Customer Reviews

The Invaders Plan (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (Mission Earth)

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

If I was still in high school, I probably would have really enjoyed this series and probably overlooked the many holes in Hubbard's writing. In writing a dekalogy (a 10 book series) he had the option to follow in the footsteps of such greats as C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia), and especially Frank Herbert (Dune). But instead of spanning the galaxy and thousands of years, he zones in on a character that's basically a secretary and a bumbling one at that. Among the disconcerting lack of details that would make the story truly work, is the fact that everyone in the book seems to eat mostly sweetrolls and soda, with the occasional beer (he did go as far as to create terms for them in the context, "sparklewater" and such). So basically what you have here is a shining opportunity to get really in depth and create a story with the scope of a thousand worlds and the fate of the galaxy. What you actually get is a private window on a bumbling cartoon character who munches on sweet rolls and generally interperets things poorly. It's amusing, but not what I'd call a page turner. But don't let me knock the series too much. My advice is to invest carefully. No sense buying ten books you hate. Just get the first one and see how it sits with you, and may it sit better with you than with me. - Jon Dayon

I am one of those people who love to read good science fiction and that is what the mess known as "Mission Earth" is not--good science fiction. While the basic plot is OK, Hubbard's use of "satire" is so poor that one begins to root for the psychologists and the psychiatrists that are being lambasted without rhyme or reason. Many of the ideas that appear in the book are on Scientology's hit list and, as in many of his writings, are attacked without being given a chance to tell their side of the story. But this is not the book's (and the series') basic flaw. Hubbard keeps repeating line and words to the point that if a reader would take out a word (say, for example, "riff raff") the book would deflate by half. (The same holds true when Soltan meets the Russian agent later on in the series--the repetition gets so loaded that the story bogs down so that it barely moves. Finally, even in bad satire (and we have one here) a hero cannot be as good as Jettero Heller--readers need heroes and villains they can believe in--both Gris and Heller are so far off the mark that I cannot belive in them. Although Bridge Publications claim that this is the largest series ever written, size does not matter--quality does--and that is what "Mission Earth" lacks--quality in the writing. In so doing, I cannot accept that these books are the best SF written. Readers looking for good, epic space opera and adventure by a true talent can find what they crave in E.E. "Doc" Smith's "Lensman" or "Skylark" series.

1) Pro: Highest production audio book I've read to date. Multiple cast members playing their identified roles. Nice change from having one actor try and read for every part. This felt like it was an actual play.

2) Pro: Satirical (sp?) humor and engaging characters

3) Pro: I had no idea what to expect next and the first person point of view was excellent for this story

4) Con: Ends with minimal number of things resolved

In my opinion, the Invader's Plan is a good book. It does a nice job of setting up the characters and the plot that proves to be important later on in the series. I really like the way it is written. The story is written through the eyes of Soltan Gris, a deep character working for a government branch known as the Apparatus. He is given the mission to send a person to Earth and improve their technology so they can be invaded more easily. He is also given the secret order to make sure the mission fails! It is a great book with many twists and turns to keep you involved in the series.

After reading Battlefield Earth years ago, I could hardly wait when it was announced that Hubbard was coming out with a ten book Sci-Fi series. As soon as this did appear I purchased the first two books and was excited to finally be able to read more from this author. It did not take long to realize, however, that this was not of the same caliber as Battlefield. I struggled through the first book, gave the second a chance just to see if things would improve, and was so bored by the end of the second book, I vowed never to waste my time on anything else by Hubbard.

Battlefield Earth was fantastic. Mission Earth is a lame duck. Hard to believe they are by the same author.

I have read all ten books in this series. I do NOT blow my own horn you understand, but I feel I certainly have earned a medal (or it's equivalent) for slogging through this trash.

The whole mess MIGHT have been worthwhile (as a satire) if done in a SINGLE (!!!!!) book. By a third of the way into the second book I wanted the protagonist to die a horrible, slow, death. I wanted the villian to rape the heroine. Yes, I'm foolish for putting myself through such AGONY, but only twice, in more than 30 years of reading, have I NOT finished a book or series. I love books and I mourn the fact that these "things" must be permitted to be described as, and associated with, the real thing. This was simply (the kindest explanation I can think of) a gratuitous effort at making money. Obviously, if Amazon permitted "negative" stars, this rating would be sub-zero.

P.S. Is L. Ron Hubbard dead yet? If not he should attempt to diminish the magnitude of his sins through suicide. It wouldn't be enough, but it would be the best we could hope for.

I just couldnt bring myself to like this book. It was the first hubbard book I have ever read and its really making me reconsider even starting the other one i have now.

I've read the entire Mission Earth series (back in the day when they first came out), and am currently re-reading them.

The only problem I have with the Mission Earth books is that they are SO good, I CANNOT PUT THEM DOWN and thus I lose quite a lot of sleep until I'm done with each book! When they were first coming out, I would eagerly await each book and then stay up all night long reading it. I've found the same to be true with all of my friends who've read this fantastic series.

Fast-paced, high adventure with incredible writing. I could go on, but suffice it to say, these are great books.

These authors have all found Hubbard's writing to be great -- Robert E. Heinlein, Larry Niven, Frank Herbert, Frederik Pohl, Jerry Pournelle, Robert Silverberg, Roger Zelazny, Jack Williamson, Eric Kotani, Algis Budrys, Andre Norton, Theodore Sturgeon, Anne McCaffrey, and many more. Do you really so many great writers would have such flawed taste themselves?

Hubbard was one of the greatest of the pulp fiction writers back in the golden age. And his later writings were just as good. There's lots of info about him on his web site,[...] . And no, I am not affiliated or paid in any way. Just a huge fan.

I am an avid and voracious reader, taking occasional breaks but typically devouring a book in one to two evenings. After a week of reading, and getting through the first three books in this series, I realized that I did not have to finish the series. Thus began what was a wonderful day for me: the sun was brighter, grass was greener, and my mind functioned with a clarity that has been rarer and rarer as time goes on. The characters in this book are very one-dimensional, incredibly underdeveloped and just not very likeable. The situations they get in are straight out of a sixties sitcom: "No! Don't do that! Oh jeez... He did it." Hubbard's attempts at humor are quite sad and fall very flat. Perhaps if I was still twelve and reading under the blankets I would have chuckled here and there. The gadgets and technology are only passable if you have no ounce of disbelief in you. ("Willbe-Was" drive?? Oh boy... how pathetic.)

Anyway, enough trashing the book, I just really didn't enjoy it or the bad puns or anything about it honestly. I love humor (Douglas Adams), I _love_ scifi, but I found very little redeeming about this book. Sorry for the fans out there, just write this off, but I would not recommend this book to readers that enjoy "hard" scifi or even humor.

If I didn't know better I'd think this book'd been written back in Dicken's day, when authors got paid by the word. This is one of the longest short stories I've ever read. Hubbard could've cut out a good 200 pages and it would've been a lot more fun, and a lot closer to being comparable to the quality of Battlefield Earth.

The tale is told from the perspective of Soltan Gris, an officer in a disreputable division of the government known as the Aparatus. The Aparatus kidnaps Jettro Heller and then talks him into being a spy on a mission to Earth. The remainder of the book is Soltan's bumbling struggle to get Jet off the planet and on his way to Earth.

There were moments throughout the book where I was reminded that Hubbard is an excellent author. The recreation of Freudian psychology was hilarious, as was the innocence with which Jet foils every evil plot he comes into contact with. And even though Soltan was the bad guy, and a real moron most of the time, I often found myself rooting for him - even on the edge of my seat to see if he survived the crisis of the moment.

The problem was that those exciting moments were too rare. They were surrounded by periods of dullness that made the book feel about 4 times longer than it is. My recommendation is that you get this and any of the sequels to this book from the library, and spend your money on Battlefield Earth. Sten or Dune should also catch your fancy.