The Red Dragon by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

The Red Dragon
by L Ron Hubbard
narrated by a Multicast
Series: Golden Age Stories
Copyright: 2013 Galaxy Audio
Duration: 2 hours unabridged
Genres: pulp fiction, adventure
Filed in: Audiobook Reviews
Click the image to visit the publisher’s website.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Flame-haired Michael Stuart's career as an officer in the US Marine Corps abruptly ended after a failed attempt to return the Chinese Imperial Dynasty to power in 1930s Asia. Abandoned by his country, he's unable to find safe passage out of China by land or sea.

Now Stuart, also known as the "The Red Dragon," has a new occupation; he intervenes in matters for the good of the people. Despite the danger, Stuart agrees to help a beautiful young woman search for a mysterious black chest which her father hid in Manchuria before his murder. Their quest takes them from Peking north to the Great Wall of China and beyond. With enemies coming at him from every corner, Stuart finds he's playing a most deadly game of hide-and-seek

©2013 Galaxy Audio

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: It’s time for more action-packed adventure from one of America’s most prolific writers, L Ron Hubbard! During the 1930’s and 40’s Hubbard wrote literally hundreds of stories in almost every genre of literature and sold them to the various publications of the day. Now Galaxy Audio is gathering up all those stories and re-creating them in stunning three-dimensional sound featuring a cast of talented voice actors, sound effects, and original music.

By the age of 18, Hubbard had traveled twice to Asia via the Pacific Ocean. It was on his second journey that he met an “old China Hand,” British secret service agent, Major Ian Macbean, who ushered Hubbard into what was known at the time as “The Great Game,” involving a three-way tug of war between the British, Chinese and Japanese. It was through Macbean that Hubbard learned of a secret and dangerous society known far and wide as The Red Dragon—comprised of murderers, blackmailers, thieves and thugs.

The Red Dragon features all the same high-quality music and sound effects that I’ve grown accustomed to in Galaxy’s productions, and the same voice talents including R F Daley, John Mariano, Erika Christensen, and Jim Meskimen. Even if you are an avid audiobook reader it’s possible that you may not have heard of these people. They’re not what I would call big names, yet, but they are indeed very good at what they do. In Galaxy’s multicast productions the stories are not just read, they are actually acted out and in many cases the voice actors are called upon to perform multiple roles in the same story. This cast is definitely up to the challenge: they play their parts well, and their voice characterizations are well done and believable.

Rate this audiobook

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
The Black Sultan by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
The Dive Bomber by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

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Special thanks to Galaxy Audio for this review copy.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt.
This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Come back soon for more audiobook reviews from Audiobook-Heaven.

Twenty Fathoms Down by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

Twenty Fathoms Down
by L Ron Hubbard
narrated by Multicast
Series: Golden Age Stories
Copyright: 2013 Galaxy Audio
Duration: 2 hours unabridged
Genres: adventure, pulp fiction
Filed in: Audiobook Reviews
Click the image to visit the publisher’s website.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Deep-sea diver Hawk Ridley is in search of a sunken Spanish galleon with a few million dollars in gold bullion aboard. But once Hawk and his crew's ocean journey begins, they discover a stowaway—the beautiful daughter of one of their rivals—and immediately suspect sabotage.

While Hawk locates the prize wreck on a Caribbean seabed, it's not long before the competing Ocean Salvage Company shows up to claim the treasure for themselves and issue their own terms: give up the gold, or else. When Hawk refuses, little does he suspect the lengths to which his cutthroat competitors will go—or the fatal consequences of his actions.

©2013 Galaxy Audio

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Things are finally coming together for Hawk Ridley. He has in his possession some ancient seafaring maps showing the location of a sunken ship reputed to have been carrying a treasure worth millions. He also has the equipment and the know-how to find the wreck, dive on it, and bring that treasure up. Unfortunately for Hawk and his crew, someone else knows about the treasure as well: their old competitors, the Ocean Salvage Company headed up by the nefarious Mercer brothers. The Mercer’s have tried buying Hawk’s maps, then stealing them, and even tried to get Hawk’s outfit decommissioned, but so far Hawk has managed to stay one step ahead of them. When Hawk finally reaches the sunken ship however, he will learn a couple of things: the treasure is worth more than he, or anyone else, imagined, and the Mercer’s will go to much greater lengths to get the prize than he had guessed.

Twenty Fathoms Down is an upcoming installment in Galaxy Audio’s Stories of the Golden Age series. It is their ambitious desire to create audio versions of more than 200 of L Ron Hubbard’s stories from the 1930’s and 40’s, and they are well on their way to accomplishing that goal. But these are not your typical audiobooks. Galaxy produces these wonderful stories with music and sound effects that will blow your mind. We’re talking top-notch, cinema-quality sound here. And the stories are not just narrated, they are performed by some of the best voice talents in the industry. If you haven’t had the opportunity to listen to one of Galaxy Audio’s productions yet, you’re missing out on something special. Look for this one in June 2013.

Twenty Fathoms Down was originally published in the September 1934 issue of Five Novels Monthly, just a few years after Hubbard had organized and helmed the Caribbean Motion Picture Expedition, a 5,000-mile voyage aboard a four-masted schooner. The goal of the expedition was to film newsreel footage of Caribbean pirate haunts.

As with all of Galaxy Audio’s productions, Twenty Fathoms Down features a multicast of actors. R F Daley does the narration while the characters are played by Matt Scott, Jim Meskimen, Keli Daniels, and Tait Ruppert. These are a few of the regulars who voice all of Galaxy’s Stories From the Golden Age and you’ll be hard pressed to find a more talented lot. The overall performance is exciting and dramatic and takes Hubbard’s story to a whole new level.

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CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
The Phantom Patrol by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Hurricane by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
The Devil - With Wings by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

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Special thanks to Galaxy Audio for this review copy.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt.
This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Come back soon for more audiobook reviews from Audiobook-Heaven.

Gunman's Tally by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

Gunman’s Tally
by L Ron Hubbard
narrated by Multicast
Series: Golden Age Stories
Copyright: 2013 Galaxy Audio
Duration: 2 hours unabridged
Genres: western, pulp fiction, short fiction
Filed in: Audiobook Reviews
Click the image to visit the publisher’s website.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Easy Bill Gates, genial landowner of the Las Pinas ranch, unwillingly earns a reputation as a gunman when, in the first (and only) rage of his life, he kills outlaw Fanner Marsten for murdering his brother.

Enter George Barton, an unscrupulous, power-hungry hulk of a man and owner of the adjoining El Rancho Grandisimo, who seeks to add Las Piñas to his holdings. Instead of offering a decent price for the place, Barton hires the fastest and filthiest gunmen alive to run Bill off his land. Now the only law anyone can turn to is Judge Colt . . . revolver.

ALSO INCLUDES THE WESTERN STORY "RUIN AT RIO PIEDRAS"

© 2013 Galaxy Audio

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: In their continuing effort to produce audio versions of some 200 of L Ron Hubbard’s golden age stories, Galaxy Audio offers Gunman’s Tally. This set features two more of Hubbard’s western tales, Gunman’s Tally and Ruin at Rio Piedras. If you only thought of Hubbard as a writer of science fiction then you are in for a real treat as Hubbard’s mighty pen covered much, much more than that genre.

In the title story, Gunman’s Tally, Easy Bill Gates is just about the most mild-mannered man in the west, until, that is, someone guns down his brother. In a red haze of vengeance Bill rides to town and gets the best of the killer in an even match. As it turns out, the man that killed Bill’s brother had a reputation as one of the fastest guns in the west, and now Bill has a reputation of his own whether he wants it or not. Land hungry George Barton wants to add Bill’s ranch to his own vast holdings but he will find that getting the best of Easy Bill Gates is not so easy after all.

In the second feature, Ruin at Rio Piedras, Tumbleweed Lowrie is exiled to Rio Piedras after getting caught messing around with the boss’ daughter, but when the boss needs 2,000 head of cattle from Rio Piedras at short notice, it might be Lowrie’s chance to redeem himself. But there are some nasty cattle rustlers in the area that might have something to say about that.

As with all of Galaxy’s audio productions, Gunman’s Tally is complete with a multicast of talented voice actors, stunning sound effects, and theater-quality music enhancements. It is truly a treat for the senses as the action and drama of Hubbard’s writing stimulates your inner eye. Cast includes the talents of Shane Johnson, R F Daley, Christina Huntington, Jim Meskimen, Phil Proctor, Enn Reitel, Josh R Thompson, and Michael Yurchak.

Rate this audiobook

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
Shadows From Boot Hill by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Killer's Law by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Death Waits At Sundown by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

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Special thanks to Galaxy Audio for this review copy.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt.
This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Come back soon for more audiobook reviews from Audiobook-Heaven.

The Black Sultan by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

The Black Sultan
by L Ron Hubbard
narrated by Multicast
Series: Golden Age Stories
Copyright: 2013 Galaxy Audio
Duration: 2 hours unabridged
Genres: adventure, pulp fiction, short fiction
Filed in: Audiobook Reviews
Click the image to visit the publisher’s website.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: American Eddie Moran is about to be captured in Morocco by the French Foreign Legion when bullets start flying at two gentlemen walking right towards him. Saving the men, Eddie learns that one is the US vice-consul, but the other is the recently deposed Berber leader, El Zidan. When a friendship forms between them, Eddie escapes the French with Zidan's help, only to be captured later and taken to the Atlas mountain stronghold of the Black Sultan, the cruel usurper of El Zidan's throne.

Not only must Eddie find a way out, he's bent on saving a beautiful American woman kidnapped to join a harem as one of the Sultan's many brides.

ALSO INCLUDES THE ADVENTURE STORY "ESCAPE FOR THREE"

© 2013 Galaxy Audio

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: For the last five years or so, Galaxy Audio has been producing the golden age works of L Ron Hubbard in an audio format. These are Hubbard’s pulp-era titles from the 1930’s and 40’s, which were originally published in the various periodicals of the day. Galaxy Audio is really doing the job right, recording the stories with theater quality music and sound effects and a superbly talented cast of voice actors. It’s like listening to a movie. There’s no picture, sure, but Hubbard’s descriptive passages put the pictures right into your mind.

Having read and reviewed several of these productions I’ve begun to notice a definite pattern. The hero of Hubbard’s stories always seems to be an American fighting in a faraway war that doesn’t involve America at all. Of course, there is always a damsel in distress, also American in most cases. The hero always gets captured by the bad guys and has to rescue not only himself, but the damsel as well. It’s a pretty basic formula for a story but somehow Hubbard made each one seem fresh and exciting. It’s a mystery to me how he did it. I guess that’s why he was a great writer and I am not.

The Black Sultan was originally published in the November 1935 issue of Thrilling Adventures and features the voice talents of John Mariano, Phil Proctor, Corey Burton, Jim Meskimen, and Christina Huntington. These are all the usual performers on Galaxy Audio’s productions but you’d never know it just by listening to them. These voice actors are all capable of a wide range of characters and they manage to sound different each time. It’s a talented crew.

Also included on this volume is the story Escape For Three. This story features the voices of R F Daley, John Mariano, Jim Meskimen, and Corey Burton. It was originally published in the June 1936 issue of Thrilling Adventures.

If you haven’t tried these productions from Galaxy Audio yet, do yourself a favor and give one a try. These are not your typical audiobooks and at about 2 hours each, they can fit into any schedule.

Rate this audiobook

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
Sky Birds Dare by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Shadows From Boot Hill by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Hell'S Legionnaire by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

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Special thanks to Galaxy Audio for this review copy.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt.
This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Come back soon for more audiobook reviews from Audiobook-Heaven.

The Dive Bomber by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

The Dive Bomber
by L Ron Hubbard
narrated by Multicast
Series: Golden Age Stories
Copyright: 2013 Galaxy Audio
Duration: 2 hours unabridged
Genres: adventure, pulp fiction, short fiction
Filed in: Audiobook Reviews
Click the image to visit the publisher’s website.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Lucky Martin is a daredevil test pilot who's perfected the design for a new bomber plane that the Navy is sure to buy. What makes the plane unique is its ability to dive straight down at seven miles a minute and suddenly level off—stressing the wings at nine times the plane's weight—without breaking apart.

Unfortunately for Lucky, hostile foreign powers are determined to see him fail so they can scoop up the plane's design for their own use. Following a string of "accidents" which nearly kill him, Lucky Martin becomes "Unlucky" Martin, making his future look very luckless indeed, unless he can stay alive to outwit the enemy.

© 2013 Galaxy Audio

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Get ready for another heart-pounding air adventure from a master of fiction, L Ron Hubbard! If you thought Hubbard only wrote science fiction, think again. He actually covered just about every genre of fiction there is during his prolific career, including adventure, mystery, and even western.

In The Dive Bomber, Lucky Martin is suddenly not feeling so lucky anymore. Trying desperately to carry out his father-in-law’s dream of building the perfect dive bomber for the military, he just can’t seem to work out the bugs. He knows the design is good, but the ship just can’t seem to handle the enormous stress of a dive bombing run. When Lucky is approached by a foreign buyer, things begin to add up. The foreigner and his thugs have been sabotaging Lucky’s test runs, trying to get the American military to write the airplane off as a bad job, so that they could be exported to a foreign power. If Lucky doesn’t think fast, his perfect dive bomber could end up being used against his beloved U.S.A.

Of all the genres L Ron Hubbard wrote in, it is these air adventures that I seem to be enjoying the most. That has come as a surprise to me since I used to be one of those who believed he only wrote sci-fi. Hubbard has a natural talent for creating tension in a story and driving the plot along with some high-flying action. He doesn’t use a lot of big words or fancy prose, his writing is very down to earth and really packs a punch.

Galaxy Audio is in the process of producing audio versions of some 200 of Hubbard’s fiction works of the golden age, the 1930’s and 40’s, and they don’t hold anything back. Each story is lovingly crafted with amazing music and sound effects and a multicast of talented narrators. Dive Bomber features the vocal talents of R F Daley, Max Williams, Kristin Proctor, Jim Meskimen, and Josh Robert Thompson. You’ll have a hard time finding better voice actors than these, especially Meskimen who always reads multiple roles and is one of my personal favorites.

Rate this audiobook

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
Sky Birds Dare by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Red Death Over China by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
The Battling Pilot by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

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Special thanks to Galaxy Audio for this review copy.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt.
This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Come back soon for more audiobook reviews from Audiobook-Heaven.

The Devil--With Wings by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

The Devil—With Wings
by L Ron Hubbard
narrated by Multicast
Series: Golden Age Stories
Copyright: 2013 Galaxy Audio
Duration: 2 hours unabridged
Genres: adventure, pulp fiction, short fiction
Filed in: Audiobook Reviews
Click the image to visit the publisher’s website.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: He lies in wait: a man hunted by many, feared by all and controlled by none . . . if, indeed, he is a man at all. Meet The Devil—With Wings. From Shanghai to Vladivostok, the mere sight of this black-garbed white creature has caused heart failure among the soldiers of the Rising Sun.

Now the brooding specter who stalks the borders and skies of 1930s China has launched a personal invasion against the Japanese. Yet standing in his way is a beautiful and vengeful young woman who believes The Devil murdered her brother. Not only must this solitary avenger clear his name, he must get the woman out of the country alive—if only he can stop her from killing him first.

© 2013 Galaxy Audio

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The Devil—With Wings is a classic tale of the lonely and misunderstood hero. Forsythe has been waging his one-man war against the Japanese for years and has always stayed one step ahead. In return, the Japanese have waged a rather successful propaganda campaign against Forsythe, publicly blaming him for every crime and even pinning a few things on him that he wasn’t even responsible for including the death of an American scientist. Things come to a head when Forsythe encounters the vengeful sister of the scientist he supposedly killed and promptly falls in love with her. His only hope for a peaceful and normal life is to clear his name and prove his innocence to the girl, no simple task for The Devil—With Wings.

The Devil—With Wings is the latest installment in Galaxy Audio’s ambitious project to produce more than 200 golden age stories from one of the world’s most prolific writers, L Ron Hubbard. Hubbard wrote hundreds of these short fictions during the pulp era and printed them in the various publications of the day. Now many of them are available in stunning, lifelike sound. These stories are produced with a top-notch cast of characters and theater quality music and sound effects. Guns blazing, airplanes diving, bombs exploding—you’ll feel like you’re right in the middle of the action.

I really can’t say enough about the narrating talent that Galaxy Audio uses in these productions. They may not be the biggest names in the industry but they are among the most talented and versatile I’ve encountered, often playing multiple roles within each story. The Devil—With Wings includes the voice talents of R F Daley, Jim Meskimen, Crispian Belfrage, Bob Caso, and Denice Duff.

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
On Blazing Wings by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
The Falcon Killer by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Sky Birds Dare by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

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Special thanks to Galaxy Audio for this review copy.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt.
This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Come back soon for more audiobook reviews from Audiobook-Heaven.

Red Death Over China by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

Red Death Over China
by L Ron Hubbard
narrated by Multicast
Copyright: 2012 Galaxy Audio
Duration: 2 hours unabridged
Genres: pulp fiction, adventure
Filed in: Audiobook Reviews
Click the image to visit the publisher’s website.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: American pilot John Hampton is an in-between—he stands for nothing definite, cares about nothing, and knows nothing he wants.

Owing allegiance to no nation, Hampton hires himself on as a pilot in the midst of China's civil war. On one side is Chiang Kai-shek and, on the other, the army of Mao Tse-tung—for whom he now works.

But after his gunner is killed in a dogfight, Hampton's once devil-may-care attitude starts to change. When he rescues a captain with dispatches vital to the Chinese cause, Hampton is told the tale of the Red Pagoda, a lesson of life-and-death choices. Hampton's education proves pivotal—with an immense and deciding battle set to unfold, its outcome strangely lies in his hands.

ALSO INCLUDES THE ADVENTURE STORIES "THE CRATE KILLER" AND "WINGS OVER ETHIOPIA"

©2012 Galaxy Audio

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Here come three more stories from L Ron Hubbard in Galaxy Audio’s Golden Age Stories series. The Crate Killer and Wings Over Ethiopia are chock-full of Hubbard trademark action and adventure, but it was the title story, Red Death Over China that caught me by surprise.

I was intrigued by the character of John Hampton. Here’s a guy who seems to have no purpose, no ambition, almost no will to live. Hampton is a man with a big empty center and nothing to fill it with. He’s an ace pilot but flying doesn’t really do much for him. He’s been a mercenary for hire for years but he gets no thrill from battle and even the money he earns doesn’t fill that empty place.

On a chance encounter, Hampton happens to rescue a man who is carrying some dispatches that are vital to the cause they both fight for. Hampton can’t figure out why anyone would risk their life for such a thing but it gets him thinking. Later on the tables are turned and two other men sacrifice their lives so that Hampton can escape with more dispatches. These are life-altering events for John Hampton and mark a major turning point for him. He is beginning to understand that some things really are worth fighting, and maybe even dying, for.

I’ve listened to quite a few of these L Ron Hubbard pieces from Galaxy Audio now but this one really struck me. Most of Hubbard’s works are thrill rides full of action and adventure, but Red Death Over China seemed to go a little deeper. It still has plenty of action, don’t get me wrong, but it also has something to make you think a little. Red Death Over China is my favorite in the series so far.

Like all of the other Galaxy Audio productions in the Golden Age Stories collection, Red Death Over China features high-quality music and sound effects and a fabulous cast of voice actors. Included in this volume are Jim Meskimen, Tamra Meskimen, R F Daley, Robert Wu, Chris Emerson, Max Williams, and Thomas Silcott. Maybe you’ve heard of these people and maybe you haven’t but they’re top-notch voice actors.

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
The Battling Pilot by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Sky Birds Dare by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
The Falcon Killer by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

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Special thanks to Galaxy Audio for this review copy.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt.
This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Come back soon for more audiobook reviews from Audiobook-Heaven.

Killer's Law by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

Killer’s Law
by L Ron Hubbard
narrated by Multicast
Copyright: 2013 Galaxy Audio
Duration: 2 hours unabridged
Genres: pulp fiction, mystery
Filed in: Audiobook Reviews
Click the image to visit the publisher’s website.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Sheriff Kyle of Deadeye, Nevada has traveled to the nation's capital to personally bring evidence against one of the state's wealthiest copper kings. But instead of giving his findings to the senator he's supposed to meet, Kyle discovers a trail of blood moments before he's knocked unconscious.

Kyle awakens to the flashing bulbs of reporters and harsh voices of police demanding to know why he's killed the popular politician. Things look particularly bleak—he's got no alibi, no memory of who knocked him out, and his five-inch knife is sticking out of the corpse—casting all suspicions his way.

ALSO INCLUDES THE MYSTERY STORIES "THEY KILLED HIM DEAD," "THE MAD DOG MURDER" AND "THE BLOW TORCH MURDER"

© 2013 Galaxy Audio

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Look out Mickey Spillane and Dashielle Hammet, here comes…L Ron Hubbard? That’s right, one of your favorite sci-fi writers is also well known for many other genres of fiction including adventure, western, and yes, even hard-boiled crime fiction.

Killer’s Law is a collection of four murder mysteries written by L Ron Hubbard in America’s golden age of pulp fiction. These stories herald from a time when the good guys sometimes had to cross the line to make sure justice was done, a time when a private dick’s ability to fight his way out of trouble was just as important as his ability to put clues together, and a time when there was always a beautiful dame handy to give a detective something to fight for.

Killer’s Law is just one more installment in Galaxy Audio’s continuing effort to memorialize in stunning audio the works of one of America’s most prolific writers. Galaxy Audio goes all out on these multicast audio productions. The top-notch cast includes R F Daley, Enn Reitel, John Mariano, Jennifer Darling, Bob Caso, and Tait Ruppert. Even if you don’t recognize all of these names, I assure you that they are some of the finest in the business. In addition, the music and sound effect enhancements are some of the best you’ll find in an audio drama.

If you thought L Ron Hubbard only wrote science fiction, think again! Pick up this collection and experience the some of the scope and talent of one of America’s great writers.

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
While Bugles Blow by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Hurricane by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Black Mask Volume 1 by Otto Penzler (Audiobook Review)

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Special thanks to Galaxy Audio for this review copy.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt.
This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Come back soon for more audiobook reviews from Audiobook-Heaven.

The Battling Pilot by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

The Battling Pilot
by L Ron Hubbard
narrated by Multicast
Copyright: 2012 Galaxy Audio
Duration: 2 hours unabridged
Genres: pulp fiction, adventure
Filed in: Audiobook Reviews
Click the image to visit the publisher’s website.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Pilot Peter England is jaded and painfully bored with his humdrum existence flying passengers from Washington to New York. However, that mundane flight plan is about to be harshly altered when the airline bumps his regular passengers and on board walks a drop-dead gorgeous blonde and her doting elderly assistant.

The mysterious pair won't say why they need to take the plane alone, but it soon becomes apparent—once in the air, the aircraft undergoes attack by a black plane in hot pursuit. England soon realizes he's transporting a dangerous living cargo; the regal blonde is a princess trying to turn the tide of a war.

© 2012 Galaxy Audio

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The Battling Pilot is just one more installment in Galaxy Audio’s ambitious project to memorialize the works of L Ron Hubbard in glorious audio. This is one of Hubbard’s “air adventures”, which I always enjoy. I can’t help but wonder if maybe Hubbard himself didn’t particularly enjoy this type of story as well. His descriptions of the aircraft and the aerial battles are always stunningly picturesque and Galaxy’s cinema quality music and sound effects only serve to enhance Hubbard’s storytelling

This is a great story with all the key elements that Hubbard uses so well. We have an aging pilot who is growing weary of making the same old run from DC to New York and New York to DC, day after day. He longs for a little excitement in his life, but in The Battling Pilot he gets a little more than he bargained for. And then there is the ever-present damsel in distress; this time in the form of an honest to goodness princess who must personally deliver a large sum of money to aid her desperate people. There is plenty of drama and high-flying suspense, along with Hubbard’s wonderfully descriptive action scenes to spice up this fast-paced book.

The cast of The Battling Pilot includes Corey Burton, Tait Ruppert, Christina Huntington, Sheryl Bernstein, R F Daley, and Jim Meskimen. These talented voice actors are among the regulars that you’ll find in Galaxy Audio’s Golden Age Stories collection and it never ceases to amaze me how versatile they are. They will typically play more than one role in each audio production that they are featured in (and they are featured in quite a few) and they are completely convincing in each role. For voice talents, you’ll not find many who are more talented and experienced than this crew.


CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
On Blazing Wings by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
The Falcon Killer by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Sky Birds Dare by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

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Special thanks to Galaxy Audio for this review copy.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt.
This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Come back soon for more audiobook reviews from Audiobook-Heaven.

Hurricane by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

Hurricane
by L Ron Hubbard
narrated by Multicast
Copyright: 2011 Galaxy Audio
Duration: 2 hours unabridged
Genres: pulp fiction, adventure
Filed in: Audiobook Reviews
Click the image to visit the publisher’s website.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Wrongfully imprisoned on Devil's Island, Captain Spar dreams of killing the one man who contrived his capture on that island hell. When he daringly escapes from the penal colony, Spar lands on the island of Martinique, hot on the trail of his nemesis.

But Spar quickly finds himself ensnared by the deadly schemes of a brutal and cold-blooded native known only as Chacktar while attempting to discover the identity of his betrayer. He is forced to sail the yacht Venture through a vicious storm toward the rocky shores of Hurricane Hill, an island whose surrounding waters are the most treacherous in the Caribbean.

It is an assignment Captain Spar cannot refuse, one where he must try to save not only himself but an entire boatload of innocents that includes one very alluring young woman.

© 2011 Galaxy Audio

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Captain Spar wants just one thing in life: revenge. But just as he is on the brink of exacting that revenge, he becomes tangled up in a complicated ransom plot that he doesn’t even know the half of. After a daring sea voyage through stormy waters, he reaches Hurricane Hill, a spot usually avoided at all costs by sailors, but it is then that he discovers that his troubles are only beginning.

During the 1930’s and 40’s, the pulp fiction era, L Ron Hubbard wrote hundreds of short stories covering almost every genre you can think of, and published them in the various periodicals of the day. Now Galaxy Audio is bringing those stories to life in exciting and dramatic audio featuring music, sound effects, and a talented cast of actors.

The cast of Hurricane includes Josh Robert Thompson, Jim Meskimen, Thomas Silcott, Corey Burton, Christina Huntington, and R F Daley. If you’ve been around the audiobook block a time or two then you’ll probably recognize some of these names. If you don’t recognize them then let me tell you up front that these are talented voice actors. If you like them, and I know you will, you can find them in many of the Golden Age Stories being produced by Galaxy Audio.

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
Hell'S Legionnaire by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Death Waits At Sundown by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
While Bugles Blow by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

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Special thanks to Galaxy Audio for this review copy.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt.
This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Come back soon for more audiobook reviews from Audiobook-Heaven.

While Bugles Blow by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

While Bugles Blow
by L Ron Hubbard
narrated by Multicast
Copyright: 2012 Graphic Audio
Duration: 2 hours unabridged
Genres: pulp fiction, adventure
Filed in: Audiobook Reviews
Click the image to visit the publisher’s website.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: An American lieutenant in the French Foreign is caught in the middle of an ancient feud between the Jeppas of the Atlas Mountains and the bloodthirsty tribe of Perviz al Bahman.

Tension mounts as a gorgeous female Jeppa warrior with golden red hair is drawn into the midst of the conflict and captured by Perviz's tribe. When the American lieutenant later finds her being sold on the slave market, he unthinkingly does what any man must: he rescues her. But while his actions may have saved a beauty, they have also just ignited all-out war.

© 2012 Galaxy Audio

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: It’s time for more action and adventure from one of the most prolific writers of our time, L Ron Hubbard. In their continuing effort to produce some 200 of Hubbard’s golden age stories, Galaxy Audio is releasing While Bugles Blow. This is another of Hubbard’s far-flung adventures featuring battles in far off places, a dashing young soldier, and a damsel in distress (or is she?).

Here we find a small detachment of the French Foreign Legion, along with a young American Lieutenant, at an outpost deep within Berber territory. There is a largely peaceful existence between the soldiers and the locals, but it is an uneasy peace that hangs by a thread. It would take but a mere push in one direction or the other to topple the truce and begin an all out war. That mere push comes in the form of a beautiful Jeppa woman who is captured and sold into slavery. When the American lieutenant rescues the woman and brings her into the outpost, the balance is upset and the battle is on. In what feels like the last stand of the Alamo, a small handful of Legionairres must hold the fort against a couple thousand frenzied Berbers.

As with all of the stories from Galaxy Audio’s Golden Age Stories collection, While Bugles Blow is complete with stunning cinema-quality music and sound effects, as well as a fantastic cast of voice actors. The cast includes the voice talents of Jim Mexkimen, R F Daley, Richard Rocco, Christina Huntington, and Phil Proctor.

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
Shadows From Boot Hill by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Hell'S Legionnaire by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Death Waits At Sundown by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

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Special thanks to Galaxy Audio for this review copy.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt.
This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Come back soon for more audiobook reviews from Audiobook-Heaven.

Death Waits at Sundown by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

Death Waits at Sundown
by L Ron Hubbard
narrated by Multicast
Series: Golden Age Stories
Duration: 2 hours, 15 minutes unabridged
Genres: pulp fiction, western
Copyright: 2012, Galaxy Audio
Filed in: Audiobook Reviews
Review copy provided by Galaxy Audio

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: When Lynn Taylor's kid brother, Lee, gets framed for stage robbery, cattle rustling and murder, the boy swears his innocence and instead accuses McCloud, head of the vigilante committee responsible for removing the town's former sheriff.

To save Lee from hanging the following night, Lynn hatches a wild plan to rob the next stagecoach with the help of the ex-sheriff—hoping it will raise doubts about Lee's guilt if the crimes continue. But Lynn gets more than he bargained for when he's snared by McCloud's men, and the time to the hanging gallops rapidly his way.

©2012 Galaxy Audio

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: In their continuing effort to publish more than 200 of L Ron Hubbard’s golden age stories in digital quality audio, Galaxy Audio is set to release three more of Hubbard’s old west adventures. What’s that? You thought L Ron Hubbard was a sci-fi writer? Well, he is known mostly for his science fiction work but Hubbard was already an accomplished writer before he took up that genre. In fact, Hubbard has published stories in just about every genre you can think of! Here’s a quick look at a few of his westerns:

In addition to Death Waits at Sundown (described above) this collection includes the stories Ride ‘em Cowboy and The Boss of the Lazy B. One story is about a bronc-busting man and woman who get tired of competing against each other and finally admit that they are in love, the other is about a young lady who gets swindled by the local cattle rustler and murderer.

Convinced yet? To tell you the truth, I was a bit skeptical of Hubbard’s “other” works at first too, but I’m sure glad I gave them a try. I thought only Louis L’Amour could write a western that I could enjoy, but I was wrong. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, if you never read outside your favorite genre, you’re going to miss out on a lot of great fiction.

This full cast audio production includes the voice talents of Fred Tatasciore, R.F. Daley, Shannon Evans, Taron Lexton, Jim Meskimen, Tamra Meskimen, Taylor Meskimen, Phil Proctor and Michael Yurchak. Those are the same great voices you’ll hear in just about all of Galaxy’s Hubbard productions, but I think this is my first time hearing Taylor Meskimen who I’m assuming is the son of Jim and Tamra Meskimen. That’s pretty cool, a whole family of narrators. And of course, Death Waits at Sundown was produced with the usual high standards of audio quality that I have grown so used to in Galaxy’s projects. The music and sound effects are really quite stunning.

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
Sky Birds Dare by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Shadows From Boot Hill by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Hell'S Legionnaire by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

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If you like this audiobook review, you can purchase the audiobook here:
Get “Death Waits at Sundown” by L Ron Hubbard (Unabridged Audiobook) from Galaxy Audio.

This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt.
Come back soon for more audiobook reviews from Audiobook-Heaven.

Have you read this book?
Let us know how you liked it!

Hell's Legionnaire by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

Hell’s Legionnaire
by L Ron Hubbard
narrated by Multi cast
Series: Golden Age Stories
Duration: 2 hours, 18 minutes unabridged
Genres: adventure, pulp fiction, short fiction
Copyright: 2012, Galaxy Audio
Filed in: Audiobook Reviews
Review copy provided by Galaxy Audio

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Sentenced to a French penal colony for killing an officer (in self-defense), American Dusty Colton flees the French Foreign Legion he so willingly joined and rushes headlong into a Berber tribal lair. To his horror, he discovers a captive American woman who's in the process of being whipped and tortured by the bandit leader.

Despite the low odds of him winning out against the entire Berber tribe alone, Dusty can't leave the woman behind. Even if he figures out an escape from the camp, he still has to manage a way to get them both out of the country alive with both the Foreign Legion and the Berbers at their heels.

Also includes the adventure stories The Barbarians, and The Squad That Never Came Back.

© 2012 Galaxy Audio

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: L Ron Hubbard and Galaxy Audio are back with three more thrilling adventure stories from the golden age. Okay, Hubbard isn’t literally back, he’s still dead, but his golden age stories are discovering a new life through the capable hands of Galaxy Audio. Hell’s Legionnaire is just the latest installment in an ambitious project to transform more than 200 of Hubbard’s stories from the pulp fiction era into multi-cast audio productions complete with stunning digital quality music and sound effects.

This 2-disk set includes the stories Hell’s Legionnaire, The Barbarians, and The Squad That Never Came Back. Here’s a quick preview:

In Hell’s Legionnaire, an American woman is captured by a tribe of Berber’s after her entire geological survey team is slaughtered. Dusty Colton (also an American, coincidentally enough) witnessed the massacre and trails the raiding party to see if there are any survivors to rescue. He manages to free the young woman from the Berber camp, but they have a long way to go before they reach safety.

In The Barbarians, the Berber hordes have been thumbing their noses at the French Foreign Legion for too long, and the commander of “La Legione” has had enough. He needs someone to fly in behind enemy lines, scout out the area, and return with news, and with a prisoner if possible. It’s a job for flying ace Captain Jack Harvey. When Harvey is captured and sees his enemy up close for the first time, he begins to wonder who the real barbarians are.

In The Squad That Never Came Back, a small band of Foreign Legionnaire’s catch wind of an immense fortune in gold and jewels hidden deep within Berber territory and decide to make a try for it. They will soon find, however, that the Berber’s are not the only ones they need to watch out for. Greed rears its ugly head as the band becomes smaller and smaller.

While Hubbard’s tales are fictional and fanciful, the war between the Berbers and the French Foreign is real enough. It began in 1921 as a war between the Berbers and Span, but France joined in soon enough employing, among others, Foreign Legion units. Just a bit of trivia for you.

Cast members include Phil Proctor, R F Daley, Brooke Bloom, Jim Meskimen, Gino Montesinos, Enn Reitel, and Michael Yurchak. These are the voices that you’ll hear in most of the L Ron Hubbard Galaxy Audio productions and they’re pretty good ones. From brash young heroes, to tough yet feminine damsels in distress, to evil barbarian dictators, these voice actors know their stuff and are very convincing in the roles they perform.

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
The Phantom Patrol by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Sky Birds Dare by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Shadows From Boot Hill by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

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If you like this audiobook review, you can purchase the audiobook here:
Get “Hell’s Legionnaire” by L Ron Hubbard (Unabridged Audiobook) from Galaxy Audio.

This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt.
Come back soon for more audiobook reviews from Audiobook-Heaven.

Have you read this book?
Let us know how you liked it!

Shadows From Boot Hill by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

Shadows From Boot Hill
by L Ron Hubbard
narrated by a Full Cast
Series: Golden Age Stories
Duration: 2 hours
Genres: pulp fiction, western, short fiction
Copyright: 2011, Galaxy Audio
Filed in: Audiobook Reviews
Review copy provided by Galaxy Audio.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: The outlaw Brazos has skipped town before collecting his blood money for killing a local banker. With the law hot on his tail, he escapes to Los Hornos and his "friend" Whisper Monahan. 'Course, the last time they parted ways, they weren't exactly on good terms, but Brazos don't got much of a choice neither.
Whisper greets Brazos with orders to kill a local fella named Scotty Brant that has poisoned over 4,000 acres of his land by sitting on the headwaters of a rare stream using cyanide to extract gold from oxide ore. But this time, Brazos bites off more than he can chew when he learns Brandt's hitched up with a witch doctor! And things get right spooky when Brazos picks up another shadow after slaying the witch doctor, who, with his last breath, swears a deadly curse on his soul.
Also includes the western stories The Gunner from Gehenna, and Gunman.
Copyright 2011, Galaxy Press.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I’ve been listening to these L Ron Hubbard stories from Galaxy Audio for a while now, but this is my first experience with any of Hubbard’s western tales. Westerns are not my favorite, although I do occasionally enjoy reading from the likes of Louis L’Amour or Zane Grey. If you too have never read any of Hubbard’s westerns, then this is the perfect place for you to start. Shadows From Boot Hill is a collection of three of Hubbard’s tales of the old west. A nice little sampler you might say.
In my own opinion, the gem of the collection, and the longest entry, is Gunman, which is the third and final story on the 2-disk set. In Gunman, Brazos Kincaid is an aging gun fighter turned lawman. Brazos remembers a time when it was real men who kept the peace in the old west, not bankers or railroad executives, and he laments about the changing times. But when a blustering public figure tries to run Brazos out of his Marshal’s job, all the while covering up for a bank robbery he is planning, the town will learn that it still takes a real man to do the job, and Brazos himself will learn that maybe there is still a place in the world for old gun fighters after all.
The other two stories in this collection are Shadows From Boot Hill and The Gunner From Gehenna. These two both have kind of a twist ending, something Hubbard does in a lot of his stories, and all three of these stories display Hubbard’s unique way with words.
Shadows From Boot Hill is part of Galaxy Audio’s project to publish 200 of Hubbard’s golden age stories in an audio format. These are multi-cast productions complete with music and sound enhancements, and the audio quality is absolutely stunning. The stereo effects put you right in the middle of the story. Voice talents for this collection include Phil Proctor, Corey Burton, R F Daley, John Mariano, Jim Meskimen, Tait Ruppert, Fred Tatasciore, and Josh R Thompson.

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
Sky Birds Dare by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Hell'S Legionnaire by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Death Waits At Sundown by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

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If you like this audiobook review, you can purchase the audiobook here:
Get “Shadows from Boot Hill” by L Ron Hubbard (Unabridged Audiobook) from Galaxy Press.

This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt
Come back soon for more audiobook reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

Sky Birds Dare by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

Sky Birds Dare
by L Ron Hubbard
narrated by a Full Cast
Series: Golden Age Stories
Duration: 2 hours
Genres: pulp fiction, action, adventure
Copyright: 2011, Galaxy Audio
Filed in: Audiobook Reviews
Review copy provided by Galaxy Audio.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Ace glider pilot Breeze Callahan is trying to demonstrate to the Navy the value of gliders and gliding techniques in war. There are two ways Breeze believes they can be used to aid the war effort: they'll keep a plane aloft when engines cut out, and gliders will be able to enter enemy airspace silently—a perfect way to spy undetected.
Callahan's ruthless competitor, Badger O'Dowell, has other ideas. Badger's determined to get the Navy to buy his training ships instead. When testing gets underway to prove the mettle of their designs, sabotage and betrayal threaten to destroy not only Callahan's dream of glider flight in war, but also his life.
© 2011, Galaxy Press.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Breeze Callahan is an aircraft designer, but his real passion is gliders. It is Breeze’s firm belief that gliders are an essential training medium for combat pilots. Learning how to maneuver a motorless craft, after all, will make for more skilled pilots, even in their traditional airplanes. And, of course, if he can convince the Navy of this, he can sell them dozens of his gliders and make a tidy profit. But every time Breeze gets a chance to show off what his glider can do, something always seems to go wrong.
That’s where Callahan’s chief competitor, Badger O’Dowell, comes in. Badger has a design of his own, a lightweight, small-engine craft, that he would very much like to sell to the Navy. Rather than engage in an open and honest competition with Breeze, however, Badger doesn’t mind resorting to sabotage. But when his first few subtle messages to Breeze go unheeded, how far will Badger be willing to go?
L Ron Hubbard is widely known as a science fiction writer, but in reality he was so much more than that. In the 1930’s and 40’s, Hubbard wrote literally hundreds of stories, and a large number of them were not sci-fi. Air adventure, sea adventure, western: you name it, Hubbard wrote it. The one constant through all of the genres he covered, was his own simple, yet elegant, prose. Hubbard just had a way with words that few writers achieve. Take a look at this passage from Sky Birds Dare:
In his sighing, rocking, buffeted ship, Breeze was grinning. Rough seas always entice the sailor; rough air always dares the soaring pilot. No motor here to mar the scene, nothing but wind and the whisper of wings; man against the elements in direct, powerful conflict. He saw only the glamour of the battle against the skies. Engines, who wants to be a slave to engines when the sky is free and the wings are strong and the red gods of danger are calling? Who would debase himself with a throttle when wind is roaring upwards, and when black storm rushes down to tromp and stumble on your flying heels? Whispering struts and sighing wings, buffeted and shaken by blast after blast, Breeze rode his silent steed all alone against the murky sky, far above the outspread world which could only crouch down and shiver under the approaching storm. The ship was as sensitive as an Arabian thoroughbred, answering to the slightest touch; quivering and fleet, proud and graceful, Breeze swooped down the skies, glancing back from time to time and laughing at the storm which tried to catch him. Great piles of sullen murk were charging after him, regiment after regiment following the greedy van, shot through by long lances of lightning, while the earth shook beneath the savage onslaught. Rising and falling, whipping and shivering, the sail-plane headed south.
Simple, yet elegant. Hubbard doesn’t use fancy words, but his turn of phrase is masterful.
This full-cast audio production of Sky Birds Dare features main narrator Mark Silverman, along with the voice talents of R F Daley, Tait Ruppert, Michael Yurchak, and Molly Yurchak. This gang is up to Galaxy Audio’s usual high standards, adding just the right amounts of drama and satire to their roles.
In addition to the excellent cast named above, Sky birds Dare features Galaxy Audio’s superb music and sound enhancements. It seems like more and more publishers are doing this kind of cinematic audio production, but I don’t think anyone does it as well as Galaxy. The voices, music, and sound effects hit you seemingly from every direction, putting you right in the middle of the action. The passage I quoted above is a perfect example of this. All through the scene we hear Breeze grunting and straining at the controls, the light framework of the glider rattling, rain spattering the cockpit, wind howling, lightning crashing; adrenaline junkies beware. If you’ve never experienced this kind of audio production, you’re in for a real treat.
Galaxy Audio is currently in the process of producing somewhere around 200 of Hubbard’s golden age stories, and you’re just in time to get in on the action. Check it out today!

RELATED ARTICLES:
View the glossary for “Sky Birds Dare” at Galaxy Audio.

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
The Phantom Patrol by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Shadows From Boot Hill by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Hell'S Legionnaire by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

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If you like this audiobook review, you can purchase the audiobook here:
Get “Sky Birds Dare” by L Ron Hubbard (Unabridged Audiobook) from Galaxy Audio.

This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt
Come back soon for more audiobook reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

The Phantom Patrol by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

Title: The Phantom Patrol
Author: L Ron Hubbard
Narrator: Full cast
Copyright: 2011, Galaxy Audio
Duration: 2 hours
Genres: pulp fiction, nautical
Filed in: Audiobook Reviews
Review copy provided by Galaxy Audio.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: On the trail of dope runners on the high seas, Coast Guard CPO Johnny Trescott receives an SOS from a transport plane that's crashed and sinking. With lives at stake, Johnny must cut off his pursuit and rescue the downed plane.
Unfortunately, the dope-smuggling pirate he's chasing hears the same alarm, and greets Johnny and his crew at the crash scene with something far more than they bargained for.
Copyright 2011, Galaxy Audio

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: While hunting drug smugglers in the Gulf of Mexico, the Coast Guard patrol boat CG One Oh Oh Four receives a distress call from a downed transport plane. The call couldn’t have come at a worse time. Chief Petty Officer Johnny Trescott will have to break off his pursuit of the smugglers once again, and what’s worse a hurricane is beginning to warm up in the area. To make things even more interesting, the distress call reveals that one of the passengers on the airplane is none other than millionaire land developer James Ferguson. Duty calls, and Johnny Trescott answers. Ordering his crew full speed ahead, the patrol boat battles through the waves and wind which are steadily increasing.
Trescott and his gutsy crew arrive on the scene just in the nick of time, rescuing Ferguson and three others from the plane just before it sinks beneath the waves, but their troubles are just beginning. No sooner have the water-logged passengers of the plane been pulled aboard the One Oh Oh four than the smugglers show up. They heard the distress call as well, and the wealthy Ferguson could earn them a fine ransom. The drug runners sail a large ship, a cruiser, and have the little patrol boat out-gunned, and Trescott knows his only hope is to outrun them. That’s when his engineer informs him that the mad dash through stormy seas burned out the engines.
Three months later, hurricane season is over and the One Oh Oh Four, along with its captain and crew have vanished. Well, almost. Vague reports have been trickling in of a mysterious ship roaming the gulf. Some claim to have been waylaid and robbed at sea by a ghostly, white-haired captain, sailing a murky gray ship bearing the numbers One Oh Oh Four across her bow. Some say Johnny trescott’s uneasy spirit scours the sea for loot. Others say he threw in with the smugglers and the ghost act is just a put-on. But sometimes truth can be stranger than fiction, and if only they knew.
L Ron Hubbard really is one of the most versatile authors I have had the pleasure of reading. Air adventures, sea adventures, stories of war, and tales of ancient tombs, Hubbard does it all with equal enthusiasm and finesse.
Galaxy Audio is producing more than 200 of Hubbard’s golden age stories from the 1930’s and 40’s, creating full-cast audio enhanced with music and sound effects. I was particularly impressed with The Phantom Patrol. During the rescue scene, I was treated to howling winds, crashing waves, and booming thunder. The stereo sound effects really put you right in the middle of the action..
The Phantom Patrol features Phil Proctor as the main narrator. The remaining characters are portrayed by the voice talents of Galaxy Audio regulars R F Daley and Jim Meskimen, along with Shane Johnson, Kristin Proctor, Thomas Silcott, and Michael Urchak. Again, the full-cast production brings the story to life, giving it the feel of an old time radio program. I thought that Kristin Proctor was particularly good, sounding very natural in her narration.
The Phantom Patrol makes some good summer reading. It’s a thrilling story and production, and at only 2 hours it’s a good way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon.

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
The Falcon Killer by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Sky Birds Dare by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Shadows From Boot Hill by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

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If you like this audiobook review, you can purchase the audiobook here:
Get “The Phantom Patrol” by L Ron Hubbard, a Full Cast Audio Production from Galaxy Audio.

This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt
Come back soon for more audiobook reviews from AudioBook-Heaven

The Falcon Killer by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

Title: The Falcon Killer
Author: L Ron Hubbard
Narrator: Full cast
Copyright: 2011, Galaxy Audio
Duration: 2 hours
Genres: pulp fiction, military
Filed in: Audiobook Reviews
Review copy provided by Galaxy Audio.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: China's war ace, a fighter pilot nicknamed "The Falcon Killer (Tzun Kai)," is actually Bill Gaylord, raised in Peking by his American parents. Gaylord lost both of them as a child during the violent Boxer uprising and then saw his foster family slaughtered in wartime. With a past that's hardened his soul and given him nerves of steel, Gaylord has used his resolve to down more Japanese aircraft than can be counted.
When he's not hunting down enemy planes, intrigue constantly follows him—stars of Tzun's rogues gallery include an agent provocateur and a despotic Chinese warlord. Soon enough, events pit Gaylord against a Japanese spy who has caused untold trouble for the Chinese. Gaylord must somehow find and defeat him or risk losing an ancient Chinese kingdom to the land of the rising sun.
Copyright 2011, Galaxy Audio

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Nunchang, once a proud and important port city in China, now little more than a war-ravaged ruin. When it became clear that the Japanese forces would not be turned away, the Chinese army set the city ablaze and retreated, leaving the population to fend for themselves. Having nowhere else to go, many of the surviving residents stayed in the ruined city, doing their best to scratch out a living under Japanese occupation.
American businessman Henry Thompson was away on business when the city fell, and was disturbed when he returned to find the city he called home in ruins. Even more disturbing was the fact that Thompson was now effectively cut off from his oil fields some distance from the city. It is the oil fields that made Thompson a wealthy man, and more importantly, are now a major supplier of petroleum for the Chinese army. Then, one day, the answer to his problems literally fell right out of the sky.
During a daring air battle over the city, an airplane of the Chinese Air Service is shot down near Thompson’s home, and the wounded pilot makes his way to the gate. The flyer is none other than Bill Gaylord, also known as the Falcon Killer. Gaylord is unquestionably the top pilot of the Air Service, having shot down more Japanese planes than any other pilot. If Thompson can nurse Gaylord back to health, and keep him hidden from the Japanese, he might just be the man to help Thompson get to the oil fields, and defend them from invading forces.
The Falcon Killer is one of the latest offerings from Galaxy Audio in their continuing effort to produce the golden age stories of L Ron Hubbard. Throughout the 1930’s and 40’s, Hubbard wrote more than 100 pieces of short fiction and published them in the various pulp magazines of the day. These stories hark back to a time that was not necessarily simpler, but perhaps not so quickly paced. They are stories of courage and honor, from a time when girls were girls and men were men, as the old song goes.
This story is a pretty good example, not only of the fiction of the times, but also of L Ron Hubbard’s work in particular. Hubbard was clearly fond of writing war stories, usually fictional wars of his own devising. I’ve also noticed that many of the wars he makes up involve Japan and China. I guess he was right about Japan, although it remains to be seen about China.
As with the other L Ron Hubbard releases from Galaxy Audio, The Falcon Killer features a main narrator, Chris Emerson, and a full cast of voice talents for the characters, including R F Daley, Christina Huntington, Jim Meskimen, Mark Silverman, and Robert Wu. As usual, the narrators all did a great job, and the full cast production gives the story an added cinematic quality.
Another great story from a great American writer. Like Hubbard’s other works, The Falcon Killer is just good old-fashioned fun.

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
Orders Is Orders by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Greed by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Tomb Of The Ten Thousand Dead by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

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If you like this audiobook review, you can purchase the audiobook here:
Get “The Falcon Killer” by L Ron Hubbard, a Full Cast Audio Production from Galaxy Audio.

This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt
Come back soon for more audiobook reviews from AudioBook-Heaven

Tomb of the Ten Thousand Dead by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

Title: Tomb of the Ten Thousand Dead
Author: L Ron Hubbard
Narrator: Full cast
Copyright: 2011, Galaxy Audio
Duration: 2 hours
Genres: action, adventure, military
Filed in: Audiobook Reviews
Review copy provided by Galaxy Audio

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Here come three more gems from one of the 20th century’s most prolific writers. During the 1930’s and 40’s, L Ron Hubbard wrote hundreds of short stories that were published in various pulp fiction magazines of the day. Now, for the first time, those timeless classics are being published in an audio format. Galaxy Audio is producing more than 200 of Hubbard’s short stories in full-cast audio, beautifully rendered with cinema-quality music and sound enhancements. The latest installment in the series goes on sale in August, and includes the following stories:
Tomb of the Ten Thousand Dead: Captain Gordon is hired to fly a group of anthropologists into a remote area of Pakistan. Trouble begins when the team finds an ancient map revealing the location of a buried tomb that has been hidden for 23 centuries. Built by Alexander the Great, the tomb contains a vast treasure, along with ten thousand of Alexander’s well-preserved Macedonian soldiers. Forgetting their scientific endeavors, the anthropologists soon fall prey to greed, each one willing to kill for the contents of the tomb. Captain Gordon will be lucky to make it out of the desert alive.
Price of a Hat: During a war in Russia, an American soldier witnesses three Reds gunning down a Cossack. They seem particularly interested in the Cossack’s hat. The American gets the drop on the three, and decides to carry the hat back to base, thinking it may be of some importance. Over the next several days, many men on both sides of the war die over possession of the mysterious headwear. Will anyone be able to determine the significance of the hat before it is too late?
Starch and Stripes: During a different war in a different time, L Ron Hubbard takes a satirical look at the way some military figures seem to place more importance on proper dress and procedure than on duty. When Captain Eddie ignores a visit by the top brass in order to carry out his mission, will he be praised or damned?
This full-cast audio production is enhanced with cinema-quality music and sound effects, and features the voice talents of Josh R Thompson, R F Daley, Ralph Lister, Jim Meskimen, Joey Naber, Noel North, Enn Reitel, Fred Tatasciore, and Michael Yurchak. This exciting style of production can really bring an audiobook to life, and makes you feel like you’re right there in the middle of the action.
L Ron Hubbard does adventure stories as well as anyone I have read. Don’t miss these three thrilling tales.

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
Greed by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
The Falcon Killer by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
The Phantom Patrol by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

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If you like this audiobook review, you can purchase the audiobook here:
Get “Tomb of the Ten Thousand Dead” by L Ron Hubbard (Unabridged Audiobook) from Galaxy Audio.

This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt
Come back soon for more audiobook reviews from AudioBook-Heaven

Greed by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

Title: Greed
Author: L Ron Hubbard
Narrator: Full cast
Copyright: 2011, Galaxy Audio
Duration: 2 hours
Genres: science fiction, military, pulp fiction
Filed in: Audiobook Reviews
Review copy provided by Galaxy Audio

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Greed is the latest installment in the ambitious project by Galaxy Press to record more than 150 of L Ron Hubbard’s stories in an audio format. During the 1930’s and 1940’s, Hubbard wrote hundreds of science fiction, action, adventure, fantasy, mystery, and western stories which were published in various pulp fiction magazines of the day. These are the stories that entertained millions, and inspired an entire generation of writers. Now, those stories are coming to life in the form of full-cast audio productions, enhanced with music and sound. Included in this 2-CD set are Hubbard’s stories Greed, The Final Enemy, and The Automagic Horse.
In Greed, Earth is divided into two main political factions, precariously balanced on a knife-edge of war. Until one faction suddenly develops some break-through technology, that is. The cohesion projector, able to join the molecules of the air itself into a solid, impenetrable, yet invisible wall, could upset the fragile balance. Can a solitary space captain, whose primary motivation is a lust for profit, restore the balance and bring peace once again to the planet?
In The Final Enemy, Captain Bristol and his crew, on a routine planet-charting mission far, far from Earth, , find that they are not the first visitors to this region. The natives of this newly discovered planet tell stories of the first explorers, beings who wreaked havoc, killing millions. Perceiving a threat to human settlements, and maybe to the Earth itself, Captain Bristol sends the news back to the home world. As it turns out, other explorers have been sending in similar reports. Planet Earth goes into full-scale war mode, drafting soldiers, building warships, and developing new sciences and new technologies to combat this new enemy. When a universe-wide search finally returns some results, the Earth government is flabbergasted to learn who their new enemy is.
In The Automagic Horse, Gadget O’Dowd is the best special effects creator in Hollywood. His mechanical monsters and creatures are the stuff of legend. But Gadget has dreams of conquering much more than Hollywood; he wants to go to the moon. For years he and his crew have been building a rocket ship, charging off the parts for it to the various movie producers he has worked for. When a producer hires Gadget to create a life-like mechanical horse, he knows it will put him that much closer to fulfilling his dream, but things might not work out quite the way he planned.
This two-disk set from Galaxy Audio is a full-cast audio production featuring cinema-quality music and sound, along with the voice talents of David Paladino, Bob Caso, R F Daley, James King, Jim Meskimen, Tamra Meskimen, Noel North, Jeff Pomerantz, Phil Proctor, Enn Reitel, Josh R Thompson, and Michael Urchak.
I have really been enjoying these golden age stories by L Ron Hubbard. So much of today’s fiction has become overly complicated, with deep, hidden meanings and symbols. I like to read those stories, but sometimes it’s nice to relax with something a little more light-hearted. These are simpler stories from a simpler time. I hope other audio publishers will follow Galaxy Press’ lead and resurrect more fiction from this era.

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
Orders Is Orders by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Tomb Of The Ten Thousand Dead by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
The Falcon Killer by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

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If you like this audiobook review, you can purchase the audiobook here:
Get “Greed” by L Ron Hubbard (Unabridged Audiobook) from Galaxy Audio.

This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt
Come back soon for more audiobook reviews from AudioBook-Heaven

Orders is Orders by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

Orders Is Orders
by L Ron Hubbard
narrated by a Full cast
Series: Golden Age Stories
Duration: 2 hours, 33 minutes unabridged
Genres: pulp fiction, action, military
Copyright: 2009, Galaxy Audio
Filed in: Audiobook Reviews
Review copy provided by Galaxy Audio

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: The Japanese have led a heavily armored assault against the Chinese city of Shunkien, pounding wreckage into ashes and wiping out a city dating back to Genghis Kahn. One of the few buildings still standing is the small American consulate, now packed with one hundred and sixteen frightened American refugees. Food is low and deadly Asiatic cholera is starting to run rampant, with carnage and corpses piling up in the streets.
Two hundred miles away, the USS Miami drops anchor, well equipped with the needed gold to buy food and a cholera serum to prevent disease and death. The dilemma is that should the Marines take military action to rush supplies to the consulate, it could force the US into an all-out battle with the Japanese.
Marine Gunnery Sergeant James Mitchell and Private First Class Spivits instead are ordered to conduct a treacherous supply mission facing impossible odds to reach and rescue the trapped Americans.
©2009 Galaxy Press; (P)2009 Galaxy Press

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: In his own tried and true formula, L Ron Hubbard spins another tale of courage and heroism in the face of adversity. Hubbard’s military fiction always features a gutsy, battle-hardened soldier, this time Gunnery Sergeant James Mitchell. Mitchell is as tough as any marine you’ll find, but like any true hero, he has his weakness. For Mitchell, it’s the bottle. Liquor is the monkey on Mitchell’s back, and when he is given this rescue mission, it is there to haunt him every step of the way, tempting and taunting him. This conflict adds a nice bit of additional tension to the story, because we never know if James will give in, or complete his mission.
And of course, fans of L Ron Hubbard know that there is always a dame, a beautiful but tough femme to act as counter-part to the hero. In Orders is Orders, our dame is Goldie Brown, a stage performer and fan-dancer. She may look frail and delicate, but on the long road to Shunkien, she proves to be rather tough after all.
Orders is Orders is a full cast audio production from Galaxy Press, complete with sound effects and music. L Ron Hubbard’s non-stop action and thrills really come to life with the cinema quality sound enhancements Galaxy Press put together. Gunshots, bombers diving, cavalry riders thundering by, you’ll feel like you’re really there.
R F Daly is the main narrator for Orders is Orders, and he did a fine job. His rich tenor voice is very easy to listen to. In addition to Daly, there is a full cast of voice actors to read the parts of each character in the story. I thought the voices were all appropriately acted out, and I especially got a kick out of the voice for Mitchell’s partner, Toughy (not sure if I spelled that right)> That voice reminded me a little of Bluto from the old Popeye cartoons.
Orders is Orders is a classic example of Hubbard’s military fiction, and Galaxy Press has done an excellent job with the audio production of this golden age story. At two-and-a-half hours in length, this audiobook is a perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
A Matter Of Matter by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Greed by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)
Tomb Of The Ten Thousand Dead by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

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If you like this audiobook review, you can purchase the audiobook here:
Get “Orders is Orders” by L Ron Hubbard (Unabridged CD Audiobook) from Galaxy Press>

This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt.
Come back soon for more audiobook reviews from Audiobook-Heaven.

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