Ole Doc Methuselah by L. Ron Hubbard
**Overview of Ole Doc Methuselah**
"Ole Doc Methuselah" is a collection of science fiction stories written by L. Ron Hubbard under the pseudonym René Lafayette, published between 1947 and 1950. The central character, Ole Doc Methuselah, is a member of the Universal Medical Society (UMS), an elite group dedicated to preserving humanity by combating diseases, old age, and psychological issues across the universe. Established in the late twenty-third century in response to a devastating biological warfare event, the UMS operates under strict guidelines that prohibit political involvement. Throughout the stories, Methuselah often finds himself in crises, typically triggered by human greed and oppression, where he must navigate the challenges while adhering to UMS rules.
Accompanying him is Hippocrates, a gypsum-based alien creature who serves multiple roles, including cook and bodyguard. The narratives often feature Methuselah bending the UMS's political restrictions to resolve conflicts, showcasing his medical expertise and combat skills. The title story exemplifies this theme, where Methuselah intervenes in a local land speculation scheme while trying to maintain a low profile. Overall, the "Ole Doc Methuselah" stories blend elements of adventure, ethics, and medical science in a speculative future setting.
On this Page
Ole Doc Methuselah
First published: 1970
Type of work: Stories
Type of plot: Science fiction—planetary romance
Time of work: The twenty-ninth century
Locale: Various human settlements and colonies throughout the universe
The Plot
L. Ron Hubbard wrote the stories contained in Ole Doc Methuselah under the name René Lafayette. He reserved this pseudonym almost exclusively for these stories, having used it on only one other occasion, for a short novel titled “The Indigestible Triton,” published in the April, 1940, issue of Unknown. The stories in Ole Doc Methuselah were published individually in Astounding Science-Fiction between 1947 and 1950, at the same time that Hubbard’s novel-length story “The End Is Not Yet” was being serialized. The Methuselah stories were also reprinted in a 1992 edition.
The plots in these seven stories are similar. Ole Doc Methuselah is the nickname for the most famous member of the Universal Medical Society (UMS), an elite group of seven hundred “soldiers of light” who restrict knowledge about specialized medicine from spreading to the rest of the universe. This society was formed in the late twenty-third century after biological warfare had killed nearly 2 billion humans. The members of the UMS have dedicated themselves to the preservation of the human race and travel the universe fighting disease, old age, and psychological disorders. They are forbidden from meddling in political issues, and they are not subject to any political organization.
In each story, Ole Doc Methuselah encounters some kind of crisis. Often he is drawn into the crisis unawares. Occasionally, he encounters a crisis while fulfilling some official mission for the UMS. These crisis situations are often exacerbated by human greed and political oppression. Ole Doc uses his medical knowledge and expert skill with weapons to solve the crisis, usually bending the UMS injunction against involving himself in political matters. He is accompanied by Hippocrates, an alien creature made of gypsum. Methuselah bought Hippocrates as a slave so that he could understand Hippocrates’ physiology, something he never accomplishes. Hippocrates acts as Methuselah’s cook, bodyguard, nurse, superego, servant, and errand boy.
The title story from the collection provides an example of how most of the stories are structured. Ole Doc Methuselah lands on the planet Spico so that he can concentrate on completing some complex mathematical calculations. He finds a good trout stream and decides to go fly fishing. He encounters a young girl and her severely wounded father, whose ship was shot down en route to Junction City. The girl’s father, Judge Alyn Elston, was about to expose the land speculation scheme of Captain Blanchard, the judge’s crooked partner, who has been selling real estate for exorbitant prices, promising buyers that a Spaceway station is going to be built in Junction City. Despite the injunction of the UMS against getting involved in local politics, Methuselah is influenced by the charms of the young girl to help her. He poses as a prospective buyer and ends up buying the Junction City water works. As Blanchard is about to take the money and escape, he learns that Methuselah has quarantined the planet and that no ships are allowed to leave. Methuselah then gathers the townspeople together and tells them the truth about Blanchard. Ole Doc and Hippocrates end up in a shootout with Blanchard and his men. Later, Judge Elston starts rebuilding the city. Methuselah has mixed a drug into the drinking water to make everyone forget that he was involved.