Thursday, June 02, 2011

"Wind Gone Mad" by L. Ron Hubbard

"Wind Gone Mad"
by L. Ron Hubbard
Multicast performance
Produced by Galaxy Audio
Approx 2 Hours

Whether you have ever listened to an audiobook or not, just once (that's all it will take then your hooked) grab one of these productions from Galaxy Audio. These "Stories from the Golden Age" are great stories in and of themselves, but the magic Galaxy Audio puts into the production of these adventure stories makes them superb audio dramas

I don't think I'm too far off base when I say that Galaxy Audio produces these stories by L. Ron Hubbard as if they were old time radio dramas. When I was a kid (which really wasn't that long ago...I keep saying that enough and it'll be true) I used to stay up late at night with a portable transistor AM radio and tune in to some radio shows that came from some radio station in the Midwest. I just loved the thrills and chills produced by audio only, and that feeling comes back every time I listen to these Galaxy Audio productions. They provide excellent vocal acting, sound effects that envelope you into the story and incidental music that makes the transition between chapters and/or stories smooth.

This time around I went back into their catalog and picked up an audiobook in the "Tales from the Orient" genre of Hubbard's stories. The first story "Wind Gone Mad" attracted me because I had previously listened to "The Hurricane's Roar" which was the second story to feature the character Wind-Gone-Mad. So I was all about finding out what prompted the second story. Turned out to be a fun adventure, but the best treat was that this audio book featured the first ever published story by L. Ron Hubbard.

"Wind-Gone-Mad," originally published in "Top Notch" October, 1935 is tale of a madman's plan to wipe out an entire province in pre-war China and how it is thwarted by the man they call “Feng-Feng”—the Chinese word for hurricane or “Wind-Gone-Mad.” Jim Dahlgren, representative of the Amalgamated Aeronautical Company, refuses to join policy to let China sort it's own problems. Lives are at stake, especially when a villain known as "The Butcher" is allowed to rise up with fire and sword carving the way on his warpath for complete control of the nation. Dahlgren goes to find a mysterious aviator, the man called "Wind-Gone-Mad" who has always fought against the province warlords. Wind-Gone-Mad sets out to fix this broken diplomacy.

The next story is the first story by Hubbard L. Ron Hubbard published. He began publishing in February 1932 with the story "Tah," which appeared in The University Hatchet, the newspaper of George Washington University, where he was attending college. Twelve-year-old Tah is sold to the army by his father and is forced on a 24 hour march to battle.

Yellow Loot, originally published in "Thrilling Adventures" October, 1934. After getting their stash of amber stolen by a renegade army a search for the precious amber ends in a tumultuous race for freedom on the Great Wall of China.

This will be the one of the most fun two hours you've ever spent. Enjoy!

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