Customer Reviews

Battlefield Earth

5 star:		(269)
4 star:		(60)
3 star:		(36)
2 star:		(28)
1 star:		(104)

 

 

The book is always fun to read. I've gone through it 3 times over 12 years. Each time I read it cover to cover, straight through. The style is deliberately over-the-top, and very humorous. Hubbard creates many outrageous scenes of high tension, bigger than life and melodramatic. It can't help but bring a smile to your face, as this book presents innumerable good vs. evil conflicts in the classic tradition.

The "Psychlos" are bumbling alien psychotics, so intent on guile and treachery they can't even grab a goo-food stick without provoking a knock down, drag out fight. Through sheer luck, they've stumbled upon technologies which empower them to rule most of the know universes (all 16 of them). The ponderous, overwhelming Psychlo bureaucracy, replete with the cruelest and pettiest, middle level paper pushers imaginable, sets up the perfect "evil empire" that Johnny Good Boy Tyler defeats at every turn, overcoming incredible odds and triumphing over treachery with intelligence, bravery, and unbelievable luck. The almost stereo-typical conflicts in the book are a basis for it's humor and entertainment value, given the author's talent for creating conflicts of epic, even galactic, proportions.

Although I normally read more intellectualy structured fiction, Hubbard somehow has the knack of creating an entertaining story that is fun to read despite it's intentionally low-brow approach. If you like funny, adventure/sci-fi, you will probably like this book a lot.

I liked this book more than the Hubbard "Dekaology". Battlefield Earth is pretty long, but generally holds my interest throughout. It's almost like (2) books, with an initial phase related just to earth, and a final phase, involving the 16 known universes. The Dekalogy in contrast had a lot of underlying bitterness, and was REALLY long, perhaps because Hubbard was near the end of his life, and his goal was to write the longest sci-fi book, not necessarily the best.

I can think of many "serious" sci-fi authors I prefer to L. Ron Hubbard, but I'm hard pressed to think of one who is more entertaining. I look at Battlefield Earth as equal parts Douglas Adams, Tom Swift, and Asimov. Hubbard is from the same generation of classic sci-fi authors as Heinlin, Clark, Asimov, et. al., but in Battlefield Earth, employs a more humorous and easy-going style, without the dated idealism and self-importance found in many older sci-fi classics.

This is one of the worst books I've ever read (though sadly, not the worst). If it's not too late for you (i.e., you haven't yet attempted a read), allow me to try to save you some pain. I suggest you skim through the reviews here on Amazon. Read the one star reviews, and consider. As for the five star reviews (and there aren't many between these two extremes), allow me to pull some choice quotes so that you don't have to strain through each one:

"Lovable characters, hatable baddies. You always know what to think of a character."

"The villains are really horrible - no bones about it. You just want to watch the hero wipe 'em all out, with no second thoughts. These elements are really pretty fairy-tale-ish. Most modern-day books don't have such black-and-white heroes and villains, and I found it a refreshing change."


"[...]it is not what ud call ground breaking[...]"

"It isn't very deep and is not meant to be."

"I noticed on some of the other reviews critism about a 'juvenile' writing style: I beg to differ - I find it's refreshing! I am as literate as anyone but when I read a story I like to read a story, not a jumble of often extraneous words or ponderous thoughts."

"Hubbard writes at an average 15 year-old reading level, which makes it slightly awkward, but the feeling of the novel can reach out to any aged reader. There are subtle points in the novel that are a little hard to notice and are quite ridiculous.[...]The story drags on a little long and you can get bored with it rather quickly if you're not interested in sci-fi before you read it."

"Granted the names of the characters and most of the events are absolutely ludicrous but Hubbard wrote it like that intentionally. It's a wonderful pulp sci-fi satire. And to those of you who think it's too far-fetched, it's sci-FICTION for god's sake."

"Admittedly, the science in this book is very weak. If you come to this book looking for a world that could actually happen... look somewhere else, you won't find it here.[...]If you are looking for a serious story, the light, cheesy narrative might turn you off."

"...the last 100 or so pages are not needed...who cares if its entirely impossible...since when does a FICTION novel have to be possible[...]"

"Don't read this looking for great literature."

"I actually like the hit on psychology at the end. It's a fake science at best!"

"i understand the bad reviews, you need to approach it with a tongue-in-check attitude."

"That said, there are some things about it that may turn off some people. Namely, some of the things in the book are incredibly cheesy.[...]Also, there are some rather poor stereotypes in this book."

"I thought that I would get tired of the cheesiness of some of the things in the book, like the names of things (Johnny Goodboy Tyler, the Basher Bash Your Way to Glory Battle Tank, etc.), but somehow it just didn't stop being fun. The only thing I disliked were a few minor plot holes."

"Some of the phrasing is a little odd, I get a sense that Hubbard was fumbling a bit as he tried to tell the story, and a few of the scientific issues I find somewhat suspect, but it's still a good read though quite long."

"Yes, it istrue that this book relies on rather tired cliches, (Johnny Tyler is good, the aliens are bad, aliens lose, humans triumph, etc.)[...]It won't change the way you like at the world, or even give you a deep emotional connection to the characters[...]"

"It is not a book if you want rich character development or profound social messages."

"It's definitely a 'guy' book, though, not as unisex as Tolkien's Lord of the Rings[...]"

"Read it for the sci-fi, not for any inner enlightenment as it's not there."

"Somewhere in my literary education I was imbued with a prejudice against 'popular literature,' and was taught to 'appreciate' the classics - Homer, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Cervantes, Jane Austen, Tolstoy, Balzac, Conrad, Henry James, James Joyce and so on.[...]And then I found and read Battlefield Earth! Oh, my goodness! I had to rethink my whole education![...]Here was a book that defied all my precepts of literature!"

"...yes, it defies 'proper' writting. Just because it's different doesn't make it bad.[...]To say the least, this book is unlike any novel you have ever read. Just because the book isn't full of useless literary techniques, and other things only English teachers would find, doesn't mean it's not good."

"[...]it's not the deepest Sci-Fi ever (Or even close)[...]"

"While there are many plot holes through the book and many inconsistencies in character development, including poor writing in parts, predictability of certain situations, etc. it is nonetheless a great read[...]"

"Although I normally read more intellectualy structured fiction, Hubbard somehow has the knack of creating an entertaining story that is fun to read despite it's intentionally low-brow approach."

"This book was not meant to be a 'deep' sci-fi novel like Asimov's and others."

"Its simplicity makes it intense."

"Who cares if he doesn't have verb agreement? Just read the books and enjoy them, stop dissecting them."

"Battlefield Earth isn't too subtle, and if you like your sci-fi 'deep' you might be a little turned off by BE."

"A no brainer to read."

These only represent the serious 5-star reviews, not the joke ones like:

"One of the most enlightening books I have read since Al Gore's Earth in the Balance. The movie is even better only Waterboy was more insightful."

(I'd also like to note the suspicious similarities between many of the five-star reviews, especially the early ones, usually short, written anonymously. Many compare the villain, Terl, to Darth Vader saying "Terl makes Darth Vader look like (fill in the blank)." No conspiracy theorist here, just saying...)

What I think you'll notice is that the 1-star and 5-star reviewers tend to agree on the basics: shallow characters, unbelievable plot, weak science, etc. It's just that one group cares about that sort of thing and the other does not. I know what camp I'm in; you decide where you stand.

When I picked up this book out of sheer curiosity three years ago over Christmas weekend, I simply could not put it down. My family actually got quite irritated because I had my nose so embedded in this book for 3 full days.

Some people will say this book is too tedius and detailed without much characterization.

I give this book five stars. It is action packed, it has an excellent plot, politics, conspiracy, machinery and it even gives time to a romantic thread. It is shockingly vivid at times and an hysterical satire at others.

Terl is the most maniacle, calculating and frusturating villain which I've had the pleasure of reading about. Johnny Goodboy Tyler embodies everything we find honorable in the human spirit and characteristics our society so pines to return to; innocence, trust, that adventure bound spirit, and most importantly the unbreakable will to survive despite all obstacles.

It was some of the best money I've ever spent on entertainment... But if you buy the book, remember that you do need to get some sleep, so try not to stay up too late.

Happy reading!

P.S. I can't wait for the movie. The suspense is killing me! I only hope it does the book justice.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am perplexed. I can honestly say thatnever in my life have I ever truly loathed a book. .... An exhaustive tome about the opression and triumph ofthe human race, "Battlefield Earth," though grand in its design, falls remarkably short of its praise.

Hubbard's writing style is crude, repetative, and horribly unimaginative. His sentences are awkward and sometimes hard to understand - my sixth-grade English teacher would weep. Some say I put too much stock in descriptive writing, but I think good imagery is the cornerstone of any book. Everything in "Battlefield Earth" is mind-numbingly simple - the mountains are tall, the aliens are big, our hero is nice. Everything else is purple.

Much like his language, Hubbard's characters are one-dimensional. I suppose I should say two-dimensional, but that's giving them too much credit - flat is more interesting than these people. Good or bad, I don't care at all about anyone in this book. They are all left so undeveloped that even the main character could die and I wouldn't notice.

Hubbard is a very biased author. He wants the 'good guys' to win, and you can tell. Though the evil Psychlos are the ruling force of the universe, Hubbard stacks the deck so in favor of the humans that their inevitable victory is painfully obvious. The Psychlos are ridiculously stupid for having had conquered the universe, and the humans are remarkably clever for having been stuck in the Stone Age for 1000 years. It's the reader's job to root for the good guy, not the author's. Don't tell me to like a character, show me why I should like him or her.

All in all, I suppose Hubbard deserves one star for the sheer length of the book. After all, I've never published a 1000-page novel. But when that day comes, I'm taking my star back.

In regards to the "love-it vs. hate-it," "Scientology vs. critics" reviews of "Battlefield Earth" seen here, I should state that I have been an outspoken critic of Scientology for the past several years. Nevertheless, I will still say that "Battlefield Earth" is an entertaining book -- it's far from the "greatest science fiction saga ever written," and it really bogs down in the middle, but it's an enjoyable read nonetheless. In fact, it was the first of Hubbard's books that I ever read: I picked it up and read it for the sheer challenge of finishing a thousand-page paperback book. Much of the book is juvenile and laughably silly (such as the evil Brown Limper Staffor and his obsessive hatred for the superhero Johnnie Goodboy Tyler, for no apparent reason other than that Johnny is handsome and perfect and he isn't), and some of Hubbard's "science" is so implausible as to be laughable. In one section of the book, the good guys teleport a satellite to a point one light-year away from the planet Psychlo, and they use video enhancement technology to enlarge the image at "six trillion power" magnification to get a view of the planet. Then there's the idea that by placing five nuclear bombs next to each other and detonating one, they will all go off, one after the other. I'll leave it to better writers than I to point out the obvious flaws to these...but despite their being crucial to the plot, they don't detract from the fact that I enjoyed the book. About half of it is full of rollicking action and intrigue (dampened somewhat by ludicrous stereotypical "good guys" and "bad guys"). Hubbard's Scientology ideas are there within the book, but they're deeply hidden. You'd have to know about Hubbard's maniacal hatred of psychiatry and the way Scientologists refer to psychiatrists and psychologists as "psychs" to understand why he chose "Psychlos" as the name for the evil alien overlords of the whole universe; likewise, the Scientology belief that "man is basically good" is what ensures that the final victory of the book will not leave humanity open to corruption on its own, after the story has ended.

The writing varies from a furious, energetic pace (when the battles and double-dealings are taking place) to tediously slow (when Hubbard plays the material for more additional sub-plots), and as has already been said, the overall tone of the book is that of a junvenile pulp fiction novel. To compare this silliness with grand space opera like E.E. "Doc" Smith's "Lensman" books would be sacrilege, but "Battlefield Earth" does stand on its own as an entertaining story. I had trouble getting started with it, and it did bog down, but the final third of the book is fast reading to the very end. This book inspired me to go out and learn more about L. Ron Hubbard and his works...but if you do want to read more, be warned that most of Hubbard's writings are far sillier than what you'll see in "Battlefield Earth." After this book, I worked my way through his ten-book "Mission Earth" series...which are nothing but a blatant commercial for Scientology, and which are so unbelievably awful that you may want to read them just to see if they live up to their reputation as one of the worst pieces of "science fiction" drivel ever published. "Battlefield Earth" is an entertaining, fun read...but after this, you may want to read Hubbard's other good book, "Fear." And then you can visit my Web site and learn about his most famous science fiction creation: the "church" of Scientology.

... I must say that Battlefield Earth is one incrediblebook. It is not the most well-thought-out novel in the world, but itis extremely entertaining and a real page-turner. Also, it can be said that although the book is over 1,000 pages long (and with SMALL type!) it very rarely gets boring.

That said, there are some things about it that may turn off some people. Namely, some of the things in the book are incredibly cheesy. The hero's name is "Jonnnie Goodboy Tyler" for God's sake! Speaking of names, so many characters in this book have ridicilous names "Duneeldeen, Glencannon, Zzt, Robert The Fox, Schleim, Jambitchows", not to mention the Basher "Bash Our Way To Glory Tank", the alien "psychlos", and Jonnie's father "Timothy Brave Tyler". Also, there are some rather poor stereotypes in this book.

Again, I believe that the action, suspense, and the epic scope that this book portrays will EASILY counter out any cheesiness that the story has. Think "Star Wars", with a good dose of Douglas Adams.

One of the most enlightening books I have read since Al Gore's Earth in the Balance. The movie is even better only Waterboy was more insightful.

Excellant book highly recommend for those needing a good laugh.

I enjoy reading SF. A lot of SF. I picked this book up because I enjoy reading from the "golden age" of SF. Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke, and dozens of others. Battlefield: Earth is as far from "golden" as possible. Stupid characters. Idiotic dialogue. 1000 year old planes flown by "cave men".

The movie perfectly reflects the book. Avoid both at all costs.

This book was so good I could hardly see straight! Not an avid reader but a lover of psi-fi, I began to read this book on the recommendation of my husband (an avid reader and psi-fi fan). WOW! I could not put it down!

At one point I was reading it IN THE CAR. Dangerous but it was just too good! Great story, great characters! Check the unabridged version too!

I've read books from all the Sci Fi greats from Azimov to Herbert. This book definately doesn't take as much grey matter to read as a Dune book. But it's a still a great read and one of my all-time favorites.

It's like a great quality pop corn sci fi action book. With over 1000 pages, there are many technical details and most make sense. Is everything based on proven scientific fact? No, but most other sci fi isn't either. It's way more reality based than Star Wars or Star Trek for instance. I've recommended this book to many people over the years, and I don't know anybody that didn't love it.

I don't know where some of these negative reviews are coming from all of a sudden. Some are making comments that lead me to believe they didn't even read the book. Some reference stupid things from the movie. Don't even get me started on how disappointed I was with that. It doesn't even come close to representing this book.

Bottom line. Don't expect War and Peace. Expect to read about a small group of humans trying to win back their planet from an all powerful galactic dominating foe. In the process, they accomplish far more. Just sit, read, and enjoy. You won't be disappointed.