Mission Earth 1: The Invaders Plan

Strong production values and a talented cast of 85 bring to life the audio edition of the first volume of Hubbard's Mission Earth series. The author's introduction, read in a deep, welcoming voice by Stefan Rudnicki, informs the listener in great detail about the satirical nature of the story. The story that follows is a sci-fi adventure with echoes of Hubbard's early pulp fiction writings. The 85 cast members of this production work hard at bringing the story and its 127 speaking parts together to make an entertaining tale. Actor Jim Meskimen portrays the not-so-bright narrator of the story "Soltan Gris," keeping the story of the alien Voltarian's internal political corruption and ultimate plans for the planet Earth moving at an energetic pace. Whether pushing through lengthy descriptive passages or interacting with his fellow performers, his narration is the cornerstone of the audiobook. The end result is well-produced, well-acted, and listenable. A Galaxy paperback. (Jun.)