Showing posts with label audiobook review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label audiobook review. Show all posts

Monday, May 6, 2013

Review - Branded Outlaw

Branded Outlaw
By L. Ron Hubbard
Director: Jim Meskimen
Voice Cast: David O'Donnell, Bob Caso, R.F. Daley, Jim Meskimen, and Tamra Meskimen
Studio: Galaxy Press
Release Date: September 8, 2008
ISBN: 978-1592123490
Run Time: 103 minutes
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

It seems the western genre in films, television (except for Hell on Wheels), and books is a dying breed. I'm a western fan, which is difficult for my generation due to the lack of anything western. Though, I do buy each Rawhide season that is released.

I recently reviewed the audiobook Branded Outlaw by L. Ron Hubbard, which I received free of charge from Galaxy Press in exchange for my honest review. Hubbard wrote hundreds of short stories during the Golden Age in which he published this western tale in the 1938 issue of Five-Novels Monthly.

Branded Outlaw has the young gunslinger Lee Weston retuning to his family's ranch in Pecos, Mexico, only to learn his father has been murdered! To make matters worse, the family ranch has burned to the ground. He suspects his father's old enemy, Harvey Dodge, is responsible for the crimes. Harvey had recently purchased land in Pecos, so Lee is positive that he is the killer.

Friday, April 26, 2013

Review - Hell's Legionnaire

Hell's Legionnaire
By L. Ron Hubbard
Director: Jim Meskimen
Starring: Phil Proctor, Brooke Bloom, R.F. Daley, Jim Meskimen, Gino Montesinos, Enn Reitel and Michael Yurchak
Studio: Galaxy Press
ISBN-13: 978-1592122622
Release Date: March 21, 2011
Running Time: 2 hours 18 minutes

Review:

Before eReaders, cable TV, cell phones, and computers, people during the 30s and 40s (known as the golden age) spent their time going to the picture shows, listening to the serials on the radio, and reading pulp fiction magazines. Galaxy Press has been releasing the late L. Ron Hubbard's short stories onto audiobooks featuring an outstanding voice casts and amazing sound effects. Galaxy press sent me a complimentary copy of Hell's Legionnaire in exchange for my honest review. The story first appeared in the July 1935 issue of Mystery Adventures. There are two other adventure tales called The Barbarians and The Squad That Never Came Back.

In Hell's Legionnaire, an American, Dusty Colton, voluntarily joins the French Foreign Legion, but soon abandons his duties and quickly finds himself in confrontation with the Berber tribal in North Africa. He witnesses the tribal slaughtering of a geological survey team. He starts to question whether he was better off with the Legion. The lone survivor of the massacre is a woman. Dusty can't stand by and watch her be killed. He must come up with a solid plan to save the woman from the tribal and escape the Legion at the same time.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Review - Death Waits at Sundown

Death Waits at Sundown
Director: Jim Meskimen
Voice Cast: Fred Tatasciore, R.F. Daley, Shannon Evans, Taron Lexton, Jim Meskimen, Tamra Meskimen, Taylor Meskimen, Phil Proctor, Michael Yurchak
Studio: Galaxy Press
Release Date: March 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-1592124077
Running Time: Approx. 2 hours 

Review: 

During the 1930s and 1940s there was a boom of pulp magazine on the newsstands containing countless stories of adventures by great authors of its time. One of those authors was L. Ron Hubbard, who wrote hundreds of short stories, which are all being released onto audiobooks from Galaxy Press.I received a free copy of Death Waits at Sundown in exchange for my honest review. The audiobook consist of three amazing stories, Death Waits at Sundown, Ride 'EM, Cowboy!, and Boss of Lazy B.

Death Waits at Sundown was originally published in the 1938 issue of Western Story Magazine and centers on Lynn Taylor, who's younger brother, Lee, has been set up for robbery, cattle rustling, and murder! Lynn knows his brother is innocent and suspects that a member of the vigilante committee (McCloud) may be behind everything. The night before his brother's hanging, Lynn, along with the town's ex-sheriff, plan on robbing the stagecoach to help raise reasonable doubt for his brother, but awaiting them is McCloud.

The National Rodeo Champion, Long Tom Banner, is falling in love with the beautiful Vicky Steward in Ride 'EM, Cowboy! She feels the same way about him, but there is a little problem. They are going to compete against each other in three rodeo events that may jeopardize their relationship.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Review - On Blazing Wings

On Blazing Wings
By: L. Ron Hubbard
Director: Kelly Ward
Voice Cast: Bob Caso, R.F. Daley, Christina Huntington, John Mariano, Phil Proctor and Kelly Ward.
Studio: Galaxy Press
Release Date: March 30, 2011
ISBN: 978-1592122325
Run Time: 2 hours 8 minutes
Retail: $9.96

Review:

Last week, I listened to the audiobook On Blazing Wings by L. Ron Hubbard courtesy of Galaxy Press in exchange for my honest review. The story was first published in the May 1940 issue of Five-Novels Monthly, a time when many authors (young and old) published stories in pulp magazines. During the 1930s and 1940s (otherwise known as the Golden Age), L. Ron Hubbard wrote 153 short stories from adventures in the sky to journeys on other planets.

On Blazing Wings centers on an American wannabe artist, who pays the bills by being an ace fighter pilot for hire for other countries, despite their differences in politics. His next mission is to go after the Russian Communists, whom are planning on destroying a Finland supply base. While in combat, David's plane is shot down and it seems to be end for him. Or is it?

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Review - The Iron Duke

The Iron Duke 
By. L. Ron Hubbard 
Director: Jim Meskimen
Starring: Michael Yurchak, R.F. Daley, Lori Jablons, Jim Meskimen, Richard Ricco
Studio: Galaxy Press
Pub. Date: January 19, 2009
ISBN: 978-1592121731
Approx. 2 hours

Review:

I know that audiobooks have been around practically my entire life in some form or another, but I have never listened to one until last year when I reviewed several titles from Stories from the Golden Age, which are all by the late L. Ron Hubbard. The majority of the short stories were written during the 1930s and 1940s where there was a boom of magazines on the newsstands. Many of them were cheap looking, made from pulp paper and featured countless adventure tales from well-known writers. Galaxy Press was generous enough to send me a box of audiobooks last month in exchange for my honest review on each one.

My latest audiobook that I listened to this week is titled The Iron Duke (winner of the Earphones Award from AudioFile Magazine) and it originally appeared in the July 1940 issue of Five-Novels Monthly. The plot centers on a weapon smuggler Blacky Lee, who isn't liked by the Nazis and most of Europe due to him selling malfunction weapons. He doesn't have very many friends, beside from his loyal companion Stub Doyle.

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Review - Sea Fangs

Sea Fangs
By L. Ron Hubbard
Director: Jim Meskimen
Voice Cast: Gino Montesions, R.F. Daley, Shane Johnson, Jim Meskimen, Kristin Proctor, Phil Proctor
Studio: Galaxy Press
Release Date: June 18, 2010
ISBN:  978-1592122233
Running Time: Approx. 2 hours

Review: 

Before there was the internet, television, video games, and cell phones in every home, the people of the 1930s and 1940s (otherwise known as the Golden Age) spent their time going to the theater, listening to the radio shows, and reading cheap novels and pulp fiction magazines. Many famous authors wrote countless short stories that were published in brown pulp paper magazines, including the late L. Ron Hubbard.

Galaxy Press has been releasing audiobooks versions of Hubbard's short stories for the past few years and they have kindly sent me a few free copies in exchange for my honest review. I had the privilege to listen to Sea Fangs, which originally appeared in the June 1934 issue of Five Novels.

Sea Fangs is a fast-paced action adventure with Bob Sherman, a sailor, who tries to save the yacht Bonito from being destroyed by a powerful hurricane off the shores of Venezuela. What is he doing on the yacht in the first place? Well, a few years earlier a man named Herbert Marmion greedily stole the land and the drilling business that belonged to Bob, who now finds himself on the very yacht owned by Herbert. The only thing that is on his mind is revenge. That is until he meets the stunning raven-haired Phyllis Marmion, who happens to be his enemy's daughter.

Friday, March 1, 2013

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.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Review - Under the Black Ensign

Under the Black Ensign
By: L. Ron Hubbard
Director: Jim Meskimen
Voices: Marisol Nichols, R.F. Daley, Jim Meskimen, Phil Proctor, Thomas Silcott, Michael Yurchak
Studio: Galaxy Press
Release Date: September 8, 2008
ISBN: 978-1592123339
Running Time: Approx. 2 hours

Review: 

The golden age of the 1930s and 1940s was otherwise known as the Pulp Fiction Era as the newsstands were overflowing with magazines. Some were the fancy, glossy magazines and the rest had ragged trims, vivid covers, cheap brown pulp paper, and very cheap prices. These pulp magazines were full of stories ranging from adventures on the high sea to quests on other planets. Galaxy Press has been releasing L. Ron Hubbard's short stories from that era onto audiobooks under the Stories from the Golden Age, which they sent me a complimentary copy of Under the Black Ensign in exchange for my honest review.

Under the Black Ensign was originally released in the August 1935 issue of Five Novel Monthly and centers on the first mate of the ship Randolph, Tom Bristol, who happens to be forced in becoming a crewman aboard the British HMS Terror led by Sir Charles. The crew aboard the military ship is treated horrible. Trouble occurs for Tom when he is accused of trying to kill someone with a marlinspike. Then the unthinkable happens! The HMS Terror is attacked and taken over by a band of deadly pirates!

Instead of being taken prisoner, Tom gets appointed to navigator for the now pirate ship HMS Terror, but trouble seems to follow the poor lad. He is soon accused of killing a fellow shipmate and for knowing that an ensign happens to be a Lady. For punishment, he is marooned on a deserted island. He is left with a supply of water and a gun with only a few bullets. As it turns out, he is not exactly alone on the island. After some quick thinking, Tom comes up with a plan for revenge.


Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Review - Devil's Manhunt

Devil's Manhunt
By L. Ron Hubbard
Director: Jim Meskimen
Starring: Edorado Ballerini, Bob Casco, R. F. Daley, Jim Meskimen, Richard Rocco Talt Ruppert, Johsh R. Thompson, and Michael Yurchak
Studio: Galaxy Press
Release Date: February 21, 2011
ISBN: 978-1592123858
Running Time: 2 hours 14 minutes

Review:

Westerns are a dying breed, especially on television and on the big screen. Even fiction novels are becoming a thing of the past. It is nice to see Galaxy Press reviving the genre by bring L. Ron Hubbard's short stories onto audio books, featuring talented voice actors, outstanding music, and unique special effects.

Galaxy Press nicely sent me a complimentary copy of the Devil's Manhunt, winner of the International Book Awards. The story first appeared in the February 1950 issue of Famous Western. The audiobook also features two additional stories, Johnny, the Town Tamer and Stranger in town.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Review - Man-Killers of the Air

Man-Killers of the Air
Director: Jim Meskimen
Starring: Shane Johnson, Cory Burton, R.F. Daley, Keli Daniels and Jim Meskimen
Studio: Galaxy Press
Release Date: April 15, 2009
ISBN: 978-1592122295
Approx. 2 hours

Review:

During the 1930s and 1940s, newsstands were overflowing with magazines, especially those made from cheap brown pulp paper, or otherwise known as Pulp magazines which featured popular authors such as Louis L'Amour, Robert E. Howard, Erle Stanley Gardner, and John D. MacDonald. In its hey-day pulp magazines had over thirty million avid readers each and every month. Pulp fiction authors only got paid one cent per word, forcing the majority of authors to write aggressively at times. They didn't write to impress critics, but instead they wrote for the readers, who devoured story after story and adventure after adventure.

Author L. Ron Hubbard also wrote over 150 short stories during the golden age and now Galaxy Press is releasing the stories onto audiobooks with talented voice actors and dazzling sound effects. Galaxy Press nicely sent me a complimentary copy of the award-winning Man-Killers of the Air, which first appeared in the June 1935 issue of Five Novels Monthly.

Smoke Burnham zooms in the sky in his mystery plane along with his flying companion, a pet cheetah named Patty. The crowd loves to watch him fly at the air shows, but Girard, a newspaper mogul that invested in Burnham, doesn't like him. Sure, he gives Girard great publicity, but Girard just wants the plans to his secret plane, which legally belongs to Smoke's girlfriend, the lovely Melanie King.

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Review - Trouble on His Wings

Trouble on His Wings
Director; Jim Meskimen
Voice Cast: Jennifer Aspen, Bob Caso, R.F. Daley, Jim Meskimen and Matt Scott
Studio: Galaxy Press
Release Date: March 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-1592123087
Approx. 2 hours 7 minutes

 

Review:  

There was no internet, cell phones, or cable TV during the 1930s and 1940s, so people would find entertainment by seeing picture shows, listening to the serials on the radio, and reading magazines. The magazine stands were full of pulp magazines with ragged edges, pulpwood paper, embellished covers, and cheap prices. Pulps contained countless adventure stories by real storytellers of the time, such as H.P. Lovecraft, Elmore Leonard, and Ray Bradbury. Stories from the Golden Age is releasing all of author L. Ron Hubbard's short stories from the 1930s and 1940s onto audiobooks. Galaxy Press nicely sent me the award winning audiobook, Trouble on His Wing, originally published in the January 1939 issue of Five-Novels Monthly.

Trouble on His Wings is about a journalist (AKA a picture-chaser) named Johnny Brice, who will do anything to get the best story for World News. Along with his cameraman sidekick, Irish Donnegan, Johnny plans on getting the best newsreels of the cruise ship that caught on fire at sea. By time he arrives, the waters had claimed the cruise ship and the survivors were rescued. Johnny comes up with the bright idea of paying $5,000 for the pictures that the survivor took. It was great idea until Johnny risked his life saving a woman from the ocean. He has looses all footage from the shipwreck and gets stuck with a beautiful woman whom he names Jinx.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Music Review - Kelly Clarkson: Greatest Hits - Chapter One

Greatest Hits - Chapter One
By Kelly Clarkson
Label: RCA
Release Date: November 19, 2012
ASIN: B009LXEBD4


I wasn't even aware that Kelly had a new CD out until I stumbled upon it tonight at my local Walmart at their Black Friday (well, Thursday night) sale. I've been a fan of her music since she one the first season of American Idol. All of her best songs are here including my favorites, Behind These Hazel Eyes, Already Gone, Breakaway, and Don't You Want to Stay.

As a bonus there are three new songs, Catch My Breath, Don't Rush, and People Like Us. Her holiday song I'll be home for Christmas is also the CD. Overall, I really enjoyed listening to the CD and I recommend it to others.

The Songs Are:

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Review - Killer's Law by L. Ron Hubbard


Killer's Law
By L. Ron Hubbard
Directed by Jim Meskimen and Tait Ruppert
Voice Cast: Jennifer Darling, Brooke Bloom, Corey Burton, Bob Caso, R.F. Daley, John Mariano, Jim Meskimen, Enn Reitel, Richard Rocco and Tait Ruppert
Studio: Galaxy Press
ISBN-13: 978-1592122769
Release Date: October 22, 2012
Running Time: Approx. 2 hours

Review:

The 1930s and 1940s were known as the golden age, a time when many unknown writers published their work in Pulp Fiction magazines as they were paid around a penny a word. Unlike the higher-class magazines that were printed on glossy paper with higher production values, pulp magazines were published on cheap brown pulp paper and featured adventures, science fiction tales, mysteries, and many other stories.

Galaxy Press has been releasing the short stories written by author L. Ron Hubbard that were published during the golden age under the Stories of a Golden Age line of paperbacks and audiobooks. They nicely sent me a free audiobook of the "Killer's Law" for this review.

"Killer's Law" was originally published in the September 1947 issue of New Detective Magazine, where Sheriff Kyle travels from Deadeye, Nevada to Washington D.C. to personally deliver evidence against a rich copper king to Senator Meringue. Suddenly, Kyle is knocked unconscious. When he awakes he is surrounded by policemen asking questions and reporters snapping pictures. It seems that the Senator was murdered and Kyle is holding the murder weapon.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Review - Cargo of Coffins

Cargo of Coffins
By L. Ron Hubbard
Director: Jim Meskimen
Starring: R.F. Daley, Keli Daniels, Lori Jablons, Jim Meskimen, and Tait Ruppert
Studio: Galaxy Press
ISBN-13: 978-1592121700
Release Date: July 14, 2009
Running Time: Approx. 2 hours

During the 1930s and 1940s struggling writers would make some extra cash by writing fiction for the many pulp magazines that were on the market at the time. Pulp magazines didn't have to rely on fancy glossy paper with expensive artwork or the superior production values. What they did rely on was the well plotted stories from real storytellers with crazy villains, plot twists at every corner, and adventures set in faraway lands. The authors didn’t get paid much, mostly a penny per word, so many of them wrote like crazy and had their stories appearing frequently. Some of the most popular pulp writers of the time were L.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Raymond Chandler, Ray Bradbury and L. Ron Hubbard.

Galaxy Press has been releasing the short stories written by L. Ron Hubbard to paperbacks and audiobooks under the Stories from the Golden Age, in which they nicely sent me a free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Review - The Chee-Chalker

The Chee-Chalker
By L. Ron Hubbard
Director: Jim Meskimen
Starring: Tamra Meskimen; Bob Casco, R.F. Daley, Jim Meskimen, Tait Ruppert, and Josh R. Thompson
Studio: Galaxy Press
ISBN-13: 978-1592121748
Running Time: Aprox. 2 hours 

Pulp fiction magazines were extremely poplar during the 1930s and 1940s covering any genre you can think of. There was no internet and cable television to occupy your free time with, so people read pulps and cheap novels for entertainment, not to mention listening to radio serials. Author L. Ron Hubbard wrote hundreds of short stories in about every genre during these years. Now Galaxy Press is bringing out these great stories through their new audiobooks line called Stories from the Golden Age.

Galaxy Press was nice enough to send me a free copy of The Chee-Chalker that first appeared in the July/August 1947 issue of Five-Novels Magazine.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Review: The Trail of the Red Diamonds by L. Ron Hubbard

*This is a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% mine.

The 1930s and the 1940s has been called the Golden Age, a time where people didn't sit at home watching reality television and surfing the internet. People spent their free time going to movie shows and they also read magazines and dime store books. During these years many fancy magazines and pulp magazines were in circulation, which gave authors an opportunity to publish short stories. Since there were so many different types of fiction magazines, authors published their short stories in record numbers and this was a good way to make a little extra income as most magazines paid per word.

One of these authors was L. Ron Hubbard. The majority of the general public knows him as the guy who invented Scientology and some may turn away when they see his name because of it without realizing that he was also a talented author. Stories from the Golden Age is releasing his short stories in paperbacks and audiobooks, in which they kindly sent me this audiobook free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

L. Ron Hubbard often used different pen names during these years, in which case he used the name Lt. Jonathan Daly for the story The Trail of the Red Diamonds that first appeared in the January 1935 issue of Thrilling Adventures. The main character's name just happens to be Lt. Jonathan Daly who is recovering from being shot at the Gran Chaco hospital. While there he happens to get a hold of the manuscript about Marco Polo's travels. The book reveals the location of Kublai Khan's burial.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Review - Dead Men Kill



Dead Men Kill
By: L. Ron Hubbard
Voice Cast: John Mariano, Jennifer Aspen, R.F. Daley, Lori Jablons, Jim Meskimen and Matt Scott
Publisher: Galaxy Press
ISBN: 978-1592123506
Pub Date: January 1, 2010
Approx: 2 hours 5 minutes

Stories from the Golden Age from Galaxy Press are a line of audiobooks and paperbacks, in which all titles are by the short stories written L. Ron Hubbard in the 1930s and 1940s. The stories appeared in Pulp Magazines. Galaxy Press was nice enough to send me several free audiobooks in exchange for an honest review. Yes, I'm aware that L. Ron Hubbard is the founder of Scientology. People tend to ignore his writings because of his religion. I'm a Christian and it doesn't bother what religion L. Ron Hubbard believed in as he was a talented author, writing in many genres.

All 150 short stories written by the author are being released in both audio and paperback from Stories from the Golden Age. For each story they use a variety of talented voice actors, such as John Mariano, Jennifer Aspen, R.F. Daley, Lori Jablons, Jim Meskimen and Matt Scott. 

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Review - The Carnival of Death

The Carnival of Death
By L. Ron Hubbard
Publisher: Galaxy Press
ASIN: 978-1592122684
Pub Date: February 11, 2011
Running Time: 2 Hours 
Directors: Jim Meskimen and Tait Ruppert
Voice Cast: Jim Meskimen, R.F. Daley, Jason Faunt, Christina Huntington, Lori Jablons and Tait Ruppert.
Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Carnival-Death-Stories-Golden-Age/dp/159212268X/

Galaxy Press was nice enough to send me another package of audiobooks from their Stories From The Golden Age series, which are all written by legendary author L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986) and were published in Pulp Magazines during the 1930s and 1940s (aka The Golden Age). This time around I was sent six two discs audiobooks (in which a few have two or more stories), which all them are in the mystery/suspense genre.

I picked out The Carnival of Death to review first because I was intrigued by the creepy cover of death strangling a woman. The story originally appeared in the November 1934 issue of Popular Detective, and tells the tale of a US narcotics agent Bob Clark going undercover as a security guard at Shreve's Mammoth Carnival as there was rumors of drugs being sold by someone there. Just when he thought he had a lead, several gruesome murders occur. All of the victims were decapitated!

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Review - A Matter of Matter

A Matter of Matter
By: L. Ron Hubbard
Publisher: Galaxy Press
ISBN: 978-1592122394
Pub. Date: June 28, 2010
Running Time: Approx. 2 hours 30 minutes


Many famous writers got their start writing countless short stories that appeared in Pulp Magazines in the 1930s and 1940s. These magazines were made from pulpwood paper, which were the complete opposite of the higher-class magazines of the time period. Pulp magazines didn't need fancy designs as all they needed were amazing stories written by great authors. Times were tough back then with the depression, and readers were looking for cheap adventures to take their mind off their problems.

Galaxy Press was nice enough to send me five audiobooks last month from their Stories from the Golden Age collection. A Matter of Matter is my last audio from these five, containing four science fiction shorts - A Matter of Matter, The Conroy Diary, The Planet Makers and The Obsolete Weapon. The voice actors in these stories are Josh R. Thompson, Corey Burton, R.F. Daley, Jim Meskimen (He also was the director.), Tait Ruppert, and Michael Yurchak.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Review - Danger in the Dark

Danger in the Dark
Written by: L. Ron Hubbard
Publisher: Galaxy Press
ISBN: 978-1-59212-240-0
Pub Date: January 19, 2009
Running Time: Approx 2 hours


Danger in the Dark is the fourth audiobook I have reviewed from Galaxy Press's Stories from the Golden Age. In which all their titles are by L. Ron Hubbard. Many may have different opinions about him because he was the founder of the religion Scientology, but many forget that he was a talented writer. He wrote more than 150 stories during the 1930s and 1940s, mainly being published in Pulp fiction magazines of the time. He published a wide variety of short stories, such as air adventure, sea adventure, far-flung adventure, mysteries, and tales from the orient, science fiction, fantasies, and westerns.

The audiobook consists of three stories, Danger in the Dark, The Room, and He Didn't Like Cats," on 2 discs.

The main character in Danger in the Dark, which was first published in the May 1939 issue of Unknown, is Billy Newman who becomes rich when he strikes gold while mining in the Philippines. He may be rich, but he likes a good bargain as anyone else does. He buys a South Seas island for a low price. Billy believes that he is the luckiest person alive, but the island comes with another price. Soon the crops start dying and the local natives become ill. The tribal chiefs tell Billy that he has angered the island's 75-foot god Tadamona because he bought the island, as the island can not be owned by anyone. The only way to stop the Tadamona is a sacrifice of a young girl. Billy tells them not to go to that extreme and to give him 24 hours to cure their ill ones. Now Billy doesn't actually believe in the god, and dares the god to show himself, but to Billy's surprise Tadamona does exist.