kindlereads's review against another edition
3.0
I read Battlefield Earth because it was written by the author of Dianetics and the founder of Scientology, and wanted to find out how much L Ron was full of shit. Battlefield Earth is the epitome of pulp. It's very silly, and an OK read, for the most part. Why in the world did Hubbard add all that boring crap after the climax of a kind of entertaining albeit dumb action SF story? It just went on and on. This should have been an anthology of multiple books not one long ass book. 10 out of 10 would not read again.
empressofbookingham's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
“How could any being consider itself so right as to think it should make all other beings into robots to do it's bidding?”
~~~
This story is proof that man can survive anything!
What started out as a lone journey of not only discovery but also questioning what our main character was made to believe about life turned into a whirlwind, gripping adventure with man's future at stake.
Eventually the battle of centuries, a battle to save the last vestiges of humans on earth come what may was what ensues.
We follow Jonnie Goodboy Tyler who connects every human character in a bigger purpose than who they are, kindling hope when all was ashes and rousing a fire that in them to fight an alien race so formidable and weaving a story that's gripping, captivating, tense, immersive and so hopeful you won't help but root for fellow humans.
Hubbard gives us the privilege to see things from the point of view of not only our hero but also the point of view of the alien. He also includes characters that are not only flawed but who'll do anything to move our race forward even if it means to learn a bit of the alien knowledge and technology.
Remember, “Knowledge was the key out of captivity.”
From remaining occupants in Russia, Denver, Lake Victoria to the Himalayas we see Hubbard showing us the importance of oneness. And he goes on to poke at some of the things that separate our race such as religion, politics, greed...
I'd say the science fiction, bountiful adventure, good versus evil trope that holds up the story but it's that power of the human spirit and it's resilience beautifully showcased that makes it come to life and makes you turn the pages over and over till that last one.
If you love you hero journey stories, good vs bad, high adventure all wrapped in science fiction then this is your jam here, jump right it and brace yourself.
~~~
This story is proof that man can survive anything!
What started out as a lone journey of not only discovery but also questioning what our main character was made to believe about life turned into a whirlwind, gripping adventure with man's future at stake.
Eventually the battle of centuries, a battle to save the last vestiges of humans on earth come what may was what ensues.
We follow Jonnie Goodboy Tyler who connects every human character in a bigger purpose than who they are, kindling hope when all was ashes and rousing a fire that in them to fight an alien race so formidable and weaving a story that's gripping, captivating, tense, immersive and so hopeful you won't help but root for fellow humans.
Hubbard gives us the privilege to see things from the point of view of not only our hero but also the point of view of the alien. He also includes characters that are not only flawed but who'll do anything to move our race forward even if it means to learn a bit of the alien knowledge and technology.
Remember, “Knowledge was the key out of captivity.”
From remaining occupants in Russia, Denver, Lake Victoria to the Himalayas we see Hubbard showing us the importance of oneness. And he goes on to poke at some of the things that separate our race such as religion, politics, greed...
I'd say the science fiction, bountiful adventure, good versus evil trope that holds up the story but it's that power of the human spirit and it's resilience beautifully showcased that makes it come to life and makes you turn the pages over and over till that last one.
If you love you hero journey stories, good vs bad, high adventure all wrapped in science fiction then this is your jam here, jump right it and brace yourself.
acrousey's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
portlandcat's review against another edition
3.0
Great Sci Fi novel, but it’s about three times longer than it needs to be. Maybe there were no line editors back in 1980.
housegnome's review against another edition
3.0
The first half of this book was a lot of fun and could stand alone as a novel in itself. The second half was kind of meh and not what I was interested in.
charlibirb's review against another edition
4.0
What a great read! Really liked the complexity of the plot, the number of characters, and the epic proportions of the alien worlds. It got minus a star, because it was a bit unrealistic to have a barbarian human who doesn't know how to read, within a couple years, learn how to read, speak several languages, learn about diplomacy, explosives, mining, advanced mathematics... the list goes on. Also, he never lost, so it wasn't surprising when he won. Fun story, though, and way better than I expected of L. Ron Hubbard!
olityr's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book really should have been a trilogy, not one long novel.
markazarnie's review against another edition
5.0
I brought this book when it tirst came out in the 80s, but could never get more than the first few chapters. Then I got ill and neded something to while away the time, so I started reading it again. I'm now on my 7th copy of it(the rest fell to bits from over reading) and I reread it every 6 months. The first is basically a battle of wits between the twn main characters, and it goes from there. Yes to cal the film a peice of crap is being nice, and L Ron was definately different but this book is good
togashisan's review against another edition
5.0
I have always been a sucker for post apocalyptic tales. While this book is by L. Ron Hubbard, don't think that it has anything to do with Scientology. The story takes place 1000 years in the future, after mankind has been conquered and nearly completely exterminated. The story is epic in scale, and so is the book clocking in at damn near 1000 pages. The tale is well crafted, albeit at times the story slows down considerably and sort of wanders a bit, but in the end, everything is tied up well.