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November 14, 2008 7:02 AM PST

L. Ron Hubbard Pulp Fiction channel coming to YouTube

by Don Reisinger

Publishing company Galaxy Press announced Friday that in partnership with YouTube, it has launched its own channel on the popular video site. The channel contains original content dedicated to the newly released 150-story, 80-plus novel pulp fiction series, Stories from the Golden Age, authored by L. Ron Hubbard during the 1930s and 1940s.

So far, the YouTube channel contains two video podcasts, an audiobook trailer for Under the Black Ensign, which tells the story of a British naval captain turned pirate, and a video showing how the collection of stories came together.

The YouTube channel "is designed to enchant and captivate a whole new generation of reader and listener to Mr. Hubbard's amazing range and realism," John Goodwin, Galaxy Press president, said in a statement. "It's a fascinating look into how to create a unique listening experience. Its roots are from the old radio theater begun in the 1930s but done in a 21st century style."

And it's that desire to bring a "21st century style" to publishing that makes Galaxy Press' decision to use YouTube so compelling. As the publishing industry continues to face economic trouble and more people are turning online, will YouTube become the next frontier for promoting publishing classics?

Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.

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by RojAvon November 14, 2008 7:28 AM PST
Great...the guy who gave us mediocre to bad pulp sci-fi and worst of all inflicted Scientology upon us is back with great audio versions of his crap.
Reply to this comment
by fredtheviking November 14, 2008 7:43 AM PST
Hey hey, you don't know if the author is into Scientology. You need to careful not to offend the author. But seriously, why did the author make no mention of Ron L Hubbards connection to Scientology. I guess they may be no need, all you need to do is look up his name and boom you learn more about Scientology than you ever wanted to know.
by dayton999 November 14, 2008 8:31 AM PST
I echo your comments wholeheartedly!!
by November 14, 2008 7:45 AM PST
I recently saw his works prominently displayed at Book a Million. It's crap. For more information on what a nut job LRH was goto www.xenu.net
Reply to this comment
by RainCaster November 14, 2008 7:58 AM PST
L. Ron Hoover and his Church Of Appliantology- all his writings are pulp. The problem is that people took it as fact, and so we have this phony religion based on pulp scifi. Call them the "original trekkies" if you will. Galaxy Press is a group of Appliantologists who want to bring that garbage to a bigger group of people so that Appliantology can be taught to the YouTube generation. "May the force be with you" -- NOT.
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by Zandora777 November 14, 2008 8:35 AM PST
Dianetics doesn't mention Scientology, either. "Battlefield Earth" was a direct attempt to get more fiction readers into his religious octopus, and this is just another ploy. I imagine you will find Miscavige lurking somewhere.
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by AppleSuxLeo November 14, 2008 11:58 AM PST
What a kook that guy was. The Hollywood types just seem to love him , like Madonna and Kaballa. Do the Scientology thing , follow Kaballa , and vote Democrat. Send Sean Penn as an envoy to stop the war ! Yea , right.
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by iPhoinix November 18, 2008 8:43 PM PST
I agree with Don Reisinger's overview. I've bought and listened to several of the Galaxy Press audio book presentations of the L Ron Hubbard stories and what a f___'n relief. Action, action, action without pulling out a microscope to examine the blood and guts turning into monsters pouring out of everyone's eyeballs.

The stories I heard were bigger than life characters, going beyond the odds and having a blast. Refreshing compared to the computer game brain drain.
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by tashidg November 18, 2008 9:01 PM PST
Christ I wish you guys would take your "big bad scary Scientology" stuff somewhere else. This is an article abut fiction stories from the 1940s and 50s, and some of us choose to read it and enjoy it.

No one wants to hear this stuff, you sound like snarky idiots, so please go back home and let us get on with the conversation.

Personally Don, I think it's interesting that YouTube is the new radio. The stories that kept people glued to the radio did so with lively writing, good suspense, great characterization. They had to, all they had was radio. These are things that YouTube is lacking and it could make for some great online video.
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by scififorever November 21, 2008 2:23 PM PST
I actually picked one of the books up at the airport and read it on the flight. It was actually quite good.
L. Ron certainly could write. It was a mystery/adventure type book. I think the title was Spy Killer. Sort of Indiana Jones meets James Bond.

So what he was the founder of Scientology. If they had printed that on the books I am sure they would be accused of promoting the religion with his fiction books. I for one enjoyed the story and I'll check out their YouTube channel. Thanks for the news update, Don!
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