Fear: A Surreal and Supernatural American Horror Story

“Fear is one of the few books in the chiller genre which actually merits employment of the overworked adjective ‘classic,’ as in ‘This is a classic tale of creeping, surreal menace and horror.’ One of the really, really good ones.” —Stephen King

Fear:
A Surreal and Supernatural American Horror Story
by L. Ron Hubbard

Professor James Lowry doesn’t believe in ghosts, the supernatural, the surreal, or any type of dark fantasy. Not until a gentle spring evening when his hat disappeared, and suddenly he couldn’t remember the last four hours of his life. Now, the quiet university town of Atworthy is changing – slightly at first, then faster and more frighteningly each time he tries to remember.

Lowry is pursued by a dark, secret evil that is turning his whole world against him while it whispers a his forgotten scary story from the shadows: If you find your hat you’ll find your four hours. If you find your four hours then you will die…Fear turns to terror…

“A true scare!” —Ray Bradbury
“What I’m writing is really psychological fantasies, on the order of L. Ron Hubbard’s Fear. Without Fear, I would never have come up with what I do.” —Philip K. Dick

About the Author

With 19 New York Times bestsellers and more than 230 million copies of his works in circulation, L. Ron Hubbard is among the most acclaimed and widely read authors of our time. As a leading light of American Pulp Fiction through the 1930s and ’40s, he is further among the most influential authors of the modern age. Indeed, from Ray Bradbury to Stephen King, there is scarcely a master of imaginative tales who has not paid tribute to L. Ron Hubbard.

“Fear is one of the few books in the chiller genre which actually merits employment of the overworked adjective ‘classic,’ as in ‘This is a classic tale of creeping, surreal menace and horror.’ One of the really, really good ones.” —Stephen King (The Stand)
“What I’m writing is really psychological fantasies, on the order of L. Ron Hubbard’s Fear, which impressed me very much, and still does. Without Fear I would never have come up with what I do.” —Philip K. Dick (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?)
“Deeply influenced me when I was twenty years old. [A] landmark novel in my life.” —Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451)
“Fear is the best piece of fiction L. Ron Hubbard ever wrote. It is one of the foundations of the contemporary horror genre, widely influential, and powerfully effective. Fear is a work of deep psychological insight and moral complexity that helped to transform horror literature from an antiquarian or metaphysical form into a contemporary and urban form with the gritty details of everyday realism. From Ray Bradbury to Stephen King, a literary debt is owed to L. Ron Hubbard for Fear.” —David Hartwell (The Hard SF Renaissance)
“L. Ron Hubbard has been, since the 40s, one of the five writers in the SF field who have served me as models and teachers. His stories, Fear in particular, directly influenced all my work.” —Ray Faraday Nelson (The Ganymede Takeover)
“A classic masterpiece of psychological horror.” —Robert Silverberg (The Book of Skulls)
“Of all L. Ron Hubbard’s stories, this [Fear] is my favorite.” —Isaac Asimov (I, Robot)
“Fear is one of the most compelling fantasies ever written, with all the scary logic and authority of genuine nightmare. Fear is a terribly powerful story.” —Tim Powers (The Anubis Gates)
“The triumphant pioneer of psychological thrillers.” —Jack Williamson (Darker Than You Think)
“FEAR is L. Ron Hubbard’s finest work!” —Robert Bloch
“A masterpiece… Fear has everything: thumping great story, colorful action writing and some very nice descriptions…” —Mystery Scene
“A first-class work … a must purchase.” —Booklist
“…a ripely surrealistic horror novel.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Scary stuff. Highly recommended.” —Calgary Herald