by L. Ron Hubbard
Directors: Jim Meskimen and Tait Ruppert
Voice Cast: David O'Donnell, Luke Bayback, R.F. Daley, Jim Meskimen, Tait Ruppert, Josh R. Thompson and Michael Yurchak
Studio: Galaxy Press
Release Date: June 23, 2014
Retail: $12.95
ISBN: 978-1592123834
Running Time: 2 hours 8 minutes
Buy Link: Audiobook, Paperback
Review:
Arriving in paperback and audiobook format this month is the thrilling western adventure, The No-Gun Man written by the late L. Ron Hubbard. Though the author is known for the classic science fiction epics, Battlefield Earth and the Mission Earth Series, many people have probably forgotten that Hubbard wrote countless stories during the 1930s and 1940s, or otherwise known as the Golden Age. During this era, readers devoured adventure stories. Whether it was set in WWI or on a distant planet, the Pulp magazines that contained these stories flew off the magazines racks. Galaxy Press has been releasing Hubbard's short stories and novellas on audiobooks and paperback editions.
To celebrate the upcoming National Day of the Cowboy on July 27th, Galaxy Press is releasing a few new wild west titles, including last week's release of The No-Gun Man, featuring an outstanding voice-cast and amazing sound effects.
Originally published in the May 1950 issue of Thrilling Western, The No-Gun Man centers on Monte Calhoun, a young man with a rocky past. When he was a child, his gold obsessed father dragged his ailing mother and him across the country to find riches, but his mother ended up dying, though his father did strike it rich. As soon as he was old enough, Monte left to become his own man.
Years past by and Monte's father was murdered. The men the authorities thought were responsible for the crime were found not guilty in court. Now, Monte is returning to sell off his father's mine and drag his teenage brother, Dick, away from this dangerous place. Though he never had a great relationship with his father, he cannot stand around and let his father's killers go free. He is determined to find out who killed his father and bring the killer or killers to justice, but he would prefer to do this without using a firearm, as he is not a man of violence.
As an added bonus on the audiobook, there is a short story, Man For Breakfast, which centers on a cowboy, Johnny, who was a victim of a robbery and he is determined to bring the robbers to justice, no matter what the costs are.
I was a late bloomer to the western genre, becoming a fan of Clint Eastwood westerns after finding several of his titles in five-dollar bin at Walmart. Since then, I have an appreciation for the genre, reading a few western titles by Zane Gray, Max Brand and Matt Braun. The No-Gun Man was a treat to listen to yesterday afternoon. As the description on the back cover reads, "as principled as a young Jimmy Stewart," the main character would easily fit into a James Stewart western, as Monte would prefer to use his intelligence over violence, though he can and will use a gun if needed. The plot might seem a little cliched, but it is Hubbard's unique narrative that makes the story stand out. The "Man For Breakfast" is a fast-paced adventure, showing what one man is capable of doing to seek out justice in a short period of time. Overall, The No-Gun Man is an exciting audiobook that I recommend to all western fans.
*Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
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