The Monster Men (ePub)

Under the working title "Number Thirteen," American author Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote the science fiction book The Monster Men in 1913. A Man Without a Soul was the title under which it initially appeared in print in the November 1913 edition. Professor Arthur Maxon of Cornell University visits a secluded Pamarung Island in the East Indies with his daughter Virginia. The first experiment escaped and kidnapped Virginia. In his fanatical preoccupation, Maxon aims to marry the perfect human being produced by Experiment Number Thirteen to Virginia. After failing in his effort to use Jack against Maxon, Jack von Horn hands over the other eleven monsters to the pirate Muda Saffir. Virginia is taken off by Von Horn, while Budadreen and his gang steal Maxon's riches. The monsters are subdued and tamed by Jack, but Maxon turns against him and chases him.After overcoming several Dayaks, Jack's band finally finds itself in the company of an orangutan group. After that, to keep the location of the riches a secret, von Horn murders his friends. Virginia is ultimately informed by Von Horn that Jack is Number Thirteen, but she still chooses to love Jack. The hunt comes to an end at the location of the unearthed "prize," when von Horn's decapitated body is discovered next to the unlocked box.