The Destroyer series, first published in 1971 and created by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy, is an odd duck in the so-called “men’s adventure” genre. Despite robust sales figures in the first two decades of its existence, the Destroyer series — which told the adventures of covert government assassin Remo Williams and his troublesome Korean mentor, Chiun — set itself apart with unconventional thematic elements (including frequent use of sci-fi, espionage, and even superhero trappings), better-than-expected prose, and, above all, a sense of humor.

Where its rivals, like the humorless Killmaster and Executioner series, were characterized by grim violence and grimmer sex, the Destroyer books (of which there were 149 at last count, by a dozen authors over almost four decades) never lost a sly sense of satire, mocking current events, pop culture, and even itself. It wasn’t always great, but it was always better than it needed to be. It represented a curious modern transition of old pulp traditions, and it brought us a handful of memorable characters and occasionally hilarious dialogue that transcended its origins.

When this blog was started (May 12, 2008), I happened across a massive cache of Destroyer novels from my younger days that I’d stored away and forgotten about. The purpose of this blog may eventually grow to a more ambitious Remo Williams fansite/archive, but for now, my intentions are simple: I will read and review, in inchoate order, the Destroyer books in my possession. I welcome your thoughts, and hope you enjoy the Destroyer Project.

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