergenre adventures by WM include Grandmaster (1984) with his wife Molly Cochran, High Priest (1987) with Cochran, The Hand of Lazarus (1988) withCochran, Scorpion's Dance (1990), and The Forever King (1992), again with Cochran.

   JC