Murray, Will
Entry updated 7 September 2026. Tagged: Author.
Working name of US author William Patrick Murray (1953-2026), who showed an interest throughout his career in Superheroes of the Pulp tradition (on which he was a known authority) such as Doc Savage, about which figure he wrote the nonfiction Secrets of Doc Savage (1981 chap). In this context he had been literary agent for Lester Dent's estate since 1979. Under the famous House Name Kenneth Robeson used by Dent, he began a new sequence of Doc Savage adventures comprising Python Isle (1991), White Eyes (1992), The Frightened Fish (1992), The Jade Ogre (1992), Flight into Fear (1993), The Whistling Wraith (1993) and The Forgotten Realm (1993). These were at least initially based on notes and outlines by Dent himself; in the new century Murray published a new and longer sequence of original stories about the same character, Wild Adventures of Doc Savage beginning with The Desert Demons (2011) as by Robeson.
Under his own name Murray edited The Duende History of The Shadow Magazine (anth 1980), Duende (2 issues 1975-1977) having been his own scholarly but short-lived Fanzine about pulp adventures and pulp Heroes, whose second issue's "The Secret Kenneth Robesons" had revealed the real authors of all the Doc Savage novels. Writing as Warren Murphy and/or Richard Ben Sapir, he contributed many volumes to the Destroyer sequence, including all those from Destroyer #74: Walking Wounded (1988) to Destroyer #107: Feast or Famine (1997). He also published authorized continuations of the adventures of Tarzan and The Shadow, and new exploits of Sherlock Holmes [see Checklist below].
Murray was inducted into the First Fandom Hall of Fame in 2023. [JC]
William Patrick Murray
born Boston, Massachusetts: 28 April 1953
died Quincy, Massachusetts: 25 August 2026
works (selected)
series
Destroyer
This list shows only titles written by Murray alone or in collaboration, not necessarily under his own name.
- The Assassin's Handbook (New York: St Martin's Press, 1982) as by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir [coll: Destroyer: pb/]
- Inside Sinanju (New York: Pinnacle Crossfire, 1985) as by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir [coll: rev vt of the above: Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #64: The Last Alchemist (New York: New American Library/Signet Books, 1986) with Warren Murphy and Richard Ben Sapir [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #65: Lost Yesterday (New York: New American Library/Signet Books, 1986) with Richard Ben Sapir [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #69: Blood Ties (New York: New American Library/Signet Books, 1987) with Warren Murphy [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #70: The Eleventh Hour (New York: New American Library/Signet Books, 1987) with Molly Cochran and Warren Murphy [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #71: Return Engagement (New York: New American Library/Signet Books, 1988) with Warren Murphy [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #72: Sole Survivor (New York: New American Library/Signet Books, 1988) with Warren Murphy [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #73: Line of Succession (New York: New American Library/Signet Books, 1988) with Warren Murphy [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #74: Walking Wounded (New York: New American Library/Signet Books, 1988) [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #75: Rain of Terror (New York: New American Library/Signet Books, 1989) [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #76: The Final Crusade (New York: New American Library/Signet Books, 1989) [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #77: Coin of the Realm (New York: New American Library/Signet Books, 1989) [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #78: Blue Smoke and Mirrors (New York: New American Library/Signet Books, 1989) [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #79: Shooting Schedule (New York: New American Library/Signet Books, 1990) [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #80: Death Sentence (New York: New American Library/Signet Books, 1990) [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #81: Hostile Takeover (New York: New American Library/Signet Books, 1990) [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #82: Survival Course (New York: New American Library/Signet Books, 1990) [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #83: Skull Duggery (New York: New American Library/Signet Books, 1991) [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #84: Ground Zero (New York: New American Library/Signet Books, 1991) [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #85: Blood Lust (New York: New American Library/Signet Books, 1991) [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #86: Arabian Nightmare (New York: New American Library/Signet Books, 1991) [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #87: Mob Psychology (New York: New American Library/Signet Books, 1992) [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #88: The Ultimate Death (New York: New American Library/Signet Books, 1992) [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #96: Infernal Revenue (New York: Worldwide Library/Gold Eagle, 1994) [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #102: Unite and Conquer (New York: Worldwide Library/Gold Eagle, 1996) [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #106: Angry White Mailmen (New York: Worldwide Library/Gold Eagle, 1994) [Destroyer: pb/]
- Destroyer #107: Feast or Famine (New York: Worldwide Library/Gold Eagle, 1994) [Destroyer: pb/]
Doc Savage
- Doc Savage: Python Isle (New York: Bantam Books/Falcon, 1991) as by Kenneth Robeson [tie to Doc Savage: Doc Savage: pb/Joe DeVito]
- Doc Savage: White Eyes (New York: Bantam Books/Falcon, 1992) as by Kenneth Robeson [tie to Doc Savage: Doc Savage: pb/Joe DeVito]
- Doc Savage: The Frightened Fish (New York: Bantam Books/Falcon, 1992) as by Kenneth Robeson [tie to Doc Savage: Doc Savage: pb/Joe DeVito]
- Doc Savage: The Jade Ogre (New York: Bantam Books/Falcon, 1992) as by Kenneth Robeson [tie to Doc Savage: Doc Savage: pb/Joe DeVito]
- Flight into Fear (New York: Bantam Books/Falcon, 1993) as by Kenneth Robeson [tie to Doc Savage: Doc Savage: pb/Joe DeVito]
- Doc Savage: The Whistling Wraith (New York: Bantam Books/Falcon, 1993) as by Kenneth Robeson [tie to Doc Savage: Doc Savage: pb/Joe DeVito]
- Doc Savage: The Forgotten Realm (New York: Bantam Books/Falcon, 1993) as by Kenneth Robeson [tie to Doc Savage: Doc Savage: pb/Joe DeVito]
Wild Adventures of Doc Savage
- The Desert Demons (Boston, Massachusetts: Altus Press, 2011) as by Kenneth Robeson [Wild Adventures of Doc Savage: hb/Joe DeVito]
- Horror in Gold (Boston, Massachusetts: Altus Press, 2011) as by Kenneth Robeson [Wild Adventures of Doc Savage: pb/Joe DeVito]
- The Infernal Buddha (Boston, Massachusetts: Altus Press, 2012) as by Kenneth Robeson [Wild Adventures of Doc Savage: pb/Joe DeVito]
- Death's Dark Domain (Boston, Massachusetts: Altus Press, 2012) as by Kenneth Robeson [Wild Adventures of Doc Savage: pb/Joe DeVito]
- Skull Island (Boston, Massachusetts: Altus Press, 2013) as by Kenneth Robeson [Wild Adventures of Doc Savage: pb/Joe DeVito]
- The Miracle Menace (Boston, Massachusetts: Altus Press, 2013) as by Kenneth Robeson [Wild Adventures of Doc Savage: pb/Joe DeVito]
- Phantom Lagoon (Boston, Massachusetts: Altus Press, 2013) as by Kenneth Robeson [Wild Adventures of Doc Savage: pb/Joe DeVito]
- The War Makers (Boston, Massachusetts: Altus Press, 2014) as by Kenneth Robeson [Wild Adventures of Doc Savage: pb/Joe DeVito]
- The Ice Genius (Boston, Massachusetts: Altus Press, 2014) as by Kenneth Robeson [Wild Adventures of Doc Savage: pb/Joe DeVito]
- The Sinister Shadow (Boston, Massachusetts: Altus Press, 2015) as by Kenneth Robeson [Wild Adventures of Doc Savage: pb/Joe DeVito]
- Glare of the Gorgon (Boston, Massachusetts: Altus Press, 2016) as by Kenneth Robeson [Wild Adventures of Doc Savage: pb/Joe DeVito]
- Empire of Doom (Boston, Massachusetts: Altus Press, 2017) as by Kenneth Robeson [Wild Adventures of Doc Savage: pb/Joe DeVito]
- Mr Calamity (Boston, Massachusetts: Altus Press, 2018) as by Kenneth Robeson [Wild Adventures of Doc Savage: pb/Joe DeVito]
- Mr Calamity and the Valley of Eternity (Boston, Massachusetts: Altus Press, 2018) as by Kenneth Robeson [Wild Adventures of Doc Savage: pb/Joe DeVito]
Tarzan
- Tarzan: Return to Pal-ul-don (Boston, Massachusetts: Altus Press, 2015) [Tarzan: hb/Joe DeVito]
- King Kong vs. Tarzan (Boston, Massachusetts: Altus Press, 2016) [Tarzan: illus/pb/Joe DeVito]
- Tarzan: Conqueror of Mars (Boston, Massachusetts: Altus Press, 2020) [Tarzan: hb/Romas Kukalis]
- Back to Mars (Boston, Massachusetts: Altus Press, 2023) [Tarzan: illus/hb/Joe DeVito]
Wild Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
- The Wild Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Volume One (Boston, Massachusetts: Altus Press, 2020) [coll: pb/Joe DeVito]
- The Wild Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Volume Two (Greenwood, Massachusetts: Odyssey Publications, 2023) [coll: pb/Gary Carbon]
- The Wild Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Volume Three (Greenwood, Massachusetts: Odyssey Publications, 2023) [coll: hb/]
Wild Adventures of Cthulhu
- The Wild Adventures of Cthulhu: Volume One (Greenwood, Massachusetts: Odyssey Publications, 2022) [coll: Wild Adventures of Cthulhu: pb/Eric Lofgren]
- The Wild Adventures of Cthulhu: Volume Two (Greenwood, Massachusetts: Odyssey Publications, 2022) [coll: Wild Adventures of Cthulhu: pb/Eric Lofgren]
- The Wild Adventures of Cthulhu: Volume Three (Greenwood, Massachusetts: Odyssey Publications, 2025) [coll: Wild Adventures of Cthulhu: pb/Eric Lofgren]
individual titles
- Mars Attacks #2: War Dogs of the Golden Horde (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1996) as by Ray W Murill [tie to the Mars Attacks! universe: pb/Peter Scanlan]
- Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Empyre (New York: Berkley Boulevard, 2000) [tie to the comic: Marvel Comics: pb/Joe Jusko]
- The Spider, Master of Men: Doom Legion (Boston: Massachusetts: Altus Press, 2018) [The Spider: Spider: hb/]
collections
See Wild Adventures of Cthulhu and Wild Adventures of Sherlock Holmes above.
nonfiction
- Doc Savage: Reflections in Bronze (Greenwood, Massachusetts: Odyssey Publications, 1980) [nonfiction: chap: Doc Savage: pb/Frank Hamilton]
- Secret Agent X: A History (Oak Forest, Illinois: Robert Weinberg, 1980) with Tom Johnson [nonfiction: chap: pb/Jason Eckhardt]
- Secret Agent X: A History: Revised Edition (Seymour, Texas: Fading Shadow, Inc, 1991) with Tom Johnson [nonfiction: chap: rev vt of the above: pb/Ron Wilber]
- Secrets of Doc Savage (Greenwood, Massachusetts: Odyssey Publications, 1981) [nonfiction: chap: Doc Savage: pb/]
- The H P Lovecraft Dream Book (West Warwick, Rhode Island: Necronomicon Press, 1996) with S T Joshi and Dave E Shultz [nonfiction: chap: H P Lovecraft: pb/Jason Eckhardt]
- Master of Mystery: The Rise of The Shadow (Greenwood, Massachusetts: Odyssey Publications, 2021) [nonfiction: pb/Joe DeVito]
- Dark Avenger: The Strange Saga of The Shadow (Greenwood, Massachusetts: Odyssey Publications, 2022) [nonfiction: pb/]
nonfiction works as editor
- The Duende History of The Shadow Magazine (Greenwood, Massachusetts: Odyssey Publications, 1980) [nonfiction: anth: Doc Savage: pb/Frank Hamilton, Robin Storesund]
- Wordslingers: An Epitaph for the Western (Boston, Massachusetts: Altus Press, 2013) [nonfiction: anth: pb/Joe DeVito]
links
previous versions of this entry