Gifts for a Dad Who Wants Nothing
Guest blogger Tina Phillips
Father’s Day is right around the corner. Are you frantically searching for good gifts for dad?
Hubbard’s classic mega sci-fi adventure takes the reader to the year 3000 on Earth, which 1000 years earlier was invaded by the alien Psychlos to mine minerals, nearly wiping out the human inhabitants. But not all. The only hope lies in Johnny Goodboy Tyler, the one human with a small chance of rallying the remainder of the people around the planet to turn the tables on these brutal, no-conscience invaders.
Johnny and his tribe, reduced to living as hunters and gatherers and with no technology to speak of, must learn all they can about the Psychlos so they have a chance of stopping them. Although the Psychlos are practically dead when it comes to ethics, higher self-awareness, and aesthetics, they do have spaceships, ray guns, indestructible drones, and teleportation. It’s against this backdrop that Tyler leads his small band of warriors against impossible odds. Talk about an uneven playing field! The life and death conflicts that ensue contain fast action and heart-stopping escapades that just keep coming.
Here is my dive into this award-winning story and why it is relevant today.
Although the COVID pandemic has been waning, the world has been busy fighting a whole new magnitude and range of problems: out-of-control crime, immigration, inflation, gas prices, shortages, a distant war, and much more. For anyone feeling dismayed by these current events, Battlefield Earth is the perfect panacea. It delivers with impact the message that humankind CAN overcome insurmountable odds. While the Psychlos have much more advanced weapons, Johnny Goodboy Tyler and fellow fighters have the one thing that can overcome them and which is, ultimately, the superior weapon: the human spirit. It shows the reader that the bravery, courage, persistence, and downright guts it takes to win such battles reside in every human being. Truly inspirational!
Publishers Weekly states: “This has everything: suspense, pathos, politics, war, humor, diplomacy, and intergalactic finance.”
I love a story that brings the reader from despair, then launches him on a roller coaster ride toward hope. There’s never been a better time for such a spiritual uplift than now, with our whole planet seemingly bending the knee to another kind of enemy.
Why would Battlefield Earth be an excellent gift for dad? Here’s what one father and fan of the book said:
“I think it illustrates the value of persistence. If a father could teach his child nothing other than the concept of persistence, it would be worth it. Persistence goes along with determination to provide an unstoppable force, and Battlefield Earth certainly showcases that.” JO
And Mr. Hubbard had this to say in an interview after Battlefield Earth was published:
“Science fiction is and always has been the literature about the frontier. Science fiction appeals to every age group because it is about the future and the human potential.”
Published in 1982 but perhaps even more relevant today, this international best seller is full of non-stop action from beginning to end. A recent review said that it’s like a big action film in book form. Very true!
Tina Phillips is a copywriter, wife, and mom. She’s a big fan of Ancient Aliens and confirms she saw a UFO once—fairly close up! She also enjoys historical biographies, thrillers, and suspense stories. Currently, when not learning the ukulele and French, she is an enthusiastic devotee of Nordic walking and wishes everyone was. And cats rule. You can contact her at LinkedIn.
Other articles and resources you may be interested in:
Battlefield Earth quality paperback with an author interview and hand-written notes
Battlefield Earth first edition hardcover
Battlefield Earth unabridged cinematic audiobook production
Recommended books for your summer reading list
Post-apocalyptic books and the power of the Human Spirit
New to L. Ron Hubbardʼs fiction? Here is the recommended order of books
Need book club books and discussion questions?
Learn more about L. Ron Hubbard
I read Battlefield Earth about 20 years ago and it instantly became my favorite book ever! I wanted to start all over when I finished and just read it again it was so engrossing! Once I started reading I could not stop… for days. Hard to leave the book to go back to work!
I was given the book as a gift from a friend, and I was totally engrossed and engaged with this great SF novel. If my father-in-law was still alive, I’d give the book to him as a gift. He loved a good story, and Battlefield Earth fits the bill! Although I would have bought him his own copy; mine is a permanent addition to my personal library that I would never give up!
I have an uncle who is terribly hard to buy a gift for. I was visiting with his family one weekend and I placed Battlefield Earth in his hands. He started reading it on the spot, then promptly disappeared. Later that evening I went to check up on him and he was nearing the halfway point in the book (some 200,000+ words!). So I let him be. The next day he came in and I asked him where he was on the book. He had finished it, staying up all night to do so. Don’t take my word for it, take my Uncle Stephen’s. Turn to the first page and get ready for a rocket ride!
This is one of my favorite fiction books. I’ve read it several times and I’ve listened to the audiobook as well. I highly recommend it to other dads and anyone who loves epic, well told adventure stories.
I am an avid reader of fiction adventure. If I like a book, I’ll read it twice. So far, I’ve read Battlefield Earth four times. I’m sure that it will get read by me again. The story pulls you on and won’t let go. It makes me smile just thinking of it.
If the Dad in your life is a reader, and a Sci-Fi fan, this book will be a total slam-dunk gift. How many of those can you ever find? I’ve read this book twice and fondly remember my first time – I actually missed a couple of social engagements because I was so engrossed in it. I literally couldn’t put it down. Your Sci-fi-loving Dad will thank you for gifting this fantastical journey.
My favorite book of all time is Battlefield Earth! I could not put it down, I lost lots of sleep but couldn’t care less because it was that good. Of course it would make the perfect Fathers Day gift. It has everything any Dad would want in adventure. Much like the Raiders of the Lost Arc in its fast pace but boy does it pull you through, such a page turner! A big smile comes on my face just thinking about it. I think I’ll read it again or better yet listen to the New audio version with all the award winning special effects.
This is a great idea cause it’s a great book.
I remember the first time that I read it, I could not put it down. Now that this new version is out, I’ll be getting it for my kindle reader where I can read from my phone, by tablet or my computer.
It’s nice and long – and very meaty. So I agree. Sure beats a tie!
I read this book when it came out and I read it again earlier this year. I am a dad and and grand dad. I love books and I have given this book for gifts at least 10 times. Each person complained that I ruined their work day or sleep nights for two weeks because they couldn’t put the book down. I commiserated with them. It happened to me too.
This is a great book because the bad guys are really bad, like some real life bad guys nowadays. And the good guys, Johnny included, are really good. And if you like stories where the good guys win, then you’ll love this book. Enjoy!
Battlefield Earth is an all time classic adventure tale, and the perfect gift for a father who says “I don’t need anything.” This is an exciting book that will keep him on the edge of his seat, and when he’s finished reading it, I’ll bet he says, “That was the best Father’s Day gift ever!”
I have read Battlefield Earth four times and love that I can also listen to the audio book in the car! It is by far my favorite SF book! It is so encouraging for the human spirit!
Battlefield Earth is a masterpiece that is not only a fast and furious page-turning read, it’s full of answers to a host of personal, organization and societal issues and concepts. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve read it. I recommend it to anyone of any age and of any persuasion. It is up there at the very top in terms of inspiring reading!
This is one of the good ones. This story gives such a wide range of characters and it takes you through so many emotions, that you can’t stop reading it! You feel like you just need to know what Jonnie Goodboy Tyler will ultimately do! A great read for sure.
What a terrific read! This colorful cast of hero’s and villains took me on an adventure good to the last page. A great gift for Father’s Day or any day!
What a great idea to give Battlefield Earth to someone for father’s day. Be warned, they may upset others because he’ll be so enthralled at the story!!! The first time I read it, I was up all night! Since then I’ve read it to my kids a couple of times and then another with my wife. What a great story.
I got all the way through high school and never completed a book. I always read the cliff notes to do book reports. This was the first book I ever decided to pick up to just see if I could complete the reading of a fictional book. I heard great things about it. I finished it in five days. It was one of the most exciting stories I had ever experienced. I have since read this book 5 times and I am now an avid reader of science-fiction and many other genres. I actually have to credit this book as the one thing that motivated me to read in life. I have also listened to the audiobook twice. I’m not that guy who has all sorts of time to do this sort of stuff. This story just really is that good. The audiobook is unbelievably entertaining. A total work of art with music, characters and sound effects. I guarantee you will not be disappointed in whichever you choose first, but I would do both.
I first read Battlefield Earth as a high school English class assignment. Changed my view on the world. I would even say, it changed my life. It showed me how small we are and yet how we had so much potential if we had the necessity to move and act. And that we can be anything we want to be if we put our mind to it. L. Ron Hubbard is far and away one of the great authors. He has given us adventures and stories to help us dream and realize how much we can do. So, I agree! A perfect gift for a dad. And a wonderful book to have on a shelf so a teenager might grab it and read it as an English assignment.
Once l started l could not put this book down.
Big book!
But l jumped in, cover to cover.
A must read for any SciFi fan.
Great book that I couldn’t put down once I started it.
Battlefield Earth is a great Sci-fi read, totally engrossing and filled with action, and I am not normally a Sci-fi enthusiast! loved both the good guys and the bad guys portrayed in this book and it does get you thinking about what an individual can pull off against all odds! A must read and as a Dad I would have to agree that it would be a great alternative to the normal Father’s Day gifts.
Excellent book and I totally agree.
I love science fiction. I have read many great sci-fi books. Hands down Battlefield Earth is the best. This is a must read for anyone you wants to read an amazing story with awesome characters and superbly written by L Ron Hubbard
This is a slam dunk gift – an engrossing and magnificent epic sure to please any science fiction fan. The story, the characters, the pace, the ideas in the book about humanity and freedom still resonate today.
Yes, this is one of my favorite books of all time. Speaking as a long-time science fiction fan and a father, if I hadn’t read this book or didn’t own it, it would be the best possible Father’s Day gift I could imagine getting. 🙂
Thanks, Mike!