That is Fanner Marston’s mantra—his
reason for being—and while he knows a little about the first and a lot about
the second, he may well be on the verge of learning everything there is to know
about the third. Power. He may, in fact, be about to uncover the
key to gaining absolute control over the entire universe. The only
problem is, Fanner is certifiably insane—a crazed Peter Lorre on a power trip….
His starship has crash-landed, and
he’s the sole survivor, which doesn’t matter to him. Driven by greed and
lust for power, wracked by thirst, hunger and pain, all he cares about is
reaching the ancient city of Parva and making himself at home. Because
there lies The Great Secret to universal domination—and what’s a little
suffering on the road to becoming God?
Does
Fanner have a prayer? The writing’s on the walls of Parva—and you won’t
believe what it says. . .
The Great Secret (SF)
By L. Ron Hubbard
ISBN # 978-1592123711
Price $9.95
122 Pages
Rating 5-Stars
“Golden Age Science Fiction At Its Best.”
Actually, this book contains four stories: THE GREAT
SECRET, which was originally published in SCIENCE FICTION STORIES, April 1943;
SPACE CAN; THE BEAST, and THE SLAVER.
In THE GREAT SECRET Fanner Marston is the last survivor of
a team searching for the mythical Parva, a lost civilization holding the
secrets to the universe. Whoever can find those secrets will control the
universe. Struggling through the desert half dead under two suns, Marston finds
the lost city, only to learn the first secret to his grasp of power may also
mean his death.
SPACE CAN, the Menace,
is a US Destroyer category ship leading a convoy under the command of Lt.
Carter. Two enemy ships attack, and the old space can must take them out in a
space battle that will likely destroy his ship and men.
THE BEAST is a monster threatening the village Tohyvo on
the planet Venus. The blue natives are in need of a great white hunter and the
government sends Ginger Cranston, a man who has never failed. But the planet is
known for its giant animal life, so what is the man-size beast that attacks
Cranston and almost kills him? A man without fear now has fear, but he plans on
tracking the monster and killing it. But is he ready for the revelation once he
comes fact to face with the Beast?
The final story is THE SLAVER, and my favorite (though THE
GREAT SECRET is a runner up). Voris Shapadin, captain of the slaver, is parked
on Earth and his men are capturing slaves to be returned to his home planet,
Lurga. They are attacked by a small, slender man, but quickly capture him. He
is a high class, named Kree Lorin of Falcon Crest, a soldier and blue blood.
Also held captain is the girl Kree was trying to win, Dana of Palmerton, a
peasant girl. Chained and locked in cells, the ship departs Earth with their
human cargo, but Kree is determined to free himself and Dana, while killing as
many Lurga slavers as possible.
The four stories in this collection was a lot of fun, and
though they could have been altered as adventure stories, and sea adventures
instead of space opera, they worked well as SF. Highly recommended.
Tom Johnson
Author of WORLDS OF TOMORROW
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