Product Description
Golden Age story. Sea Adventure. Originally published in the 1935 August issue of Five Novels Monthly ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Jack Sparrow move over -- here comes Tom Bristol
I really sea stories already. Then when I read Under the Black Ensign, I found Jack Sparrow's great, great grandfather with Tom Bristol. Easily as swashbuckling and daring, he is ever more suave while handling obstacles that could possibly put Jack to the test.

Pirates of the Caribbean
Great sequence and pacing, loved it.Would make a great back story for games like Sid Meier's Pirates, or Tortuga. The detail and visuals are way beyond most pirate stories, probably because the author actually knew his way around ships!

A Golden Age classic!
Originally published in the August 1935 issue of "Five Novels Monthly" magazine, L. Ron Hubbard's thrilling "Under the Black Ensign" has been beautifully reprinted in this quality paperback by Galaxy Press as part of their ongoing series of Golden Age stories. "Under the Black Ensign" is especially fascinating because it represents the swashbuckler, a genre now extinct. But at the time this short novel was published the swashbuckler was very much alive in Hollywood and in the dozens of pulp magazines that flourished during the 1930s. Errol Flynn was wooing audiences in "Captain Blood" (based upon the novel by Rafael Sabatini) and the pirate novels of Col. Prentiss Ingaham were being reprinted to great success.

Hubbard's writing career had taken off like a rocket. He demonstrated no fear in tackling every genre the market demanded - westerns, science fiction, mystery, fantasy, air adventure, spy and international intrigue, and sea adventure tales. Hubbard was prolific from the start and his extraordinary talent is apparent on every page.

There's not a dull paragraph to be found in "Under the Black Ensign." Of course, the same can be said of all of Hubbard's golden age stories. The tale recounts the adventures of Tom Bristol who is pressured into joining the crew of the HMS Terror where he experiences firsthand the cruelties of the British navy. When the Terror is overtaken by pirates Bristol life takes a dramatic turn when he is marooned on an island only to be saved by a beautiful girl. Here he plots his revenge and...ah, but here's where you need to stop reading this review and order the book to find out what happens next.

Hubbard was a man of ideas and I was fascinated that "Under the Black Ensign" contained a racial subtext for Tom Bristol is a character that will have nothing to do with racism. After freeing the captives of a slave ship Bristol informs two staid British seamen, "These men are free men, not slaves. I don't happen to be of your stamp, gentleman. When I take lives I use a rapier, not the whipping post and starvation, and yet I am a pirate, while you and your brothers are supposed to be civilized beings."

Bristol, like many of Hubbard's characters, espouses an ideology of freewill, fair play and equality. It was a theme Hubbard returned to time and again, and it adds depth to his adventure tales. As always, the writing is crisp, vivid, and loaded with action.

Each Galaxy Press edition of Hubbard's stories is introduced with a short essay by Kevin J. Anderson and concludes with a biographical profile. "Under the Black Ensign" also includes a glossary of nautical terms and other phrases and a diagram of a full rigged sailing ship. Better yet, you get story previews of forthcoming editions. All of this is inexpensively priced at $9.95 and the Galaxy Press website offers special packages that you won't want to miss. Most of these stories have not been previously reprinted. These are beautifully produced books and I intend on reading them all. And so Avast, you lubbers! Spread the news that Hubbard is back, and fans of the classic era of pulp adventure stories will be thrilled by these magnificent books!

Rough and Raucous
This is a rambunctious wild ride.The pace is fast and you get a feel for the culture of the time period.Lots of fun and the good guy wins.. it all!

Perfectly fine pirate tale, well presented.But we're not talking "The Sea Hawk"
Like "If I Were You", the one other audio version of this series I listened to, "Under The Black Ensign" features excellent packaging laced with beautiful art, a thick, fact-filled booklet about L. Ron Hubbard and the Golden Age of pulps (the same booklet accompanying the other title I mentioned), and absolutely top-notch production values on the audio itself.

But also like that other title, I thought the story was only adequately entertaining, not exceptional in any way.At least the pirate motif was a little more exciting and engaging than the two stories featured in the "If I Were you" audio, which centered, respectively, around circus shenanigans and whimsical gangsters who get hold of a growth potion.I found those stories ultimately silly.But, alas, the pirate stuff here is, if not silly, sort of by-the-numbers.It's all stuff you've seen before: intrigue and mutiny among the pirates, a girl of breeding hiding among the pirates disguised as a man, endless battles and threats between the English officers and the pirate leaders, etc.Again, nothing is horrible, but nothing is all that memorable.

I will say that it was kind of interesting that the pirates position themselves as the truly honorable denizens of the high seas, as opposed to- as portrayed by the author- the savage, brutal English Navy, which whips its sailors into submission at the slightest transgression.Also somewhat fascinating was the pirates freeing of a shipful of black slaves from their English masters and becoming allies with them.I wonder if that aspect of the story was controversial back in the 1930's when "Under The Black Ensign" first appeared, and black heroes in pulp stories- even those in only secondary roles- were probably quite rare.

If any of what I've described makes you want to try out this title, please don't let my overall lukewarm response to it discourage you.As said, I found interesting aspects to the story, and it's inarguable that much care and craft went into the audio presentation.So, it is certainly quite possible that the end result just might make a better impression on you more than it did on me. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Very Valuable Data
The information in this book is wonderful & can be used in any business. I love the way the book is put together. It's easy to read, then put to use in your business. I've owned my own business in the same trade for 40 years due to this technology. I'm happy to see someone making it available for everyone. Any business owner, manager or personnel officer can use this to train employees. It really works.Speaking from Experience: Illustrated Solutions to the Business Problems You Face Everyday

Lots of promises, but few answers. Shockingly simplistic.
If you want a science fiction writer's imaginary view of business, buy this book.If you are already in Scientology, and want to drive up the sales numbers, buy this book.If you want puffed up boasts with little substance, buy this book.

Like every Scientology book, this book contains more hype than reality.Even though the publishers claim it's "The boldest and most direct principles on management ever written", it's simplistic.

Illustrated?Are the illustrations filler, or do you really need illustrations in a management book?

Why all the extremely complimentary reviews? I did a Google of one enthusiastic reviewer (Homeschoolmum) and discovered there 1,050 pages relating to Scientology or Hubbard.Check for yourself. Book sellers claim church members are forced to buy books to drive up sales numbers.Could they be writing online book reviews for the same reason?

Either way, "Speaking from Experience" is pretty flimsy.

Essential to business
I found the basic business concepts in this book to be very valuable in understanding how a well organized business would run.I was able to select a couple of the tools described in the book and put them into application in my business, and they did work to improve the situations I was trying to change.

Great Book, Management Principles that Really Work
I've been using the principles I learned in this book and found that they are easy to get my staff to grasp and they really have made a difference in my operation.It's really a seminar in a book, very well illustrated in color throughout and can be easily digested at one sitting.

It begins with an approach to working out goals, and policy and doing strategic planning which you break down into simple steps for delegation and execution.You also align these things with the end results you are expecting and working out statistics to measure your progress.That's only the beginning - there are lots of really valuable tips.I highly recommend it and bought extra copies to give to my clients.

Sensible management techniques
My husband uses the management techniques in his business. They make a lot of sense and help him to put order into his daily work.

With lots of illustrations, the ideas presented in the book are easy to understand. ... Read more

Product Description
He was the last man Lars Marlin had expected to see in Rio de Janeiro and it took all of his willpower not to slay him on the spot. Paco Corvino was a smooth-talking and slippery con man, a contraband runner, and escaped convict . . . not to mention murderer. He also was the man responsible for changing Captain Lars Marlin into Convict of the penal colony in French Guiana known as Devil's Island a prison from which he had only just escaped.An unstoppable whirlwind of events brings Paco on board as the debonair chief steward of a luxury oceangoing yacht with an heiress and her rich friends as passengers. At the helm is skipper Lars Marlin. No one else knows that Paco and Lars are bitter rivals with an old score to settle, or that the voyage will be their final showdown upon the high seas. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An entertaining gem from the Golden Age!
I read L. Ron Hubbard's "Brass Keys to Murder" and "Cargo of Coffins" back to back and reveled in his mastery of pacing and characterization. Originally published in 1935 and 1937, both tales are now available as part of the Galaxy Press "Stories from the Golden Age" series. It's important to note that Hubbard was restricted by space limitations when these stories made their appearance prior to World War II. With that said, Hubbard managed to exploit the "short novel" (or novella) with his pacing.

"Brass Keys to Murder" and "Cargo of Coffins" are crime novels not unlike those great Warner Brothers gangster films of the late 30s. I could easily imagine a George Raft or Humphrey Bogart roaming through a gloomy set as the action unfolds. And this is another aspect of Hubbard's writing that fascinates me, i.e., his timeliness and his apparently intuitive grasp of structure. He always seems to know precisely when a gunshot should happen or when a fistfight should break out. And his characters all embody the era when these stories were published.

These are hardboiled little gems. In "Cargo of Coffins" you'll find lines like: "He examined his .38 and found it in good order. He slid it into his waistband and smoothed his crisp white jacket over the bulge it made." Similarly, in "Brass Keys to Murder" he describes the hero, Steve Craig, in this fashion: "His jaw was as square as a clipper's mainsail and his eyes were the shade of an arctic sea." He uses simile and sharp images to establish his characters and to set the scene. This is a talent lost to many of today's successful but less talented writers.

And because these stories were intentionally short - he often published in a magazine called "Five Novels Monthly" - the pacing leaves one nearly breathless. Hubbard used his mastery of pacing to good effect throughout his career and I couldn't help but recall how superbly he demonstrated this skill in "Battlefield Earth" which clocks in at over 1,000 pages in paperback. There's not a dull page to be found in "Battlefield Earth." But that masterpiece was still well over forty years in the future when Hubbard penned "Brass Keys to Murder" and "Cargo of Coffins."

These Galaxy Press reprints are wonderful and I hope they found the audience they deserve. Hubbard's legacy is assured. He stands beside Ray Bradbury, Lester Dent, Walter B. Gibson, H. P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard and Edgar Rice Burroughs as one of the American Masters from the glorious Golden Age.
... Read more

Product Description
A towering masterwork of science fiction adventure andone of the best-selling science fiction novels of all time.L. RonHubbard's "Battlefield Earth" opens with breathtaking scope on anEarth dominated for 1,000 years by an alien invader--and man is anendangered species.From the handful of surviving humans a courageousleader emerges--Jonnie Goodboy Tyler, who challenges the invinciblemight of the alien Psychlo empire in a battle of epic scale, dangerand intrigue with the fate of the Earth and of the universe in thetenouos balance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (471)

Good Pulp Fiction
L. Ron Hubbard was one of the great pulp fiction authors.His short stories are terrific. He turned out millions of words at high speed in many genres.

Pulp fiction authors were paid by the word and tended to pad their stories - that is the major weakness of this book. It would have been more effective if it had been edited down by 40% or so.

None the less, this is a fine "space opera": rugged hero, humanity on the ropes, evil "BEMS" (bug eyed monsters), lots of shoot-ups and explosions, green blood - all the good stuff.

Hubbard filled the book with lots of visionary ideas (social banking, peace dividends, market research etc.). Thus it is worthwhile although a slight cut below the icons of the era - Asimov, Heinlein, Sturgeon, Herbert, Niven, Dick etc.

Simply a hard book to put down..........
I was given this book as a present, I decided to enjoy it and started to read it on a Sunday morning with my coffee. I mostly like biographies, so I wasn't sure. After about an hour I could not put the book down, it went with me everywhere. I read it every chance I could and it was additive. I read it though the week, one chapter at a time. I was really enjoying it. It was a great book and I will say it will not disappoint you either.

Despite What Some Might Say, It Is Very Good
Many people really hate this book. I don't really understand that. It is very long and it is a little contrived sometimes, but it is really great fun overall. The main reason I don't give it 5 stars is that last part is a little inconsistent with the rest and kind of throws it off some.

Yes, there might be some mild Scientology kind of sticking out here and there, but nothing that is going to freak anyone out or anything. Trust me.

I liked the movie, even though it was not popular. I think if more people read the book first as I did, then they would have liked the movie better.

I think Hubbard meant for people to have a good time with this book. It should not be over analyzed for hidden meanings and scientific rigor. Come one people lighten up and have some fun.

Too long and boring
This is a very long and boring book. Actually, some of the concepts and some of the action is good. If the book were half as long and the characters more believable it wouldn't have been bad. It is dated though and women basically don't exist, not even alien women unless they are in servile roles. Probably all SF from this time period suffered from that so this book can't be blamed for that.

great
great concept...storyline doesn't drift off with other sub-plots, tying things up in the end, but just leads from one event to the other..enjoyed it very much ... Read more

Product Description
For thousands of years Man has searched, pondered and speculated about the true "meaning of life." But, in Scientology, that search has culminated — for the secret has now been discovered. Based on precision Axioms (self-evident truths), these are the answers — answers you’ve been looking for, answers that work. Here, then, is the Basic Book on the Theory and Practice of Scientology, with discoveries embracing every aspect of life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

I wanted to know more about it!

"Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought" is the perfect book to recommend to anyone wanting to know something more about Scientology.

It is an easy to read guide through the very basic principles of Scientology, and gives a terrific overview of the subject.

One of the things I found downright joyous was the APPLICATION.Yes, you can actually do something about conditions to bring about betterment.I've found this lacking in other philosophies.

I highly recommend you read this book, or perhaps "The Problems of Work", also by L. Ron Hubbard, to get a glimpse of what his works are all about.

I've now read the majority of the books by Mr. Hubbard and have enjoyed them very much.I've also been able to apply them to my life and the lives of those I love for the betterment.

What a gift.

I now know what Scientology really is
This book really showed me what Scientology is really all about.Very simple and to the point it actually explains the truth about Scientology and how it works and I can honestly say I'm glad I found out for myself.

This book has given me some basic tools I can use in my life right that have really helped.

Philosophy I can understand
I read this book and it struck a "chord" with me... I have always believed that there is more to human beings than a stimulus respose situation in which you are a "product of your environment".I have read many books through the years looking for answers that sound true to ME.

This book has some answers that really struck me -- right where I live.I think you will like it, as all of us have questions if we have any true interest in life and how it all works.

This book is for those who are interested in a philosophy that can be used in every day life to improve the situation and spread goodwill and raise the general tone of society, which is badly needed.The fashion (how did this happen?) is to be a "hater" for many people, and obviously this attitude is not what will save the planet. All of humanity is part of one group and somehow resolution must be found, but it does start "at home"!

It isn't very long either and is an enjoyable and interesting read.

WANT TO LEARN A BIT ABOUT SCIENTOLOGY?
This is the book I'd definitely recommend to someone wanting to know a bit about Scientology and its technology. It is easy reading and most enjoyable.

It is the basic book on the theory and practice of Scientology, with discoveries embracing every aspect of life!

The book explores what is called the A-R-C Triangle, showing how this contains the underlying principles of true human relations.I mention this as it is a favorite of mine.

The book contains much, much more.

It also answers the questions of "what's it all about?" giving the very elements of survival, happiness and life itself.

There are companion lecture series entitled, "Hubbard Professional Course Lectures". They are also available on Amazon.com.

Life can be simple
Before reading this book I felt confused about life. There are so many theories - things to believe or not believe in.Me?I like something you can sink your teeth in.Something that if used, it actually works - you can get results -- no more theories or something you have to "just believe" in.This book, along with A New Slant of Life - gave me what I was looking for - a way to actually improve the quality of my life - and my family's lives.The only trick?You have to apply the datums to your life - it's not something you just think about!That's what's so incredible about this book - it's for use!Try it - you'll see what I mean ... Read more

Product Description
Dianetics has remained a bestseller for more than 50 years. And with over 20 million copies sold, generating a movement that spans virtually every country on Earth, it is indisputably one of the most widely read and influential books ever written about the human mind.

Here is the anatomy and full description of the Reactive Mind, the previously unknown source of nightmares, unreasonable fears, upsets and insecurities which enslave Man. This book shows you how to get rid of it, and so achieve something Man has previously only dreamed of: the State of Clear.
Among the discoveries herein:

The Goal of Man

The Dynamic Principle of Existence -- the one word that motivates all living things

The Four Dynamics -- the drives upon which all of life is compartmented

The Descriptic Graph of Survival revealing ones true potential and how to achieve it

The discovery of and complete anatomy of the Reactive Mind

The painful experiences engrams contained in the Reactive Mind which command one to act irrationally against their own wishes and goals

The impact of prenatal engrams that took place before you were born and how it has influenced you ever since

Dianetics enables you to discover and eradicate harmful experiences so they never affect you again, revealing the one person you have always wanted to know -- you.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (363)

People believe this?
This is just one of hundreds of reviews, so i'll keep it short.The book is really dry, and doesn't even make a decent argument.I have a feeling that many of these reviews are written by those who religiously follow Hubbard's work (Scientology).Otherwise, it would have undoubtedly been given a much lower rating!!!

Scientology is for weak minds.
I read this book to see what all the fuss was about regarding Scientology.This 'religion' is more retarded than all others combined. Good thing I only paid [...] for this book at Goodwill.

Don't waste your time.
I always wondered how people could take a fiction book and make a religion out of it and after reading this, I still don't get it.Anyone who looks at this book as anything other than fiction deserves their life ruined by these cult weirdos.Even with an open mind, this book is laughably bad.

Total Literary Garbage.It's joining the kindling in my fireplace this winter.

Wow really?
Coming from a large library of Robbins, etc, I can honestly say that this book is horrible.The concepts and theories are ill-founded and extremist (though cleverly masked).This is also without the obvious issue of what this book funds and supports.DON'T BUY THIS BOOK and definitely DO NOT GIVE MONEY OR INFORMATION TO THIS ORGANIZATION.

Really
My sister used to have this book on our family bookshelf. I read it once when I was young, and again recently. I still cannot find anything worthwhile here, not even in the sexy bits. Hubbard assumes that if he can make the reader think that he's more intelligent than they are, that they'll believe his pseudoscience without question. Unfortunately, his underhanded method is often successful. ... Read more

Product Description
Deluged with problems, snowed under by stacks of mail, phone ringing constantly-how can an executive cope? The life or death situations you deal with on a daily basis are like walking a tightrope.

There is a way out!

L. Ron Hubbard has isolated the key principles which make life possible-even for an executive.

You don’t need to walk a tightrope any longer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

This is the hook, avoid the line and sinker
This book, like the other non-fiction works by Hubbard, is intended to hook the reader into joining the Scientology cult.Like most attempts at intellectual entrapment, it contains some degree of truth, but is not a valid or honest attempt to offer help.

I would recommend that anyone looking to buy this book do research into the life of L Ron Hubbard and particularly the nature of the cult that he created.

A valuable resource
This book will help explain why an executive can be so overworked and show that it doesn't have to be that way.A business can run smoother with executives less harried and everyone is better off.

Vital ammunition for today's corporate executive
Finally, a practical and in-depth study of what it really takes to increase productivity, accomplish personal and business objectives, maintain successful relationships with clients, peers and staff -- while maintaining a perspective and sanity in today's "complicated" workplace. "How To Live Though An Executive," by L. Ron Hubbard, is one of the first realistic set of techniques and approaches to the actual problems an executive and business owner faces every day, both at home and in the workplace. Book Review Editor BNI NEWS

Vital ammunition for today's corporate executive
Finally, a practical and in-debth study of what it really takes to increase productivity, accomplish personal and business objectives, maintain successful relationships with clients, peers and staff -- while maintaining a perspective and sanity in today's "complicated" workplace. "How To Live Though An Executive," by L. Ron Hubbard, is one of the first realistic set of techniques and approaches to the actual problems an executive and business owner faces every day, both at home and in the workplace. Book Review Editor BNI NEWS ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Mission Earth volume 3
This is only the third volume out of ten and this series is already starting to get tiring. The plot meanders aimlessly at a snail's pace and the so-called satire falls flat almost every time (one genuinely funny moment was when Soltan Gris tries to call Delbert John Rockecenter). So much time is spent on the pointless subplot about Soltan's dancing girl Utanc. The real story doesn't really get going until the last 100 pages and then the book ends with a cliffhanger. I wouldn't keep reading this series if I hadn't already bought all ten volumes, and I don't recommend it.

Mission Earth Series
I read this series years ago when I was a member of the Scientology church.The whole thing is so funny and each volume leaves you hanging and waiting for the next volume.I am buying the whole series now, years later.Hardback of course for posterity.Soltan Gris is the embodiment of Murphy's Law."Whatever can go wrong, will."

Earth is in the path of conquest...
The story continues in Mission Earth Volume 3.It's another fun and fancy twist and turn to the story this time.Jettero Heller, the Voltarian Fleet Officer on assignment to save Earth from pollution winds up living in theposh Gracious Palms whorehouse across the street from the United Nations! He also links up with a mafia family who take him in as their own son, andthings get really wild!The story is continued to be narrated by SoltanGris, a killer sent to sabotage Heller's mission. This book 3 of the storyreally starts to include some bizarre characters and incidents that willmake you want to flee this part of the galaxy!You will enjoy how thestory develops further in this book, and the plots and schemes get broaderand more exciting.I loved reading this whole series.

Suspense - Thrills
I loved all of these stories.I could not stop once I started them.The pacing is great. The satire is great. Hubbard has a fantastic and witty sense of humor. These stories also really they get you thinking. Love themall.

Really Really Bad
This 3rd volume in the Mission Earth series is really, really bad.It should be subtitled 'Soltan in New York'.Every other chapter ends with the phrase 'Heller is ruined now!'.It's like a 3-Stooges book.Soltanschemes, Heller escapes, Soltan growls and takes it out on subordinates. Characters are beyond belief, even for so-called satire. ... Read more

Product Description
As the mighty Voltarian Confederacy crumbles in flaming combat, riots and civil war, Jettero Heller and Countess Krak struggle desperately to save it from ruin. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

As Detailed...
The books arrived on time and in perfect condition.They finished off my collection perfectly.Now, to find time to read...

Disappointing...
I got sucked into the Mission Earth series after reading the spectacular "Battlefield Earth" (the best pulp scifi novel ever). Unfortunately, after buying in hardback all 10 of these bloated episodes, hoping that they would lead to a great ending, I was sorely disappointed.

While the stories do have some of Hubbard's humor and some interesting satire, they don't have the cohesion, pacing or the characters of Battlefield Earth. It's not worth your time.

A Riveting, Exciting and Captivating Crescendo!
The final volume of the Mission Earth Dekology `The Doomed Planet' is by far my favorite overall in this series.Hubbard takes the reader to a new height with a crescendo of action and intrigue.In this final novel wefind the villian Lombar Hisst, the madman behind the entire Earth mission,ascending the throne of the Voltar empire after using drugs and other Earthvices on the Emperor and Lords of the confederacy.Meanwhile Hellerbecomes a fugitive and joins the exiled Prince Mortiiy's rebel army toengage in an invasion to overthrow Hisst out of Palace City.Meanwhile J.Walter Madison, the unleashed PR agent is trying to bring the house ofcards down on Earth and bring about a full scale invasion by the Conderacy! This book is incredibly exciting as it brings to a glorious end all thetales within tales of this this great 10 volume series.Hubbard leaves nostone unturned as he brings the series to it's ultimate conclusion with theApparatus (a Voltar type Covert operations organization) on the run facingextiction.The order starts to go into the society as the right criminalsare prosecuted and jailed.The action throughout this book is in keepingwith the excitement of the whole series.I found myself turning page afterpage on this final volume, staying up long hours at night reading, reading,reading, not wanting to miss a beat.The whole series is exceptionallywonderful as Hubbard makes simple, yet satirical observations on our ownsociety and calls attention to our own absurdities in the world we live. He shows you Earth from different angles with humor and adventure allwrapped up in a fast-paced suspense.I found this wholes series to beriveting, but this final book to be extraordinarily captivating as theauthor brings all the roads of adventure he mapped in the ten part stringof novels to an ultimate climax.I cannot say enough about this book andthe entire Dekalogy, except that it is a giant amongst giants in ScienceFiction.You will love the entire series!Volume 10 'The Doomed Planet'is a great book, and rides high on my list of ultimate favorites!I highlyrecommend you take time for this ten step journey.It's truly worth it.

Great Finale - Surprise!
I loved all of these stories.I could not stop once I started them.The pacing is great. The satire is great. Hubbard has a fantastic and witty sense of humor. These stories also really they get you thinking. Love themall.

Top-shelf science fiction
I rank the Mission Earth series in the same class as Hyperion, Starship Troopers, Lord of Light, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.The first book of the Mission Earth series is the best, and I re-read ityearly.

If you are one of the few wackos who love the IRS and thinkpsychiatry is a blessing from the lord, don't read this book.But if"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" enrages you as much as mostpeople, Ron Hubbard is your man. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Black Genesis
"Black Genesis" is the second volume in the "Mission Earth" series, and unlike the first volume, "The Invaders Plan", it actually takes place on Earth.

Soltan Gris, our narrator, is even more cynical than before. But the so-called "satire" really consists of rants against the government and psychology and is tiresome instead of funny.

The pace is not as slow as in "The Invaders Plan"; this book is about 150 pages shorter. But it still feels slow and lacking direction; the story doesn't really seem to be going anywhere. If I hadn't already bought all ten volumes, I don't think I would bother to continue reading the "Mission Earth" series.

Annoying at best
I read this drivle in highschool and gave up around book two.

Aside, does anyone else think those five star reviews are all written by the same person?

Serriously dude, they are really not that great. Just reading through some of the later chapters can get creepy. Hubberd was a very strange man.

The Best Remedy from Boredom
A marvellous creation! Full of action and totally surprising. The most interesting thing I've ever read. It's also very witty: I couldn't stop laughing. You must definitely read it.

Might as well buy all the books at once...
I don't find time to read very often and yet I have read these books through 4 times. Heller is like James Bond without the sleeping around. If you let yourself get [pulled] into the book the satire is hilarious and action nonstop. You are constantly wondering what is going to happen next. The books are a fast read so I recommend buying them all at once.

Disappointed...
I got sucked into the Mission Earth series after reading the spectacular "Battlefield Earth" (the best pulp scifi novel ever). Unfortunately, after buying in hardback all 10 of these bloated episodes, hoping that they would lead to a great ending, I was sorely disappointed.

While the stories do have some of Hubbard's humor and some interesting satire, they don't have the cohesion, pacing or the characters of Battlefield Earth. It's not worth your time.

(Note, those dust-jackets however have to be the most spectacular ever made.) ... Read more

Product Description
 

Customer Reviews (15)

Could be Worse
I actually remember this book vividly from when I first read it as a child; it made quite an impression on me at the time, and that's why I took the trouble to find it in the library, now it's reprinted.

Since it was first published in serial form in 1950 when I was five, I was probably 10 or 12 when I read it.
Now of course I know Hubbard as the creator of Scientology, and his reputation as a mediocre science fiction writer of the 40's and 50's before that.I'm not a fan of Hubbard as a person, or of Scientology, and it's mildly unpleasant to see his pictureand read the propaganda on the jacket and in the intro; but I don't care about that.I figure this is a guy who really wasn't a very good science fiction writer, but maybe not too bad, I don't know; some of his stuff, like the absolutely unreadable Battlefield Earth, is abysmal.To be fair, you can say the same about some of Heinlein's last works.Obviously this guy is no Heinlein, but it might be that a few of his best works are pretty good; or those few best works might still be pretty weak, or might even be very good.I wanted to read at least one thing by him, one of his best works, just to satisfy my curiosity, and I wanted to read this one because I do have this vivid childhood memory of it.

Well, it's not that good.In some ways it's pretty weak.And it's not that bad.Just considered as a science fiction novel, it really doesn't stand up today; there are tons of current novels in the bookstores, mostly by people you never heard of, that are really not particularly good, but just as good as this.However, I think a lot of science fiction stories from the 50's are worse.This hasn't stood up like early work by people like Asimov and Heinlein, it doesn't even match up with work by people like, oh, Murray Leinster , Eric Frank Russell,Hal Clement who were less seminal in the field than the Heinleins and Asimovs; but I'm sure it was well above average in 1950.Most of the Hubbard books being reprinted now, of course, are due solely to the efforts of Scientology, and probably most of them, like Battlefield Earth, have no merit whatsoever, but this one just might have made it on its own merits.

Turns it out hardly qualifies as a book either; I was amazed how fast I got through it.Partly this was because it reads verysmoothly and easily; that's a positive, I think.It means there's nothing difficult in it, nothing hard to understand, nothing really worth pausing and rereading, but it does move along smoothly.Today it's best understood as a juvenile, although it may have had a big adult audience when it came out.

It's like Dan Brown in a way; Brown's sentences are terrible, but he does move the action right along.On the other hand, the other reason you can read this book in a couple of hours is that it's really just anovella.It's a large hardbound book in large print, so it looks like a real novel.I recall it as a small, skinny paperback when I read it as a kid.

There's an absolutely unnecessary glossary in the back that defines for you things like "appetite over tincup" and "skidded" thatyou either alreadyknow, or you can certainly figure out from context; there is absolutely no need for it, and it would be inexplicable if you didn't know that dictionary definitions are a fetish of ElRon's that play a large part in Dianetics/Scientology.The idea is that people don't understand things because they skip over the words they don't know, so you should always have a dictionary to hand, and never skip over a word, always look it up.They really had to strain to come up with this though; there simply are no hard words in this book.It's a juvenile.I loved it when I was ten, and I'm sure I didn't need a dictionary.

The story, I can't say whether it really may have been exciting when it came out; of course it's very tired now.
Travel at near-lightspeed, age slowly, your family and even your culture is dead when you come back, so you're isolated.We get it.The science is a little off-- ElRon thinks a light-hugging ship could actually reach the speed of light and get stuck there and never be able to slow down-- but again, what do you expect in 1950?The story of this young guy getting Shanghaied by this Captain Ahab sort of character, it's extremely predictable, but again it may not have been so bad by the standards of pulp SF in 1950, and it does read surprisingly well.The individual sentences tend to be a little purple, and of course the characters are all cardboard cutouts, but the whole thing marches right along, goes down pretty smoothly.It might be as good as some Heinlein juveniles.It's actually a little bit fun to read.

(spoilers)

One thing, though, that's pretty jarring to modern sensibilities-- I imagine it didn't bother too many people at the time, certainly not John Campbell, the editor who published it in Astounding-- is the ending, with its big reveal.

The book's mostly about the protagonist's great tragic loss of his girlfriend and his life in his time, and then his gradual adjustment to his new life; the ship comes back to Earth a few times and there's never anything going onthat's attractive or interesting to the characters, or us, and we never actually see any of the interstellar colonies, either.Making a fortune trading, exploring the universe, it's not any fun for the characters or the reader.What we do find out, at the end, is that there are many intelligent races in the universe.They're not interesting either; in fact, we hate them, because they're not us, and we kill them whenever we have a chance.That is the high destiny that Captain Jocelyn has been grooming young Alan Corday for.This is why the "Long Passage' traders have to keep on truckin', even though it's such a terrible life; they have to make sure no nonhuman races ever get to the point where they could threaten humanity. Ick.Ho-hum.Is that it?It's anticlimactic, underwhelming, disgusting, boring andhorrifying all at once. (Kind of like Scientology, I imagine ;-)The existence of alien races is only introduced near the end of the book, which adds to the anticlimactic nature of it.You don't get a chance to hate or fear the nasty aliens; you just hear at the end that that's what it's all about, that there are aliens, and you're just supposed to go along unquestioningly with the idea that the aliens all have to be killed and kept down.Really disgusting.

I honestly would prefer to give this book one star or less, for the disgusting ending, or its maculate origin, or the propaganda, but it really reads pretty well, especially for something from 1950, so I think it deserves every bit of two stars.Three might not be crazy, but I'm going with two, I think that's about right.I might give it two and a half if I could. It's odd that the Scientologists made such a big deal out of the utterly repulsive and unreadable Battlefield Earth; this is infinitely better than that, actually not bad at all, and would have been a much better choice, at least on literary merits.

A Piece Of Science Fiction History
"To The Stars" by L. Ron Hubbard is one of the earliest works dealing with relativity and the time dilation effects of traveling close to the speed of light.This will forever make it an interesting and important work in science fiction history.The story is solid, and probably better than average for its day, but at the same time it was very predictable and has been surpassed many times by other works.Published originally in the February and March editions of "Astounding Science Fiction" in 1952, it created a stir.However, it has not aged nearly as well, and has been largely forgotten by fans.It did not receive any recognition at all, until it was nominated for the Retro Hugo in 2001, for novellas published in 1950.

The story is a fairly basic one.Alan Corday is kidnapped and finds himself on a long passage to Alpha Centauri and other ports.When he returns to Earth after a few years (his time), he finds little familiar and so has little choice but to become a permanent member of the crew.He finds himself to be a bit of an outcast, never fully accepted by the crew.It isn't until many years later that he learns the truth.While I found the book to be somewhat predictable, I will not go any further into the plot so as to not spoil it for anyone else.

While the story is borderline average, the book itself is well put together.The Galaxy Press edition is a very nice hardbound book, the type is large and easy to read (a novella length story takes over 200 pages in this format).I can think of many classic science fiction works which I would like to see receive the same treatment.

Good, but 200 pages too short...
First, I must admit that I am neither a die-hard Sci-Fi fan, nor even an L. Ron Hubbard fan.I am, however, a Chick Corea fan.Corea, a jazz pianist who is very much a Hubbard guy,recently released a recording en homage to this book.I had to check it out for myself.

I have to say that the framework, the bones, for a top-10-books-of-my-life quality read are here.The fundamental premise, the relative effect upon time as mass approaches light speed, is sufficiently mind-blowing to warrant reading the book.However, I found the plot and character development to fall somewhat short of the book's promise.Here are my gripes, enumerated:

- The story ultimately asks the reader to understand the deep personal nature of the relationship between Corday and Jocelyn when, in my opinion, it does little to develop that relationship throughout.Admittedly, much of what the story reveals is done as an epiphany, but I would like to have seen a little more foundation.
- The "Hound of Heaven" (and why does it have that name?) visits Earth several times during the story.For certain reasons, the "circumstances" on Earth are very different upon each visit.I thought that the details and stories surrounding and resulting from each visit, especially the final one, could have been expanded substantially, adding value to the story.
- A certain romance develops in the book.Or, I should say, develops in the final paragraph of the book.It's easy to see it coming; I thought Hubbard poorly ignored it until the denouement.
- There is another planet called "Johnny's Landing" (and why does it have that name?) which the "Hound" visits a couple of times.Again, there seems to be much to say of these visits, and many stories to tell, none of which are told.

Ultimately, I felt that I had read an abridged version of a great book, which amounted to a fair book in my estimation.Also, while I realize the book was written in a far different time Sci-Fi wise, it seems Hubbard could have arrived upon a better title than "To The Stars", which seems a trifle mailed-in to me.

A Milestone in Science Fiction
'To the Stars' is a masterpiece of Science Fiction.An adventure across time and space, offering a haunting insight into the cultural decay of societies, and how history is often forgotten by a civilization, and thus repeated.This book is an adventure from the first page, and keeps rolling from page to page.The author has a magnificent talent at raising the intensity with every new chapter, capturing the reader along on the journey.This is a classic milestone of Science Fiction and has been a favorite of fans for 50+ years.Hubbard has a remarkable gift at creating a timeless story that can last for generations, and this book is just that.You will enjoy it!

A Superb Read From L. Ron Hubbard
Protagonist, Alan Corday, forcibly "recruited" by crew of the "Hound of Heaven", trans-galactic merchant ship.Their only problem - rapid lapses of time at the planets and ports they visit - all caused by time differential of their light-speed travels.Earth's governments and cultures rise and fall during the ship's high-speed runs.

The realities Hubbard presents will impinge deeply on readers.Who are we without our families, cities, language, the planet we know - all left behind in time?

I was filled with emotion and fully satisfied upon discovering the writer's classic conclusion - Man's purpose and basic nature.A real lesson in "True Groups" - nearly lost in today's world.

"To The Stars" is an exciting page-turner for thinking people who want more meaning from existence.

Edward E. Marsh
Trustee, Marsh Library ... Read more

Product Description
Dr. Henry Mudge undergoes a striking personality change when he discovers a mathematical formula "Equation C" that defines a mysterious negative dimension. He is instantly transported to any location in the solar system by merely thinking of it--even when he doesn't want to. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Fast paced short story with bonus fawning bio
The short story revolves around a professor that discovers an ability to use your mind to teleport your physical body anywhere you think of, including inhabitated alien worlds. The story is fast paced and enjoyable and well worth a read at a discounted price. The length is very short though but I can't complain as I picked it up for free.

However, it also comes with a short bio on L. Ron Hubbard that appears to be overly complimentary. Don't expect to learn anything about the real man here other than tales of heroic exploits.

One of Hubbard's Weaker Stories
This Kindle book is a single short story by L. Ron Hubbard, together with a long essay praising Hubbard as a master of the pulp fiction era. Hubbard did write some classic pulp-- "Fear" is one of the greatest horror stories of all time, and "Typewriter in the Sky" is a wonderful piece of fantasy-- but this is one of his weaker efforts, a one-joke piece of science fiction humor.

Old time scifi, BUT....
This is a great, clever and well-paced story.

However, the 'extra' diatribe about Mr. Hubbard feels overwhelmingly like.... someone from Scientology wrote it...... i kept waiting to see if he had invented Fire, the Wheel and PB&J. Aside from the cultish 'bio', this was fun to read.

Waste of time
A real pulp fiction, simplistic and unreal to the point of stupidity. The only good thing about this book is that it's free

Entertaining Short Story
This was a free download, so I figured, what the heck?While out shopping with my wife, I grabbed her Kindle and sat on a bench.I flew through this story in about 10 minutes.Highly entertaining and an enjoyable break from shopping.

*SPOILER* The story is about a professor that stumbles upon an equation that can instantaneously transport him anywhere in the universe with a simple thought.The transportation is so easy, once one is aware of the theory, they are susceptible to transportation at the mere mention of a place i.e., the moon.The hell this guy goes through in the short story is highly worth the read and begets thoughts of, what if....The instantaneous transport is only stopped through the development of a counter-theory and balances out the effects and thus ends a great short story.

Highly recommended for any fan of classic Sci-Fi short stories. ... Read more

Product Description
Find out about the only effective program that eliminates the devastating effects of drugs and toxins. Hundreds of thousands have done this program and live happier, more perceptive and aware lives as a result. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

If...
If his ideas are so great - and Scientology really helps advance humanity to "next level" as it were, they haven't advanced above Mr. Hubbard? It seems that they are stuck, nothing new, no new writers or ideas, even their instruments seem atiquated. Why haven't the principles of Scientology created new mechanism, new ideas, new writers, new technology to evaluate - as oppose to remaining stuck to the writing of a man, who may have had good ideas, but they surely do not end with him...or do they? This would be a model of a dictatorship, where the people cannot move beyond or survive without the dictator, everything becomes a means to sustain one individual. These are honest questions that I have.

Nice book
The book is very well illustrated and what the author writes makes some sense.
Although I am not going to do this program, as I am not into Scientology and besides that it would cost me way to much money. I will just continue on taking my chlorella plus some Vitamine B. supplements, as taking saunas is totally NOT my thing.

Beware of Planted "Reviews" of this title
The reviewer "A Customer" has planted multiple reviews of this title.I was going to purchase it, but the vested interest reviewer mentioned above makes me question the value of something that has to be infomercialled.

Ridiculous.
This book is ridiculous. If it were printed in a normal sized font and all the extra spaces were removed, it'd probably be about 20 pages long. It's formatted like a children's book. Its "advice" ranges from obvious to frightening, including the suggestion that people sit in a hot sauna for HOURS each day.

I am clean of toxins
I had a 21 year history of allergies that was growing yearly - I was taking asthma medications daily, and I started to gain weight because any exercise initiated an asthma attack - so I started to become dormant.Literally I was backing out of life.Then I turned to allergy medications.They may have been over the counter, and represented as harmless, but I was tired, forgetful, and lacked enthusiasm about work, and life.So I started searching for alternative medicines.I tried different therapies, but nothing got rid of the asthma.Then I found this book, and read it.It totally made sense.But now I grappled with 'How am I going to do the actual program?'

I finally decided that I was going to make it happen.I had lost too much time becoming complacent, and drugging myself to live.So I went to a centre, and did it.It was difficult; there were lots of vitamins involved, and I didn't like sauna's (although I love them now) and it took me 28 days, as I had a history of X-Rays, Dental Work, Surgeries, sunburns/radiation exposure.While I was on it, and afterwards though, the results were unbelievable.

Today, 2 years after the program, I haven't gotten sick, I have never taken a drug for allergies, asthma, or any other purpose/reason, and I feel CLEAN.And the best adjustment came naturally - I don't want to put anything into my body now that isn't good for it.I have a clean body, and I'm going to keep it that way now.

Isn't it worth taking a look at for yourself?I am glad I did, and I hope you do too.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great product
I knew the book would be good but didn't realize that it was a used book at first ,I have bought brand new books in worse shape then this one. Great product and quick delivery. Thanks

Need 6-10 on Kindle!
Great series if you're looking for light sci-fi with a lot of humor in the form of a sarcastic parody of our society.But why would only the first 5 books be available on Kindle?We need the rest of the series!

A blaze of glory!Great book!
Fortune of Fear is the fifth book in Hubbard's great Dekology Mission Earth.It ushers back in the character Countess Krak who arrives on Earth.She makes her way from Turkey to Atlantic City and joins her lover thehero of the story Jettero Heller, whom by now is well into his plan tosalvage Earth.Their mortal enemy, Soltan Gris, is actively attempting tosabotage Heller's mission.This book blazes a trail from the Mediterraneanto the Swiss banks and back into a mafia-contolled casino, where the actionis intense.You will love how Soltan get himself into such bizarresituations, and digs himself further everytime!A wonderful story, and acharming look at our world from a very talented author.

By now we've all rediscovered Archie Comix . . .
This series began well, with much promise, and I remember reading each book avidly as a teenager.Ten years later, returning to the series out of boredom and a need for something to read on the commuter train, I've foundthat by book 5, if not 3, I've really lost any interest in what is goingon.The subplots raise a smile now and then, but the "satire" isgenerally cheap, the plots could have been taken from any number of cheap,poorly written romances and fantasy novels (and maybe this was the point),and there is too much of everything.Too much "satire", too manysubplots, too much of the same thing.Gris was endearing in the first bookor two, but by book 5 you'll have seen just about everything you're goingto see.The only difference is the way Hubbard continues to represent usedplots and worn out ideas under "new", "exciting"contexts.I wouldn't call this science fiction.I'm not sure I want tocall it literature, at some points, but it does have its endearing partshere and there.It reminds me of how it felt to be a teenager, now andthen, but I think Archie Comix had more content, and they were only 20pages long, instead of 400.Even better, you only need to read three orfour comix (that's only about 50 to 80 pages) to find out the first one hadeverything you'll find in the ones to come (compare to 800-1600 pages). And if the plot failed (as it does quite regularly by book 5), you canalways just look at the pictures to get you through to the end.

I. E. Itwon't take much hunting to find better.

The sex scenes in this book will make you sick
The paperback version of this book shows a roulette wheel, as a way of hinting at the episode in this book where the star, Jettero Heller, ends up winning ownership of all of Atlantic City.That's better than the originalcover to the book, which can be seen on the hardcover edition (easy to findfor one dollar at any used-book store).The original cover had a pictureof the Countess Krak (one of the stars of the book), painted in a stylethat suggests it was originally painted as a naked woman, than colored overto make the suggestion of sex more "subtle" -- and to entice youto buy the book.The original cover was indeed appropriate, because thisparticular book in the Scientology-influenced "Mission Earth"series reduces sex to a hateful weapon.

After coming into possession of aton of pure gold (the "fortune" of the book's title), Soltan Grissettles down into a happy lifestyle in which he rapes women, night afternight after night.Upon returning to the United States after recoveringfrom the injuried inflicted upon him in book 4 of the series, he gets hisrevenge on the two women who tortured him -- and he rapes them, thereby"curing" them of their lesbianism.After that, he greets theCountess Krak as she arrives on Earth to help Jettero Heller accomplish hismission...and the only thing that keeps him from raping her is the factthat he's terrified of her.An earlier ecstatic review of the"Mission Earth" books says that the reader feels sorry for"poor Soltan" -- before you're halfway through with this book (ifyou manage to make it that far through this sorry mess), you'll be sorryfor yourself for attempting to read L. Ron Hubbard's sadisticfantasies.

As for the plot of the series, it continues to drag on here. Jettero Heller is stymied by the plots of J. Walter Madison...though why asuper-genius like Heller would be dumbfounded by a gang of idiots likeSoltan Gris and Madison is left up in the air.Fortunately, Countess Krakarrives to bail him out of his dilemma...and we somehow make it to thehalfway point in this godawful series.Oh, and of course we can't forgetthe portrayal of psychiatry as the most sinister weapon in the arsenal ofJohn D. "Rockecenter" -- after all, this wouldn't be an L. RonHubbard book if it didn't pronounce psychiatry as evil. ... Read more

Product Description
Do you really know yourself? Now you can, with Self Analysis. This book will take you through your past, your potentials, your life. First, with a series of self-examinations and using a special version of the Hubbard Chart of Human Evaluation, you plot yourself on the Tone Scale. Then, applying a series of light, yet powerful processes, you embark on the great adventure of self-discovery. This book further contains embracive Dianetic principles that answer the questions you’ve had, but never knew where to ask. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Strengthen Your Memory
This book contains the best memory exercises there are. I have looked at many other memory enhancement courses and books but this is the best.
The exercises are simple and easy to understand. About 60% of the book are lists of things to remember and each item in a list is matched to sensory perceptions. For example: Recall a time you had a holiday and match it to smell. You might get the smell of turkey in the oven or maybe apple pie. 30 or 40 minutes a day works great to improve your outlook on life and enhance your memory. Simple, but it works.
I owned this book in 1986 but lost it in a move. I am very pleased that I was able to find a copy of this book on Amazon.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

If L. Ron wasn't a psycho then I'm the King of France
I read this book for free at the Clambake site.

It is really the most interesting biography I have ever read.

L. Ron was totally nuts and quite entertaining.

Anyone who takes his science fiction as reality is as nuts as he was.

Case closed.

Must Read
1987 Book on the true history of L.R. Hubbard. For more than forty years, the Church of Scientology has vigorously promoted an image of its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, as a romantic adventurer and philosopher whose early life fortuitously prepared him, in the manner of Jesus Christ, for his declared mission to save the world. The glorification of 'Ron', superman and saviour, required a cavalier disregard for facts: thus it is that every biography of Hubbard published by the church is interwoven with lies, half-truths and ludicrous embellishments. The wondrous irony of this deception is that the true story of L. Ron Hubbard is much more bizarre, much more improbable, than any of the lies.

A screenplay and a movie, someone PLEASE!
I only recently became curious about Scientology after seeing Tom Cruise's much-lampooned, looney interview about it. (And I can never look at him, or other Co$ celebs the same way again.) Based on what I had already seen and heard, I wanted to hate this book's protagonist from the beginning. But through all the lies and deceit of this snake oil salesman, I DID see a charismatic and fascinating character. That is, up until his seafaring adventures and beyond. His penchant for dictatorship came to full fruition from then on, culminating in selling out his own wife and children. Truth is, in this case, truly stranger than fiction. I can't help but think that, done well, a biopic based on this book alone would be a spectacular train wreck - something with the same look and feel of "The People vs. Larry Flynt". Bob Hoskins would be a superb LRH!

Absolutely astounding biography
What an absolutely terrific biography of lunatic-at-large, the late founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard!Miller exposes Hubbard for the cynical, not to mention grandiose and megalomaniacal fraud that he was.From birth to death, Miller leaves no stone unturned in showing the reader that Hubbard was a disturbed, pathological liar who embellished almost every aspect of his life.From reading the book, I got the impression that every second word out of Hubbard's mouth was a lie. That an entire "religion" has been built on the writings and pronouncements of this man is nothing short of incredible (and worrying).Exactly how did Hubbard come up with the principles of Dianetics?Unfortunately, Miller sheds no light on exactly where Dianetics came from and what kind of "research" Hubbard did for it, but reading between the lines, I gather that Hubbard wrote it off the top of his head, an accusation later levelled at him by one of his sons. Hubbard had always said that the best way to make millions was to found a new religion, and he set out to do just that. I was intrigued by Miller's description of the faux-arcane rigmarole and vocabulary of Scientology, ie. the E-Meter, "auditing", "pre-clears" and "clears", "operating thetans", etc.Hubbard created a whole new cosmology for Scientology that is as fascinating as it is demented.The chapters dealing with Hubbard fleeing mainland USA in the late 60's to spend almost a decade sailing the Meditteranean on a converted ocean liner with a private navy were absolutely fascinating! (Hubbard fled the US as the FBI was closing in on him and his operation).I just could not believe what I was reading!! The whole mega-hierarchical "Sea Org" structure and voyage was sheer lunacy and I just cannot fathom how rational,largely college educated,intelligent people could possibly want to be part of such a harebrainedventure. That so many of them stayed on board and robotically obeyed orders for so many years truly defies belief and credulity. Hubbard's personal charisma must have been off the scale, considering the fierce, unquestioning loyalty he inspired in his followers.All in all, this book is gripping from page one and it takes the reader on an incredible journey into the life and times of one of the most controversial figures of our times. Highly, highly recommended!

Amazing Biography
I normally hate biographies.I found this story when browsing the operation clambake site.This is one of the only "thrilling" and definitely captivating biographies I've ever read about a very unique and fascinating individual. Here's a guy who's got a real talent for telling stories, who uses this talent to build one hell of a fairly large religious cult that has impacted so many lives including my own.My family got sucked into Scientology when I was a child, I sort of saw through some of the bs, they on the other hand did not and were bilked out of quite a large sum of money. Now here is a great time to read about the man who stole Chef from South Park and duped Tom Cruise. L. Ron Hubbard was certainly someone worth reading about, if just for insight into what makes men like him tick. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

satire this?
When I was a lad of some 12 years of age, I enjoyed this and all the others in the series.Now, after reading much science fiction, I am bored to tears.Satire is wonderful only when it serves a point and this does not.The first couple of books were and still are enjoyable.However, when we reach this book I fear it has degraded into a bloated work that goes no where.We've already seen countless times that psych is evil, sex is perverted, and countless other replayed points.I reread up to this book and just couldn't go on!I suppose if one treats the series as a source of cheap thrills it's not all that bad.I for one would rahter listen to Zappa's catalog for some good old satire whit and inteligence.

The Scheme of Sabotage Continues...
Death Quest continues the exciting tale of the hero Jettero Heller methodically working to save Earth, and his adversary Soltan Gris who seeks to sabotage everything he does.This time Soltan hires a hit man namedTorpedo Fiaccolla, a killer so loathsome even the mafia has blacklistedhim!He sends his to take out the Countess Krak, Jettero Heller's devotedlove.Only the scheme does not turn out as Soltan plans, and everythinggoes out of control!This book takes the reader violently through thehills of Virginia and then to the open sea and climaxes dramatically in thewaterways of Atlantic City.Meanwhile Soltan commits bigamy, and has hisplans turned all upside down by a bubble-gum popping teeny-bopper as wellas many other outragious exploits involving a pig farm and tons of gold! Death Quest keeps the tale rolling forward and keeps the story alive withwild untamed adventure around every corner.The creative and unusualcharacters will make you smile and laugh as the story continues to unfold.Hubbard's wit and humor are constantly present in this wonderful satire andscience fiction dekalogy. Mission Earth book 6 is great fun! When youmake it this far into the series, you will really love this one!

Sci-Fi Satire At It's Best
I loved all of these stories.I could not stop once I started them.The pacing is great. The satire is great. Hubbard has a fantastic and witty sense of humor. These stories also really they get you thinking. Love themall.

Tarzan, John Carter...Jettero Heller
A new hero of world-saving stature, who is also the best example of human sanity and decency ever in print.The pace of this book is scorching--don't read it late at night if you have to get up early the nextday.

The endless series plods on and on and on...
Other classics of science fiction and satire give us characters that entertain us, delight us, and romance us...the Stainless Steel Rat, Jerry Cornelius and Jherek Carnelian, Zaphod Beeblebrox, Hiro Protagonist andY.T., and so many others.What do we get with L. Ron Hubbard and book sixof this seemingly endless series?We get Teenie Whopper, a genuineunderage teenage nymphomaniac who exists solely to have sex with SoltanGris and provide the reader with some sordid sex fantasies.And that's thehighlight (if you could call it that) of "Death Quest," asHubbard drags his subplots across yet another few hundred pages while wewait and wait and wait for something interesting to happen.Soltan Grishires a hit man to kill Countess Krak (the so-called "quest" ofthis book), but of course he screws it up; while he does so, Jettero Hellerfights back against the plots of J. Walter Madison and his idiotic"Whiz Kid" PR campaign.Oh, and of course we get more Hubbardranting against psychology and psychiatry, as voiced by Dr. Crobe.

Ifyou've managed to survive the first five books of this series withoutslipping into a coma, then you might enjoy the sex and occasional violencethat permeates this book.Lord knows there's little else to recommendit...but at least we're past the half-way point of the series.Only fourmore books to go... ... Read more