Order of Avenger Books

Richard Henry Benson, known as The Avenger, stands as the central figure in a beloved series of pulp fiction action-adventure tales published under the Kenneth Robeson house name. This millionaire adventurer's origin story is both tragic and transformative—after losing his wife and daughter to murder, Benson undergoes a startling physical metamorphosis triggered by the sheer trauma of his loss, setting him on his path as The Avenger.

The character sprang from the imagination of Paul Ernst, who developed The Avenger for Street and Smith Publications, the publishing powerhouse that also brought readers iconic heroes like Doc Savage and The Shadow. Ernst launched the series in 1939 under the Kenneth Robeson pseudonym with the inaugural novel Justice, Inc., and continued crafting Benson's adventures through 1942's Midnight Murder.

After a three-decade hiatus, The Avenger returned to action when author Ron Goulart picked up the mantle, penning eleven additional novels that brought the series to its conclusion. The final chapter came in 1975 with the 36th book, Demon Island, marking the end of Richard Henry Benson's pulp fiction legacy.