The Great Secret (Science fiction Short Stories Collection)

Hubbard, L Ron

ISBN 10: 1592122493 ISBN 13: 9781592122493

Publisher: Galaxy Audio, 2008

Synopsis

Women. Liquor. Power... Women. Liquor. Power... That is Fanner Marston’s mantra—his reason for being—and while he knows a little about the first and a lot about the second, he may well be on the verge of learning everything there is to know about the third. Power. He may, in fact, be about to uncover the key to gaining absolute control over the entire universe. The only problem is, Fanner is certifiably insane—a crazed Peter Lorre on a power trip….

His starship has crash-landed, and he’s the sole survivor, which doesn’t matter to him. Driven by greed and lust for power, wracked by thirst, hunger and pain, all he cares about is reaching the ancient city of Parva and making himself at home. Because there lies The Great Secret to universal domination—and what’s a little suffering on the road to becoming God?

Does Fanner have a prayer? The writing’s on the walls of Parva—and you won’t believe what it says. . . .

By the spring of 1938, Hubbard’s stature as a writer was well established. As author and critic Robert Silverberg puts it: he had become a “master of the art of narrative.” Hubbard’s editors urged him to apply his gift for succinct characterization, original plot, deft pacing and imaginative action to genres that were new, and essentially foreign, to him—science fiction and fantasy. The rest is SciFi history.

Also includes the Science Fiction adventures, The Space Can, in which a decrepit space battleship is a civilian fleet’s only defense; The Beast, the tale of a hunter in the jungles of Venus, chasing an immoral beast; and The Slaver, in which an alien race has enslaved the human race, but can’t repress the power of human love.

“Serves as a wonderful introduction to the breadth of Hubbard’s output.” —Comic Buyers Guide

About this title

About the Author

As one of the 20 top bestselling authors of all time, with more than 325 million works in circulation, L. Ron Hubbard stands alongside an illustrious company of writers. But he also stands aloneas an author who actually lived many of the stories he wrote.

Reviews

Starred Review. Hubbard's classic pulp fiction tale was originally published in 1943 but shows no signs of age. With the tremendous attention to detail and production, audiences will find themselves captivated from beginning to end. This multicast performance, headed by Bruce Boxleitner, is a wonderfully rich and textured experience, complete with realistic sound effects and moody atmospheric score. The result is an almost theatrical experience, with Boxleitner leading listeners on a futuristic journey that will have their pulses racing and imaginations running wild. Also included are three shorter science-fiction tales, each as entertaining as the last. A Galaxy Press paperback.(Sept.)
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This volume from Galaxy Press's new cache of Hubbard's golden age stories contains four adventures that take the listener from the treacherous jungle to the scorching desert to outer space. R.F. Daley narrates three, supported by a full cast and sound effects. He performs best when the story is action packed, like "The Beast." "Space Can" is a somewhat weaker entry, and even Daley and the supporting cast sound less engaged. On the other hand, Bruce Boxleitner handles the introspective first story, "The Great Secret," with a steady, rumbling, almost cinematic vocal swagger. The over-the-top performances may startle the listener who is accustomed to more subtle recordings, but it's part of the intended style. Just sit back and enjoy a nostalgic, old-fashioned listen, complete with extravagant melodrama. A.A. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

“Hubbard’s classic pulp fiction tale was originally published in 1943 but shows no signs of age. With the tremendous attention to detail and production, audiences will find themselves captivated from beginning to end. … Also included are three shorter science-fiction tales, each as entertaining as the last.” —Publishers Weekly

“A wonderfully rich and textured experience, complete with realistic sound effects and moody atmospheric music.” —Publishers Weekly Listen Up Award winner

“Readers used to today’s bloated SF tomes will appreciate Hubbard’s ability to pack an epic into relative few pages . . . golden SF from the Golden Age.” —Publishers Weekly

“A brilliant science fiction author.” —New York Daily News

“. . . Hubbard was one of the country’s most prolific pulp science fiction writers.” —National Public Radio

“One of the masters of pulp science fiction.” —Library Journal

Edition details

• Publisher: Galaxy Audio
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1592122493
• ISBN 13: 9781592122493
• Binding: Audio CD