Show Book Review Battlefield Earth Wonder in Science Fiction i Larry D. D Curtis Managing Editor L. L Ron Hubbard is an author whose name means different things to different people To millions he is known as the mind behind Dia- Dia The Hie Modem Modern Science of Mental Menial Health Hubbard spent three decades writing about his views on the nature of man and trying to better the human condition Long before Hubbard was loved by an entirely different audience as one of the masters of popular fiction and especially science science science ence fiction After spending 30 years away from science fiction Hubbard returned to his roots and wrote the 1050 page book boo Battlefield Earth to celebrate celebrate celebrate cele cele- brate his anniversary as a professional writer Science fiction is a turn off to many people peo peo- pie and a book big enough to serve selVe as an anchor anchor anchor an an- chor for a small yacht isn't a real great sign to casual readers However Battlefield Earth is neither to science non fiction fans nor is it difficult to finish Rather it might be difficult to put down Hubbards Hubbard's style is fast and fun a little like Indiana Jones in a Star Wars setting Its It's a thrill a minute cant can't cant can't catch your breath kind of ac ac- ac- ac tion Hubbard didn't stretch his novel to 1000 pages he crammed the excitement of a much I 1 larger book into that many pages The book begins with a giant furry funy alien sitting sitting sitting sit sit- ting in a bar chewing alien alcohol in his and almost fighting with another giant hairy alien over the fate of the human race Man says Terl Ten is an endangered cies Readers can ascertain from some humorous clues that these 1100 pound aliens called clos cIos live in hi a compound on Earth which they possibly conquered Jonnie Goodboy Tyler is the first human character we are introduced to He is a member of a tiny village that sits in jn the Rocky Mountains which we later find out is somewhere near the ancient city Denver His village depends on him as one of its better bener hunters and mysteriously he be is one of the only truly healthy citizens These are pe people without ambition technology technology technology ogy or much of a future They possibly may even be the last of the human race Jonnie is a rebel however because he isn't content to sit in the village and further even asa as asa asa a youth he asked too many questions The village village village vil vil- vil- vil lage elders look down on him and label him as being too smart Jonnie wonders why few babies babies babies ba ba- ba- ba bies in his village are born bom Also he be wonders why so many are born bom with severe physical defects defects defects de de- de- de while the herds around his village duce and grow consistently So when his fathers father's bones mysteriously crumble crumbl Jonnie leaves his little mountain village and rides his horse into the plain where an ancient city Denver is supposed to be despite the legends legends legends leg leg- ends of terrible giant monsters Much of the fun of the novel is discovering our future planet as well as the rest of the universe universe uni uni- uni verse and beyond with Jonnie He tries to learn what happened to his planet and the reader r eagerly eagerly eagerly ea ea- ea- ea gerly reads ahead to find out as well What begins as a very personal struggle for Jonnie Goodboy Tyler turns into a battle of such giant scope that readers couldn't in their wildest guesses fathom what events Jennies Jennie's curiosity and Terl's Tens greed will set in motion Over time Jonnies Jonnie's conflict with Terl Ted takes on much greater importance as Terl Ted involves more and more of Earths Earth's population and other As new characters are introduced Hubbard quickly characterizes them giving them life While we dont don't gain deep insights into their very souls as we might in a literary work by Charles Dickens we like the people we we are reading about We cheer for them feel sorry for them and some of them make us angry Even with the light manner Hubbard handies handles handles han han- dies the novel he evokes some strong planetary plane plane- planetary tary pride as well as pride in being human A reader with a little imagination will be re 1 I til r. r D Dable able to cast himself into the struggle for our planet and for humankind Battlefield Earth spent 32 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List when it was first released and is now being for its anniversary year I highly recommend it for some ome fun adventure adventure adventure ad ad- venture reading definitely not only for science science science ence fiction fans but for anybody who can canor Y v or likes to read |