To the Stars (novel)

Infobox Book
name = To the Stars
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = Cover of 2004 hardcover edition
author = L. Ron Hubbard
cover_artist = Mike Manoogian
country = United States
language = English
series =
subject = Dystopian future
genre = Science fiction
publisher = Galaxy Press
release_date = 2004
english_release_date =
media_type = Print (Hardback)
pages = 210
isbn = ISBN 1592121756
oclc = 56342556
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"To the Stars" is a science fiction novel by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. The novel's story is set in a dystopian future, and chronicles the experiences of protagonist Alan Corday aboard a starship called the "Hound of Heaven" as he copes with the travails of time dilation from traveling at near light speed. Corday is kidnapped by the ship's captain and forced to become a member of their crew, and when he next returns to Earth his fiancee has aged and barely remembers him. He becomes accustomed to life aboard the ship, and when the captain dies Corday assumes command.

Hubbard's story was first published by John W. Campbell in two parts in a serialized format in 1950 in "Astounding Science Fiction". It was first published in book format in 1954 under the title "Return to Tomorrow", and was published in hardcover in 1975 under the same title. In 1997, film producers were in the process of developing the work as a movie for Touchstone Pictures. Jazz musician Chick Corea released a 2004 album of the same name with music inspired by the story, and Scientology-owned Galaxy Press reissued a hardcover edition of Hubbard's novel the same year as a form of cross marketing.

The book was generally positively received, and garnered a 2001 nomination for a "Retro" Hugo Award for Best Novella. "Publishers Weekly" gave the book a positive review, calling it one of Hubbard's "finest works", and Alan Cheuse highlighted the work on National Public Radio's program "All Things Considered" as a top literature holiday pick.

Plot

Protagonist Alan Corday is a young engineer, and is kidnapped from a spaceport called "New Chicago" and taken aboard the interstellar trading starship "Hound of Heaven". The ship is commanded by a charismatic leader named Captain Jocelyn, who tells Corday to use his skills to help the "Hound of Heaven" in its travels between Earth and space colonies in other star systems. On the first page of the book's prologue Hubbard cites "the basic equation of mass and time.... AS MASS APPROACHES INFINITY, TIME APPROACHES ZERO", meaning that interstellar travelers at near light speed experience time relative to their environment, and when they return to their home star will find that decades or centuries may have passed. Six weeks of time aboard the ship amounts to roughly nine years experienced by those on Earth. Corday resists mingling with the culture aboard the starship, but when he returns home after travels with the "Hound of Heaven" he finds that his fiancee has aged and has trouble with her memory. Corday realizes his only home has become that of the starship. Captain Jocelyn dies on a remote planet controlled by a powerful ruler, and Corday takes command of the ship.

Publication history

"To the Stars" was first published in two parts in February and March of 1950 in a serialized format by John W. Campbell in "Astounding Science Fiction". [cite journal | last =Hubbard | first =L. Ron | authorlink =L. Ron Hubbard | title =To the Stars | journal =Astounding Science Fiction | volume =44 | issue =6 | publisher =John W. Campbell |date=February 1950] [cite journal | last =Hubbard | first =L. Ron | authorlink =L. Ron Hubbard | title =To the Stars | journal =Astounding Science Fiction | volume =45 | issue =1 | pages =78–123 | publisher =John W. Campbell |date=March 1950] Hubbard had previously written the story "Ole Doc Methuselah" for "Astounding Science Fiction" in 1947, later published as a book in 1992.cite journal | last =Frenschkowski | first =Marco | title =L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology: An annotated bibliographical survey of primary and selected secondary literature | journal =Marburg Journal of Religion | volume =4 | issue =1 | date =July 1999 | url =http://web.uni-marburg.de/religionswissenschaft/journal/mjr/frenschkowski.html | accessdate = 2008-06-05 ] In 1954 the story was published in book format by Ace Books in a paperback first edition, under the title "Return to Tomorrow". [cite book | last =Hubbard | first =L. Ron | authorlink =L. Ron Hubbard | title =Return To Tomorrow | publisher =Ace Books | date =1954 | pages =157 | id = (Classic Ace SF, S-66) | isbn =0441190669] Garland Publishing released a hardcover edition of "Return to Tomorrow" in 1975. [cite book | last =Hubbard | first =L. Ron | authorlink =L. Ron Hubbard | title =Return to Tomorrow | publisher =Garland Publishing | date =1975 | pages =157 | isbn = 0824014170]

In 1997 Hollywood producers were working on developing a film version of "To the Stars". [cite journal | last =Kent | first =Stephen A. | authorlink =Stephen A. Kent | title =Scientology -- Is this a Religion? | journal =Marburg Journal of Religion | volume =4 | issue =1 | date =July 1999 | url =http://archiv.ub.uni-marburg.de/mjr/kent.html | accessdate = 2008-06-05 ] Producers Barbara Boyle and Michael Taylor were preparing to bring the book to the film screen for Touchstone Pictures, a division of Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group.cite news | last =Southam Newspapers | title =Travolta wants to make sci-fi movies | work =The Record, (Kitchner, Ontario, Canada) | page =A16 | date =April 18, 1997 ] Boyle and Taylor had previously worked with Scientologist actor John Travolta on the film "Phenomenon", and the project was planned to be part of Travolta's vision to make films out of L. Ron Hubbard's science fiction novels. Hubbard's novel "Battlefield Earth" was first on his list, and Travolta starred in and helped fund the film version of the book which was released in 2000. [cite news | last =Staff | title =Christian to direct Travolta in 'Earth' | work =Variety | date = 1999-01-14 ] [cite news | last =Schneller | first =Johanna | title =Vanity projects are like land mines. They blow up | work =Globe and Mail | date = 2000-10-13 ] A film version of "To the Stars" had not yet begun production as of 2008.

Scientologist and jazz musician Chick Corea released a CD of the same name with music inspired by the story in 2004,cite journal | last =Staff | title =To the Stars | journal =Publishers Weekly | volume =251 | issue =35 | pages =37 | publisher =Reed Business Information | date =August 30, 2004 ] cite journal | last =Rogers | first =Michael | title =Hubbard, L. Ron. To The Stars | journal =Library Journal | volume =129 | issue =8 | pages =134 | publisher =Reed Business Information | date =November 1, 2004 ] and Scientology-owned Galaxy Press reissued a hardcover edition of Hubbard's novel the same year as a form of cross marketing.cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/11/arts/music/11core.html?fta=y|work=The New York Times|title=Jazz Review - Chick Corea Elektric Band: The Cluttered but Valiant Sound of a Space-Age Trip to the Stars|publisher=The New York Times Company|accessdate=2008-06-06|date=November 11, 2004|last=Ratliff|first=Ben] [cite web|url=http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1164881840438|title=Who was L. Ron Hubbard? | work=Jerusalem Post|publisher=www.jpost.com|accessdate=2008-06-06|date=December 6, 2006|last=Eglash|first=Ruth] According to "Publishers Weekly", Corea's soundtrack to the novel was issued by Galaxy Press to give the company's "enormous marketing muscle" the ability to "tap into the vast Hubbard fan base". Corea explains at his website how he was motivated to work on music inspired by the book. He comments that he was inspired by a scene from the book where Hubbard describes the Captain of the "Hound of Heaven" spaceship playing a melody on a piano.cite web|url=http://www.chickcorea.com/to_the_stars.html|work=Chick Corea - Official Website|title="To The Stars" - The Chick Corea Elektric Band|publisher=www.chickcorea.com|accessdate=2008-06-05|last=Smith|first=Christopher]

Reception

"To the Stars" was nominated by the World Science Fiction Society for a "Retro" Hugo Award for Best Novella in 2001, losing to "The Man Who Sold the Moon" by Robert A. Heinlein. [cite web|url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/?page_id=67|title=1951 Retro Hugo Awards|publisher=www.thehugoawards.org|work=The Hugo Awards|accessdate=2008-06-09|last=World Science Fiction Society] Hubbard's novel "Battlefield Earth" did not receive a Hugo nomination, and Scientologists showed up at the 1983 World Science Fiction Convention passing out an advertisement titled: "To the Stars", which was devoted to "Battlefield Earth". [cite news | last =Dird | first =Michael | title =Letter from the World Science Fiction Convention | work =The Washington Post | page =8 | publisher =The Washington Post Company | date =September 25, 1983 ] The "To the Stars" science-fiction magazine was published by Bridge Publications.cite news | last =McIntyre | first =Mike | title =Hubbard alienated science-fiction fans by abandoning field, trying to return | work =The San Diego Union | page =A8 | publisher =Union-Tribune Publishing Co. | date =April 15, 1990]

The book generally received positive reception from literature critics. "Publishers Weekly" described it as "golden SF from the Golden Age", and "The Harvard Crimson" called it "one of the great classics" of the Golden Age of Science Fiction.cite web|url=http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=504861|work=The Harvard Crimson|title=Elektric Band and Chick Corea Resynergize: Jazz great teams up with old band for tour, album with sci-fi literary influence|publisher=The Harvard Crimson, Inc.|accessdate=2008-06-06|date=December 3, 2004|last=Collins|first=James F.] A reviewer writing in "Publishers Weekly" commented: "Hubbard brilliantly evokes the vastness of space and the tragedy of those who would conquer it", and called the book "one of his [Hubbard's] finest works". Alan Cheuse reviewed the book in the "San Francisco Chronicle", writing: "As in a number of groundbreaking -- or time-breaking, I suppose we ought to say -- works of science fiction, the science behind the story is more interesting than the fiction itself. Hubbard is a thinker who writes, rather than a writer who thinks, as most masters are."cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/12/26/RVGU1ACM2V1.DTL|title=Thrill of going where no one has gone before|work=San Francisco Chronicle|publisher=Hearst Communications Inc.|accessdate=2008-06-05|date=December 26, 2004|last=Cheuse|first=Alan|page=E2] Cheuse highlighted the book among his 2004 literature holiday picks in a piece for National Public Radio's program "All Things Considered": "Before he began founding new religions, Hubbard was one of the country's most prolific pulp science fiction writers, and this book is one of his best." [cite web|url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4226073|title=Alan Cheuse's 2004 Holiday Book Picks : NPR|publisher=National Public Radio|work=All Things Considered|accessdate=2008-06-05|date=December 14, 2004|last=Cheuse|first=Alan]

Barnes & Noble's "Explorations" editor, Paul Goat Allen, put the book at number eight on his list of the top ten science fiction/fantasy novels for 2004, writing: "After more than half a century, 'To the Stars' is just as timely, just as awe-inspiring, just as profoundly moving as it was in 1950." [cite web|url=http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=961|title=The Top Ten Novels of 2004|publisher=www.webwire.com|work=WebWire |accessdate=2008-06-05|last=Press release - Beverly Widder, Dateline Communications|date=January 10, 2005] In a review of the book for the website "SF Site", Georges T. Dodds writes: "To the Stars, besides being among the earliest hard science fiction works to consider time-dilation effects in long-distance near-light-speed space travel, is a pretty entertaining story." [cite web|url=http://www.sfsite.com/03b/ts196.htm|title=The SF Site Featured Review: To the Stars|publisher=www.sfsite.com|work=SF Site|accessdate=2008-06-05|date=2005|last=Dodds|first=George T.] Writing in the "Marburg Journal of Religion", Marco Frenschkowski of the University of Mainz described the book as a "melancholy tale about interplanetary travel and the effects of time dilation". University of California, Irvine physics professor and science fiction author Gregory Benford wrote positively of the book in an article for the science fiction website "Crows Nest": "Writers had used Einstein's special relativity theory before in stories, but Hubbard brought to his novel the compressed story telling and pulp skills that had stood him in over a decade of professional writing."cite web|url=http://www.computercrowsnest.com/features/arc/2005/nz7377.php|title=To the Stars|publisher=www.computercrowsnest.com|work=Crows Nest
accessdate=2008-06-05|date=January 1, 2005|last=Benford, Gregory]

References

External links

*isfdb title|92605|To the Stars