Buck Rogers is an interesting mid-20th Century figure. He’s always been a B-list superhero. Never breaking through like Superman or Batman. Nevertheless, his story and feats are laudable and fantastic.
This title revolves around the beginning interplanetary exploration in the 25th century. Buck himself is not a part of this story. This story focuses on Buddy and Allura, apparently two of Buck’s deputies. Buddy and Allura are the supreme monarchs of Venus. They are tooling around the planet in a tiny submarine when they are thrust skyward by an exploding volcano.
They find themselves in outer space in the middle of a robot battle–the spider ships. Their submarine is seized and brought aboard one of these ships. The ship is that of the commanders of one of the robot armies, Dolu and Dil. Not taking any chances with the invaders, Dolu and Dil hit Allura and Buddy with a paralysis ray.
Dolu and Dil get the situation and their new prisoners under control only to learn that their ship is slipping through a crease in space. The ship is hurled through space and into the fourth dimension, landing on a strange planet. This new place is inhabited by giant insects and reptiles. Buddy and Allura successfully fight several of them and save the lives of Dolu and Dil. All four characters are friends in the end and the reader can assume that they form a new planetary alliance–provided they manage to escape the fourth dimension.
This book was published by Pleasure Books Inc. of Chicago. Pleasure Books Inc. released this and many other like books through the 1930s. The hallmark of the books are the over-the-top plots and fantastic feats of the protagonists in those stories. Aside from the pop ups, there are many interesting black and white illustrations that help tell the story.
The pop ups themselves are classic Pleasure Books Inc. styling. There are three of them and the pop ups are die cut and printed on both sides. This gives the reader a 360 degree reading experience of the book.
This book is an interesting example of popular science fiction of the 1930s. It is interesting to see what illustrators invented for space ships, futuristic clothing and menacing monsters.
This book is in wonderful condition with the illustrations being bright and all of the pop ups in proper working order. Another fine example of the adventures of Buck Rogers and his fantastic colleagues.