A Matter of Matter
4.5/5
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About this ebook
Madman Murphy, the King of Planetary Realtors, is more than happy to oblige. He’s got a whole galaxy of planets for sale. All Chuck needs is money . . . and a lot of it. Eleven years later, saving every penny he can scrape up, Chuck’s dream comes true. He takes possession and takes off for Planet 19453X. . . .
One problem: Madman Murphy has sold Chuck a world of trouble. Because on Planet 19453X the water is undrinkable, the air is unbreathable, and the laws of physics don’t apply. Has Chuck’s dream turned into a nightmare? Not quite. As he’s about to discover, sometimes, to fulfill your true desire, it’s simply a matter of digging a little deeper. . . .
By the time A Matter of Matter appeared in 1949, L. Ron Hubbard’s stature as a writer was well established. As author and critic Robert Silverberg puts it: he had become a “master of the art of narrative.” Hubbard’s editors urged him to apply his gift for succinct characterization, original plot, deft pacing and imaginative action to the genre of science fiction and fantasy. The rest is Sci-Fi history.
Also includes the science fiction adventures, The Conroy Diary, in which the man who opens up the universe to mankind also opens himself to charges of fraud and tax evasion; The Obsolete Weapon, the story of an American GI involved in the 1943 invasion of Italy who slips back in time and finds himself fighting a different kind of battle—as a gladiator in ancient Rome; and The Planet Makers, in which a great deal is at stake for the engineers who make planets habitable, but one of them has a surprising plan all his own.
"… this is a real corker, pulp fiction at its most entertaining."—Booklist
* An International Book Awards Finalist
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 acclaimed 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.
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Reviews for A Matter of Matter
7 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5From 1949, "A matter of Matter" is a refreshing science fiction tale from master storyteller L. Ron Hubbard. Included in this volume are three additional golden age classics: "The Conroy Diary," "The Planet makers," and "The obsolete Weapon." Each story is highly enjoyable and well written. Such short short science fiction stories are a thing of the past, but never better handled than by the incomparable L. Ron Hubbard who gets more excitement into a few pages than most modern writers. The audio book is fantastic for those that enjoy listening to books while traveling.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Matter of Matter is a very funny parody of a funky real estate deal and the hopes of a new planet owner. Parallels to a real life scam and a surprise potential reward of a new discovery of value to Earth (which was of course unknown to the realtor) make this story very fun. Great Audiobook and fun for commute with this variety of shorter stories.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5“A Matter of Matter” is another anthology collection. Since these stories were serialized in magazines of the time, some tend to be longer than others. The original pulp art on the cover grants some authenticity to these stories.
A Matter of Matter was a story of a man who saved his money for ten years to get a planet to own and have colonized. Unfortunately he got a lemon, with gravity working backwards. However the natives of the planet were not so affected, which was a bit of a plot hole. Still, the theme of doing what you need to do to get what you want, even if what you want ends up being bad, was interesting. Turns out the hero makes lemonade out of this lemon.
“The Planet Makers” was about a corporate sponsor to a planet Sleepy was wrokign on terraforming for future colonization. Despite some apparent sabotage of the equipment and materiel, Sleepy continues with his work, takes his time playing cards and sleeping until the time comes to do his work. One man, who protests a bit too much, wants Sleepy out of there. Interesting story of not taking your job seriously as long as you get the job done, despite the counter-influence of others.
The third story was a time travel yarn, The Obsolete Weapon. A soldier during an Italian occupation in the later days of World War II somehow falls through a portal at the Roman Coliseum and meets lions and gladiators versus his 19th century gun, which actually comes in handy to a race with no such weapons. Underlying criticism of military authority and despite the ages still is as ludicrous as ever is easily read between the lines.
Oh, the Conroy Diary was a comical tale of twists and turns. Over the top adventurer who has a secret that will clearly surprise you when revealed. One of those rare comic sci-fi tales.
Commonly, a short glossary is inserted at the end, along with a few pages of future tales to whet the appetite of those adventure readers enjoying all things Hubbard.
Bottom Line: Not a bad tale of mercenary adventures. Not the first book I’d pick up (prefer Fear and Ultimate Adventure and his Slaves of Sleep tales) but you may be pleasantly surprised.
Recommended.