the rick brant series
by John Blaine

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Rick Brant is the hero in a series of 24 juvenile adventure novels by John Blaine, (pseudonym for authors Harold L. Goodwin and Peter J. Harkins (co-author of the first three volumes only).

Rick Brant and his ex-Marine pal, Don (Scotty) Scott live on Spindrift Island off the coast of New Jersey, where Rick's father heads the Spindrift Foundation, a group of scientists. This group travels around the world in a series of adventure stories which have a scientific tone.

The science in them was, for the most part, realistic science, unlike the fantastic science of Tom Swift, Jr. and the series was billed "A Rick Brant Electronic Adventure" or "A Rick Brant Science Adventure". There are notable similarities to be found in the Jonny Quest cartoons.

All books except volume 24 were published by Grosset & Dunlap, the first 16 volumes had dust jackets. In 1962 the books were issued in picture cover, starting with volume 17 The Flaming Mountain. The first 16 volumes were changed to this format at the same time.

Volume 24 The Magic Talisman was published by Manuscript Press in a limited edition of 500.

Foreign editions of some volumes exist.

In 1986 volume 22 The Deadly Dutchman was reprinted by M&A Press with new cover art by Gretta.

In 2005, Applewood Books reprinted Science Projects in paperback and as of 2016, it is still available.

Bootleg copies of volume 21 Rocket Jumper and volume 23 Danger Below! have been reported.

Original copies of Rocket Jumper, The Deadly Dutchman, Danger Below! & Science Projects are scarce.
Recurring characters include:

Hartson Brant, Rick's father

Barbara (Barby) Brant, Rick's younger sister

Chahda, a resourceful youth from India

Janice (Jan) Miller, Rick's girlfriend and daughter of Dr. Walter Miller, a Spindrift scientist

Dismal (Diz), the Brant family dog

Steve Ames, an agent of "JANIG", the fictional Joint Army-Navy Intelligence Group

Physicist Hobart Zircon

Mathematician Julius Weiss

Cyberneticist Parnell Winston

Archaeologist Tony Briotti

Rocket designer John Gordon

Crossover with Ken Holt
In The Ken Holt book, "Mystery of the Plumed Serpent" (1962) and the Rick Brant book, "The Flying Stingaree" (1963), the protaganist of each series appeared in the other's as part of an effort between the authors to increase sales.

Books in the Rick Brant Series
Click on any cover to enlarge it.

01: The Rocket's Shadow - (1947)
Rick meets Scotty and investigates sabotage of Spindrift's experimental rocket.

02: The Lost City - (1947)
Rick and Scotty journey to the Himalayas to set up a relay station to bounce a radar signal off the moon. Chahda character introduced.

03: Sea Gold - (1947)
Rick and Scotty get jobs at a new plant to extract minerals from sea water, and investigate possible sabotage.

04: 100 Fathoms Under - (1947)
Rick and Scotty travel to the South Pacific in search of an ancient archaeological artifact.

05: The Whispering Box Mystery - (1948)
Rick and Scotty race against time to stop a ring of spies from using a paralyzing weapon to steal government secrets. JANIG and Steve Ames character introduced.

06: The Phantom Shark - (1949)
Rick and Scotty cross paths with a nefarious pearl thief in the South Pacific.

07: Smugglers' Reef - (1950)
Rick and Scotty use an infrared camera to gather evidence against smugglers.

08: The Caves of Fear - (1951)
Rick and Scotty travel to the Himalayas again, this time to stop nuclear materials from falling into the wrong hands.

09: Stairway to Danger - (1952)
Rick and Scotty battle a hardened and desperate criminal in an abandoned amusement park.
10: The Golden Skull - (1954)
Rick and Scotty search for a sacred relic in the Philippines.
11: The Wailing Octopus - (1956)
On a skin-diving vacation in the United States Virgin Islands, Rick and Scotty stumble across deadly spies.
12: The Electronic Mind Reader - (1957)
Rick and Scotty are shocked as one scientist after another falls victim to a diabolical machine. Janice Miller character introduced.

13: The Scarlet Lake Mystery - (1958)
Rick and Scotty visit a rocket base in Nevada, and encounter sabotage and a life or death situation for Rick.
14: The Pirates of Shan - (1958)
Rick and Scotty search for Spindrift scientists kidnapped by pirates in the Philippines.
15: The Blue Ghost Mystery - (1960)
Rick and Scotty's Virginia vacation turns into an encounter with what seems to be an American Civil War ghost.
16: The Egyptian Cat Mystery - (1961)
Rick and Scotty travel to Egypt and discover that an apparently unassuming cat figurine holds a secret.

17: The Flaming Mountain - (1962)
Rick and Scotty aid the Spindrift Foundation's mission to save an island from an active volcano.
18: The Flying Stingaree - (1963)
Intrigued by mysterious UFO sightings, Rick and Scotty battle against a group of crafty spies.
19: The Ruby Ray Mystery - (1964)
Rick and Scotty walk the line between East and West only to have their allegiance questioned and their lives placed in jeopardy.
20: The Veiled Raiders - (1965)
Rick and Scotty go to Nigeria to test laser/satellite communication, and are taken prisoner in the Sahara Desert by hostile natives.

21: Rocket Jumper - (1966)
Rick and Scotty use a rocket pack to save their loved ones from a fearsome plot.
22: The Deadly Dutchman - (1967)
Rick and Scotty's tour of Europe is interrupted by a fiendish gem trader.
23: Danger Below! - (1968)
Rick and Scotty probe the cause of the sinking of an oil rig off Spindrift.
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24: The Magic Talisman - (1990)
Rick and Scotty investigate mysterious goings-on in a house used for a dinner theater magic show.
PDF of The Magic Talisman

Reprint editions of The Deadly Dutchman & The Magic Talisman

Rick Brant's Science Projects - (1960)
Rick and Scotty explain the secrets behind many of the inventions, codes, and logic used in their adventures.

the rick brant seriesby John Blaine

Books in the Rick Brant Series

the rick brant series
by John Blaine