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Spy Killer
American Sailor Kurt Reid is a hothead and a hard case - a man who hits first and asks questions later. As scrappy and rough around the edges as Jimmy Cagney, it’s no wonder that when the ship’s captain turns up dead, it’s Reid who takes the rap.
Falsely accused and under the gun, Reid jumps ship and vanishes into Shanghai - only to get caught in a web of intrigue, betrayal, and murder. In a world where nothing is what it seems and everything is for sale, he’s soon out of his depth, drawn into a spy game in which the winner takes all... and the loser takes a knife to the back.
Will Reid live up to his reputation as the Spy Killer? He’ll have to learn the rules fast, because with players like sexy Russian agent Varinka Savischna in the hunt, the game is about to turn as seductive as it is sinister.
“Vividly written, super-fast-paced.”—Ellery Queen
Falsely accused and under the gun, Reid jumps ship and vanishes into Shanghai - only to get caught in a web of intrigue, betrayal, and murder. In a world where nothing is what it seems and everything is for sale, he’s soon out of his depth, drawn into a spy game in which the winner takes all... and the loser takes a knife to the back.
Will Reid live up to his reputation as the Spy Killer? He’ll have to learn the rules fast, because with players like sexy Russian agent Varinka Savischna in the hunt, the game is about to turn as seductive as it is sinister.
“Vividly written, super-fast-paced.”—Ellery Queen
132 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1936
45 people are currently reading
538 people want to read
About the author
L. Ron Hubbard
1,927 books649 followersL. Ron Hubbard is universally acclaimed as the single most influential author and humanitarian of this modern age. His definitive works on the mind and spirit—comprising over 350 million copies in circulation and more than 40 international bestsellers—have resulted in a legacy benefiting millions and a movement spanning all cultures.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
February 20, 2022
Were this written by anyone else, I would say it is 2-star bad in a fun, kitschy, slightly (okay, fairly overtly) racist way; kinda like the second "Indiana Jones" movie. But this is L. Ron Hubbard we're talking about here, so you have to consider the whole package. Because while I can see how people might enjoy the ramblings of a harmless, goofy hack writer with an outsized sense of his own importance, I CANNOT understand how they then elevate that same man to be the spiritual leader of a worldwide religious cult. (But then, I also don't understand how people could elevate a goofy hack egomaniacal businessman to be Leader of the Free World; so obviously humanity is stranger and darker and more overall fucked-up than I would like to believe.)
The most interesting thing about the book is its fawning, 9-page hagiography on Hubbard, which makes him out to be one of the greatest authors of all time across multiple genres, and a major influence on Asimov, Heinlein, Bradbury, King and others. Which I gotta say, made me just a little suspicious…and sure enough, a quick Google search showed that "Galaxy Press" is owned by the Church of Spiritual Technology, a Scientology-owned spinoff set up solely to publish Hubbard's non-Scientology early fiction.
Please don't think I was specifically looking for something like this; I just found it at our huge local used bookstore, where $2 got me both this and Louis l'Amour's West from Singapore, which was similarly written and set in Asia during the 1930's, (but which I am expecting to be much better). Love visiting that place; I never find what I went in looking for, but always find a lot of other strange books I'd otherwise have never heard of. But I guess you can't expect them all to be winners...
The most interesting thing about the book is its fawning, 9-page hagiography on Hubbard, which makes him out to be one of the greatest authors of all time across multiple genres, and a major influence on Asimov, Heinlein, Bradbury, King and others. Which I gotta say, made me just a little suspicious…and sure enough, a quick Google search showed that "Galaxy Press" is owned by the Church of Spiritual Technology, a Scientology-owned spinoff set up solely to publish Hubbard's non-Scientology early fiction.
Please don't think I was specifically looking for something like this; I just found it at our huge local used bookstore, where $2 got me both this and Louis l'Amour's West from Singapore, which was similarly written and set in Asia during the 1930's, (but which I am expecting to be much better). Love visiting that place; I never find what I went in looking for, but always find a lot of other strange books I'd otherwise have never heard of. But I guess you can't expect them all to be winners...
July 11, 2017
I got this a while back as a free download on the Nook. My biggest question now is why Bridge Publications would choose this L. Ron Hubbard story to share widely. It is not the sort of story you offer in hopes of garnering a wider audience - it's precisely the sort of thing you hide for being poorly written and racist. Originally published in Five Novels Monthly in 1936, it's the pulp writing you expect from a penny-per-word gig: heavy on action, but light on any kind of underlying theme or message. I've heard or read roughly seven similar stories by L. Ron Hubbard, and would recommend any of those before this one.
Spoilers ahead, if this can be spoiled... Kurt Reid is a tall, dashing sailor who's on the run because he's been falsely accused of murdering a boat captain. He's stranded in China, but it's okay... he was raised in the Orient and knows "the yellow countries and their languages". He quickly gets embroiled in more danger and a web of intrigue - the evil Lin Wang extracts a confession that could exonerate Kurt from the murder charge, but then sends him on a murder mission in order to win his freedom. The target turns out to be Varinka Savischna, a beautiful Russian woman who Kurt doesn't want to kill. He teams up with her, but now must decide between her and another beautiful woman, Anne Carsten. When he and Varinka escape from immediate peril at the hands of a Chinese Death Squad, she convinces him to help her kill a car full of "Chinese" and pretend to be one to double-cross Lin Wang. Varinka has the supplies to help Kurt disguise himself:
The disguise is apparently flawless, fooling the "dull-faced Chinese and Mongols who were interested only in minding their own business" at close range. Kurt infiltrates Lin Wang's fortress, only to find that Lin Wang has Anne Carsten captive, and the disgusting little "Chinese" is intent on molesting her:
Lin Wang discovers the double-crossing plot, so Kurt kills him. After escaping with Anne, he learns she's been hiding another secret: she was Varinka all along! She had been using the same makeup-and-wig disguise to fool him, the Chinese, AND the Japanese (they're involved, too). Now he's free to ride off with her into the sunset.
The constant plot shifts are only surprising because every character is lying or some kind of double-agent, and one doesn't really care enough to extrapolate forward. Some really bad writing includes gems like, "Captain Yang loomed over him like a mountain which has a summer house at its summit." Or consider this description of Lin Wang:
Beside being bad writing, it exemplifies Hubbard's use of awkward terms like "bichloride of mercury", devoid of context (at least here he tells us that's a muddy blue color), to show off some technical term he has learned about sailing, aviation, or what-have-you. Thankfully, as with all Hubbard works, a glossary is included.
Spoilers ahead, if this can be spoiled... Kurt Reid is a tall, dashing sailor who's on the run because he's been falsely accused of murdering a boat captain. He's stranded in China, but it's okay... he was raised in the Orient and knows "the yellow countries and their languages". He quickly gets embroiled in more danger and a web of intrigue - the evil Lin Wang extracts a confession that could exonerate Kurt from the murder charge, but then sends him on a murder mission in order to win his freedom. The target turns out to be Varinka Savischna, a beautiful Russian woman who Kurt doesn't want to kill. He teams up with her, but now must decide between her and another beautiful woman, Anne Carsten. When he and Varinka escape from immediate peril at the hands of a Chinese Death Squad, she convinces him to help her kill a car full of "Chinese" and pretend to be one to double-cross Lin Wang. Varinka has the supplies to help Kurt disguise himself:
...She showed him that she had phials of dye secreted in the belt - a part of a spy's equipment. She made him rub it on his face and hands. She fixed a small band behind his ears which pulled his eyes up at the corners, giving them a slant.
The disguise is apparently flawless, fooling the "dull-faced Chinese and Mongols who were interested only in minding their own business" at close range. Kurt infiltrates Lin Wang's fortress, only to find that Lin Wang has Anne Carsten captive, and the disgusting little "Chinese" is intent on molesting her:
And you said I was loathesome. Oh, but you did. And if you didn't say it, I saw it in your eyes. It's there now. You think I am ugly, but I can be very pleasant. Very pleasant.
Lin Wang discovers the double-crossing plot, so Kurt kills him. After escaping with Anne, he learns she's been hiding another secret: she was Varinka all along! She had been using the same makeup-and-wig disguise to fool him, the Chinese, AND the Japanese (they're involved, too). Now he's free to ride off with her into the sunset.
The constant plot shifts are only surprising because every character is lying or some kind of double-agent, and one doesn't really care enough to extrapolate forward. Some really bad writing includes gems like, "Captain Yang loomed over him like a mountain which has a summer house at its summit." Or consider this description of Lin Wang:
But the eyes were the worst. They were not black, they were an unhealthy, mud blue color, like bichloride of mercury. The lids were half lowered over the protruding pupils.
Beside being bad writing, it exemplifies Hubbard's use of awkward terms like "bichloride of mercury", devoid of context (at least here he tells us that's a muddy blue color), to show off some technical term he has learned about sailing, aviation, or what-have-you. Thankfully, as with all Hubbard works, a glossary is included.
October 28, 2019
Jika membaca "Di bawah Panji2 Hitam" membuatkan aku teringat kepada filem2 "Pirates of the Caribbean". Membaca "Pembunuh Perisik" pula membuatkan aku teringat kepada filem2 aksi Hollywood yang menggambarkan Hero dan Heroin berlari bersama-sama dari cengkaman penjahat seperti filem James Bond, Mission Impossible dan Jason Bourne. Mungkin filem2 tersebut mendapat inspirasi daripada novel2 L. Ron Hubbard kerana novel ini sudah diterbitkan pada tahun 1936 sedangkan novel pertama James Bond, Casino Royale terbit pada tahun 1953. Tetapi tidak hairanlah kerana pada zaman kegemilangan fiksyen pulpa amerika, ada beribu2 novel seperti ini diterbitkan dan aku sangat2 berminat untuk meneroka kesemuanya tetapi sebagai rakyat Malaya, lebih baik kau teroka novel2 klasik tanah air kau dahulu. Terima kasih Utusan!
May 16, 2012
This has been an interesting experience. Unannounced and unordered, a box of books appeared at my school library doorstep from Galaxy press, a "charitable donation." That's always a red flag. Then I saw the cover - L. Ron Hubbard and a racist image. Those were red flags as well. L. Ron Hubbard of Scientology and the Sea Operation fame - controversial and kooky at best. I thought this would be a fun "test" for my Book Club kids. I gave them a copy of the book and "The Golden Gazette" that accompanied the book. I didn't say anything about the cover or the author. I told them to see what they could find out about the author and something called "pulp fiction." We will see what they come up with.
For a good discussion of what "pulp fiction" is see: http://www.vintagelibrary.com/pulpfic... If "pulp fiction" is synonymous with "short," "fast paced" or "poor quality writing," "Spy Killers" is successful on all levels. And if one reads the book through the lens of the common man of 1930's America, this book is/was successful on many levels. The relationship between China and Japan and the U.S. at the time might explain some of the sentiment here. Language like "chop-chop" or "yellow countries" or
"round faced, slit eyed proprietor," "yellow devils," or "coolie" might work within the context of the times.
However, the reason for re-introducing these books in 2012 must be purely economics. Read through the lens of an educated individual of the 2010's, this book was pretty much trash. Lots of racist, sexist language and situations. Most contemporary Americans will have thin knowledge of what was happening historically at the time - the tension between Chinese Nationalists and Communists, the tension between China and Japan, and the unwillingness of Americans to get involved in the affairs of China at the risk of angering the Japanese. This lack of understanding might only serve to perpetuate old stereotypes.
There book is purely plot driven, and even that is thin. Things happen way too coincidentally and quickly with little build-up or explanation. There is little in the way of character development. The author tends to concentrate on the physical qualities of the characters only. And gender stereotypes abound, as do stereotypes about the West versus the East. The writing, in terms of the use of figurative language, is sometimes pretty good and at other times crazy bad. Consider this simile: "Captain Yang loomed over him like a mountain which has a summer house at its summit." Awkward. Or this: "But his eyes were the worst. They were not black, they were an unhealthy, mud blue color, like bichloride of mercury." "Bichloride of mercury?" Really? The violence is described pretty graphically and in detail - glorified really. The writing is just plain crap.
Anyway, I think this ought to be a great discussion. I am interested in seeing what my high school readers come up with on this one. It will be interesting to see if the red flags appeared to them as well.
For a good discussion of what "pulp fiction" is see: http://www.vintagelibrary.com/pulpfic... If "pulp fiction" is synonymous with "short," "fast paced" or "poor quality writing," "Spy Killers" is successful on all levels. And if one reads the book through the lens of the common man of 1930's America, this book is/was successful on many levels. The relationship between China and Japan and the U.S. at the time might explain some of the sentiment here. Language like "chop-chop" or "yellow countries" or
"round faced, slit eyed proprietor," "yellow devils," or "coolie" might work within the context of the times.
However, the reason for re-introducing these books in 2012 must be purely economics. Read through the lens of an educated individual of the 2010's, this book was pretty much trash. Lots of racist, sexist language and situations. Most contemporary Americans will have thin knowledge of what was happening historically at the time - the tension between Chinese Nationalists and Communists, the tension between China and Japan, and the unwillingness of Americans to get involved in the affairs of China at the risk of angering the Japanese. This lack of understanding might only serve to perpetuate old stereotypes.
There book is purely plot driven, and even that is thin. Things happen way too coincidentally and quickly with little build-up or explanation. There is little in the way of character development. The author tends to concentrate on the physical qualities of the characters only. And gender stereotypes abound, as do stereotypes about the West versus the East. The writing, in terms of the use of figurative language, is sometimes pretty good and at other times crazy bad. Consider this simile: "Captain Yang loomed over him like a mountain which has a summer house at its summit." Awkward. Or this: "But his eyes were the worst. They were not black, they were an unhealthy, mud blue color, like bichloride of mercury." "Bichloride of mercury?" Really? The violence is described pretty graphically and in detail - glorified really. The writing is just plain crap.
Anyway, I think this ought to be a great discussion. I am interested in seeing what my high school readers come up with on this one. It will be interesting to see if the red flags appeared to them as well.
November 21, 2012
I received a free copy of this book via the Goodreads First Reads program.
Spy Killer comes from the great pulp fiction era of the 1930's and 40's. Originally published in 1936, this spy story is one of those action-on-every-page books that you don't want to put down until you finish. In James Bond-like fashion, the hero, Kurt Reid is quick with his fists, deadly accurate with a gun, and always gets the girl. Falsely accused of murder, he jumps ship in Shanghai and instantly finds himself caught up in the spy game of Chinese war lords, Japanese officers, and a Russian spy who seems to be working both sides against the middle. A fun romp and worth the read for those who put action and adventure over introspection and purple prose.
And yes, it's by that L. Ron Hubbard. Long before he wrote Dianetics, Hubbard was churning out the stories for the pulp fiction market. An interesting look at his career before he founded his Scientology organization.
Spy Killer comes from the great pulp fiction era of the 1930's and 40's. Originally published in 1936, this spy story is one of those action-on-every-page books that you don't want to put down until you finish. In James Bond-like fashion, the hero, Kurt Reid is quick with his fists, deadly accurate with a gun, and always gets the girl. Falsely accused of murder, he jumps ship in Shanghai and instantly finds himself caught up in the spy game of Chinese war lords, Japanese officers, and a Russian spy who seems to be working both sides against the middle. A fun romp and worth the read for those who put action and adventure over introspection and purple prose.
And yes, it's by that L. Ron Hubbard. Long before he wrote Dianetics, Hubbard was churning out the stories for the pulp fiction market. An interesting look at his career before he founded his Scientology organization.
June 5, 2018
A poorly written story BUT a great performance by Galaxy Audio team. I wonder how this great team came up with the idea of performing Hubbard books and call the series Stories from Golden Age! I listened to this while driving and I must say I was really grateful for its company since it alleviated enduring Tehran's traffic and noise. The two stars go to Galaxy Audio for their theatrical performance.
October 18, 2018
I had never read a book by L Ron Hubbard as I regarded him purely as a science fiction writer. I did not realise that he had written prolifically in many of the pulp magazines in what was called the 'Golden Age'. He could write on any subject, in any genre, and of the 153 stories that he wrote for these magazines, many concerned hard-boiled detectives and spies. So when I saw this volume on a bookseller's shelf I thought I would give it a try, particularly with its lurid cover.
Kurt Reid, an American sailor, begins the story by going over the side of the tanker Rangoon after the captain has been killed and Reid is the suspected murderer. He eventually arrives at the shore and disappears into the hotbed that is Shanghai. There he gets caught up in a web of intrigue, betrayal and murder where he can believe nothing and wonders who he is working for and who he is fighting against.
He has to learn the game fast because he has sexy Russian agent Varinka Savischna to contend with as well as a seemingly less troublesome Anne Casten. And the mysterious Lin Wang is controlling him and instructing him what to do. In a fast moving, sinister and seductive thriller, Reid manages to overcome all odds to survive, find a little romance and live to fight another day!
In the novel, Hubbard has captured the flavour of the east very well for, as a young man, he visited pre-Communist China three times, where one of his closest friends was head of British intelligence and he gained a unique insight into the intelligence operations and spy-craft in the region. He puts this knowledge to good use in 'Spy Killer'.
An added bonus in this volume is a fascinating foreword by Kevin J Anderson that puts 'Spy Killer' into context with the stories from the Golden Age and also a most interesting unacknowledged (Anderson again perhaps) afterword essay entitled 'L Ron Hubbard and American Pulp Fiction'. And to counter the words and expressions used in the 1930s and 1940s that 'add unique flavour and authenticity to the tales' there is a glossary that proves most useful.
Hard boiled fiction has been described as 'tough and cynical' and 'Spy Killer' certainly lives up to its billing, as it probably had to when written for the readers of the pulps in the 1930s. And because of its history, some of the language and descriptions are now well out of date and would perhaps not be deemed politically correct if used today. It follows that a note with that glossary states, 'While a character's speech may reflect regional origins, it also can convey attitudes common in the day. So that readers can grasp such cultural and historical terms, uncommon words or expressions of the era, the following glossary has been provided.' Phew! ... thank goodness for that!
Kurt Reid, an American sailor, begins the story by going over the side of the tanker Rangoon after the captain has been killed and Reid is the suspected murderer. He eventually arrives at the shore and disappears into the hotbed that is Shanghai. There he gets caught up in a web of intrigue, betrayal and murder where he can believe nothing and wonders who he is working for and who he is fighting against.
He has to learn the game fast because he has sexy Russian agent Varinka Savischna to contend with as well as a seemingly less troublesome Anne Casten. And the mysterious Lin Wang is controlling him and instructing him what to do. In a fast moving, sinister and seductive thriller, Reid manages to overcome all odds to survive, find a little romance and live to fight another day!
In the novel, Hubbard has captured the flavour of the east very well for, as a young man, he visited pre-Communist China three times, where one of his closest friends was head of British intelligence and he gained a unique insight into the intelligence operations and spy-craft in the region. He puts this knowledge to good use in 'Spy Killer'.
An added bonus in this volume is a fascinating foreword by Kevin J Anderson that puts 'Spy Killer' into context with the stories from the Golden Age and also a most interesting unacknowledged (Anderson again perhaps) afterword essay entitled 'L Ron Hubbard and American Pulp Fiction'. And to counter the words and expressions used in the 1930s and 1940s that 'add unique flavour and authenticity to the tales' there is a glossary that proves most useful.
Hard boiled fiction has been described as 'tough and cynical' and 'Spy Killer' certainly lives up to its billing, as it probably had to when written for the readers of the pulps in the 1930s. And because of its history, some of the language and descriptions are now well out of date and would perhaps not be deemed politically correct if used today. It follows that a note with that glossary states, 'While a character's speech may reflect regional origins, it also can convey attitudes common in the day. So that readers can grasp such cultural and historical terms, uncommon words or expressions of the era, the following glossary has been provided.' Phew! ... thank goodness for that!
April 15, 2012
Kurt Reid is a man on the run, accused of a crime he didn't commit.
Kurt Reid is angered by what doesn't make him "feel strong or masculine".
Kurt Reid is torn between two beautiful ladies- American ingenue and a Russian femme fatale. He 'loves' them both.
*cue eye roll*
The way things were going I was sure the ladies (who were friends) would end up suggesting some sort of polygamous arrangement for the three of them… and why not? Kurt Reid had seemingly represented every other man's man ideal the author had ever entertained.
Kurt Reid is not the brightest bulb.
The number of Kurt Reid's in this review bothering you yet? Then you may not enjoy Hubbard's tendency to refer to his characters by their full name each and every time they appear. Gets old fast.
I picked Spy Killers up, because it was available free at Audible.com and I was curious as to what a book by the father of scientology might be like. Pretty terrible, actually... though I am adding a star for all of the unintentional (I'm assuming) humor.
Kurt Reid is angered by what doesn't make him "feel strong or masculine".
Kurt Reid is torn between two beautiful ladies- American ingenue and a Russian femme fatale. He 'loves' them both.
*cue eye roll*
The way things were going I was sure the ladies (who were friends) would end up suggesting some sort of polygamous arrangement for the three of them… and why not? Kurt Reid had seemingly represented every other man's man ideal the author had ever entertained.
Kurt Reid is not the brightest bulb.
The number of Kurt Reid's in this review bothering you yet? Then you may not enjoy Hubbard's tendency to refer to his characters by their full name each and every time they appear. Gets old fast.
I picked Spy Killers up, because it was available free at Audible.com and I was curious as to what a book by the father of scientology might be like. Pretty terrible, actually... though I am adding a star for all of the unintentional (I'm assuming) humor.
October 26, 2016
This review covers the audio book version.
My first audio book with sound effects! That was exciting. The numerous fist fights, gunfire exchanges, and characters walking through doors really came to life as I listened to this. The music between chapters was pretty fun too.
Unfortunately, the voice acting (and some of the writing itself) struck me as terribly racist and offensive. The characters all fit into neat little stereotypes. There's nothing deep or challenging about any aspect of the story. All that said, it was kind of fun to listen to and laugh at, much as Kurt Reed (not sure if it's just this story or all L. Ron Hubbard stuff, but if you hear a character's first name, expect the last name to be dropped as well) laughs off basically everything that goes wrong. That might be the only truly positive thing I took away from it. Heroes laugh in the face of adversity. Cool. I'll keep that in mind.
My first audio book with sound effects! That was exciting. The numerous fist fights, gunfire exchanges, and characters walking through doors really came to life as I listened to this. The music between chapters was pretty fun too.
Unfortunately, the voice acting (and some of the writing itself) struck me as terribly racist and offensive. The characters all fit into neat little stereotypes. There's nothing deep or challenging about any aspect of the story. All that said, it was kind of fun to listen to and laugh at, much as Kurt Reed (not sure if it's just this story or all L. Ron Hubbard stuff, but if you hear a character's first name, expect the last name to be dropped as well) laughs off basically everything that goes wrong. That might be the only truly positive thing I took away from it. Heroes laugh in the face of adversity. Cool. I'll keep that in mind.
April 7, 2014
This short novel was originally published in FIVE NOVELS MONTHLY magazine in 1936, and has been brought back with the original cover and interior illustrations. The Galaxy Press editions that I've seen are all quite handsome volumes. It's listed in the Tales From the Orient section of their catalogue, which is accurate although the basics of the plot could have been told in just about any setting with a few minor adjustments. I never got much of a "feel" for China from the story, honestly. It's a fast-paced tale with a surprisingly intricate plot. There's a twist at the end that caught me by surprise, one of those things that should have been obvious in hindsight but was so well hidden that I was taken by surprise at how well everything tied up.
Read
March 23, 2018It was slow at first. I can't lie I think I will have to read this from the beginning again because the ending was shocking and I couldn't wrap my head around it. I will say it did get fast paced towards the end probably why I couldn't keep up. It is interesting and if you are into spies, beautiful women and men in distressed it is definitely worth a pick up and read.
December 6, 2012
[Thanks go to Goodreads and Galaxy Press for offering this title as a first-reads giveaway]
I think most people know of L. Ron Hubbard as the Scientology guy and for the sci-fi novels Battlefield Earth and the Mission Earth series. Before all that, though, he apparently was a pretty prolific writer for pulp magazines in the '30s and '40s, writing not only science fiction, but a wide range of adventure fiction.
This review is on the Galaxy Press title Spy Killer which I won as a Goodreads giveaway (my first--yay! I don't think I have won anything since that raffle in elementary school). I'm going to be clear from the start that there might be some possible spoilers in the review and I'm not going to tag/hide them because I honestly don't think it matters a whole hell of a lot. Just letting you know. If you avoid spoilers at all cost you might want to stop reading now.
Spy Killer is about this sailor named Kurt Reid who is accused of killing his captain and stealing the ship's loot. So he jumps ship and finds himself in Shanghai as a penniless fugitive. While in Shanghai he meets a beautiful Russian woman named Varinka and an old flame called Ann Carsten and gets himself embroiled in a plot by the nationalist Chinese to kill a colonial Japanese spy. Wow, Kurt Reid is having a bad day. But I couldn't care too much because, you see, Kurt Reid is an idiot.
He is "renown for a temper as hot and swift as a glowing rapier" and is a "bucko" sailor. The little glossary in the back of the book says "bucko" means "a person who is domineering and bullying." In other words, Kurt Reid is an asshole. In fact, that is a better description of him than "bucko." He's just a big, dumb, asshole bully, basically. Funny thing is Kurt Reid is supposed to be a big hero in the tradition of manly men among men. However, astute readers can pick up on Kurt Reid's inner lout in such passages as:
And Kurt Reid needs to feel strong and masculine, people.
Oh, yeah, but I said that he was an idiot, right? Right. He is. He's always like three steps behind whenever some kind of revealing moment occurs. Like:
Four pages later, after some food and conversation:
Wow, it took him that long? I had to reread those pages because I thought I had missed something, but no. Kurt Reid really is that dumb. There is no doubt about this by the time you get to the end of the story because, get this, Varinka and Kurt's old flame Anne Carsten are the same woman. Yeah! She was in disguise as the Russian woman! That's why Kurt never recognized his old girlfriend! Makes sense! No, it doesn't! Yes, it does, because KURT REID IS AN IDIOT.
But okay, so what? So the guy is a few bricks shy of a load. So he's dumber than a bag of dirt. So what if the plot is no more intelligent. This is pulp fiction after all, written for light entertainment. It's the equivalent of watching WWE. There's no harm in that. I was thinking this might turn out to be a two star book because of this, but as I read more serious issues nagged at me until they basically hit me in the face with a hammer and I stared at the book in disbelief for a moment. I will describe this event.
In a bit.
But first I have to say that I understand that this story was written in the 1930s and some amount of racism is to be expected. I'm sure in those times you were weird if you weren't a little racist. I like to think that modern readers are much more enlightened and understanding about different people and cultures and that we can recognize when we are reading something inappropriate. But the thing is the really great pulp writers went beyond this. H.P. Lovecraft, as I understand, was pretty racist, even for that period in time, but it wasn't obvious in his fiction. Robert E. Howard's stories featured people from a diverse range of cultures and while many of his stories would be considered racist by today's standards, his themes often transcended racial stereotypes. Spy Killer, though, does not.
Ah, the "Golden Age," when men were men, women were sultry and Asians were yellow and slit-eyed.
Like I say, I sort of expect that in a story from this time, but it doesn't help to make it any more relevant for modern readers. Still, I was willing to accept that this story was a product of its age until the big moment when I got hit in the face with the stupid hammer. Kurt Reid is provided with a spy's disguise kit:
Voila, instant Asian. Easier than ramen noodles. Yeah, it was pretty offensive. I can't really imagine why any publisher would think that it would be a good idea to reprint this book.
Oh, wait-- maybe it's because of the little biography of L. Ron Hubbard that reads like a Kim Jong-Il propaganda piece. Imagine if James Bond, Indiana Jones and Ernest Hemingway somehow merged their DNAs into a lovechild and this lovechild became a rockstar brain surgeon that solved world hunger. That's basically how awesome they portray L. Ron Hubbard to have been. I'll be honest, I don't buy it. (Strangely enough, there is no mention of Dianetics or Scientology. Seems like these are significant things, but it only refers to his "serious research.")
Even if he was that awesome, why would such an awesome dude write something as sucky as Spy Killer?
I think most people know of L. Ron Hubbard as the Scientology guy and for the sci-fi novels Battlefield Earth and the Mission Earth series. Before all that, though, he apparently was a pretty prolific writer for pulp magazines in the '30s and '40s, writing not only science fiction, but a wide range of adventure fiction.
This review is on the Galaxy Press title Spy Killer which I won as a Goodreads giveaway (my first--yay! I don't think I have won anything since that raffle in elementary school). I'm going to be clear from the start that there might be some possible spoilers in the review and I'm not going to tag/hide them because I honestly don't think it matters a whole hell of a lot. Just letting you know. If you avoid spoilers at all cost you might want to stop reading now.
Spy Killer is about this sailor named Kurt Reid who is accused of killing his captain and stealing the ship's loot. So he jumps ship and finds himself in Shanghai as a penniless fugitive. While in Shanghai he meets a beautiful Russian woman named Varinka and an old flame called Ann Carsten and gets himself embroiled in a plot by the nationalist Chinese to kill a colonial Japanese spy. Wow, Kurt Reid is having a bad day. But I couldn't care too much because, you see, Kurt Reid is an idiot.
He is "renown for a temper as hot and swift as a glowing rapier" and is a "bucko" sailor. The little glossary in the back of the book says "bucko" means "a person who is domineering and bullying." In other words, Kurt Reid is an asshole. In fact, that is a better description of him than "bucko." He's just a big, dumb, asshole bully, basically. Funny thing is Kurt Reid is supposed to be a big hero in the tradition of manly men among men. However, astute readers can pick up on Kurt Reid's inner lout in such passages as:
Funny girl, that Russian. She had kept him from questioning her by the sheer force of her personality. She seemed to have some numbing power over him which fell as tangible as a cloak.
He felt angry at that. It didn't make him feel strong or masculine.
And Kurt Reid needs to feel strong and masculine, people.
Oh, yeah, but I said that he was an idiot, right? Right. He is. He's always like three steps behind whenever some kind of revealing moment occurs. Like:
There is Takeki [the spy he was supposed to kill], foreigner," said the officer again.
Kurt swallowed hard.
He was staring at Varinka Savischna [The Russian lady].
Four pages later, after some food and conversation:
The food gagged him suddenly. He realized then that this Takeki and Varinka were one and the same person.
Wow, it took him that long? I had to reread those pages because I thought I had missed something, but no. Kurt Reid really is that dumb. There is no doubt about this by the time you get to the end of the story because, get this, Varinka and Kurt's old flame Anne Carsten are the same woman. Yeah! She was in disguise as the Russian woman! That's why Kurt never recognized his old girlfriend! Makes sense! No, it doesn't! Yes, it does, because KURT REID IS AN IDIOT.
But okay, so what? So the guy is a few bricks shy of a load. So he's dumber than a bag of dirt. So what if the plot is no more intelligent. This is pulp fiction after all, written for light entertainment. It's the equivalent of watching WWE. There's no harm in that. I was thinking this might turn out to be a two star book because of this, but as I read more serious issues nagged at me until they basically hit me in the face with a hammer and I stared at the book in disbelief for a moment. I will describe this event.
In a bit.
But first I have to say that I understand that this story was written in the 1930s and some amount of racism is to be expected. I'm sure in those times you were weird if you weren't a little racist. I like to think that modern readers are much more enlightened and understanding about different people and cultures and that we can recognize when we are reading something inappropriate. But the thing is the really great pulp writers went beyond this. H.P. Lovecraft, as I understand, was pretty racist, even for that period in time, but it wasn't obvious in his fiction. Robert E. Howard's stories featured people from a diverse range of cultures and while many of his stories would be considered racist by today's standards, his themes often transcended racial stereotypes. Spy Killer, though, does not.
Ah, the "Golden Age," when men were men, women were sultry and Asians were yellow and slit-eyed.
Like I say, I sort of expect that in a story from this time, but it doesn't help to make it any more relevant for modern readers. Still, I was willing to accept that this story was a product of its age until the big moment when I got hit in the face with the stupid hammer. Kurt Reid is provided with a spy's disguise kit:
He stopped and she showed him that he had phials of dye secreted in the belt--part of a spy's equipment. She made him rub it on his face and hands. She fixed a small band behind his ears which pulled his eyes up at the corners, giving them a slant.
Voila, instant Asian. Easier than ramen noodles. Yeah, it was pretty offensive. I can't really imagine why any publisher would think that it would be a good idea to reprint this book.
Oh, wait-- maybe it's because of the little biography of L. Ron Hubbard that reads like a Kim Jong-Il propaganda piece. Imagine if James Bond, Indiana Jones and Ernest Hemingway somehow merged their DNAs into a lovechild and this lovechild became a rockstar brain surgeon that solved world hunger. That's basically how awesome they portray L. Ron Hubbard to have been. I'll be honest, I don't buy it. (Strangely enough, there is no mention of Dianetics or Scientology. Seems like these are significant things, but it only refers to his "serious research.")
Even if he was that awesome, why would such an awesome dude write something as sucky as Spy Killer?
Read
January 8, 2023Preface-I read this “book” as a joke, well, JOKES ON ME.
I give this book 0/10 E-Meters. Everyone involved in the making of the audiobook should probably be in jail, or hell (with LRon). Didn’t think ol’ LRon was a spy-love story-girly but this proved me wrong!
P.S. I have no doubt in my mind that Tom Cruise and John Travolta loved this shit.
I give this book 0/10 E-Meters. Everyone involved in the making of the audiobook should probably be in jail, or hell (with LRon). Didn’t think ol’ LRon was a spy-love story-girly but this proved me wrong!
P.S. I have no doubt in my mind that Tom Cruise and John Travolta loved this shit.
December 21, 2022
Classic pulp tale out of the orient. Spies and more spies, death squads and lot's of shooting.
Entertaining with a twist at the end.
Entertaining with a twist at the end.
January 26, 2011
Gunfire, muscles, and Benedict Arnolds abound, it’s time yet again for a pulp fiction review! Kurt Reid, our hero in “Spy Killer” is a bucko sailor looking scratch the itch of helping damsels in distress. He also has the misfortunate habit of being arrested by practically every Chinese and Japanese soldier who lays eyes on him. When Varinka Savischna appears and gives him a job to do in Shanghai, our meaty man is drawn in like a cat to catnip. This EZ Reader would have just sailed back to the good ol’ US of A.
Kurt Reid is a man of action throughout, but I actually argue that this book is about Varinka Savischna. Sure, Kurt is fighting for his life throughout, but Varinka is like the puppet master when it comes to spying and intrigues. It’s a combo of brains and brawn, except Varinka has brains, more brains, and a side of brawn. Kurt just happens to attract great action scenes.
Compared to my other pulp reads (“Dead Men Kill” and “The Baron of Coyote River”), “Spy Killer” felt a little more gritty, and had more plot twists than 88 pages have ever seen before. I think part of the grody grittiness was due in part to the villain, Lin Wang, who warrants a description with words like: “leprosy”, “unhealthy”, and “protruding.” In fact, if I were to type up the way this man was described in full, this review would receive an “R” rating. Even the delicious description of punching zombies in “Dead Men Kill” has nothing on the limping, dead-eyed Wang. On the plus side, “Spy Killer” did have a nice element of romance, unavoidable considering how naturally hunky Kurt is. It’s not “The Notebook”, but there is somewhat of a love triangle between Kurt, Varinka, and his old flame Anne Carsten. You’ll have to read it to understand what I mean by “somewhat”.
A fast read for pulp fiction fans and people who are just generally interested in gunfire, “The Spy Killer” has a classic feel with an action movie style, and makes for a great afternoon dose of adrenaline.
Considering naming myself Varinka,
EZ Read Staffer Jenifer
Kurt Reid is a man of action throughout, but I actually argue that this book is about Varinka Savischna. Sure, Kurt is fighting for his life throughout, but Varinka is like the puppet master when it comes to spying and intrigues. It’s a combo of brains and brawn, except Varinka has brains, more brains, and a side of brawn. Kurt just happens to attract great action scenes.
Compared to my other pulp reads (“Dead Men Kill” and “The Baron of Coyote River”), “Spy Killer” felt a little more gritty, and had more plot twists than 88 pages have ever seen before. I think part of the grody grittiness was due in part to the villain, Lin Wang, who warrants a description with words like: “leprosy”, “unhealthy”, and “protruding.” In fact, if I were to type up the way this man was described in full, this review would receive an “R” rating. Even the delicious description of punching zombies in “Dead Men Kill” has nothing on the limping, dead-eyed Wang. On the plus side, “Spy Killer” did have a nice element of romance, unavoidable considering how naturally hunky Kurt is. It’s not “The Notebook”, but there is somewhat of a love triangle between Kurt, Varinka, and his old flame Anne Carsten. You’ll have to read it to understand what I mean by “somewhat”.
A fast read for pulp fiction fans and people who are just generally interested in gunfire, “The Spy Killer” has a classic feel with an action movie style, and makes for a great afternoon dose of adrenaline.
Considering naming myself Varinka,
EZ Read Staffer Jenifer
June 23, 2010
Kurt Reid has escaped lock up on a ship, and false charges of murder, to jump off to Shanghai. While there he meets White Russian Varinka Savischana who recruits him on a mysterious mission.
Why I picked this book up: Galaxy Press was handing out free sets of books to those that were willing to host one book club at their library and report back with the results. They are busy reprinting some of the pulp fiction from the 1930s & 1940s and I hoped that it would be popular in our library.
Why I finished this book: Because I was leading the discussion group on it.
Who I would recommend this book to: 11 year old boys. I'm serious! And only after you have read every single Hardy Boy book twice.
Why I picked this book up: Galaxy Press was handing out free sets of books to those that were willing to host one book club at their library and report back with the results. They are busy reprinting some of the pulp fiction from the 1930s & 1940s and I hoped that it would be popular in our library.
Why I finished this book: Because I was leading the discussion group on it.
Who I would recommend this book to: 11 year old boys. I'm serious! And only after you have read every single Hardy Boy book twice.
April 9, 2010
This is definitely not the kind of the book I usually read: it’s pulp fiction, it’s a mystery story, and it’s an audio book. I wouldn’t have given this book a second glance if it wasn’t for the free copy I received from Galaxy Press. I really enjoyed the experience. It was a wonderful thriller, and I was so caught up in the action and suspense that I didn’t see the twist coming. The recordings were excellent. Different actors played the characters, and music and sound effects accompanied the narration. Great for a long drive.
November 13, 2008
Told as if in a 1930's spy movie, Spy Killer by L. Ron Hubbard is full of espionage and intrigue. Killers and spies are not who they seem, the locations are exotic, the men are strong and resourceful and the women, beautiful yet cunning. Historical notes are in included in the back of this fast-paced-action pulp fiction novelette. Thanks to Galaxy Press for this free re-release of this book.
September 26, 2012
This was a fun read. There is an unexpected twist at the end that pulls everything together.
I have come to appreciate the short high impact stories of this era. I can see why the "pulp" fiction was so popular during the depression years.
Definitely worth giving it a read - highly recommended.
I have come to appreciate the short high impact stories of this era. I can see why the "pulp" fiction was so popular during the depression years.
Definitely worth giving it a read - highly recommended.
November 22, 2021
Buku kedua Hubbard dari 80 series yang beredar. Di sini kental dengan aksi, baku tembak dan romansa sebagai pewarna.
Dengan latar tempat di China, penggambaran Lin Wang sebagai tokoh antagonis, benar-benar membuat ia dibenci. Selain itu, plot twist yang awalnya membuatku salah paham dengan sosok Anne dan Varinka, ternyata ... "eh kok bisa gitu, ya?"
Terima kasih sudah menerjemahkan.
Selamat membaca.
Dengan latar tempat di China, penggambaran Lin Wang sebagai tokoh antagonis, benar-benar membuat ia dibenci. Selain itu, plot twist yang awalnya membuatku salah paham dengan sosok Anne dan Varinka, ternyata ... "eh kok bisa gitu, ya?"
Terima kasih sudah menerjemahkan.
Selamat membaca.
January 27, 2017
At first, when I saw the book, the cover looked very racist. But I like murder mysteries so I gave it a try. It was OK. The book was not well worded or structured. But it was fast paced from the first page to the last page. Kurt Reid was a very interesting man... and was accused for something he didn't do. The character was not well wrote. There was a lot of unanswered questions.
December 12, 2020
I have read a few of Hubbard's other books and some are really enjoyable with some humor and a lighthearted writing style. This book is somewhat similar. It is an easy read but doesn't have much depth. I wouldn't consider this a classic in any sense of the word but if you want a relatively short book that is easy to read to pass some time this will do.
November 14, 2017
Pulp is right
Spy Killer is an entertaining story as long as you don't expect too much. A few points stretched believability beyond the breaking point. If you can overlook that, then you will probably enjoy it.
Spy Killer is an entertaining story as long as you don't expect too much. A few points stretched believability beyond the breaking point. If you can overlook that, then you will probably enjoy it.
April 25, 2020
I suppose it’s alright. Kinda cute. Pulp.
August 15, 2020
Fun, fast-paced and mindless pulp fiction involving Japanese, Russian and Chinese intrigue set in 1930s era China.
July 25, 2022
Cocok buat bacaan ringan, isinya cuma seratusan halaman jadi emang gak banyak narasi yg buang-buang halaman
March 23, 2024
3.5 for how silly it is. Found this in a bookstore in Kochi and needed to get it. I am not surprised with how L Ron Hubbard writes female characters…
October 8, 2023
I got this by accident. I read two pages. Infantile, unsophisticated and yet stragely opinionated. Talk about a reality bubble. This poor man defined it.
March 19, 2014
I picked up a few books of this author's at the dollar store. I thought they looked neat with the pulp art covers. I decided to read this one first, it sounded interesting and totally different from my usual reads. Plus the short length enticed me, I wasn't feeling like jumping into any long books yesterday. I was actually surprised that it was shorter even than it looked. The story itself was only 88 pages. There was a couple page introduction in the beginning, a 10 page sample of another story in the back, plus a glossary of terms that was a couple pages long. So I flew through this story right quick.
Kurt Reid is the old-fashioned stereotypical manly man. Good with his fists, good with a gun, good at being a jerk... I didn't mind him though. Sure he wasn't the cleverest crayon in the pack, but he was not bad. I rather liked how he wasn't real smart, it kept me guessing just like him. Now, I'll say right off that I know absolutely nothing of Chinese or Japanese history, why they were in conflict in the time period of this story. It was still interesting though for me, having the book set there. Not a setting I'm used to reading about at all. Of course the author reflected the times the story was written in and was not very PC, but I'm glad the publisher didn't fix or edit that stuff out like Harlequin did in re-releasing their 60th anniversary vintage collection (which were way more pulp-y and less romance than the Harlequins of today). It probably would've messed up the whole feel of the story. As it was, I could envision it like one of those old-fashioned movies, in black and white of course.
I liked the action, there was plenty of narrow escapes, gunfights, captures, and whatnot. I also liked the twist at the end of who Varinka really was. I totally wasn't expecting that, and it made me grin a little. This story was nothing amazing, but it entertained me, and was a quick read. I'm glad I read it. I have three more books by this author on the TBR, and will definitely get to them soon. Two of them are Westerns, and one looks like it might be fantasy-type or something, so I'm curious to see how I will like them.
Kurt Reid is the old-fashioned stereotypical manly man. Good with his fists, good with a gun, good at being a jerk... I didn't mind him though. Sure he wasn't the cleverest crayon in the pack, but he was not bad. I rather liked how he wasn't real smart, it kept me guessing just like him. Now, I'll say right off that I know absolutely nothing of Chinese or Japanese history, why they were in conflict in the time period of this story. It was still interesting though for me, having the book set there. Not a setting I'm used to reading about at all. Of course the author reflected the times the story was written in and was not very PC, but I'm glad the publisher didn't fix or edit that stuff out like Harlequin did in re-releasing their 60th anniversary vintage collection (which were way more pulp-y and less romance than the Harlequins of today). It probably would've messed up the whole feel of the story. As it was, I could envision it like one of those old-fashioned movies, in black and white of course.
I liked the action, there was plenty of narrow escapes, gunfights, captures, and whatnot. I also liked the twist at the end of who Varinka really was. I totally wasn't expecting that, and it made me grin a little. This story was nothing amazing, but it entertained me, and was a quick read. I'm glad I read it. I have three more books by this author on the TBR, and will definitely get to them soon. Two of them are Westerns, and one looks like it might be fantasy-type or something, so I'm curious to see how I will like them.
May 5, 2014
Well, L. Ron Hubbard is at it again. This time with some Oriental spy adventures! What can I say about this "book"...
First of all, "Galaxy Press" is asking a cool $9.95 for this book. Lucky for me, not only did I receive this (along with several others from the same "Stories from the Golden Age" collection) as a gift, but I was also informed they were purchased at the local Job Lot for about $2 each. That being said, several of the other books contain 3 to 4 stories under one theme, such as science fiction or western. This one, "Spy Killer", unfortunately contains only one story of the same title. There are 121 pages in the book, not counting the forward, and this story makes up barely 89 pages of that! Now ask yourself, is that worth the asking price of ten dollars?
Regardless, the story just isn't that good. The main character is a drag with mysterious motives, often times I found myself wondering what his motivation was to do anything. Without spoiling too much, the twist was the saving grace of this one, and of course like all early Hubbard works, it is very easy-reading pulp material.
I would recommend picking up a different book from the series, one with a few stories packed into the pages, or honestly a different author all together. Hubbard was sort of a jack of all trades, master of none guy, he claims to have written in all these different genres, but with his style it all sort of blurs together. Nice try ronnie boy.
First of all, "Galaxy Press" is asking a cool $9.95 for this book. Lucky for me, not only did I receive this (along with several others from the same "Stories from the Golden Age" collection) as a gift, but I was also informed they were purchased at the local Job Lot for about $2 each. That being said, several of the other books contain 3 to 4 stories under one theme, such as science fiction or western. This one, "Spy Killer", unfortunately contains only one story of the same title. There are 121 pages in the book, not counting the forward, and this story makes up barely 89 pages of that! Now ask yourself, is that worth the asking price of ten dollars?
Regardless, the story just isn't that good. The main character is a drag with mysterious motives, often times I found myself wondering what his motivation was to do anything. Without spoiling too much, the twist was the saving grace of this one, and of course like all early Hubbard works, it is very easy-reading pulp material.
I would recommend picking up a different book from the series, one with a few stories packed into the pages, or honestly a different author all together. Hubbard was sort of a jack of all trades, master of none guy, he claims to have written in all these different genres, but with his style it all sort of blurs together. Nice try ronnie boy.
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