The Ape Man’s Brother

A curious look at the Tarzan mythos from the point of view of his faithful simian companion, The Ape Man’s Brother offers a loinscloths-to-riches story of a boy raised by animals in the jungle, only to return to a civilization he finds utterly alien and strange. After the Ape Man’s adherence to the laws of the jungle leads to a public scandal, he finds himself betrayed and returns to the jungle, only to find further danger awaiting him there. What will become of the famous wild man and his brother?

The Ape Man’s Brother is singularly weird and funny, offering a similar tongue-in-cheek look at classic characters to Lansdale’s Ned the Seal books Zeppelins West and Flaming London, simultaneously honoring and lampooning the pulp origins of Tarzan.

While I wish the book was longer – pulp legends like Tarzan present so many stories ripe for reinterpretation – Lansdale provides a wonderful sense of arc and completeness to the story, highlighting the pluses and minuses of life in both worlds, as well as the understandable mishaps and misinterpretations each invites when examined from an outside perspective.

It’s a delightful snack for pulp readers and Lansdale fans alike.