Holy cow, another month has gone by and it’s time for the next release of Stories from the Golden Age. Galaxy Press and Galaxy Audio have been republishing the pulp-fiction works of L. Ron Hubbard into two awesome formats. In the paperback releases you get that old timely pulp fiction magazine feel with the awesome graphics on the cover and pics on the inside. In the Audiobook format they stick with that old timely feel in that the stories are fully produced with a full cast of actors, sound effects, and music that fits every story. This time around they have taken back to the days where the trails were dusty and the cattle were rustled. Which reminds me of a joke…but I’ll wait until the end of the review to tell you.
Every time I listen to one of these books I’m always amazed at the supreme voice talent and production that goes into each of the stories. You gotta realize that back in the day when writing for the pulps L. Ron Hubbard created over the top characters and to get readers that was a must. In these audio productions this over the top aspect of the characters is carried through with the excellent voice work. Each character in the story has a significant part to play and the voice actors all portray every aspect of the character through their excellent acting. The voices are superb.
I have mentioned him in the past, but I want to talk more about Jim Meskimen. He has performed and directed in many of the stories in these audiobooks and even narrated and a few. Jim Meskimen is a talent that is out of this world, maybe even not of this Earth. He is well known for his impersonations that are nothing shy of astounding (check out his viral youtube video http://youtu.be/j8PGBnNmPgk ). This time around the cast not only includes Jim but also Tamra and Taylor Meskimen. I’m pretty sure I’m right in saying that Tamra is his wife and Taylor is the result of these two outstanding talents passing their extremely talented genes to their offspring. So with this cast, which also includes Fred Tatasciore, R.F. Daley, Shannon Evans, Taron Lexton, Phil Proctor and Michael Yurchak, you are getting some excellent vocal talent that can create a full theatre of the mind experience that these classic stories deserve.
This audiobook consists of the following three stories:
“Death Waits at Sundown” originally printed in the October, 1938 issue of “Western Story” magazine tells of Lynn Taylor, a hard-riding, two-fisted Texan who plans depriving the town of Pioneer of its necktie party because just wants to substitute another victim, the real criminal. Taylor’s kid brother, Lee, gets framed for stage robbery, cattle rustling (that joke is coming) and murder, the boy swears his innocence and instead accuses McCloud, head of the vigilante committee responsible for removing the town’s former sheriff. with the help of the former sheriff, Lynn sets up a trap for McCloud.
“Ride ‘Em, Cowboy!” originally published in the July, 1938 issue of “Western Story” magazine is a great cowboy competition story between a Cowboy and a Cowgirl. When a champion bronco-buster and the girl he wants to marry, but constantly quarrels with, compete for the same prize at a rodeo, the results are unexpectedly romantic, but still with some good ol’ cowboy action involved.
“Boss of the Lazy B,” originally published in the September, 1938 issue of “Western Story” magazine shows that there’s only one kind of justice for a kidnapper and a thief and the boss of the Lazy B dispenses it with authority. I gotta say that the voice of the Boss is the coolest in this collection, you’ll see when you listen.
So, do yourself a favor and punch some doggies or just get this super awesome audiobook.
Okay now for that joke:
An Arizona cowpoke rides into a small Texas town and notices a gallows being set up in the middle of town. When he walks into the town saloon he says to the bar-keep, “Looks like you folks is gettin’ set for a hangin’.” The bar-keep says, “yep, they’s ahangin’ Brown Paper Pete.” “Brown Paper Pete?” asks the cowpoke, “Why do they call him that?” “Well,” explains the bar-keep, ” He wears brown paper chaps, a brown paper vest, and wears a brown paper 10 gallon hat.” The cowpoke asks, “What are they hangin’ him for?” The bar-keep answers, “Rustlin’.”