There seems to be an inordinately large number of detractors of this work of science fiction; that for my part seems undeserved. For me, I loved most everything about this book, the social commentary, the science fiction, the author’s conceived universe, the satire and comic relief, the pulse pounding drama and adventure and above all, the sure satisfaction of good triumphing over evil. This book has all those things.Hubbard was a gifted writer whose conceived images flow through our minds to create plush landscapes and rich characters of imagination. Like many others have commented, the movie version was a major disappointment and failure and I would urge all not to judge the quality of the prose by the quality of the film; that would be a big mistake. Additionally, there is NO link that could cause anyone to possibly think that Battlefield Earth is a covert document designed to weaken the resolve of readers and create mindless robot Scientologists; laughable but plausible certainly in the minds of ever active conspiracy theorists; you know who you are.The action takes place on Earth in the year 3000. An alien species, the Pychlos, have conquered our planet over 1,000 years ago and have established a mining operation that is designed to deplete the Earth of its natural resources and leave it a useless husk and then move on to the next target. Such is the way of the Pychlos, giant humanoid creatures over 9’ tall. They only breathe the purple noxious (to us) gas of their home world; that explodes when it comes in contact with radioactivity. They are unmercifully cruel, sadistic and selfish beyond all reason, even to each other. In the eons past they have all but obliterated the human race and what’s left doesn’t look like it will be around much longer. “Man is an endangered species,” comments one Pychlo to another in a passing remake that carries no significance other than “small talk”.Well, there is a surprise coming and it will come from the most unlikely and unexpected place; a small clan of sick and dying humans protected from the Pychlos due to their location next to a radioactive mine that spells “stay away” to the highly reactive gas that all Pychlos breathe. Up rises handsome and heroic Johnny Goodboy Tyler, a member of the primitive clan that leaves the security of his small community to search for a cure to the radiation sickness that many of his fellow clan members are stricken with. Johnny and his community and for that matter all of mankind have been reduced to simplistic near prehistoric times and have little understanding of the sciences and technology. What chance does he possibly have?From this simple beginning, Pychlo greed will impact with human ingenuity and nobleness to create a page turning frenzy dear reader. Each page builds on the previous to incrementally advance the story into the holy grail of, “I’ve got to see what happens next,” thereby creating a mostly satisfying read. The story gets a bit lost towards the second third of the book but regains its footing as events come to an end. The final ending left me still wanting a bit more but I think that is only because the adventure that brought me there was such a rich and fun ride.You will find Battlefield Earth a deep well of science facts pushed and tugged by Hubbard to create fictional representations that are fun and necessary to the story. There are some glitches to be sure; “You want me to believe what??!!” But they few and minor. This is not a work of hard science fiction. It is first and foremost a story of adventure told in the spirit of the pulp magazines of old and that is a good thing.
Post, post-apocalypse novel that goes a step further than most. Don't let the L. Ron Hubbard part scare you, no Scientology mentioned. The John Travolta movie sucked, so ignore that, too. The book is multi layered in meaning and probably has more truth in it than most apocalypse novels. Johnny Goodboy Tyler has been living in his village in a primitive mountain lifestyle for all of his eighteen or so years. The village is dying, with people sick, passed out on herbs, or just apathetic in their hard scrabble lives. He hunts with skill and has explored all the lands that aren't forbidden, but he wants to go further. He has been warned about the giants who kill for enjoyment, but doesn't really believe in the threat. He ends up going beyond the boundary of his people to explore what was once Denver, discovers books in a library, as well as ruins of a civilization he had never imagined. But then he gets caught by a Psychlo, the very giants spoken of in feared legends of his people, becoming the Psychlo's pet and prisoner. Johnny is smart enough to work it to his advantage, which is where this adventure begins. The brilliance of this tale is in the hierarchy of alien nationalities scoping out Earth, the bankers, especially. I won't spoil it, read it yourself for more. It's got all the elements of a good post-apocalyptic read plus science fiction alien adventures, but you have to look beyond that story to what this book is REALLY saying. Who is really in charge here? The legal title, the money, the greys, pay attention to that more than the hero saves the day story and you can actually learn something valuable from this book.
What do You think about Battlefield Earth (2001)?
Back in the 80s when I was just a little nerd I mowed many a lawn to afford the then-outrageous sum of $39 for the hardcover of this book. I had no idea who L. Ron Hubbard was back then, of course. I just saw a post-apocalyptic sci-fi book that seemed to be cool and I wanted it. I was a fairly well-read little kid back then even if it was only classic or now-obscure science fiction authors.So... this was the first book I ever HATED. I think it went off to a used book store years later but if I could I would go back and repurchase it so I could take it and BURN the stupid thing. If you though the movie was bad, this was agony incarnate. Hundreds of pages of generic sci-fi Scientological DRIVEL. Anyone who thinks this book is good. All I have to say if you're a moron.There. I am done. Thank you.
—Ted Read
This is one of my all time favourite SF novels, and it has nothing to do with the author's Scientology nonsense! Also, don't be fooled by the horrid film adaptation.Read the unabridged edition it when I was 15 or 16. I used sit in the back row in Music class, and read it, but on the second day the teacher saw me. Fortunately, he didn't say or do anything except keep the book during that period. Believe it or not, I am is his landlord now!Critical Acclaim:"A terrific story." - Robert A. Heinlein"I read Battlefield Earth straight through in one sitting." - Frederik Pohl"Over 1,000 pages of thrills, spills, vicious aliens and noble humans. I found Battlefield Earth un-put-downable." - Neil Gaiman"Pure Science Fiction... written by a super writer of the Golden Age of Science Fiction... the great pulp music in every line... will be talked about for a decade... wonderful adventure... great characters... a masterpiece." - A.E. Van Vogt"Battlefield Earth is like a 12-hour 'Indiana Jones' marathon. Non-stop and fast-paced. Every chapter has a big bang up adventure." - Kevin J. Anderson"A legendary master of the Golden Age of Science Fiction returns after thirty years with a monumental new work, a gigantic achievement." - Forrest J. Ackerman"This has everything: suspense, pathos, politics, war, humor, diplomacy and intergalactic finance." - Publishers WeeklyFor many more, see:http://battlefieldearth.com/reviews-c...[All reviews from the above site, except Van Vogt's and Ackerman's which are from the just jacket of the St. Martin's Press edition.:]
—Rasheed
This was a big, fun science fiction adventure. I don't think it was intended to be any more than that, and I think it succeeded admirably. My perception is that many people pan it or praise it because of who Hubbard was and what he did, or because they made one of the worst movies ever released based upon it, or because it's quite long, or for any one of many other reasons... but I don't think many people judge the book by itself. It's a big, fat Flash Gordon/Luke Skywalker space opera, with all of the attendant trappings, and it's a good one. If that's not your cup of tea then by all means avoid it, but if you like "Doc" Smith and Buster Crabbe, pretend the author was John Smith and give it a try.
—Craig
