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Has G.R.R.M. ever expressed an opinion on L. Ron Hubbard?


Bastard of Balmora

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Hubbard sucked and couldn't write for shit.

For a semi dissenting opinion, I read a few of his books, Mission Earth series? Something like that. It was a series of about 1,000,000 giant novels, back when I was in middle school. I liked them just fine IIRC, middle school was a loooong time ago. I haven't read anything of his since then. My impression was always that he was an effective if not "good" pulp writer. I haven't bothered with him since because I am not a fan of Scientology (the way they act, they can believe whatever weird shit they want).

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I'm loving all the hostility for asking a simple question.

Sorry but I'm with PB on this one, it feels like more than a simple question. I mean I watched Going Clear too, as I'm sure a bunch of us here did, but at no point did I ask "huh, I wonder what GRRM thinks of this guy". Why would I? The question just comes so far out of left field that it's really no wonder that some people think you're looking to GRRM help form, or maybe validate, your own opinion. I could understand if you wanted to know what Hubbard's contemporaries, people like Asimov, Clarke, or Heinlein, thought of him. Those people would likely have had real knowledge of the man from before he started Scientology, but what useful insights would GRRM have about him?

ETA: I think the hostility you're seeing really isn't about this specific question, but rather the general hostility the Misc. forums has toward fanboy-ism. And whether you meant it to or not, your question sounds pretty fanboy-ish.

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Sorry but I'm with PB on this one, it feels like more than a simple question. I mean I watched Going Clear too, as I'm sure a bunch of us here did, but at no point did I ask "huh, I wonder what GRRM thinks of this guy". Why would I? The question just comes so far out of left field that it's really no wonder that some people think you're looking to GRRM help form, or maybe validate, your own opinion. I could understand if you wanted to know what Hubbard's contemporaries, people like Asimov, Clarke, or Heinlein, thought of him. Those people would likely have had real knowledge of the man from before he started Scientology, but what useful insights would GRRM have about him?

ETA: I think the hostility you're seeing really isn't about this specific question, but rather the general hostility the Misc. forums has toward fanboy-ism. And whether you meant it to or not, your question sounds pretty fanboy-ish.

I don't know what to tell you, you're making a big fuss over nothing. I simply wondered what one sci-fi author thought of another. I love all the assumptions, though.

Maybe I'd like to read his books and a recommendation from GRRM would be just the thing to get me to do so? That's so unheard of.

"ETA: I think the hostility you're seeing really isn't about this specific question, but rather the general hostility the Misc. forums has toward fanboy-ism. And whether you meant it to or not, your question sounds pretty fanboy-ish"

Confirmed psychotic. Fanboy-ish towads....what? I'm not even making an argument, this is all stuff you've come up with in your fanciful little head. Leave the thread if my question upsets you so much and you can't handle it.

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GRRM did mention LRH in one of his recent blog posts at his own website, in one of the many posts about this whole PuppyGate/Hugo awards thing. It was in relation to LRH being nominated one year, and the way George wrote it, it seemed he didn't hold his writing in all that high of a regard. I'll have to dig through my history to find the exact post, as GRRM has made about 5 chapters worth of a book's worth of posts on the subject, the Hugo's being close to his heart, and what with the controversy and all.

The comment I'm talking about wasn't in the "first post" of one of the many blog entries, it was in a response way down the list in the comments GRRM made answering a commenter asking the same question as the OP here, hence the work trying to find it again being a giant PITA, but I will find it, as IRRC there was about 400 comments replied to the post in question, of which there are about 20 I have to dig through now.

An example of a helpful reply, not someone crying about "ughhh your question it's not a good one!! only ask the questions we want!!"

People not realizing that my question is basically akin to "What did Neil Young think of Bob Dylan? Was he influenced? Did one enjoy the other?"

Can't believe the dumb shit people are making out of this.

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I don’t think there’s any point in you wasting your time explaining or defending yourself, just move on. Either way it isn’t a big deal.

Beware spooky questions in the future. I didn't mean to spook anyone.

Wasting time, sort of like the people attacking me for not asking a question up to their standards? What an exercise in futility.

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Sorry but I'm with PB on this one, it feels like more than a simple question. I mean I watched Going Clear too, as I'm sure a bunch of us here did, but at no point did I ask "huh, I wonder what GRRM thinks of this guy". Why would I? The question just comes so far out of left field that it's really no wonder that some people think you're looking to GRRM help form, or maybe validate, your own opinion. I could understand if you wanted to know what Hubbard's contemporaries, people like Asimov, Clarke, or Heinlein, thought of him. Those people would likely have had real knowledge of the man from before he started Scientology, but what useful insights would GRRM have about him?

ETA: I think the hostility you're seeing really isn't about this specific question, but rather the general hostility the Misc. forums has toward fanboy-ism. And whether you meant it to or not, your question sounds pretty fanboy-ish.

An insightful analysis of OP's character flaws and hidden intentions, though I would go a step further and claim that his seemingly innocent question is actually a result of Illuminati space lizards from Planet X controlling his brain through fluoridation of drinking water, as a step in their plan of implementing the New World Order.

Jet fuel can't melt steel beams! :agree:

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An insightful analysis of OP's character flaws and hidden intentions, though I would go a step further and claim that his seemingly innocent question is actually a result of Illuminati space lizards from Planet X controlling his brain through fluoridation of drinking water, as a step in their plan of implementing the New World Order.

Jet fuel can't melt steel beams! :agree:

Thank you for my first real laugh of the day. I needed that. :cheers:

Remarkably close to what I was thinking. :dunce:

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I don't know what to tell you, you're making a big fuss over nothing. I simply wondered what one sci-fi author thought of another. I love all the assumptions, though.

Maybe I'd like to read his books and a recommendation from GRRM would be just the thing to get me to do so? That's so unheard of.

"ETA: I think the hostility you're seeing really isn't about this specific question, but rather the general hostility the Misc. forums has toward fanboy-ism. And whether you meant it to or not, your question sounds pretty fanboy-ish"

Confirmed psychotic. Fanboy-ish towads....what? I'm not even making an argument, this is all stuff you've come up with in your fanciful little head. Leave the thread if my question upsets you so much and you can't handle it.

I'm not upset, just pointing out that your question seems a strange one, and suggests perhaps too much reliance on GRRM's opinion. If you're interested in Hubbard's books go pick one up; if you're still on the fence read one of the thousands of reviews that are out there. What do you need GRRM's recommendation for? Again, it's not a big deal, it just seems kinda fanboy-ish. Hence the negative response. Do you deserve it? Nah, but that's just how some of us can be down here on the lower half of the board.

BTW, Hubbard was a competent pulp writer before he went completely insane. If you're into that stuff pick up some of his earlier works.

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I'm not upset, just pointing out that your question seems a strange one, and suggests perhaps too much reliance on GRRM's opinion. If you're interested in Hubbard's books go pick one up; if you're still on the fence read one of the thousands of reviews that are out there. What do you need GRRM's recommendation for? Again, it's not a big deal, it just seems kinda fanboy-ish. Hence the negative response. Do you deserve it? Nah, but that's just how some of us can be down here on the lower half of the board.

BTW, Hubbard was a competent pulp writer before he went completely insane. If you're into that stuff pick up some of his earlier works.

Well thanks for being somewhat reasonable. I have to say, I am no fanboy, I have my own criticisms of George and by no means blindly worship the man, but he remains an excellent purveyor of literature and his opinion on the matter means something to me. I don't know what else to say other than that. The subject of the thread has been on my mind perhaps more than it should be lately, and George is known to give his opinion on a wide variety of subjects...so I figured why not ask you guys?

Didn't mean to start anything. There's a few of his books at my local library, I think I'll check them out. I'd love to realize I'm a fan of his work, even with all of my perceptions on the so-called 'religion' he created. It's all about perspectives, I suppose.

Anyway, I mostly just lurk on these boards and read the ASoIaF forums, rarely posting because I tend to avoid situations like the one in this thread. The one thread I make in a year... :laugh:

back to lurking.

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Well now I feel bad. Don't let us scare you off. Embrace it man, picking an internet fight can be fun.

Don't feel bad, and I know. I've had my fair share of them on other sites, but on here I think there's such good information being passed about and discussed that I like to use this forum in a civil fashion (not that you weren't civil, I just didn't want to have an argument, just genuinely curious whether he'd ever given his two cents on the man) without my motive being picked apart. Again, I know it might've seemed an odd question but I had honest intentions.

I'll probably post more anyway, no worries.

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Well, I for one am grateful that the OP started this thread. I had no idea that...





The Dean of Science Fiction, Robert Heinlein, made a bet with L. Ron Hubbard in a bar. Hubbard backed himself to start a religion, so Heinlein lost the bet.





That is so hilarious I'm tempted to troll Tom Cruise on twitter.

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