Portrait, photographic, lafayette ronald hubbard (march 13, 1911 – january 24, 1986) was an american author and the founder of scientology. a prolific writer of pulp science fiction and fantasy novels in his early career, in 1950 he authored dianetics the modern science of mental health and established organizations to promote and practice dianetics techniques, perfect human hands, 4 fingers 1 thumb, anatomically correct, perspective