Shannon's Review - If I Were You by L. Ron Hubbard

Title: If I Were You
Series: N/A
Author: L. Ron Hubbard
Genre: Pulp Stories, Fiction
Publisher: Galaxy Press
Received: From Publicist  for review
Release Date: June 2008
Pages: 212
Rating:



My Thoughts:

This book has two pulp stories by L. Ron Hubbard first published in magazines years ago.
The first one:

If I Were You -
This a fantasy stories about a little person, named Little Tom, and a black magic magician at a circus.  The magic dies but Little Tom inherits his books even though the magician hated him.
Thing of course go awry and body switching ensues.

I enjoyed this one a little. I do like Hubbard’s fantasy more than sci fi.

The second story is :

The Last Drop-

A bartender drinks adds a strange syrup to his drink and his head inflates and mob boss comes in.  The Mob Boss whole body begins to shrink after he drinks the syrup.  

This one was strange and remind me of the scene in Alice in Wonderland.  I do not remember how it ends but I am sure it was strange because that is what Hubbard does well strangeness.

If you think of it these two stories are centered around plots that we have had in movies before and get redone after time. Like the first story we would probably think of Freaky Friday and the second story as I said Alice in Wonderland. Of course the ending is different for each. Decent stories  but stuff I have seen before.

Website:

N/A

Shannon's Review = The Crossroads by L. Ron Hubbard

Title: The Crossroads
Series: N/A
Author: L. Ron Hubbard
Genre: Fantasy, Pulp Fiction
Publisher: Galaxy Press
Received: From publicist for review
Release Date: June 2010
Pages: 136
Rating:


What is it About?

3 stories by author L. Ron Hubbard previously published in Pulp magazines.

My Thoughts:

I have read a few of Hubbard’s short stories I have to say that this one was my favorite ...well at least the first two stories are.  It surprised me because I did not think I would find anything of Hubbard I would like but the first two stories are different.

The Crossroads

A poor farmer leaves his home hoping to sell the food he has grown.  On his travel to the city he comes to a crossroad.  Not knowing where to go he sits for lunch.  As he stays at the crossroad strange and unusual people stop by and barter with him.

Borrowed Glory

An old woman is offered a deal from a angel.  She will give her youth and everything she wants for 2 days but after those days she will turned back to her present circumstances.  

The Devil’s Rescue

A survivor of a boat wreck is found by another ship.  They bring him back to health only to hope to imprison him on the ship.

As I said the first two stories are in my opinion better than the last.   They are more like fables where the last one is written differently.  I feel like first two stories you have a little fun reading them.  Devil’s Rescue you kind of have to work your brain harder to understand what is going on.  I would recommend this book for fantasy lovers.

Website:

L. Ron Hubbard
http://www.lronhubbard.org

Review - Spy Killer by L.Ron Hubbard

Title: Spy Killer
Series: N/A
Author: L. Ron Hubbard
Genre: Pulp Mystery
Publisher: Galaxy Press
Received: From Publisher for Review
Release Date: September 2008
Pages: 121
Rating:


What is it About?

Kurt Reid is a man of mystery and trouble love to find him. People want kill him, women want to consume him and he just wants to survive.

My Thoughts:

We find the protagonist, Kurt Reid, reflecting over his past. He is at a nightclub watching a beautiful woman from across the way. He starts up a conversation. That is his first mistake. This could cost his life. Now he running around Japan trying to find someone to trust.

I am not a big fan of pulp mystery but I figured this would be better then Hubbard’s Science Fiction. It was and it wasn’t. I found myself skimming a lot of description because it seemed like one page he was getting away from the girl or mob boss and the next chapter he wanted to find them. Every chapter was back and forth with such repetitiveness that I didn’t really care what happens to any of them.

Overall it is better than Hubbard’s sci fi but not better then the fantasy.

Website:

Official Site of L. Ron Hubbard
http://www.lronhubbard.org

The Professor Was A Thief - L. Ron Hubbard

Title: The Professor Was A Thief
Series: N/A
Author: L. Ron Hubbard
Genre: Mystery, Science Fiction,
Publisher: Galaxy Press LLC.
Received: From Publicist for review
Release Date: July 2009
Pages: 102
Rating:



What is it About?


3 mystery/science fiction short stories by author L. Ron Hubbard.


My Thoughts:


I have never read anything by Hubbard before.  It was interesting to say the least to see what his brain would come up with story wise.   

This book features 3 stories 1 more of a mystery and the other 2 science fiction.


-The Professor was a Thief -
Frankly this story bored me and I was thankful that it was a short story and not a full book because I did not find it fun to read.  I could not tell if this was suppose to be future, past or present.  It was about a Professor who went around miniaturizing the town and stealing buildings like the empire state building.   It just did not seem like a believable story and I think a poor one to start off the book with.


-Battle of Wizards-
This was a little better but here is where Hubbard’s science is stronger then god comes into play.  It is about humans and a alien race battling off.  Us human are suppose to have greater knowledge because of science then the alien race who has magic.  I felt I was getting a little bombarded with “science is great, science is god” .  I know that Hubbard started Scientology and have not read the main books for it but this I think was where it gets it’s roots from.

-The Dangerous Dimension-
Finally a story I could believe and enjoyed.  I felt like this book was butt backwards.
Still about science but I could relate to it.  This story was about the power of thought and how a scientist had figured out an equation that by thinking he could be transported anywhere in the universe. I know first hand that thought can be as strong as words spoken, so this story resonated.  I am not saying it could happen I am saying I see how it could be possible...sort of.
This was just a much better story and it should have been what the book started with.


I have other Hubbard book that I got from BEA 2011 and hope to read them soon.   Thankfully I liked the last story so hopefully there might be others I enjoy.


Website:
L. Ron Hubbard
http://www.lronhubbard.org/

WWW Wednesday - July 6th 2011

WWW Wednesday is a event that takes place at  Should Be Reading Blog

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

WHAT I AM CURRENTLY READING:

The Fairy Godmother (Five Hundred Kingdoms) by Mercedes Lackey

This book is really a different take on the fairy tale Cinderella so far I am liking it alot.

Verita (Verita Trilogy) by Tracy Rozzlynn

This is Sci Fi which is a genre I am finding I like more then I thought I would. 

Women Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything by Geneen Roth

So far I found most of this eye opening but I don't know if it is going to have a real effect on my eating habit. Something has got to give though.

The Professor Was a Thief (Stories from the Golden Age) by L Ron Hubbard

This is one of Hubbard's mystery's .  I haven't actually started just yet so I don't know how it is going to be I have never read anything by him.

WHAT I JUST FINISHED:

My America: My Brother's Keeper: Virginia's Civil War Diary, Book One by Mary Pope Osborne

All the different My America and Dear America always seem so dark and end sadly.  This one isn't as sad because it is book one but still our history is so dark sometimes.

WHAT I WILL READ NEXT:


The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
I read this once before when I was very young and hated it.  I don't remember any of it and I heard the vlogbrothers are reading it so I thought why not try it again now.


No Future For You (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume 2) by Brian K. Vaughan and Joss Whedon
I bought the second volume at Wizard World Comic Con and decided to read this part of the comic again.

Teaser Tuesday - The Professor Was A Thief

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 "Don't," she begged.  "Don't do that, Henry. Please don't do that. Anything you say, Henry. Anything. But don't pop off like that anymore."The Professor Was a Thief (Stories from the Golden Age) by L.Ron Hubbard