Review - Tomb of The Ten Thousand Dead

Tomb of the Ten Thousand Dead
By: L. Ron Hubbard
Director: Jim Meskimen
Voice Cast: Josh Robert Thompson, R.F. Daley, Ralph Lister, Jim Meskimen, Joey Naber, Noelle North, Enn Reitel, Fred Tatasciore and Michael Yurchak.
Studio: Galaxy Press
Release Date: June 21, 2011
ISBN: 978-1592123230
APPROX. 2 hours

Review:

I've never listened to an audiobook until I started reviewing the Stories from the Golden Age from Galaxy Press. Each audiobook is based on the short stories by the late author L. Ron Hubbard, consisting of one or more great adventure tales that were written back in the 1930s and 1940s, or otherwise known as the Golden Years when these types of stories were published in Pulp fiction magazines. Galaxy Press has been kind of enough to send me a free copy of the award-winning Tomb of the Ten Thousand Dead in exchange for my honest review.

Tomb of the Ten Thousand Dead was originally published in the October 1936 issue of Thrilling Adventures and it takes place in Pakistan where a pilot Captain Gordon has been hired to fly a team of American anthropologists to the arid mountain region. The excitement begins when they discover an ancient map inside an old pottery jar. The map is supposed to lead you to the lost treasures of Baluchistan that Alexander the Great was bringing from India to Greece. Legend has it that his 10,000 soldiers' remains lay buried in the dessert near the tomb that hides the treasure. The anthropologists want the treasure for themselves. They will even murder someone for it. Now, Gordon is stuck in an unwanted expedition, where he will fight to save his life.

This audiobook contains two more stories, Price of a Hat and Starch and Stripes.

Price of a Hat originally appeared in print in March 1936, where Stewart tells his fellow card friends how he acquired the fur hat Kubanka. The story takes him back to Russia where he explains how the Kubanka cost the lives of six men.

Starch and Stripes was published in January 1936, and is about Captain Eddie Edwards who is gets the sudden news that the senator and a general will be inspecting his Marine Corps. He quickly brings in his men from the field for the inspection, but he breaks his own orders by going after a local bandit that just may cost him his life.

I listened to Tomb of the Ten Thousand Dead a few days ago when I was stuck inside the house because of the snow storm. After a few minutes, I could easily understand why it won the Earphones Award, as the voice cast is wonderful and the sound effects are amazing. The main story, Tomb of the Ten Thousand Dead, feels like a combination of The Mummy and Indiana Jones. Price of the Hat starts out slow, but left a surprising twist at the end. I was surprised to find a bit of humor in Starch and Stripes, which turned out to be my favorite from this release. Overall, I more than enjoyed listening to Tomb of Ten Thousand Dead and I recommend it to everyone.