A master of pulp fiction, L. Ron Hubbard was one of the most prolific writers of his time. A man who also lived many of the stories he told, "Adventure is like art. You have to live it to make it real", Hubbard grew up in the Wild West, traveled the world as a US naval officer, and earned his wings "as a pioneering barnstormer at the dawn of American aviation." A lifetime member of the Explorers Club he "charted North Pacific waters with the first shipboard radio direction finder and held a rare Master Mariner's license to pilot any vessel of any tonnage in any ocean."

Using over a dozen pseudonyms while writing pulp fiction as well as other genres, Hubbard penned more than 15 million words of fiction in more than 200 classic publications between 1934 and 1950.

In later years he devoted himself to his serious research and engaged himself in writing science fiction,   putting out such blockbusters as "Final Blackout", "Battlefield Earth", and his magnum opus, "Mission Earth."

My first pulp fiction novel, "Spy Killer" is a classic in the genre. It involved murder and intrigue, featuring spies and dangerous women. The setting is Shanghai China where the protagonist of the novel, Kurt Reid, is accused of killing the captain of the tanker where he was a mate. With his life jeopardized again and again, the quick short read will keep you riveted from start to finish. Although there are no hard lessons to learn, "no lavish prose or convoluted metaphors", the story excelled at its purpose, to entertain.

I rate "Spy Killer" 4 out of 5 stars

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