I'm sure this had happened to everyone, you learn about something new to you and start seeing it everywhere. It's like when you watched Monty Python and realize... 'yes, that song was in this movie' or 'that's where the name SPAM came from for unwanted in email' (or maybe that's just me).If you have experienced something like that, then you may know what I was feeling when I learned about the Lensmen books?!It all started when I was idly reading a wiki post on the DC comic book Green Lantern. I had recently been turned on to the GL Corps books as they are very SF.The more I read, the more I was interested in what had happened before I started reading (that's how they get ya). As the whole Green Lantern books seem to be a strange series for the company that gave us Flash and Wonder Woman, I was looked into the Lanterns.What I found was; the Green Lantern books were inspired by the Lensmen series... on top of that there was a cartoon, that I actually watched as a kid, that was based on these Lensman books (though only loosely). Then it comes to light that 2 local SF Conventions are named after the 2 factions in the books:ArisiaBoskoneI had a "wha-?" moment here!While amazing coincidences, they may be, none of that is what had me reading these books. What actually did get me to read the Lensman was a synopsis/review I read online. It was fascinating, and apparently most of it comes directly from the forward to this book in the series [see, cheaters may not prosper but their reads may].The little article in question talked about how the story, sure, like how epic this story is, how amazingly encompassing. But some of the more interesting bits where the little things. Like how E.E. "Doc" Smith never uses computers in the story and you really don't even notice. It also talks about how, to the new SF audience, these book seem to have become a largely forgotten part of Golden Age SF. Being the gem that it is, the writer notes that this is a huge loss. They even goes on to compare Smith's stories to those of van Vogt, Heinlein and Vinge. That was the right review for me to read because those are authors of some of my favorite books.Plus it they were not lying.... The story is amazing and so very different then most of the early SF stories I have read. And Kimball Kinnison, our hero for this and the previous book, is one of the most vicious heroes I've ever seen. At one point Kim tries to exterminate an entire race when he deems them to be "evil". It is a most mind boggling tact for a "hero" to take, but it works. And it's the the type of moral gray actions that a Lensman may have to take when trying to protect, not just the human race, but all races striving towards unity and peace. Believe me, after a book or two this will all makes sense. You won't believe how easily these story will take you away....The story of the Lensmen and the Galactic Patrol started long before humans walked on Earth. It involves a struggle between two almost magical alien races. The Arisians, a peaceful race native to this galaxy, and the Eddorians, a dictatorial, power-hungry people from the another galaxy.Each has tried to influence the words of our galaxy, one trying to keep us as a fractured and lose farm for war games. The other helping to build an interplanetary council to keep peace and promote prosperity among all the beings we meet as we dive further and further into the void.Despite the rich tapestry of the future E. E. "Doc" Smith paints around the Lensman there can be no argument that this book is an action/adventure epic. The Lensmen, graduates of the Galactic Patrol's Academy, are hand picked to receive the symbol of the Patrol's authority: The Lens.The Lens, a gift from the Arisians, gives its wearer a variety of mind-reading and telepathic capabilities, including those needed to enforce Galactic Patrol law on alien worlds as well as bridge the communication gap between all life-forms. The Lensman's lens cannot be worn by anyone other than its owner, killing any other wearer, and sublimates shortly after its owner's death. The action in Gray Lensman (originally the second book in the series, prior to the addition of the two prequels) series picks up immediately where Galactic Patrol left off, in the middle of the final battle to destroy Lord Helmuth's main base and hopefully end the threat of the criminal empire known as "Boskone". In the aftermath of destruction Kim Kinnison, unattached "Grey" Lensmen of the Galactic Patrol looks for clues to the mysterious origins of Boskone, the clandestine organization that had been controlling drugs and piracy in the galaxy. From here Kim flies into action as only he can, straight into danger... first with an expedition into Lundmark's Nebula (soon to be known as the second galaxy), then to undercover work, pirate hunter, scout, and finally leader of a vast space fleet.Yet there are still two more books to go. Kim's adventures may end here but the series has covered billions of years already, more is still to come. And a Kinnison will be at the heart...I recommend this series for any Space Opera, Classic SF or Adventure fan.
‘Duel to the Death in Outer SpaceSomewhere among the galaxies was the stronghold of Boskone – a network of brilliant space-criminals whose hunger for conquest threatened the continued existence of all known civilisation.But where was this stronghold? Boskonian bases were scattered across the universe – shielded by gigantic thought-screens that defied penetration. The best minds in the Galactic Patrol had tried. And failed. Now it was up to Lensman Kim Kinnison, using his fantastic powers, to infiltrate the Boskonian strongholds, find the location of the enemy’s Grand Base – and smash it forever.But Kinnison didn’t know then that the power of Boskone reached further than anyone had dreamed – into the Galactic Patrol itself...’Blurb from the 1973 Panther paperback edition.Kim Kinnison is now an unattached Grey Lensman, uniformed in the stark drab grey that, paradoxically, appears to the rest of The Patrol (and seemingly the entire galaxy) to be the sexiest outfit known to sentient life. Smith doesn’t use the word ‘sexy’ of course, since the men of the Patrol are very prim and proper about that sort of thing. Oddly, his fellow Lensmen Tregonsee and Worsel, don’t appear to wear grey leather suits, or any other clothing for that matter, perhaps on the grounds that oddly shaped aliens would look a little silly visualised wearing a grey leather coverall.Kinnison once more goes undercover to trace the drug-traffickers of the galaxy back to Boskone, which has now been discovered to be in the second galaxy.There’s the return of the Overlords of Boskone, the usual space-battles, as well as a slightly cringey sub-plot where two senior Patrol Officers plot to push Kim and Clarissa into each other’s arms.There is also a brilliant finale where the entire Patrol Fleet attack the Boskone base and then the planet of The Eich which is spectacularly crushed between two planets which are set into motion for that very purpose.
What do You think about Gray Lensman (1998)?
The Lensman series as a whole is a kind of archaeological dig into a landfill, except probably without toxic outgassing. You have compressed layers of awesome, then quaint silliness, and then just painfully awkward moments.The awesome (important: this is "awesome" in the summer blockbuster movie sense): science-be-damned space battles that do not screw around, informed from that early 40's "throw enough scientists and engineers at a problem, and they can do absolutely anything" mindset. It occur
—Gar
Maybe it was because I started with the fourth book in the series, but this book was difficult to understand. Smith's descriptions are overly complicated and he sometimes make up words for the situations. This book is out-dated and is similar to the Flash Gordon series - a single man is able to do what the whole multiple galaxies is unable to do (in speed, intelligence, ideas, etc.) Plus even though the enemy is suppose to be more advanced than "our side" they make simple mistakes, one after another.
—Chip
I looked this author up and was excited to read that this is a true master of the stone age of SF. Smith is the father of Space Opera and was read by the masters and they paid homage to him. What I didn't know was that this was serialized in issues of a SF magazine, and it shows. Bear in mind that this is a Best of SF book read-through from bottom of the list to the top. And at #98 I wasn't expecting much. The Narrator is enthusiastic and pounds through the 19th century prose pretty deftly (I love that one fan review of Smith indicates that the prose is almost Hemmingway-esque for people educated in the Victorian Style. This book series is contemporary to The Grapes of Wrath, The Great Gatsby and other windbags). The problem is that by "book 4" in a series, the story has been ongoing for so very long that the prologue takes 30 minutes to catch you up and the completion of a cliffhanger that I hadn't read previously leads me to think that if they do reprint this series as one omnibus volume and I pick it up that way I will be much happier. The effect was kind of like watching the beginning of part 4 of a old Flash Gordon serial, you are lost and wondering why that was so difficult. I promise I will come back to this series, as it is a foundation of what SF and Space Opera is today. But for now, I'm Lemming this one. My star rating for this book is based on the audio and the fact that I just can't get into it right now. When I do read it, I will change my rating accordingly.
—Jim
