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The Green God
Private detective Sam Spade nearly died, several times over, chasing The Maltese Falcon. But what Spade faced in pursuit of the black bird was child’s play compared to what Lieutenant Bill Mahone of Naval Intelligence endures when he sets out to find the Green God.
He’s tortured with knives, threatened with a slow, painful death, and buried alive. And then things get really nasty. The entire Chinese city of Tientsin is under siege from within—the streets filled with rioting, arson, mass looting and murder. And all because the city’s sacred idol, the Green God, has gone missing.
Mahone’s convinced he knows who stole the deity of jade, diamonds and pearls. To retrieve it, though, he’ll have to go undercover and underground. But he’s walking a razor’s edge—between worship and warfare, between a touch of heaven and a taste of bloody hell.
Also includes the adventure Five Mex for a Million, in which an American Army captain, falsely accused of murder, finds himself taking on the Chinese government, a powerful Russian general, and a mysterious, unexpected passenger.
He’s tortured with knives, threatened with a slow, painful death, and buried alive. And then things get really nasty. The entire Chinese city of Tientsin is under siege from within—the streets filled with rioting, arson, mass looting and murder. And all because the city’s sacred idol, the Green God, has gone missing.
Mahone’s convinced he knows who stole the deity of jade, diamonds and pearls. To retrieve it, though, he’ll have to go undercover and underground. But he’s walking a razor’s edge—between worship and warfare, between a touch of heaven and a taste of bloody hell.
Also includes the adventure Five Mex for a Million, in which an American Army captain, falsely accused of murder, finds himself taking on the Chinese government, a powerful Russian general, and a mysterious, unexpected passenger.
Audio CD
Published March 22, 2014
About the author
L. Ron Hubbard
2,036 books686 followersWith 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.
source: Amazon
source: Amazon
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 11, 2014
I received an eARC copy of this through NetGalley.
I really enjoy these reissued Golden Age stories from L. Ron Hubbard, published by Galaxy Press. The presentation is great. This is the first that I've tried in ebook form though.
This one is actually two stories: "The Green God" and "Five Mex for a Million". Both deal with American military guys in China, during the 1930's. And both of these protagonists immediately get into a crap ton of mischief, using their wits and there general badass-ity to get out of trouble.
We get the expected mild sexism and racism typical to the pulp style and the time period. Nothing too out there. But we also get some fast paced action from start to finish. It keeps the reader's attention and serves as an escape in a single sitting (or two if you like to take the stories one at a time).
And who said pulp fiction couldn't teach you anything? From the second story, I learned that you could stop automatic bullet gunfire by wrapping some old blankets around yourself. Wow! But before you say the bullets might be defective, consider that I also learned you can put out a fire by shooting it.
WTF?
Anyway, despite these two bad moments, I had fun reading these stories. Hubbard wasn't the greatest writer ever, but he could produce some quickly paced pulp stories.
I really enjoy these reissued Golden Age stories from L. Ron Hubbard, published by Galaxy Press. The presentation is great. This is the first that I've tried in ebook form though.
This one is actually two stories: "The Green God" and "Five Mex for a Million". Both deal with American military guys in China, during the 1930's. And both of these protagonists immediately get into a crap ton of mischief, using their wits and there general badass-ity to get out of trouble.
We get the expected mild sexism and racism typical to the pulp style and the time period. Nothing too out there. But we also get some fast paced action from start to finish. It keeps the reader's attention and serves as an escape in a single sitting (or two if you like to take the stories one at a time).
And who said pulp fiction couldn't teach you anything? From the second story, I learned that you could stop automatic bullet gunfire by wrapping some old blankets around yourself. Wow! But before you say the bullets might be defective, consider that I also learned you can put out a fire by shooting it.
WTF?
Anyway, despite these two bad moments, I had fun reading these stories. Hubbard wasn't the greatest writer ever, but he could produce some quickly paced pulp stories.
March 12, 2014
**Won this is the GoodReads giveways!**
These were really good stories; pure "pulp fiction."
These were really good stories; pure "pulp fiction."
April 8, 2017
The stories in this book are fast paced and action filled. It is amazing how many of these short stories Hubbard wrote and kept them fun and interesting.
The 5 Mex for a million story would have made a great B action flick.
The 5 Mex for a million story would have made a great B action flick.
March 18, 2014
This is my first pulp fiction and L. Ron Hubbard book, so I had no idea what to expect. I won this in a giveaway and I am glad that I decided to give it a try. It was an interesting read, and the author excels at the action packed scenes! The characters were also interesting to me. I have to agree with what another reviewer said, as he summed it up quite nicely: "it's not the ending, but the journey getting there." It was a fun, quick read and I would definitely try another one in this series/genre. This book is composed of two stories: The Green God and Five Mex for a Million. I enjoyed both, but liked Five Mex a bit more.
January 14, 2014
If you’re looking for a good, old fashioned adventure tale without a lot
of filler, but just a lot of action and a touch of romance, then go no further than the stories of L. Ron Hubbard.
I can count of his stories being just great fun, and while I am sure you could find problems with some of them – they may be a bit unbelievable – who cares?
These are also good for kids in your classroom, if you are a teacher or a parent perhaps, who just hate to read – hand them one of these and if they read the first paragraph, they won’t stop.
of filler, but just a lot of action and a touch of romance, then go no further than the stories of L. Ron Hubbard.
I can count of his stories being just great fun, and while I am sure you could find problems with some of them – they may be a bit unbelievable – who cares?
These are also good for kids in your classroom, if you are a teacher or a parent perhaps, who just hate to read – hand them one of these and if they read the first paragraph, they won’t stop.
March 9, 2014
I received a copy of this book from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
Over the top pulp fiction, written in the 1930's. The hero faces incredible odds and through the combination of cunning intellect and fighting skills he is able to come out of impossible situations pretty much unscathed. Not only that but he also accomplishes his goal.
There were three stories in The Green God, with my favorite being the title story. Best nerve racking scene was when the hero was buried alive. Great fun! Not the being buried alive part, I mean the reading.
Over the top pulp fiction, written in the 1930's. The hero faces incredible odds and through the combination of cunning intellect and fighting skills he is able to come out of impossible situations pretty much unscathed. Not only that but he also accomplishes his goal.
There were three stories in The Green God, with my favorite being the title story. Best nerve racking scene was when the hero was buried alive. Great fun! Not the being buried alive part, I mean the reading.
April 25, 2014
My guess is that you already know a bit about L. Ron Hubbard by name alone, but what you may not have known was that he was a very prolific author back during the pulp era. Writing under a score of pseudonyms, Hubbard penned hundreds of stories across all genres; while he's best known for science fiction today, a lot of his prodigious output was aimed at other markets: adventure, western, mystery-crime, aviation and sky-ace tales, stories telling the mysteries of the Orient or the Great White North.
As a disclaimer, I received some Golden Age eARCs from the publisher in exchange for open and honest reviews. The Green God contains two stories about intrigues in 1930s China: the novella "Green God," which was Hubbard's first professional sale, and the short novel "Five Mex For A Million."
"The Green God"
Bill Mahone, a Naval Intelligence officer in China, has undertaken a dangerous mission. To stop the looting, rioting, and death that wracks the port of Tientsin, he must go undercover into the Chinese underworld to recover the priceless Green God whose theft from a local temple triggered the riots. Standing in his way: thieves, corrupt Army officers, a mob of rioting fanatics wielding long knives, and numerous other near-death experiences...
A lot of pulp writers would churn out a story in the morning, then another one in the afternoon, and I think you can see how that could affect their quality. Hubbard's prose is some of the best pulp writing I've read; it's fast-paced and dynamic without being too purple, and like a lot of great pulp adventures, the non-stop pacing makes it a gripping read. Mahone gets in and out of more trouble in some 30 pages than most protagonists see in a lifetime, with some taught thrills and solid action.
"Five Mex for a Million"
Captain Royal F. Sterling stands falsely accused of murder. It's not that he didn't kill a man, but he did so in self-defense, though he's facing the firing squad if caught. Looking for clothes to disguise himself at the Thieves' Market, he instead is attracted to a large, locked chest, with an inscription offering him long life and happiness. Compelled by its secret, he finds inside the beautiful daughter of a powerful White Russian general who owns a profitable chunk of Upper Mongolia... dragging him into a web of conspiracy and renegade Chinese officers.
Your history lesson today is that the Mexican peso---the Mex---was often a trade currency in Asia, hence why Sterling spends his five Mex on the mystery chest. There's a lot of history to these old stories, and reading them is like heading back to a long-lost world, where China was still the mysterious orient, with the Japanese empire still in a period of expansion. It's a time of great socio-political chaos, and I found the stories reflected it well. I found "Five Mex" to be written with more craft and cunning than "Green God," especially as its longer length gives ample room for twists, turns, and surprises. Hubbard's prose is still solid and enjoyable, and the story has a wealth of action and suspense.
The Bottom Line
Pulp fiction is something I've found hard to review; you tend to either like it or you don't. The stories are all about action, adventure, and intrigue, of larger-than-life characters doing really cool things. They're pure escapism from a decade that needed to escape from a Great Depression and looming shadows of war over Europe and China. It's a genre that has limited character development, some unrealistically over-the-top action sequences, and some now-antiquated views of women and minorities.
But in the hands of a capable storyteller like Hubbard, the intensity of the action and the thrill of the adventure make for great reading. I hadn't touched Hubbard before, but I found he had a knack for gripping two-fisted tales ripped from the 1930s headlines. If you're like me and enjoy some good old-fashioned pulp stories, you can't really go wrong with this volume. I found it a fun look back at the pulp era, a couple nights' worth of solid entertainment.
As a disclaimer, I received some Golden Age eARCs from the publisher in exchange for open and honest reviews. The Green God contains two stories about intrigues in 1930s China: the novella "Green God," which was Hubbard's first professional sale, and the short novel "Five Mex For A Million."
"The Green God"
Bill Mahone, a Naval Intelligence officer in China, has undertaken a dangerous mission. To stop the looting, rioting, and death that wracks the port of Tientsin, he must go undercover into the Chinese underworld to recover the priceless Green God whose theft from a local temple triggered the riots. Standing in his way: thieves, corrupt Army officers, a mob of rioting fanatics wielding long knives, and numerous other near-death experiences...
A lot of pulp writers would churn out a story in the morning, then another one in the afternoon, and I think you can see how that could affect their quality. Hubbard's prose is some of the best pulp writing I've read; it's fast-paced and dynamic without being too purple, and like a lot of great pulp adventures, the non-stop pacing makes it a gripping read. Mahone gets in and out of more trouble in some 30 pages than most protagonists see in a lifetime, with some taught thrills and solid action.
"Five Mex for a Million"
Captain Royal F. Sterling stands falsely accused of murder. It's not that he didn't kill a man, but he did so in self-defense, though he's facing the firing squad if caught. Looking for clothes to disguise himself at the Thieves' Market, he instead is attracted to a large, locked chest, with an inscription offering him long life and happiness. Compelled by its secret, he finds inside the beautiful daughter of a powerful White Russian general who owns a profitable chunk of Upper Mongolia... dragging him into a web of conspiracy and renegade Chinese officers.
Your history lesson today is that the Mexican peso---the Mex---was often a trade currency in Asia, hence why Sterling spends his five Mex on the mystery chest. There's a lot of history to these old stories, and reading them is like heading back to a long-lost world, where China was still the mysterious orient, with the Japanese empire still in a period of expansion. It's a time of great socio-political chaos, and I found the stories reflected it well. I found "Five Mex" to be written with more craft and cunning than "Green God," especially as its longer length gives ample room for twists, turns, and surprises. Hubbard's prose is still solid and enjoyable, and the story has a wealth of action and suspense.
The Bottom Line
Pulp fiction is something I've found hard to review; you tend to either like it or you don't. The stories are all about action, adventure, and intrigue, of larger-than-life characters doing really cool things. They're pure escapism from a decade that needed to escape from a Great Depression and looming shadows of war over Europe and China. It's a genre that has limited character development, some unrealistically over-the-top action sequences, and some now-antiquated views of women and minorities.
But in the hands of a capable storyteller like Hubbard, the intensity of the action and the thrill of the adventure make for great reading. I hadn't touched Hubbard before, but I found he had a knack for gripping two-fisted tales ripped from the 1930s headlines. If you're like me and enjoy some good old-fashioned pulp stories, you can't really go wrong with this volume. I found it a fun look back at the pulp era, a couple nights' worth of solid entertainment.
March 31, 2014
Disclaimer: I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it.
This is another in the line of pulp reprints put out by Galaxy Press, and continues their tradition of excellent physical quality. I should also give a shout-out to GP’s distinctive shipping materials. This time, the focus is on adventures in the exotic land of China.
“The Green God” is an exciting tale of Lieutenant Bill Mahone of Naval Intelligence. It seems someone has stolen a jade idol, and the city of Tientsin has erupted in riots. There’s a minimum of exposition, and the lieutenant is in constant danger from the first sentence. Among other things, he is buried alive according to the customs of the local Chinese.
Bill takes quite a beating over the course of the story, and it eventually becomes a bit much for him still to be moving, even by pulp standards. There’s some on-screen torture, so be advised.
“Five Mex for a Million” is novella length, and requires a bit of explanation for the title. A “Mex” was a Mexican peso, which was used as a trade coin with and in China from 1732-1949. As it happens, Captain Royal F. Sterling has five Mex and a small silver coin in his pockets at the beginning of the story.
That’s not very much money for a man on the lam for murder (it was self-defense) from the Chinese military. He goes to the Thieves’ Market in Peking to buy local clothes for a disguise, but sees a mysterious chest and purchases it on a whim. The chest carries the ideograms for “Good luck”, “Long life” and “Happiness.” The contents of the chest? That would be a spoiler, but it leads Captain Sterling on an adventure to Outer Mongolia.
This story has a bit of romance, rushed though it may be. Sandra Kolita starts the story as a damsel in distress, but pulls her own weight quite well once Royal gets her out of the initial fix. Just don’t ask for realistic character development for anyone involved.
Both stories treat the Chinese as superstitious at best, and expendable fanatics at worst. This was typical of pulp stories of the time, but is still jarring to modern readers.
There is also a preview of “Spy Killer”, the lead story in the next volume. Violent sailor Kurt Reid jumps ship when he’s falsely accused of murder, but on land he may be in more danger from Varinka Savischna, sultry Russian spy.
There is a glossary of terms that may be unfamiliar to 21st Century readers, which should be helpful to most. As with all volumes in the set, the book is fitted out with the stock prologue and author biography. Because the book is such a fast read, and the repeated material makes it even shorter than it looks, casual readers may want to check their library or used book stores.
Still, this is exciting stuff, with non-stop action–great for a night’s escape from the everyday world.
This is another in the line of pulp reprints put out by Galaxy Press, and continues their tradition of excellent physical quality. I should also give a shout-out to GP’s distinctive shipping materials. This time, the focus is on adventures in the exotic land of China.
“The Green God” is an exciting tale of Lieutenant Bill Mahone of Naval Intelligence. It seems someone has stolen a jade idol, and the city of Tientsin has erupted in riots. There’s a minimum of exposition, and the lieutenant is in constant danger from the first sentence. Among other things, he is buried alive according to the customs of the local Chinese.
Bill takes quite a beating over the course of the story, and it eventually becomes a bit much for him still to be moving, even by pulp standards. There’s some on-screen torture, so be advised.
“Five Mex for a Million” is novella length, and requires a bit of explanation for the title. A “Mex” was a Mexican peso, which was used as a trade coin with and in China from 1732-1949. As it happens, Captain Royal F. Sterling has five Mex and a small silver coin in his pockets at the beginning of the story.
That’s not very much money for a man on the lam for murder (it was self-defense) from the Chinese military. He goes to the Thieves’ Market in Peking to buy local clothes for a disguise, but sees a mysterious chest and purchases it on a whim. The chest carries the ideograms for “Good luck”, “Long life” and “Happiness.” The contents of the chest? That would be a spoiler, but it leads Captain Sterling on an adventure to Outer Mongolia.
This story has a bit of romance, rushed though it may be. Sandra Kolita starts the story as a damsel in distress, but pulls her own weight quite well once Royal gets her out of the initial fix. Just don’t ask for realistic character development for anyone involved.
Both stories treat the Chinese as superstitious at best, and expendable fanatics at worst. This was typical of pulp stories of the time, but is still jarring to modern readers.
There is also a preview of “Spy Killer”, the lead story in the next volume. Violent sailor Kurt Reid jumps ship when he’s falsely accused of murder, but on land he may be in more danger from Varinka Savischna, sultry Russian spy.
There is a glossary of terms that may be unfamiliar to 21st Century readers, which should be helpful to most. As with all volumes in the set, the book is fitted out with the stock prologue and author biography. Because the book is such a fast read, and the repeated material makes it even shorter than it looks, casual readers may want to check their library or used book stores.
Still, this is exciting stuff, with non-stop action–great for a night’s escape from the everyday world.
February 5, 2014
First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you netgalley and Galaxy Press for this opportunity.
Good and short Pulp stories are like breathes of fresh air, specially in this day and age when we get lots of huge tomes even spanning a series of 5-10 books. And when it comes from someone as good as L. Ron Hubbard from the golden ages it is even more welcome.
L. Ron Hubbard is known as one of the legends of the golden age of pulp and rightly so as we can see from his huge collection of stories covering many genres and sub-genres of fiction. The Green God is one of his early stories but that doesn't take anything back from it in the entertainment sense. The book has two stories the first is the one the book is named after, which is an action/adventure full of daring escape and unending adversaries, in which our protagonist Bil Mahone sets on a quest to retrieve "The Green God" to bring peace to the city. And thus we get a story of heart-stopping pace and action, in which in the span of about 30-50 pages lots of bad stuff happens to our hero but that doesn't slow his pace or desire one bit and we get a real thriller of a story.
The second story "Five Mex for a Million"is a little bit larger in its caliber than the first and a bit more detailed staring Captain Royal F. Sterling who is accused of murder and got only five mex in his pocket while running from the authorities. And we join his journey to escape from the country in which he meets a Russian beauty fights a whole lot of soldiers and in the end gets (yeah you guessed it) a million mex for his five. This story is a lot more detailed and craftily written and more enjoyable from the first in my opinion.
Well when you start reading a pulp adventure story you kind of know what you are getting at, there are some flaws such as minimal character development, some really unrealistic action sequences and not very composed or manufactured villains but at the end of the day this is just pure entertainment for the sake of it, in which if you don't try to read too much into the flaws you get a very enjoyable experience indeed.
I would again like to thank Galaxy Press for publishing these old stories for us to read and opening a whole new dimension for modern enthusiastic readers of pulp.
This gets 3.5 out of 5 stars.
For more reviews and stuff check out my blog -
http://ihate00critics.blogspot.com/
Good and short Pulp stories are like breathes of fresh air, specially in this day and age when we get lots of huge tomes even spanning a series of 5-10 books. And when it comes from someone as good as L. Ron Hubbard from the golden ages it is even more welcome.
L. Ron Hubbard is known as one of the legends of the golden age of pulp and rightly so as we can see from his huge collection of stories covering many genres and sub-genres of fiction. The Green God is one of his early stories but that doesn't take anything back from it in the entertainment sense. The book has two stories the first is the one the book is named after, which is an action/adventure full of daring escape and unending adversaries, in which our protagonist Bil Mahone sets on a quest to retrieve "The Green God" to bring peace to the city. And thus we get a story of heart-stopping pace and action, in which in the span of about 30-50 pages lots of bad stuff happens to our hero but that doesn't slow his pace or desire one bit and we get a real thriller of a story.
The second story "Five Mex for a Million"is a little bit larger in its caliber than the first and a bit more detailed staring Captain Royal F. Sterling who is accused of murder and got only five mex in his pocket while running from the authorities. And we join his journey to escape from the country in which he meets a Russian beauty fights a whole lot of soldiers and in the end gets (yeah you guessed it) a million mex for his five. This story is a lot more detailed and craftily written and more enjoyable from the first in my opinion.
Well when you start reading a pulp adventure story you kind of know what you are getting at, there are some flaws such as minimal character development, some really unrealistic action sequences and not very composed or manufactured villains but at the end of the day this is just pure entertainment for the sake of it, in which if you don't try to read too much into the flaws you get a very enjoyable experience indeed.
I would again like to thank Galaxy Press for publishing these old stories for us to read and opening a whole new dimension for modern enthusiastic readers of pulp.
This gets 3.5 out of 5 stars.
For more reviews and stuff check out my blog -
http://ihate00critics.blogspot.com/
March 31, 2014
I received a copy via a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
The Green God is actually a collection of 2 of L. Ron Hubbard's short stories, "The Green God" and "Five Mex for a Million". The book also includes a short preview of another story ("Spy Killer"), a glossary of dated slang, and a short biography of Hubbard as a writer (which is just white-wash and aggrandization).
If the stories in the book hadn't been so short, I would have stopped reading them almost immediately. I'm all for some pulp now and again, but both "The Green God" and "Five Mex for a Million" were badly written. So badly written that I couldn't even "hate read" the book for pleasure.
"The Green God" is all action without the details that might actually allow you to immerse yourself in that action. It's short (23 pages) and yet I fell asleep a third of the way in... while the main character was escaping from a coffin and certain death, which is honestly the kind of action scene you'd expect a person to remain awake through.
"Five Mex for a Million" has a slightly more fleshed out story (possibly due to it's length: 56 pages). However, it suffers from the same faults as the preceding story: you don't know much about the main character and ultimately don't feel invested in what happens to him.
The postives:
- The book itself is really nicely put together and has some great images in it.
- There's a good glossary at the end of the book for the 1940s slang used throughout the stories.
- The female character in "Five Mex for a Million" holds her own during the fight scenes. (Unfortunately, she's nowhere near self-actualized.)
The negatives:
- The writing is awful. Almost every action is described in excruciating detail, yet there are no details about any of the Nouns (people, places, things). Two exceptions: boring, very short physical descriptions of The Green God and Sandra.
- There's no reason to care about any of the characters. You don't know their histories or motivations, or even what they look like.
- Racism. It's not as bad as it could be (mostly because the people in the book are so poorly described) and, to a certain degree, racism is expected in pulp fiction from The Golden Age. However, "coolie" is commonly used throughout both stories (and the included snippet for "Spy Killer").
The Green God is actually a collection of 2 of L. Ron Hubbard's short stories, "The Green God" and "Five Mex for a Million". The book also includes a short preview of another story ("Spy Killer"), a glossary of dated slang, and a short biography of Hubbard as a writer (which is just white-wash and aggrandization).
If the stories in the book hadn't been so short, I would have stopped reading them almost immediately. I'm all for some pulp now and again, but both "The Green God" and "Five Mex for a Million" were badly written. So badly written that I couldn't even "hate read" the book for pleasure.
"The Green God" is all action without the details that might actually allow you to immerse yourself in that action. It's short (23 pages) and yet I fell asleep a third of the way in... while the main character was escaping from a coffin and certain death, which is honestly the kind of action scene you'd expect a person to remain awake through.
"Five Mex for a Million" has a slightly more fleshed out story (possibly due to it's length: 56 pages). However, it suffers from the same faults as the preceding story: you don't know much about the main character and ultimately don't feel invested in what happens to him.
The postives:
- The book itself is really nicely put together and has some great images in it.
- There's a good glossary at the end of the book for the 1940s slang used throughout the stories.
- The female character in "Five Mex for a Million" holds her own during the fight scenes. (Unfortunately, she's nowhere near self-actualized.)
The negatives:
- The writing is awful. Almost every action is described in excruciating detail, yet there are no details about any of the Nouns (people, places, things). Two exceptions: boring, very short physical descriptions of The Green God and Sandra.
- There's no reason to care about any of the characters. You don't know their histories or motivations, or even what they look like.
- Racism. It's not as bad as it could be (mostly because the people in the book are so poorly described) and, to a certain degree, racism is expected in pulp fiction from The Golden Age. However, "coolie" is commonly used throughout both stories (and the included snippet for "Spy Killer").
March 31, 2014
***Won in a GoodReads First reads Giveaway***
First to note is the quality of this production. A paperback with a thick cover and folded inner flaps both front and back. A matte finish, so no glare and a good illustration on the cover. The pages have deckled edges and are made of a quality paper. All in all, not a bad presentation. This particular book is broken down thusly: 2 stories from the Golden Age in Tales from the Orient: The Green God and Five Mex For A Million; a foreword by Kevin J Anderson; a preview of another story: Spy Killer; a Glossary that is very helpful for contemporary phrases and words that are no longer used today; a brief Biography of L Ron Hubbard; and lastly, a listing of all the stories within this series.
The Green God
A fast paced action story. The hero, Mahone, is on a mission from Navy Intelligence to find the Green God, an idol made of jade and precious stones, and restore it to the temple so that all of the town may return to normalcy vice its current anarchy. Mahone face certain death at every turn and is a fighting machine throughout the entire story.
Five Mex For A Million
A man on the run for killing in self defense finds himself at a thieves' market. He only has 5 Mex and a silver coin. He intends to buy a disguise but a mysterious box strikes his attention. He decides to spend his 5 on the box and his silver coin for two young men to help carry it. When he gets back to a house (as it happens it is his former commanding officer) he is quite surprised to find out what is inside the box. Through the remainder of the story, he goes on quite the adventure and somehow manages to acquire 1 million Mex, which would not have been possible if he had not bought the box in the first place.
Two great stories taking place in China. My only issue is that the same foreword and biography apparently accompany every book. As such there is only about 85 pages of new story here with 4 pages of a preview of another story (seems like a James Bond tale, shame it was not included in its entirety).
First to note is the quality of this production. A paperback with a thick cover and folded inner flaps both front and back. A matte finish, so no glare and a good illustration on the cover. The pages have deckled edges and are made of a quality paper. All in all, not a bad presentation. This particular book is broken down thusly: 2 stories from the Golden Age in Tales from the Orient: The Green God and Five Mex For A Million; a foreword by Kevin J Anderson; a preview of another story: Spy Killer; a Glossary that is very helpful for contemporary phrases and words that are no longer used today; a brief Biography of L Ron Hubbard; and lastly, a listing of all the stories within this series.
The Green God
A fast paced action story. The hero, Mahone, is on a mission from Navy Intelligence to find the Green God, an idol made of jade and precious stones, and restore it to the temple so that all of the town may return to normalcy vice its current anarchy. Mahone face certain death at every turn and is a fighting machine throughout the entire story.
Five Mex For A Million
A man on the run for killing in self defense finds himself at a thieves' market. He only has 5 Mex and a silver coin. He intends to buy a disguise but a mysterious box strikes his attention. He decides to spend his 5 on the box and his silver coin for two young men to help carry it. When he gets back to a house (as it happens it is his former commanding officer) he is quite surprised to find out what is inside the box. Through the remainder of the story, he goes on quite the adventure and somehow manages to acquire 1 million Mex, which would not have been possible if he had not bought the box in the first place.
Two great stories taking place in China. My only issue is that the same foreword and biography apparently accompany every book. As such there is only about 85 pages of new story here with 4 pages of a preview of another story (seems like a James Bond tale, shame it was not included in its entirety).
March 1, 2014
Two stories in one, with this book you get the title tale, THE GREEN GOD and a companion story also set in 1930’s China FIVE MEX FOR A MILLION. This was a time when the Chinese were battling the Japanese and armies traveled the land, and when adventurers could make a fortune overnight, or lose their lives in an instant.
This was a time and a land L. Ron Hubbard was familiar with, having been there and seen so much of it. With these stories you can take a time machine trip back to a more deadly and ruthless place and you can feel the impending feeling of doom as you read along.
The natives are restless, the gods are angry and it is up a young U.S. Naval Intelligence officer to save the day by rescuing a Jade Idol before it’s loss throws and entire city into chaos. Forget a build up to events, we enter the story in a bloody fight, one against many, and the odds worsen from there, yet our hero is intrepid and has that All-American never say die attitude that can carry the day.
But is it enough?
Mex are money, and would you be willing to give over your last five for what is inside a mystery chest? “Good Luck! Long Life! Happiness!” is engraved on the chest, but really, would anyone down on their luck and desperate to escape a city that would kill here if they could find him pay out the last few bills for something so kitsch?
You better know it and with the purchase his bad luck gets even worse. But what choice does he have if he wants to stay alive.
This book has action, adventure, death-defying thrills, bare-knuckled daring, there is a Machiavellian Chinese Army General to complicate things, and sparks galore. Is there a dame involved? You know the answer already. Will the hero triumph against the odds. Of course, but what draws you in is the manner of how he can succeed against such terrible odds.
This is yet another in Pulp Fiction master L. Ron Hubbard’s many wonderful tales and it will not disappoint.
This was a time and a land L. Ron Hubbard was familiar with, having been there and seen so much of it. With these stories you can take a time machine trip back to a more deadly and ruthless place and you can feel the impending feeling of doom as you read along.
The natives are restless, the gods are angry and it is up a young U.S. Naval Intelligence officer to save the day by rescuing a Jade Idol before it’s loss throws and entire city into chaos. Forget a build up to events, we enter the story in a bloody fight, one against many, and the odds worsen from there, yet our hero is intrepid and has that All-American never say die attitude that can carry the day.
But is it enough?
Mex are money, and would you be willing to give over your last five for what is inside a mystery chest? “Good Luck! Long Life! Happiness!” is engraved on the chest, but really, would anyone down on their luck and desperate to escape a city that would kill here if they could find him pay out the last few bills for something so kitsch?
You better know it and with the purchase his bad luck gets even worse. But what choice does he have if he wants to stay alive.
This book has action, adventure, death-defying thrills, bare-knuckled daring, there is a Machiavellian Chinese Army General to complicate things, and sparks galore. Is there a dame involved? You know the answer already. Will the hero triumph against the odds. Of course, but what draws you in is the manner of how he can succeed against such terrible odds.
This is yet another in Pulp Fiction master L. Ron Hubbard’s many wonderful tales and it will not disappoint.
March 30, 2014
THE GREEN GOD is yet another in a long line of highly anticipated books in the collected works of L. Ron Hubbard, and it is worth the wait. The title story and its companion tale, FIVE MEX FOR A MILLION, are both set in China, a China before Communism, when the country was struggling with Japan and trying to find its national identity in a modern world.
With this background, a setting Mr. Hubbard was familiar with due his own years spent in that country, he has set these daring tales of courage and desperation. The title story has a lone Naval Intelligence agent trying to stop a citywide riot by retrieving a sacred idol, and facing death every step of the way.
The second tale has a down on his luck, almost broke, wanted for murder American trying to get out of the country but, when he has the chance to escape or buy up an old chest that promises “Good Luck! Long Life! Happiness!” he can’t help but buy it and see if the fortune comes true for him. Did I mention he might have a slight gambling problem?
He only has to face and angry General and his army to achieve any of those three things, but this is pulp fiction at its finest and you know he will. The only question is how?
Dynamic and forceful, this pair of stories compliment one other and provides the reader with a safe excursion into the wild world of 1940s China with its possibility of ruin or death at every turn. One thing I have noted in all the stories that I have read from Mr. Hubbard is the total lack or racial slurs that other, lesser writers of the time seemed to strew about their writings like candy at a parade. I think this lack of debasing terms, at a time when it would have been highly acceptable, speaks volumes about the author’s character and abilities, not needing easy methods to stir his readers emotions, relying rather on his own innate ability to write gripping prose.
Bravo!
I did win this book through the Goodreads program.
With this background, a setting Mr. Hubbard was familiar with due his own years spent in that country, he has set these daring tales of courage and desperation. The title story has a lone Naval Intelligence agent trying to stop a citywide riot by retrieving a sacred idol, and facing death every step of the way.
The second tale has a down on his luck, almost broke, wanted for murder American trying to get out of the country but, when he has the chance to escape or buy up an old chest that promises “Good Luck! Long Life! Happiness!” he can’t help but buy it and see if the fortune comes true for him. Did I mention he might have a slight gambling problem?
He only has to face and angry General and his army to achieve any of those three things, but this is pulp fiction at its finest and you know he will. The only question is how?
Dynamic and forceful, this pair of stories compliment one other and provides the reader with a safe excursion into the wild world of 1940s China with its possibility of ruin or death at every turn. One thing I have noted in all the stories that I have read from Mr. Hubbard is the total lack or racial slurs that other, lesser writers of the time seemed to strew about their writings like candy at a parade. I think this lack of debasing terms, at a time when it would have been highly acceptable, speaks volumes about the author’s character and abilities, not needing easy methods to stir his readers emotions, relying rather on his own innate ability to write gripping prose.
Bravo!
I did win this book through the Goodreads program.
April 2, 2014
I won a copy from Goodreads as part of their Firstreads Giveaway program. The book contains two stories, the short titular one and a much longer one called "Five Mex for a Million," both set in early 1930's China. I've read quite a lot of Hubbard's work, and I've got to say that The Green God" has got to be the worst. I can suspend my disbelief for a story better than the average bear, but the poor guy in pursuit of the green god fights his way through what must be a thousand Chinese thieves, gets stabbed, clubbed, shot, buried alive, and has a pot of rats strapped to his stomach that chew their way into him. Then he escapees and fights his way through another army of bad guys, is clubbed and beaten and stabbed some more, and yet he somehow still wins. It was just too much. "Five Mex for a Million," was a much better piece; the plot hinges on some coincidences that are a little over the top, but it was an entertaining chase tale that was a lot of fun if you could buy the idea that maybe Asia wasn't as big back then. I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. The damsel in distress turned out to be a valuable and resourceful ally, so that was a nice surprise, and the cultural stereotypes weren't as offensive. All of the Galaxy Press editions are attractive volumes, easy-to-read and very nicely illustrated with the original illustrations from their first pulp publications, and each has a glossary that explains references that might be unclear to current readers.
June 15, 2014
I've read quite a few of these Golden Age of Pulp fiction reprints of Hubbard material. As I've mentioned in previous reviews, they make a nice break from heavier reading. There is no navel gazing, character is defined by action only. The material is all plot, no frills, all steak, no sizzle. This can be fun on occasion. This was not one of those occasions.
At best these sorts of pulps rely on well known archetypes, at worst they revel in the worst of stereotypes. The Green God, (and its companion story Five Mex for a Million) are of the latter stripe. For the most part Hubbard simply partakes of the casual racism of the day, lazy writing coughing up easy stereotypes. On rare occasions, Hubbard's personal experiences in China and/or South America seem to seep into his stories and we get an empathetic, human portrayal of non-white characters. However, in this volume we get a particularly virulent stripe of racism, moving beyond the easy stereotypes and into active hate. Here we have the depiction of the inscrutable Chinese, cruel and with a penchant for torture. Superstitious, but clever. And so over populated and over populating that the Western world is in danger of being overrun. This is Sax Rohmer's Fu Manchu sort of bullshit and it is painful to read.
If there is a bright note it is that the heroine of Five Mex for a Million is no damsel in distress, but a competent and strong character.
At best these sorts of pulps rely on well known archetypes, at worst they revel in the worst of stereotypes. The Green God, (and its companion story Five Mex for a Million) are of the latter stripe. For the most part Hubbard simply partakes of the casual racism of the day, lazy writing coughing up easy stereotypes. On rare occasions, Hubbard's personal experiences in China and/or South America seem to seep into his stories and we get an empathetic, human portrayal of non-white characters. However, in this volume we get a particularly virulent stripe of racism, moving beyond the easy stereotypes and into active hate. Here we have the depiction of the inscrutable Chinese, cruel and with a penchant for torture. Superstitious, but clever. And so over populated and over populating that the Western world is in danger of being overrun. This is Sax Rohmer's Fu Manchu sort of bullshit and it is painful to read.
If there is a bright note it is that the heroine of Five Mex for a Million is no damsel in distress, but a competent and strong character.
February 14, 2014
The stories contained in this volume, The Green God and Five Mex for a Million, are my second and third Hubbard tales. Like my first (Under the Black Ensign) I received a free copy through Goodreads' First Reads program. Like that first story I enjoyed these very much.
And just like that first book, the action here begins from the very first sentence and doesn't let up until you've turned the final page. The writing is direct and suspenseful, everything you could want in an adventure tale. (And more progressive in its female character than other writers' of the period.)
The book was almost impossible to put down. Fortunately at under 100 pages there wasn't really any need to do so. It's refreshing in this age of mammoth bestsellers to encounter an author who doesn't need 500+ pages to tell a good story.
Recommended for readers of all ages who prefer their adventures straight up, without philosophizing or flowery prose.
And just like that first book, the action here begins from the very first sentence and doesn't let up until you've turned the final page. The writing is direct and suspenseful, everything you could want in an adventure tale. (And more progressive in its female character than other writers' of the period.)
The book was almost impossible to put down. Fortunately at under 100 pages there wasn't really any need to do so. It's refreshing in this age of mammoth bestsellers to encounter an author who doesn't need 500+ pages to tell a good story.
Recommended for readers of all ages who prefer their adventures straight up, without philosophizing or flowery prose.
May 13, 2014
The title story was actually the weaker of the two, much shorter and feeling very rushed. Both stories took place in a 30s pulp version of China, but the second story, Five Mex for a Million, was better fleshed out and had touches of the humor which stood out in Hubbard's better stories. It would have made a slightly goofball adventure film, of the Romancing the Stone genre. A night market for thieves, chases across the desert, mercantile warlords, money in a dizzying variety of currencies, kidnapping and a host of other things.
So, I gave Five Mex for a Million four stars, but The Green God only two, for an average of three.
So, I gave Five Mex for a Million four stars, but The Green God only two, for an average of three.
June 12, 2014
Can't say enough about these galaxy press novels authored by L. Ron Hubbard. I am too young to remember the golden age of 'pulp fiction', but this series has more than peaked my interest in the genre. Yes, they are somewhat dated and even a tad predictable at times, but like Charlie Chan movies and Mickey Spillane books - it's not the ending, but the journey getting there. Hubbard does an excellent job at setting up action scenes and character development in a short amount of space. As far as I'm concerned, keep the series rolling!
April 2, 2014
The Green God and Five Mex for a Million, the two stories in this collection are strictly Saturday-matinee, turn-off-your-brain-and- enjoy stories. If your brain accidentally kicks on while reading, you will quickly tumble to the fact these stories are beyond implausible.
That said, this is a fun, quick read. I especially liked the glossary sections so I didn't have to go running to Google. I received the book courtesy of a Good Reads giveaway.
That said, this is a fun, quick read. I especially liked the glossary sections so I didn't have to go running to Google. I received the book courtesy of a Good Reads giveaway.
May 6, 2014
Quick, Fun, Gripping read. Loved the gritty simplicity! Will probably explore this author's vast library again.
June 14, 2014
Another interesting set of 2 short stories by L. Ron Hubbard
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/the-gr... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/the-gr... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
August 4, 2014
Typical L. Ron Hubbard pulpwriting. Nothing outstanding, just fast paced storytelling.
August 31, 2015
I'd never read Hubbard before so I thought I might give this a try. I was surprised that I'd really enjoy it. The characters and plot are simple but strong and I had finished it in no time.
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