Ole Doc Methuselah

By L. Ron Hubbard

He’s renowned throughout the universe, a star among stars. . . Ole Doc Methuselah is his name, and saving the universe is his game. He journeys with his bag of tricks to the far corners of the cosmos, cutting out the corruption and cruelty, and containing the warped psychology plaguing mankind. So if you’re looking for an adventure to remember, this is just what the doctor ordered. "Classic adventures by a classic writer." —Roger Zelazny

• Language: English
• Publisher: Galaxy Press
• Release date: Jan 1, 1992
• ISBN: 9781592125999

L. Ron Hubbard

With 19 New York Times bestsellers and more than 350 million copies of his works in circulation, L. Ron Hubbard is among the most enduring and widely read authors of our time. As a leading light of American Pulp Fiction through the 1930s and '40s, he is further among the most influential authors of the modern age. Indeed, from Ray Bradbury to Stephen King, there is scarcely a master of imaginative tales who has not paid tribute to L. Ron Hubbard. Then too, of course, there is all L. Ron Hubbard represents as the Founder of Dianetics and Scientology and thus the only major religion born in the 20th century.

Reviews for Ole Doc Methuselah

[cameronl_51 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Cheesy 1940s pulp sci-fi fun. Nothing deep, but entertaining.

[altheaann · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

So, the Scientologists at BEA like to interview convention-goers about their opinions on ol' Elron.

I told them, truthfully, that I'd read one of his books, thought it was godawful, and declined the opportunity to read any more.

Naturally, they wanted to know which book I'd read, and I couldn't think of the name of it right off the bat. I did however, say something to the effect of: "It featured a super-powerful Golden Age manly hero who went around saving the day."

However, even for Golden Age manly heroes (who, I admit, are not really my thing) this book is godawful. It's actually a series of short stories, originally produced for magazines. Our Hero, Ole Doc, is a Soldier Of Light, who's sort of a Super-Doctor of the Universe. He has an alien slave sidekick, who, of course, loves being enslaved. The tone aims for socially-relevant humor, but for me, it fell flat. The writing is stilted and unexceptional, and for ostensibly 'action-packed' stories, the overall effect was pretty boring.

My Scientologist interviewer allegedly couldn't figure out what I was talking about, and weakly exhorted me to read the Battlefield Earth series. (I could tell he didn't think there was much of a chance that I would.)