Branded Outlaw by L Ron Hubbard
Publisher: Galaxy Press
L Ron Hubbard is better known these days as the founder and past leader of the Church of Scientology. Before the church? An explorer, researcher, cowboy, naval officer, etc, were just a small slice of this man’s life. In the 1920-30’s he was a prolific writer of pulp novels, novellas and short stories. The subject material ranged from air adventures to westerns. I specifically enjoyed reading some of his science fiction novels. Now about…
Branded Outlaw, a novella, novelette or whatever the term you prefer is a western with a plot familiar to those who enjoy b/w westerns of the silver screen era of the forties. In size it is as wordy as a Reader’s Digest abridged novel, almost. No colour commentary to speak of, just punchy plot with a few twists. A man gets a letter from his father saying that his long time enemy has moved into the same valley. The son leaves Wyoming and races to the aid of his dad…
I enjoyed this quick little trip down pulp fiction lane. I don’t think it is worth the full cost of $10 Canadian. Now it was worth the price of $3.99 with an additional iRewards discount of ten percent. I have two more of these pulp books to read. They are nothing like the larger works of fiction Hubbard would write in the future. Of course if you happen to be a Scientologist you might want to buy his books because you like the man more than his writing.
What I found interesting is that the word Scientology does not come up once anywhere in the book. Even in the extended little bio of “L Ron Hubbard and American Pulp Fiction,” the religion is not mentioned. I guess they want people to concentrate on the works of fiction and not the religion… which many think is a great work of fiction itself. Having studied Scientology myself I would have to say the critics know nothing of the beliefs or the application of it.
Another interesting aspect of the book, as short as it is, is the glossary of terms used in the book. Its inclusion and scope reflect the belief that it is extremely important for people never to pass by a word they don’t fully understand. It is derived from Scientology study technology. I do wish I would have checked the list of contents at the beginning of the book. It would have saved me a lot of internet surfing trying to discover what some of the words he used meant. All in the glossary… who ever checks those things out first? Or at all?
Well this book report has become a little wider in scope than I first intended. I should stop before it rivals the book itself. (That was a little bit of lame humour) I am certain that you can find or will eventually find, these books in a second hand book store. The price will be about right for it then. Since Hubbard has passed away, if you feel like enriching his estate, you can pay full price if you have that desire.
In the end… I thoroughly enjoyed reading this western. That itself is all the book report you actually need to know.
😉