Customer Reviews

Sabotage in the Sky (Stories from the Golden Age)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Sabotage in the Sky"
by L. Ron Hubbard
Multi-cast performance
produced by Galaxy Audio
2009
Approx 2 hours

It's time once again to go on an air adventure with the master of story-telling, L. Ron Hubbard. As always make sure you're strapped in because this one will keep you on the edge of your seat. (Or as the the old monster truck rally commercials used to say, "You'll pay for the whole seat but you'll only need the edge, edge, edge.")

Hubbard wrote many stories for the pulps in the mid 20th century and every one was meant to captivate the reader in only a few pages. His writing achieved this but Galaxy Audio's production of these stories into audiobooks pushes this audience captivation further. Each of these books released by Galaxy Press and Galaxy Audio are produced with excellent character acting, realistic sound effects and original music to fit the genre to transition between chapters.

This time around I listened to "Sabotage in the Sky." This story was originally published in "Five Novels Monthly" August, 1940 and tells the story of test pilot Bill Trevillian. None of the fighter planes test pilot Bill Trevillian flies are hotter than the BCA 41 pursuit ship, so he takes it up. But someone has deliberately rigged it for failure and destruction--and for Trevillian's death.

France and Great Britain are looking for the best fighters to use in the war against the Nazis and they must choose between different American plane designs to outfly the newest and deadliest Nazi fighters, the competing companies send their two best test pilots . . . Kip and Bill. Kip turns out to be an old friend of Bill's but not one he remembers at first. Kip is a dame, and according to Bill, "Dames can't fly." But Kip is out to set him straight.

Kip and Bill grew up together, Bill was always the best pilot, and Kip looked up to him. But when Bill ridicules her on her crash landing she sets out to get back at him. But what is worse is that the Nazis have sent a saboteur to Bill's crew in order to keep the Europeans from gaining the air advantage.

Soon Kip and Bill suspect the other of sabotage, problem that not only threatens their already electric relationship but their very lives. The contract is to be decided in a mock air battle, but soon turns deadly when the Nazis sneak a saboteur onto each plane and plan to highjack the planes for their own use. What soon turns out to be a sea and air battle the two pilots' skills are put to the test.

The thing about the way L.Ron Hubbard writes is that he can get the reader to view the world from the viewpoint of his characters. The mark of a truly great author! Another wild ride and fun adventure! Give me more!

Before he founded the Scientology movement, L. Ron Hubbard was a skilled and prolific author of the legendary 'golden age' of pulp fiction magazines. Now Galaxy Press is reprinting those long out of print Hubbard action/adventure tales as part of their 'Stories from the Golden Age' series. "Sabotage In The Sky" is one of Hubbard's stories based on then advanced technologies of aircraft and powered flight and was originally published in 1940. It has everything from a love interest, to ruthless competition within the aviation industry that includes the prospect of Nazi sabotage, riveting cliff-hanger action, and the colorful aviation patosis of the period. Also highly recommended for aviation action/adventure pulp fiction fans are such other newly published Galaxy Press titles by L. Ron Hubbard as "On Blazing Wings"; "Red Death Over China"; "Sky Birds Dare!"; and "Trouble On His Wings".