A House Name used on Juvenile Series published by several firms, including Cupples & Leon, The Mershon Company and George Sully, but all generated by The Stratemeyer Syndicate; Edward Stratemeyer, as usual, provided outlines for his authors to work from, and probably wrote at least two of the early titles himself. The first Roy Rockwood series was the Deep Sea sequence of adventures, featuring sea monsters and the like and containing some sf content; gradually – as marked title and publisher changes – this sequence turned into the much inferior Dave Fearless sequence published in the 1920s. In Ghost of the Hardy Boys: an Autobiography (1976), Leslie McFarlane (1902-1977) states that he wrote some of the 1920s Dan Fearless novels [titles he claims are so indicated in the Checklist below]. A later Roy Rockwood series – Bomba the Jungle Boy books by John W Duffield [see Checklist below] – depends on Edgar Rice Burroughs's Tarzan books for its primary inspiration, but has some independent interest.
The best of the Roy Rockwood titles are undoubtedly the first volumes in the Great Marvel sequence, written by Howard R Garis in some collaborative arrangement with Stratemeyer, though Garis himself was immensely fertile. Through the Air to the North Pole; or, the Wonderful Cruise of the Electric Monarch (1906) and its two immediate sequels feature a typical family – a couple of lads, a professorial father, a male associate or two – in adventures involving increasingly interesting Inventions and venues, the Electric Monarch of the first tale, which goes in the water and in the air, being succeeded by submarine vehicles, in which the team explore a Symmesian Hollow Earth, which contains a Lost Race of giants. Through Space to Mars; or, The Longest Journey on Record (1910) and Lost on the Moon; or, In Quest of the Field of Diamonds (1911) carry an augmented crew of protagonists to Mars and on a diamond rush to the Moon. In general the Great Marvel books avoided most of the political and imperialist implications of the contemporary Edisonade.
Authorship of individual Roy Rockwood titles, and other details of publication, have long remained insecure, but the researches of Jessica Amanda {SALMONSON} in particular [see links below] have done much to give a reliable accounting of the works issued under this name. [JC]
see also: Children's SF; Outer Planets.
"Roy Rockwood"
works
The Deep Sea (variously Sea Treasure and/or Dave Fearless) series
- The Wizard of the Sea; or, A Trip Under the Ocean (New York: The Mershon Company, 1900) by Edward Stratemeyer and James D Keeline [Deep Sea: hb/]
- The Rival Ocean Divers; or, After a Sunken Treasure (New York: Stitt Publishing, 1905) by Edward Stratemeyer [Stratemeyer is the probable author: Deep Sea: hb/]
- The Cruise of the Treasure Ship; or, The Castaways of Floating Island (New York: The Mershon Company, 1906) [author unknown: Deep Sea: hb/Clare Angell]
- Adrift on the Pacific; or, the Secret of the Island Cave (New York: Grosset and Dunlap, 1908) [author unknown: Deep Sea: hb/Charles Nuttall]
- Jack North's Treasure Hunt: Daring Adventures in South America (New York: Chatterton-Peck, 1907) [author unknown: Deep Sea: hb/Charles Nuttall]
- Dave Fearless Among the Icebergs; or, The Secret of the Eskimo Igloo (New York: George Sully, 1926) [author unknown: Dave Fearless: pb/]
- Dave Fearless Wrecked Among the Savages; or, The Captives of the Head Hunters (New York: George Sully, 1926) [author unknown: Dave Fearless: pb/]
- Dave Fearless & His Big Raft; or, Alone on the Broad Pacific (New York: George Sully, 1926) [author unknown: Dave Fearless: pb/]
- Dave Fearless on Volcano Island: or, The Magic Cave of Blue Fire (New York: George Sully, 1926) [author unknown: Dave Fearless: pb/]
- Dave Fearless Captured by Apes; or, In Gorilla Land (New York: George Sully, 1926) [author unknown: Dave Fearless: pb/]
- Dave Fearless & the Mutineers; or, Prisoners on the Ship of Death (New York: George Sully, 1926) [author unknown: Dave Fearless: pb/]
- Dave Fearless Under the Ocean; or, The Treasure of the Lost Submarine (New York: George Sully, 1926) by Leslie McFarlane [Dave Fearless: pb/]
- Dave Fearless Near the South Pole; or, The Giant Whales of Snow Island (New York: George Sully, 1926) by Leslie McFarlane [Dave Fearless: pb/]
- Dave Fearless Caught by the Malay Pirates; or, The Secret of Bamboo Island (New York: George Sully, 1926) by Leslie McFarlane [Dave Fearless: pb/]
- Dave Fearless in the Black Jungle; or, Lost Among the Cannibals (New York: George Sully, 1927) by Leslie McFarlane [Dave Fearless: pb/]
- Dave Fearless on the Ship of Mystery; or, The Strange Hermit of Shark Cove (New York: George Sully, 1927) [author unknown: Dave Fearless: pb/]
- Dave Fearless on the Lost Brig; or, Abandoned in the Big Hurricane (New York: George Sully, 1927) by Leslie McFarlane [Dave Fearless: pb/]
The Great Marvel series
- Through the Air to the North Pole; or, the Wonderful Cruise of the Electric Monarch (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1906) by Howard R Garis [Great Marvel: hb/Charles Nuttall]
- Under the Ocean to the South Pole; or, The Strange Cruise of the Submarine Wonder (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1907) by Howard R Garis [Great Marvel: hb/Charles Nuttall]
- Five Thousand Miles Underground; or, The Mystery of the Centre of the Earth (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1908) by Howard R Garis [Great Marvel: hb/Charles Nuttall]
- Through Space to Mars; or, The Longest Journey on Record (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1910) by Howard R Garis [Great Marvel: hb/K M Kizer]
- Lost on the Moon; or, In Quest of the Field of Diamonds (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1911) by Howard R Garis [Great Marvel: hb/uncredited]
- On a Torn-Away World; or, Captives of the Great Earthquake (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1913) by W Bert Foster [Great Marvel: hb/uncredited]
- The City Beyond the Clouds; or, Captured by the Red Dwarfs (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1925) by John W Duffield [Great Marvel: hb/Ernest Townsend]
- By Air Express to Venus; or, Captives of a Strange People (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1929) by Howard R Garis [Great Marvel: hb/Ed Whittemore]
- By Space Ship to Saturn; or, Exploring the Ringed Planet (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1935) [author unknown: Great Marvel: hb/C Richard Schaare]
Bomba the Jungle Boy
- Bomba the Jungle Boy (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1926) by John W Duffield [Bomba the Jungle Boy: hb/]
- Bomba the Jungle Boy at the Moving Mountain; or, The Mystery of the Cave of Fire (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1926) by John W Duffield [Bomba the Jungle Boy: hb/]
- Bomba the Jungle Boy and the Giant Cataract; or, Chief Nascanora and his Captives (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1926) by John W Duffield [Bomba the Jungle Boy: hb/]
- Bomba the Jungle Boy on Jaguar Island; or, Adrift on the River of Mystery (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1927) by John W Duffield [Bomba the Jungle Boy: hb/]
- Bomba the Jungle Boy in the Abandoned City; or, A Treasure Ten Thousand Years Old (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1927) by John W Duffield [Bomba the Jungle Boy: hb/]
- Bomba the Jungle Boy on Terror Trail; or, The Mysterious Men from the Sky (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1928) by John W Duffield [Bomba the Jungle Boy: hb/]
- Bomba the Jungle Boy in the Swamp of Death; or, The Scared Alligators of Abarago (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1929) by John W Duffield [Bomba the Jungle Boy: hb/]
- Bomba the Jungle Boy Among the Slaves; or, Daring Adventures in the Valley of Skulls (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1929) by John W Duffield [Bomba the Jungle Boy: hb/]
- Bomba the Jungle Boy on the Underground River; or, The Cave of Bottomless Pits (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1930) by John W Duffield [Bomba the Jungle Boy: hb/]
- Bomba the Jungle Boy and the Lost Explorers; or, A Wonderful Revelation (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1930) by John W Duffield [Bomba the Jungle Boy: hb/]
- Bomba the Jungle Boy in a Strange Land; or, Facing the Unknown (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1931) by John W Duffield [Bomba the Jungle Boy: hb/]
- Bomba the Jungle Boy Among the Pygmies; or, Battling with Stealthy Foes (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1931) by John W Duffield [Bomba the Jungle Boy: hb/]
- Bomba the Jungle Boy and the Cannibals; or, Winning Against Native Dangers (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1932) by John W Duffield [Bomba the Jungle Boy: hb/]
- Bomba the Jungle Boy and the Painted Hunters; or, A Long Search Rewarded (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1932) by John W Duffield [Bomba the Jungle Boy: hb/]
- Bomba the Jungle Boy and the River Demons; or, Outwitting the Savage Medicine Man (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1933) by John W Duffield [Bomba the Jungle Boy: hb/]
- Bomba the Jungle Boy and the Hostile Chieftain; or, A Hazardous Trek to the Sea (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1934) by John W Duffield [Bomba the Jungle Boy: hb/]
- Bomba the Jungle Boy Trapped by the Cyclone; or, Shipwrecked on the Swirling Seas (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1935) by John W Duffield [Bomba the Jungle Boy: hb/]
- Bomba the Jungle Boy in the Land of Burning Lava; or, Outwitting Superstitious Natives (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1936) by John W Duffield [Bomba the Jungle Boy: hb/]
- Bomba the Jungle Boy in the Perilous Kingdom; or, Braving Strange Hazards (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1937) by John W Duffield [Bomba the Jungle Boy: hb/]
- Bomba the Jungle Boy in the Steaming Grotto; or, Victorious Through Flame and Fury (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1938) by John W Duffield [Bomba the Jungle Boy: hb/]
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