eric@altos86.UUCP (08/02/83)
Does anyone have any impressions of Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard - good, bad or indifferent? I've noticed a couple of bookstores pushing it very heavily. Eric Smith
aii@tropix.UUCP ( Alice I. Insley ) (08/04/83)
I started Battle Field Earth (someon elses copy) and found it too dull and unbelievable to continue. The book stores are pushing it heavily because the publishers put A LOT of money into promoting it. This is due mostly to L.Ron Hubbard's success at starting a new, highly profitable religion. The book sold quite well at first, then sales dropped quite a bit. Rumor has it (completely unsubstantiated, of course) that Scientoligists across the country were buying up to 10 copies each. At least the bid for the HUGO is over, it didn't make it onto the ballet. Alice Bentley ...seismo!rochester!ritcv!tropix!aii ..
geo@watarts.UUCP (08/08/83)
There was an article in the Toronto Globe and Mail recently, concerning the volume of sales of this book. (L Ron Hubbard is the founder of Scientology and Dianetics) In several interviews people in the book distribution industry (anonymously) claimed that they believed that there was a campaign among Scientologists to buy sufficient copies to put the book on the bestseller list, in an attempt to boost his credibility. Cordially, Geo Swan, Integrated Studies, University of Waterloo (allegra||ihnp4)!watmath!watarts!geo
rls@ihuxf.UUCP (Richard Schieve) (03/21/84)
Battle Field Earth is a classic example of what advertizing can do for a really poor book. The kind of book that critics of Sci-Fi point to and laugh. L. Ron Hubbard (he can't even write his name correctly) should have written a few Perry Rhodan books, he would have fit right in... Rick Schieve
neves@uwvax.ARPA (03/21/84)
Battlefield Earth is a good book. I bought it a few weeks ago when it came out in paperback (I'm a sucker for large books) and was surprised it was as good as it was. Believe it or not I was not bored reading any part of the 1100 pages. It is none stop action in the tradition of the early science fiction of the 40's and 50's. The story (which is man vs alien) and future environment is believable and interesting. Unlike many large books it does not span centuries but takes place in just a few years time with a relatively small main cast of characters. The story revolves around an alien mining company that has taken over earth to mine its minerals. The human race has been largely decimated, there are just a few thousand left, living like primitives. An amusing couple of paragraphs in the beginning of the book shows how the mining company found out about earth. " Man apparently sent out some kind of probe that gave full directions to the place, had pictures of man on it and everything. It got picked up by a Psychlo recon. And you know what? [...] The probe and the pictures were on a metal that was rare everywhere and worth a clanking fortune. And Intergalactic paid the Psychlo governors sixth trillion Galactic credits for the directions and the concession." -dave
rls@ihuxf.UUCP (Richard Schieve) (03/22/84)
What trash!! A hero named "Jonnie Goodboy Tyler", that saves the world from believable bay guy aliens, exterminating the whole race of aliens almost single-handedly only to face the worst challenge to the earth's safety...... REPOSSESSION by the GALACTIC BANK!!!!!! no thanks L. Ron Hubbard (the L. must stand for Ludicrous) Rick Schieve
wombat@uicsl.UUCP (03/26/84)
#R:ihuxf:-211100:uicsl:10700091:000:188 uicsl!wombat Mar 25 23:25:00 1984 ***** uicsl:net.sf-lovers / ihuxf!rls / 6:00 pm Mar 22, 1984 no thanks L. Ron Hubbard (the L. must stand for Ludicrous) Rick Schieve ---------- Actually, it stands for Lafayette.